Life Under the Sun

Enjoy the Word

2012-01-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

A family was driving through Florida and decided to stop for breakfast. Climbing out of the car, they were greeted by the scent of fresh oranges and saw hundreds of citrus trees loaded with fruit.

Inside the diner, they eagerly ordered eggs and a cup of orange juice. “I’m sorry,” the waitress replied. “I can’t bring you orange juice. Our machine is broken today.” What a tragedy! Right outside were hundreds of ripe oranges, but no one could get a simple cup of juice.

Did you know many people suffer from a similar spiritual problem? The Bible is full of comfort and guidance. It’s like a ripe orange ready to be enjoyed. But many never learn to extract its juice.

Some say in despair, “I’d try reading the Bible, but I don’t know where to start. It’s just so big and confusing!” Here are a few steps to help you begin to enjoy God’s Word:

Get a Bible. Blow the dust off that Bible, find a version online, or run down to the store and get a copy. If cost is an issue, just stop by your local church. They’d be delighted to give you one!
Pick a book. The Bible is one book made up of 66 smaller books. You’ve got to start somewhere, so I’d suggest the Gospel of John. It’s a gripping account of Jesus Christ, who is the hero of the entire Bible. But other books like Genesis, Luke, or Romans are great places to start too. You really can’t go wrong in your choice. After all, it’s God’s Word!
Ask three questions. When doing Bible study, take a paragraph at a time. Say a prayer and ask “What does it say?” Look at the facts. Study the setting. Make observations and put it in your own words. Then ask, “What does it mean?” Try to interpret what the author was saying to his original audience. Finally ask, “What does it mean for me?” After we’ve learned the meaning of a passage, God wants us to apply it. It’s not enough just to learn facts about God. He calls us to know Him personally and to live for Him. His Word was intended to change us. As Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

So get a Bible. Pick a book. Ask three questions. And discover something even more wonderful than freshly squeezed orange juice -- living water for your soul.

Today's article first appeared in this week's Minister's Message of our local newspaper, The Hi Desert Star.

Photo credit: greenzowie

A Year to Remember

2011-12-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

2011 is a year we’ll always remember. It was filled with the many joys and struggles of this life. We laughed, went to ER, cried, went to ER, travelled, went to ER, and through it all grew “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18)!
Here are some of this year’s highlights…

Abigail. Our third child, Abigail Adelle Jones, was born on February 10, 2011. She is cuddly and playful and such a sweetheart. She cut her first two teeth at 3 1/2 months, and now at ten months she has 14 teeth! Just like her Grandpa.

Abby was born right on time, after teasing us with 16 weeks of false labor. The delivery went quite smoothly. But unbeknownst to us, a small piece of placenta was not expelled from Natalie’s uterus. Which leads us to our next memory...

Hospitals. After delivery, Natalie endured severe cramping and heavy bleeding for five hours. It took a D&C, four units of blood, four days in the hospital, and a lot of prayer to nurse her back to health. She had intermittent cramping and bleeding for another five weeks until a second D&C that removed more embedded placental tissue.

Before she was born, doctors noticed that Abigail had a kidney condition called hydronephrosis (fluid on the kidney). At first we weren’t sure if she would lose her right kidney altogether, but further testing revealed only a small defect where the ureter and kidney attach. A repair surgery took place in September at Loma Linda (where Dylan had his heart surgery in 2007). It went very well...until that night when Abby had internal bleeding.

What should have been an overnight stay turned into almost a weeklong stay with time in ICU. But again, God was kind to give us excellent doctors and nurses who knew just how to help. And He gave Mommy and Daddy the strength to endure. Once over that hump, she’s been doing great! We’ll get an ultrasound done in January, and follow-ups as she grows older, but it appears at this point that she is doing just fine and should have two perfectly healthy kidneys. Praise God!

In August, Natalie began to experience chest pains. It felt like a heart attack but, thankfully, turned out to be a gall stone attack. She had emergency surgery to remove the gall bladder, but then did not recover well. Her blood pressure dropped and she had internal bleeding. (Which, by the way, the Lord healed. When the doctor took her back into surgery the next day, he saw the old blood, but found no new bleeding. It stopped even before the doctor got inside!) Natalie’s mom stayed for a full month to help with kids and chores while Natalie regained her strength. Stephen’s mom also came to help after Abby’s surgery. Thank you, family, for your sacrifice this year!

From September 2010 through October 2011 we counted ten ER visits for our family, four operations for Natalie, one operation for Abigail, and constant doctor visits and intense moments. We’re very thankful for a window of rest the past couple months! But we’re also thankful for the trials God brought us through and the lessons He taught us. We’ve never felt so helpless, so dependent on God, so thankful for His love, and so mindful of the power of prayer. Thank you all who served us and prayed for us this year.

Arizona. 2011 was not all drama. We enjoyed some fun moments too. In June, we rented a house along with Stephen’s parents in Flagstaff, AZ for a week. This was such a great way to meet up with them. We spent a full day at the Grand Canyon, visited some caverns, and got to look at the sun and Saturn through special telescopes at the Lowell Observatory.

On departure, our family headed south to Phoenix and the Southern Baptist Convention. The kids had a blast riding the light rail train each day to the Convention Center!

Family. On July 15th, we celebrated 11 years of marriage by heading up the Palm Springs Tram for dinner and a hike in the gorgeous mountain scenery. Thank you, Lord, for best friends in each other!

Heidi turned three on February 20th. (She still talks about her princess birthday cake!) Dylan turned six on November 17 and started first grade this fall. He is reading well and really enjoys science. Natalie is teaching the kids at home and does a great job. Dylan recently lost his fourth tooth, just in time to sing All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!

Camping. In August, Stephen took the older kids camping for two nights in Idyllwild. Heidi was so excited to go this year! They arrived late, so they had to scramble to find a good site and set up camp in the dark. When they awoke in the morning, they discovered a rock nearby that the kids loved climbing on. With a little imagination, that rock became a pirate ship, a castle, and a hideout for bad guys.

Ministry. This was an encouraging year as we saw the Lord work in many lives. More and more families are coming to the church and getting involved. We had good attendance at VBS with two girls accepting Christ. We also did outreach at a local parade, a fair booth, a car show, at Halloween, and by donating money to our local high school to help renovate their faculty lounge.

We shared the gospel with many visitors at our Christmas service, and Stephen had the opportunity to lead a man to Christ just a few weeks ago. We also enjoyed many guest missionaries this year including Mikko Sivonen, Tim Kunkel, Philippe Viguier, and Jeff Thomas.

Stephen had the opportunity to serve on the California Southern Baptist Focus 21 Task Force. He also enjoyed teaching as a Course Administrator for The Master’s College Online program and as an Adjunct Professor at California Baptist University.

We were blessed by the group Majesty from The Master’s College who came out to sing in October. Plus they were able to stay a few extra days and help paint our sanctuary, hallway, remodel Stephen’s church office, organize the library, and help with outreach. They were a tremendous encouragement!

God provided for us to re-roof our sanctuary before the winter rains arrive. This was an enormous amount of money for our little church. Several times, money came from people we didn’t even know and once from over a hundred miles away. Praise God!

Yes, it’s been quite a year. But we serve quite a God --One who promises never to give us more than we can handle with His Spirit, His Word, and loving friends like all of you. We love and pray for you. Happy New Year!

Love,
Stephen, Natalie, Dylan, Heidi, & Abigail Jones

Books, books, books

2011-12-23T10:55:00.001-08:00

It’s hard to overstate the importance of books in the Christian life. C.J. Mahaney shares how his salvation and a love for reading went hand-in-hand:

“Before that evening when Bob told me the gospel, I literally knew nothing of God or His Word. I’d never cracked open a Bible. But from the day of my conversion I couldn’t get enough of Scripture or Christian books. Not long after my conversion, I got a job at a Christian bookstore just so I could read as much as possible” (Living the Cross-Centered Life, p. 148).

Donald Whitney observes, “I’ve always found it to be true that growing Christians are reading Christians. For some it’s a habit they find hard to develop…But let me encourage you to find some time to read anyway, even if it’s no more than one page per day and one book per year” (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, p. 221).

Here’s a list of books I read in 2011. Some were deeply convicting or comforting; others were purely amusing and relaxing.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Kindle Edition by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (in progress)

The Bible by God (I’m currently reading through the New Testament)

The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

“But God…”: The Two Words at the Heart of the Gospel by Casey Lute

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and Jason Wright

Cruciform: Living the Cross-Shaped Life by Jimmy Davis

Getting Back in the Race: The Cure for Backsliding by Joel Beeke (in progress)

The Evangelicals: What They Believe, Where They Are, and Their Politics by Christopher Catherwood

Flip Flop Fly Ball: An Infographic Baseball Adventure by Craig Robinson

Heaven Revealed: What is it Like? What will we Do? … And 11 Other Things You’ve Wondered About by Paul Enns

How to Meet the Enemy: Arming Yourself for Spiritual Warfare by John MacArthur (in progress)

Intentional Parenting: Family Discipleship by Design by Tad Thompson

Licensed to Kill: A Field Manual for Mortifying Sin by Brian Hedges

Living by God’s Promises by Joel Beeke (a couple chapters)

Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng

The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies

Presentations in Action: 80 Memorable Presentation Lessons from the Masters by Jerry Weismann

The Organized Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Conquering Chaos by Staci Eastin

Pujols: More than the Game by Scott Lamb & Tim Ellsworth

Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys who are Sick of Porn by Tim Challies

The Sword: A Novel by Bryan Liftin (just started this one)

Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges

What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro

What is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert (in progress)

Each of these books had a unique role to play and shaped my thinking in new areas. It’s hard to know which influenced me the most. Apart from the bible, I think it’s a three-way tie between A Praying Life, Trusting God, and Heaven Revealed. All of them ministered to me deeply as my family went through so much suffering this year. They really became dear friends that brought comfort and food to my soul, and helped me better care for my wife and others.

So what have you been reading lately? What was your “Book of the Year”? Do you have any books you plan to read in 2012?

A fickle crowd?

2011-12-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

It seems funny to bring up Palm Sunday just a few days before Christmas. But a student in one of my classes recently asked a great question about the crowd on Palm Sunday versus Good Friday:

"I read a blog post by Kevin DeYoung that argued that it was two different groups of people. The ones shouting "Hosanna" were Galilean pilgrims and the ones shouting "Crucify Him" were the Jerusalem crowd. What are your thoughts on this?"

Here was my reply:

You've raised a really interesting question about the crowd in Jerusalem during the Passion Week. David Hazard vividly captures the traditional view:

In all probability, the same people who shouted "Crucify Him!" were still hoarse from shouting, "Hosanna!" ("Seeing More of God," Discipleship Journal, Jan-Feb 1995, p. )

But many scholars, as Kevin DeYoung pointed out, dispute this fact. Thus R. T. France writes,

The location is still outside Jerusalem (v. 1), and Jesus will not in fact enter the city until v. 11. The traditional description of this scene as the ‘Triumphal Entry’ is therefore inaccurate: it describes Jesus’ approach to the city, not his entry. The shouting crowd are therefore the pilgrim group to whom we have already been introduced, and Mark puts their identity beyond doubt by using the phrase οἱ προάγοντες καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες (v. 9). This is not yet, then, the Jerusalem crowd, but the pilgrims, probably mostly like Jesus Galileans, who are accompanying him and his disciples to the city for the festival. (See on 15:40–41 for some comments on the composition of this crowd.) They are already predisposed, after the event at Jericho, to favour Jesus and to echo Bartimaeus’ evaluation of him as υἱὸς Δαυίδ. Those who react with enthusiasm to the arrival of the Galilean Messiah are thus Jesus’ Galilean supporters rather than the potentially more sceptical Jerusalem crowd whom he has not yet encountered. Matthew adds a note to make this contrast explicit in 21:10–11, but even in Mark the point is clear. There is no warrant here for the preacher’s favourite comment on the fickleness of a crowd which could shout ‘Hosanna’ one day and ‘Crucify him’ a few days later. They are not the same crowd. The Galilean pilgrims shouted ‘Hosanna’ as they approached the city; the Jerusalem crowd shouted, ‘Crucify him’. (New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Mark, p. 430)

Yet others remain convinced. William Hendriksen says,

Unbiased reading of the Triumphal Entry accounts (Matt. 21:8–11; Mark 11:7–10; Luke 19:36–38; and John 12:9–18) does not leave one with the impression that all these Sunday enthusiasts were Galilean pilgrims. See, for example, John 12:17. Though we must make allowance for the figure of speech called hyperbole, we will probably have to agree with the conclusion of the Pharisees, “Look, the world has gone after him!” (John 12:19). Similarly, it would be difficult to defend the proposition that on the following Friday none but Pilate’s subjects were screaming “Crucify him.” Admittedly many of them may well have been exactly that. But to exclude from Calvary a goodly number of people who, in order to participate in the feast, had come from elsewhere, including Galilee, would amount to doing injustice to the probabilities. As well as there were Galilean women in that crowd (Mark 15:40, 41) there must have been Galilean men also. With respect to variety of visitors, Passover probably resembled Pentecost. See Acts 2:5–11. Eagerness to see what was going on at Calvary must have been widespread. Curiosity does not recognize ethnic boundaries. And as concerns the attitude of the people, including the Jerusalemites, toward Jesus during the days intervening between the Triumphal Entry and Good Friday, “the huge crowd [regardless of where they came from] enjoyed listening to him” (Mark 12:37). It would seem therefore that the only logical conclusion is that on the part of many a change of attitude had actually taken place.

How must we account for this? The fickleness or instability of the human heart and mind apart from regenerating grace enters into the answer. Other factors deserving consideration are:

The pressure exerted upon the crowd by the chief priests. We are distinctly told, “But the chief priests stirred up the mob to get him [Pilate] to release to them Barabbas instead (of Jesus).” Read Mark 15:11; cf. Matt. 27:20. It was hard to resist such pressure. See John 9:22; 12:42; cf. 20:19.
The fact that in the end Jesus did not prove to be the kind of Messiah the people desired and were expecting.
Sinful ignorance of Scripture. With increasing clarity the Old Testament draws the picture of the coming Redeemer: Gen. 3:15; II Sam. 7:12, 13; Ps. 72; 118:22, 23; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; 11:1–10; 35:5, 6; 42:1–4; 53; 60:1–3; Jer. 23:6; 31:31–34; Mic. 4:1–5; 5:2; 7:18–20; Hag. 2:1–9; Zech. 3:8; 6:9–13; 9:9, 10; 13:1; Mal. 3:1–4, to mention only a few of the many messianic prophecies. These predictions associate with Messiah: peace, pardon, healing, righteousness, vicarious suffering, spiritual cleansing.

The lesson is obvious: Do not neglect the prayerful study of the Scriptures! And do not neglect to take the Bible’s precious truths to heart! (New Testament Commentary: Mark, p. 638)

In all likelihood, there was some overlap between the two groups. The Triumphal Entry probably did include some Judeans coming out to greet and praise Jesus. (After all, Jesus' local teaching, healing, and raising of Lazarus had not been done in a corner.) And the Crucifixion probably did include some Galileeans who had been influenced and corrupted by the religious leaders. This would not be the first time that Galileeans turned their backs on the Lord. (Just recall the feeding of the 5,000, where scores chased after Jesus to make Him king but soon turned back and no longer walked with Him. Jn. 6:15, 24, 66).

What do you think? Whose viewpoint do you find more convincing? And does this have any significance in our understanding of the overall gospel narrative?

Growing in Christ

2011-12-20T17:04:00.001-08:00

Our Wednesday night Bible Study on Spiritual Warfare is winding down. So starting January 4, we’ll be starting a new series called “Growing in Christ.” It’s actually a three-year program I’m developing to help produce mature, fruitful believers in Jesus Christ.

I’ve long had a burden for nurturing new Christians, training up mentors, and equipping busy Marines. But I was never quite sure how to pull it off. Though still early in the early planning phase, I think this program will help fill the gap in our discipleship ministry. Here’s an overview:

Growing in Christ

GOAL: To produce mature, fruitful believers in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

STRATEGY: three themes discussed in three years:

1. SERVE HIM (the hands of a disciple)

Spiritual Disciplines
Evangelism
Family
Counseling
Spiritual Gifts

2. KNOW HIM (the head of a disciple)

Christian Beliefs
Bible Overview
Church History
Apologetics/Worldview

3. LOVE HIM (the heart of a disciple)

Am I Really a Christian?
Bearing Fruit of the Spirit
What if I Backslide?

Our salvation and union with Christ is the root of all growth and fruitfulness, so we’ll start with “Am I Really a Christian?” From there, we’ll rotate between themes. The full three-year cycle looks like this:

	2012	2013	2014
Winter	Am I Really a Christian?	Evangelism	Counseling
Spring	Spiritual Disciplines	Fruit of the Spirit	Spiritual Gifts
Summer	Christian Beliefs	Family	Backsliding
Fall	Overview of the Bible	Church History	Apologetics/ Worldviews

By the end, Lord willing, a Christian would be trained in the fundamentals of the faith and would have all the basic tools for a lifetime of continued learning.

Our format on Wednesday nights would be primarily lecture, some discussion, and a small amount of homework each week. I also hope to record these lessons and upload them to our podcast so that others can follow along. Those who have successfully completed a course will have opportunity to guide one or two others through the study in the future.

What do you think? Is this something that would interest you? Anything else we should add or change in a beginning discipleship program? In my next post, I’ll share a more detailed listing of what specific topics we’ll cover each quarter.

Please pray for this new discipleship program, and consider joining us on Wednesday nights!

Bible Study & Teaching Worksheet

2011-11-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Someone said we should treat our Bibles like our cell phones. Just think, we'd carry them around with us everywhere. We'd flip them open throughout the day. We'd use them to receive important messages. We'd feel incomplete without them.

The Bible is a precious gift from God, more valuable than the latest generation smart phone. It is sweeter than honey and more desirable than gold (Psalm 19:10). Yet sadly, many Christians spend little or no time reading their Bibles. How can this be?

Perhaps it's a lack of self-discipline (if that's the case, then try turning off the TV or setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier). But for others, perhaps it's a lack of direction.

I believe there are a lot of Christians (and even teachers) who simply do not know what to study or how to study the Bible. They're intimidated by such a big book written long ago, so they just rely on the Sunday preacher to feed them and get them through the week. They're like grown adults who have a fully stocked kitchen, but since they never learned to cook, they just go out to eat whenever they're hungry.

Let's break this cycle! If you'd like to learn how to study the Bible for yourself, or how to prepare a Bible study to lead others, here is a simple Bible Study & Teaching Worksheet. It explains the Bible Study process in four steps:

Supplication - humbly ask God for guidance
Observation- carefully examine the text
Interpretation - use your own investigative skills plus a few good commentaries
Application - use the SPECK method to become a doer of the Word

Plus, here are two more steps for those preparing to teach or preach:

Preparation - craft your lesson with good questions and a clear outline
Proclamation - engage your audience and speak God's Word with authority

The worksheet spells out all the steps and provides a suggested schedule if you had only four hours to prepare a lesson from start to finish. You can download it here. Hope you find it helpful.

Photo credit: RafeB

Truth & Grace Memory Books

2011-11-05T11:24:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I preached from Deuteronomy 6 that we must “teach our children diligently” the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know we have a duty to raise our kids up in the nurture and discipline of the Lord, but let’s face it, we’re not always sure where to start. Plus, life is busy and chaotic.

We won’t ever find extra time to train up our kids spiritually. We must deliberately make time in our family schedule.

One tool that could help you disciple your kids is the Truth & Grace Memory Book series by Founders Press. They are a simple guide for parents with Bible Memory verses, hymns, and catechism questions.

We have used these books some in our own home, and highly recommend them. There are three books in the series…

Book 1 – for ages 2 through 4^th grade
Book 2 – for grades 5 through 8
Book 3 – for grade 9 through 12

Best of all, these books have just been released digitally. For a limited time, you can buy them on sale for only $.99 each. The ePUB and mobi editions will integrate seamlessly with your iPad, Kindle, PC, or smartphone so you can take them with you wherever you go.

Here’s the link to the digital editions. Or, the paper edition is still a great buy for only $5.25 here. It’s a small price to pay to make an eternal impact on our children.

Does the Bible contradict itself?

2011-10-30T21:36:00.001-07:00

If four journalists were assigned to cover the same news story, we would expect four similar, yet slightly different perspectives. The basic facts would be the same, but the details would depend on their vantage point, research, writing style, and audience.

The same is true of the four Gospels. They all testify to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But some details are unique to each gospel writer. At first glance, they can even appear contradictory. Take the Transfiguration, for example.

Matthew 17:1 says “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.”

Likewise, Mark 9:2 records “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.”

Luke 9:28 however, says “Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.”

Is this a mistake? No. In fact, this minor difference actually confirms the reliability of the Gospels. Let me explain.

Luke's word 'about' (Gk. hosei) means 'as if, nearly, something like' (Vine's Dictionary). The author admits he is only giving a ballpark figure here. Unlike Matthew, Luke was not an eyewitness. During his research, perhaps it was difficult to nail down the exact timing of this event. It could've been six, seven, eight, or maybe even nine or ten days later. Six certainly falls within the range of 'about eight.'

But here’s what’s most significant. Luke's account of 'about eight days' suggests he was not using Mark as a source. This verse actually helps disprove Markan Priority, or the theory that Matthew and Luke leaned heavily on Mark's gospel to pen their own.

It would have been easy for Luke to just copy the number six if he had Mark's gospel in front of him. But it seems that each gospel writer gave their own account through personal testimony, painstaking research, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

CSBC Annual Meeting Recap

2011-10-29T10:52:00.001-07:00

We just arrived home last night from a 1200 mile round-trip to Fremont for the California Southern Baptist Annual Meeting. Here were some highlights…

Once again, the Pastors Conference on Monday and Tuesday was excellent. Dr. Chris Morgan put together a great conference with some top notch speakers from across the state. They had a really interesting format this year. Each speaker was assigned a portion of the Book of Philippians, so over the course of five messages, we worked our way through the entire epistle. I was especially challenged by our call to unity and humility around the gospel of Jesus Christ. Monday night, the speakers shared a forum on preaching Philippians.

The business meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday was filled with music, preaching, reports, elections, recommendations, and recognition of our church planters. The most significant item of business occurred Tuesday afternoon, when the Focus 21 Task Force recommended to refer our progress report to the Executive Board. Discussion on the floor was lively, and it was obvious there was a quite a bit of hesitance or misunderstanding by some messengers. But by God’s grace, a spirit of love prevailed, and there were even some lighthearted moments of laughter to lighten the mood.

When it came time to vote, 68% agreed to refer the report to the Executive Board for further study and consideration. I wish even more would have seen the value of this report and the need for more effective stewardship and cooperation, but I’m thankful it did pass so this dialogue can continue.

Why I switched to ESV

2011-10-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed a change in the Bible I preach from. That's because, after testing the Holman Christian Standard Bible for almost a year, I've finally decided to go with the ESV.

This was a tough decision. I grew to love the accuracy and freshness of the HCSB, its translation of doulos as 'slave,' and its innovative bullet note system. But at the end of the day, the HCSB is simply too different from its cousins in the Tyndale tradition like ESV, NASB, and NKJV.

I could tell that people who came to church with another translation were having a hard time tracking with me as I preached from the Holman. And some verses that I've memorized over the years sound radically different in the HCSB. Plus, it has a few quirks like alternating between "Christ" and "Messiah" (e.g. Eph. 2:13) and the awkward phraseology "this is the Lord's declaration" (Jer. 31:31 et al).

The ESV has clearly grown in popularity among evangelicals, particularly those in the "Young, Restless, and Reformed" movement (thanks in large part to John Piper). It is accurate and elegant, and is becoming the predominant translation of my generation. It still sounds a bit antiquated at times, but much less than the KJV or even the NASB. Some of its advantages are its widespread availability, great study Bibles like the MacArthur Study Bible and ESV Study Bible, and its full integration with Logos Bible Software.

I still like the Holman Bible and expect to refer to it often in my teaching. But after a year of experimentation, I've joined the masses and will do all of my teaching and personal Bible study out of the ESV. Already, the feedback has been positive, and I'm relieved to finally settle down and begin marking up my new friend, an ESV Large Print Calfskin Bible.

Credo magazine

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a great giveaway from the new Credo Magazine site:

The first issue of Credo Magazine, "The Living Word," will release sometime this week, featuring articles and interviews with theologians like Timothy George, John Frame, Bruce Ware, Gregg Allison, Robert Saucy, Owen Strachan, Fred Zaspel, Tim Challies, Matthew Barrett, Tony Merida, Michael A.G. Haykin, Thomas Schreiner, and many others. View the Table of Contents here.

In our excitement we are giving away a book package each week! This week’s book giveaway is from B&H Academic and includes the following:

Perspectives on the Sabbath: Four Views. Contributors include: Christopher John Donato, Charles P. Arand, Craig L. Blomberg and Skip MacCart.

Moral Apologetics for Contemporary Christians: Pushing Back Against Cultural and Religious Critics. By Mark Coppenger.

The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament. By Eugene H. Merrill, Mark Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti.

To enter the giveaway, please go to their site and leave a comment.

CSBC 2011

2011-10-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Our California Southern Baptist annual meeting is less than three weeks away. This is an exciting year as we celebrate church planting across our state and vote on the Focus 21 Task Force Report. Here's the itinerary. Hope to see you there!

Pastor's Conference
"Philippians: The unity of the church"

October 24-25, 2011
Monday: 6:30 p.m. - 8:55 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

Speakers: Rick Melick, Tony Chute, Adam Co, Walter Price, Anthony Dockery, Chris Morgan. Music by David Busch

Annual Meeting
"Together: Making Disciples of every Ethne"

October 25-26, 2011
Tuesday: 1:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Speakers: Francis Chan, Steve Davidson, Fermin Whittaker, Reggie Thomas. Music by Phil Wilson

Click here for the full Annual Meeting Program.

Wagon ride

2011-09-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, Abby felt well enough to take a wagon ride down the hospital hallway. She seemed to enjoy the change in scenery. Here's a video of our brave little girl!

Clinging to God

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

As I write this article, my wife and I are getting ready to take our seven-month old daughter Abigail down to Loma Linda for surgery on her right kidney. We’re thankful that little Abby will get excellent care and has a high probability of success. But even more importantly, we’re thankful she is in God’s loving hands.

Life is not easy. We often have to live by faith, and not by sight. One of the ancient prophets who learned this was Habakkuk. His name in Hebrew means “the clinger,” and that is precisely what God taught Him -- to cling to the Lord every day.

Habakkuk lived in turbulent times. There was famine in Israel, and the army of Babylon was approaching. Hungry and outnumbered, the Israelites trembled. After all, Babylon did not have a reputation for showing mercy to their prisoners of war.

But as the chariots thundered closer and the infantry kicked dust high into the air, Habakkuk gathered his composure and wrote a beautiful poem of trust in God:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food; the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength” (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

The prophet’s forecast looked bleak. Tasty treats like figs and grapes would soon dry up. Then staple crops like olives and wheat would fail. Finally, all the animals would die from starvation or enemy slaughter. But in spite of this, Habakkuk put his joy in the Lord and kept clinging to him.

Can the same be said of us? Thankfully, we aren’t defending against an enemy attack or in a life-threatening drought. But many of us are in an uphill battle every day. Financial trouble. Sickness. Loneliness. Addiction.

Don’t despair! God is still our strength. He will care for us, if we will turn to him. He already proved his love by giving his son to die for our sins. And in the end, he will make all things new for those who trust in Jesus (Revelation 21:5).

By the time you read this, Abigail’s surgery should be over. Hopefully, she will already be on the road to recovery. But no matter what, we know we can cling to God and rejoice in Him, for He is our strength.

This article was written last week for publication in today's edition of our local newspaper, the Hi Desert Star.

The road to recovery

2011-09-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who have been asking about Abigail’s surgery. It’s been a long two days, but we’re thankful to report things seem to be improving.

Abigail’s surgery was at 9 am on Monday morning. The operation was done around noon and then we were called back to meet with the surgeon. He said the procedure went very well, and that we would likely go home the next day. However, the Lord had other plans.

Yesterday evening, Abby’s pain grew worse, and her tummy became quite distended. Even morphine was not calming her down. There was a chance she was having constipation or even internal bleeding, so they moved her over to the pediatric ICU unit this morning.

No one could get a needle into her to check her blood, so they had to do a pick line IV, which is a special kind of IV that runs up through her vein and into her main vein near her heart. They had to give her a sedative and then finished that early this afternoon.

Thankfully, Abby’s vitals look good, and today’s blood test showed hemoglobin still in healthy range. Her stomach distention also has gone down, leading doctors to believe she may have just had some chemical gas in her tummy. She is still fussy and uncomfortable, but can go a few hours between morphine doses.

Tomorrow, they will do another blood draw, and if she stays stable, they will remove her catheter and the NG tube in her nose and start her on some solids. There are still several milestones she needs to reach before she can be released, but we are very thankful for the answered prayers and the progress she seems to have made today.

Abby's surgery

2011-09-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Our seven-month old daughter Abigail is scheduled to have surgery next Monday, Sept. 26, at 9 am on her right kidney/ureter. While still in the womb, she was diagnosed with ‘hydronephrosis,’ or fluid on the kidney. As a result, her right kidney drains very slowly and is now almost twice the size of her left one.

The surgeon will make a small incision on her side, remove a piece of her ureter where it joins to the kidney, then reconnect the ureter to the kidney. The operation will take place at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital and should take 2-3 hours. If all goes well, most of her kidney will be saved, and she could be discharged as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Here are some ways you can pray for our family:

Thank the Lord that doctors noticed her condition early, that she is not in any pain, and that her right kidney still has a lot of healthy tissue
Pray that she will stay healthy, as she has been fighting off a cold and allergies this past week
Ask God to guide the hands of Dr. Chamberlain, his staff, and medical students as they operate on our daughter
Pray for God to sustain Natalie and me, as we are already tired from so many other medical crises in the past year
Intercede for us, that we will not give into fear, but will rest in God’s sovereignty, his wisdom, and his love. We want to know our Savior better through this season of suffering
Praise the Lord for Natalie’s parents who are watching Dylan and Heidi for the week so we can focus on caring for Abby. My mom will also be arriving in another week to help out.
I’ve written about this trial in a “Minister’s Message" scheduled to be published next Wednesday in our local newspaper. Pray that God will use this article to draw other people to himself.
Pray for Abby’s salvation. As she grows older, we hope God will give her a heart that loves and serves Jesus.

I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength

(Habakkuk 3:18-19)

SBC might change its name

2011-09-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Baptist Press announced earlier this week that the Southern Baptist Convention will consider a name change to the denomination. I don’t have a strong opinion on this one way or the other, but I also don't see how it would hurt for a Task Force to revisit the idea.

I highly respect our current SBC President Bryant Wright and agree when he says, “With our focus on church planting, it is challenging in many parts of the country to lead churches to want to be part of a convention with such a regional name.”

Almost immediately, Dr. Alber Mohler responded with some reasons it may be time for a name change.

But for me, the most surprising statistic comes from Ed Stetzer, Director of Lifeway Research:

“The Southern Baptist identity simply does not resonate as well with adults age 18 to 24. More than 40 percent of respondents in this group said knowing a church was Southern Baptist would negatively affect their decision to visit or join the church.”

That statistic is staggering. I wonder what has given young adults such a bad impression?

At any rate, this doesn’t mean any local church would have to change their name. As best I can tell, the SBC label might even help our church a little, giving name recognition to military families who move here from the South and are searching for a new church to settle.

But you will notice that no church plants are putting “Southern Baptist” in their name today. Far more common are thematic names like The Rock Church, Soma Church, Cross Community Church, The Well, Mosaic Church, Sandals Church, etc. This should at least tell our convention something about its branding.

Updates

2011-09-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

It’s overwhelming to consider all our family has been through in the past year, but God has sustained us. In just twelve months, Natalie has endured her third pregnancy, three UTIs, a kidney infection, 15 weeks of early contractions, child birth, severe postpartum bleeding, two DNCs, two blood transfusions, chest pains, emergency gallbladder surgery, internal bleeding, and a second exploratory laparoscopy.

In addition, Dylan was rushed to the ER with a head injury in December, I went to the ER with chest pains in May, and Abigail was diagnosed with hydronephrosis (fluid on her right kidney) while still in the womb. Abby also went in to the hospital for several days this summer for unusual skin color and a possible heart defect which was eventually ruled out. On September 26, Abby will have surgery for her hydronephrosis, which we hope will fix her right kidney and allow it to drain properly. This procedure has a very high success rate, but we know she is ultimately in God’s hands. We have done our best to honor God through all these trials and have certainly learned to depend more fully upon Him. If it pleases Him, we hope this next year will be less eventful. Thanks again for your prayers, your patience, and your support!

In our Sunday morning worship service, we’re taking a break from our exposition of 1 Corinthians to get better equipped in evangelism. The series is based loosely on the “Share Jesus Without Fear” material by William Fay & Ralph Hodge (Lifeway Publishing). I pray the Lord will use this study to help every member be trained, confident, and actively sharing their faith.

During 9:15 Life Groups, I often lead training sessions with our newer attenders. I just concluded a Baptism Class and will be starting another Membership class on Sunday, Oct. 2. It was a thrill to have three new members join us Sunday, and several more on the way.

On Wednesday nights, we’re continuing our series on Spiritual Warfare and have had some great participation. Our new Bible Study & Prayer format is really working well. Come check it out. If you don’t live in town, try getting involved in one of the other home-based Bible studies we offer across the Basin like our Morongo Valley Bible Study or 29 Palms Bible Study (details TBD).

The past few months, after heeding some good advice from a friend, I’ve begun to focus more on discipleship and training men for ministry. I continue to teach servant leadership training (SaLT) once a month, plus am now meeting each week with different men for one-on-one mentoring. Please pray that God will raise up future leaders in our church, and that we will give them opportunities to grow and serve.

Lastly, please pray for me as I teach on Tuesdays down at California Baptist University in Riverside. I’ve been asked to teach the junior and senior Applied Theology students about pastoral ministry, and to help organize their church internship program. Because of this new commitment, I’ve discontinued my Tuesday Greek class and my weekly involvement in the Copper Mtn. Christian Club. It’s an honor to serve as Adjunct Faculty at the university and to help mentor the next generation of pastors. But you can rest assured that serving as pastor at First Southern Baptist is still my primary calling and delight.

Incredible deal on World Magazine

2011-09-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

World Magazine is offering an incredible deal on new gift subscriptions for only $5.

If you're not a World subscriber, you should be. They offer top-notch journalism from a biblical perspective. I am always impressed with their depth and quality of reporting.

A one-year subscription would make an excellent gift for pastors, teachers, businessmen, recent high school and college graduates, and well, pretty much everyone else too.

Below is their announcement. This deal will only last for one week, so act fast!

WORLD is about more than news. A Christian worldview message and mission are at our core, and we seek to produce the kind of journalism that shapes the public conversation.

All around us, the mighty are falling - newspaper bankruptcies, newsroom layoffs, indifferent audiences, and plunging ad revenues are roiling the news business. That's why we believe now is the time to build a stronger, Christian news organization - one that recognizes a sovereign God at the center of all things.

By sharing WORLD with family and friends, you play a key role in the future of our mission. That is why we would like to offer you the opportunity to give a single full-year WORLD Magazine subscription to a friend or family member for only $5.

Take advantage of this special offer and partner with WORLD in seeking to chronicle what God is doing in the world - in culture and education, in communities, in families, in church and state.

Click here for more details or to order online. Or to place your order by phone, call their Customer Service at 800-951-6397.

Focus 21 Task Force Report

2011-09-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Last fall, I and eleven others were appointed by the California SBC to form the Focus 21 Task Force. It has been a real honor and I’ve learned so much. We’ve traveled from across the state to meet nearly every month, and are finally ready to share the results of our research.

The intro to our report has just been released. It explains our purpose and rationale. You can read it here.

The full report should be posted later today. These changes are significant, but we believe they will bring greater focus and keep moving us forward in the 21^st century.

Here are some ways you can help:

Read the report after it is released on our Facebook page.
Post your comments and click “like” on our Facebook page to help spread the word. We’ve deliberately chosen Facebook to encourage feedback and dialogue.
Tell others through Facebook, Twitter, or email about the report. Every California Southern Baptist has a vested interest in these recommendations.
Pray for unity and wisdom among our convention entities, leaders, pastors, and messengers.
Make plans to attend the Annual Meeting in Fremont on Oct. 25-26. We need your support on Tuesday afternoon when this report is brought to the floor and recommended for approval.

May the Lord use this report to invigorate our cooperation and bring the gospel to over 30 million lost people in our state.

Q&A Sunday

2011-08-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today I spent my sermon time fielding questions from the church family. This is always a rich time as we tackle different personal and doctrinal issues and attempt to bring God's Word to bear on them.

The audio has now been uploaded to our podcast. (Click here to listen).

Here are the questions and at what point they are addressed:

0:00     Introduction & Prayer
7:00     Is my wayward child a Christian?
13:35   Can Christians be demon-possessed?
16:30   How do I treat my atheist brothers who are ridiculing me?
25:30   My brother is obsessed with conspiracy theories.
            What should I do?
33:20   How do we reconcile God's sovereignty with
            human responsibility?
41:00   Why don't we have revival meetings today?

Can Christians be demon-possessed?

2011-08-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

A Christian counselor once wrote,

“Just this morning a young man I have never met called and poured out his story. He is a college graduate, articulate, and displaying a large vocabulary. He is a professing Christian, yet he is in such emotional anguish and bondage that he cannot hold down a job. He has spent large sums of money on psychiatry without apparent help. His waking hours are torment, and his sleeping hours result in hideous, bizarre behavior and a trancelike condition. ‘What’s wrong with me?’ he cried out. ‘Am I possessed with demons?’ ” (Mark Bubeck, The Adversary, p. 17)

Torment. Anguish. Bizarre behavior. Trances. Demon Possession. Is this possible for a Christian? Can a believer really be handled by a demon like a remote control?

Charles Ryrie defines demon possession as “a demon residing in a person, exerting direct control and influence over that person, with certain derangement of mind and/or body. Demon possession is to be distinguished from demon influence or demon activity in relation to a person. The work of the demon in the latter is from the outside; in demon possession it is from within."

This state is impossible for a true Christian. Though demons are very real, very dangerous, and we probably brush shoulders with them every day, we can have absolute confidence that Christians cannot be demon-possessed. Why? Here are six reasons:

We have been rescued from the domain of darkness (Col. 1:13). God has transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. It would be impossible for a citizen of heaven, one who has been rescued from Satan's domain, to return under the bondage of that domain.
The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us (Rom. 8:15-17; Eph. 1:14). We would never think of sharing our homes with a venomous snake or ferocious beast prowling around. Neither would the Spirit ever permit a demon to inhabit His home.
We are safe in God's arms (Jn. 10:27-30). Just as Christ our Good Shepherd would never let a sheep be snatched out of His hands, so He would never let a wolf bite and devour one of His sheep while He is holding us tight.
We have union with Christ (Jn. 14:19-20; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:6, 7, 10, 13). This New Testament doctrine teaches that a new believer is immediately united and permanently joined together with Jesus Christ. There is a transformation that takes place. There is new bond, a vital link between Christ and us. Surely Christ would not allow Himself nor His people to be indwelt and controlled by Satan or any demon.
God's power is greater than any demon (1 Jn. 4:4). Are demons powerful? Absolutely. Can we overpower a demon in our own strength? Not a chance. If the Lord were not on our side, we'd be knocked down in an instant like the seven sons of Sceva (Ac. 19:16). But God's power is infinitely greater than any demon's power. And He would never let His protection be thwarted.
It is impossible to serve two masters (Mt. 6:24; 2 Cor. 6:14-16). We can serve God, or we can serve Satan and his minions, but we cannot serve both. It is impossible, just as light and darkness, or oil and water, cannot mingle. With Christ as our Master, we never need to fear that Satan will shove Him out of the way and coerce us to obey him instead.

There is no need to fear! God has built a fence or a “force-field” around the believer. It is impossible to be possessed or controlled by demonic powers. We are certainly targets of demon activity. The enemy is clever and ruthless. But God is our refuge, and never leaves us without the necessary supplies to overcome temptation.

What would I do if that articulate, yet unstable man stepped foot into my office? I would probably first assure him that a true Christian cannot be possessed by demons. This immediately gives hope that there can be victory over whatever he is facing. Then, I'd want to probe deeper into his understanding of the gospel. What does he mean by 'Christian'? When was he saved? How does he know he's going to heaven?

If he has a faulty few of the gospel, then demon possession is a possibility. But even then, we must bring the gospel to the person and not focus on spells or incantations or rebuking demons in the name of Jesus. Our responsibility is to inject the antibiotic of the gospel into our counselee, which alone is the power of God to salvation (Rom. 1:16-17).

From there, it would be wise to learn more about his medical history, how long he's been suffering these symptoms; where he attends church; who are his friends; what is he reading or watching on TV; and if he's taking any legal or illegal drugs. There could be any number of causes for these dreadful symptoms. But if he is a child of God, demon-possession is not one of them. There is always hope and freedom in Jesus Christ.

Take a look in the mirror

2011-08-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Mirrors are an everyday part of life. We have them in our bedrooms, bathrooms, purses, and cars. They're in homes, offices, schools, and restaurants. Some are to help us with grooming and appearance. Others are for safety, or to add light, or to give the illusion that a room is bigger than it actually is.

It doesn't hurt to do a quick check in the mirror from time to time and make sure everything's OK (no broccoli in the teeth, please!). But whenever we prepare to worship God, and particularly when we prepare for the Lord’s Table, it's essential to look in a mirror. Not just a physical mirror out of concern for what others might think of our outward appearance. But a spiritual mirror out of a concern for what God will see at our inward appearance.

This is precisely what Paul has in mind in 1 Corinthians 11:28. "So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup." This speaks of a critical examination, a careful inspection, or putting to the test. The Puritan Thomas Watson describes it this way:

It is the setting up a court of conscience and keeping a register there that by a strict scrutiny a man may see how matters stand between God and his soul. It is a spiritual inquisition, a heart-anatomy, whereby a man takes his heart in pieces, as a watch, and sees what is defective therein. It is a dialogue with one's self.

A couple weeks ago, in my sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:27-34, I gave three suggestions of how you might go about self-examination. Why not use one of these methods in preparation for Sunday, or before the next time you take the Lord's Supper?

1. A five-point inspection. Mark 12:30–31 says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these." Do an inspection in each of these areas of your life:

Heart (my inner life, choices, emotions, words)
Soul (my spiritual disciplines, walk with God)
Mind (my thought life, dreams, hopes, goals)
Strength (my body, including stewardship of my time, talents, treasure)
Neighbor (family, church, coworkers, friends, enemies)

2. A Bible passage. Pick a passage of Scripture and do a thorough inventory of your life. Do you meet up to God's standard of holiness? Where are you falling short?

Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)
A Description of the Godly (Psalm 15)
Qualifications of a Church Leader (1 Timothy 3)
Criteria for a Widow Indeed (1 Timothy 5:9-10)
An Excellent Wife (Proverbs 31)
Wisdom from Above (James 3:13-18)
Characteristics of Love (1 Corinthians 13)
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)

3. A personal list. Use a list from a man or woman of God who has walked with God in times past. For a fresh approach to self-examination, meditate on Jonathan Edwards' 70 Resolutions, or use these questions, found in George Whitfield's diary. He would ask them of himself at the close of each day.

Have I...

been fervent in private prayer?
used set hours of prayer? (1 hour in morning, 1 hour at noon, and 1 hour in the evening)?
used spontaneous outburst of prayer in supplication, intercession, praise and thanksgiving every hour?
after or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might lead to God’s glory?
after enjoying any pleasure, immediately given thanks?
planned my day so as to not waste time?
been responsible and thoughtful in everything?
been zealous in my work and active in doing what good I could?
been meek, cheerful, gracious in everything I said or did?
been proud, vain, impure, or jealous of others?
thoughtful in eating and drinking? thankful? self-controlled
taken time for giving thanks (according to Law’s rules)?
been diligent in studies?
thought or spoken unkindly to anyone?
confessed all sins?

While I do check my heart regularly and seek to heed the Spirit's conviction in my life, I must confess I've never looked in the mirror with this kind of systematic approach before. But I look forward to using these methods more in the future.

What method do you use for self-examination? Feel free to leave a note below.

Photo credit: Rairen

Back home from the hospital

2011-08-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your continued prayers for Natalie. I brought her home from the hospital on Saturday, and since then she has been showing slow but steady progress.

The doctor did a blood transfusion and a second surgery on Thursday afternoon, using the same incisions to drain the fluid, remove clotting, and stop internal bleeding. But interestingly, once inside, they never found a source of the bleeding. The surgeon carefully looked all around, even using an ultrasound down into the ovaries to see if there was a cyst. But there was no sign of an open wound anywhere. It seems the Lord healed this up on His own, without the doctor’s help!

They did insert a small drain tube to collect any new fluid, but this is not showing any signs of fresh blood either. So, we are very thankful to God for His protection and healing mercy.

Natalie’s pain became much more tolerable on Friday. She was able to take deeper breaths. Her blood pressure and oxygen looked better, and hemoglobin began to climb back up. She had a slight fever the first night, but is doing better and is slowly getting her strength back. We are hopeful that she’s on the road to full recovery.

We're especially thankful to everyone at church who helped in the past week with food, babysitting, and through your prayers. God has truly been good.

Update on Natalie

2011-08-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Please continue to pray for Natalie as she recovers from yesterday’s gallbladder surgery. Her blood pressure has remained pretty stable, but her hemoglobin has gone down a tad, and she’s in an inordinate amount of pain.

The doctor has ordered another sonogram to see what’s going on. They’ve also withdrawn food and liquids just in case she needs another surgery. I wonder if there might be some internal bleeding going on?

I stayed at home with the kids overnight, but will head back out to the hospital this morning as soon as Liz Tyree gets here to babysit the kids. Thank you for all your prayers. We serve a great and mighty God. He is a Loving Father, and He hears our prayers.

Here’s a quote I read from Paul Enns’ book Heaven Revealed yesterday. What comfort for the soul:

“On this sinful, fallen earth, life will remain difficult, fraught with suffering and sadness. But we are looking forward to heaven – and heaven is always better in every realm than the earth. We should never question, doubt, or worry whether we will ‘enjoy’ heaven. We will enjoy heaven to the utmost; every moment in heaven will be better than the best moments we ever have on this fallen earth. The suffering on this earth will be a thing of the past – forever … Isaiah says believers will ‘come with joyful shouting to Zion, and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away’ (Isa. 51:11).”

Hoping in Christ,
Stephen

Please pray for Natalie

2011-08-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Natalie was admitted to the hospital last night with gallstones. The sonogram showed a 7mm gallstone in the bile duct, plus many other stones, so Lord willing, this is what has been causing her chest pain the past couple days.

This fits all the symptoms, though it’s been on her left side, while usually gallbladder symptoms are on the right side. But at this point, all heart tests have come back negative and her pain seems to be settling under her sternum area -- not as high in her chest as it was yesterday.

The surgeon will have final say in whether she should have surgery today or not, so please pray for the doctors to consider her case carefully and to have wisdom. Please also pray for our family to have peace and that we will all entrust Natalie’s life and health to our faithful Creator.

Book review: Flip Flop Fly Ball

2011-08-04T15:52:00.001-07:00

Whether you’re a baseball fanatic or a rookie to the game, you’re sure to enjoy Flip Flop Fly Ball: An Infographic Baseball Adventure by Craig Robinson.

The book begins with a personal tale - the quirky romance of a British young adult with the game of baseball. “There was something about the leisurely pace, the ebb and flow, the drama inherent in a sport where the ball is in play for such a small percentage of the total time, the unique proportions of the ballpark, the shape of the field, the uniforms. The fizzing joy in my head after seeing a swiftly turned double play, the one-on-one battles at the heart of a team sport…it all felt right.”

Robinson’s pilgrimage into the game is interwoven with art, photos, and infographics all about baseball. The author has an insatiable curiosity that results in all kinds of random and at times even educational charts. Some of the infographics are just plain fun. Others cater to the trivia buff. A few are absolutely brilliant. The opening graphic “Professional Baseball History in the United States” captures the entire history of baseball since 1855 and is alone worth the price of the book.

The only downside is a little crass language and several references to beer in his travelogue sections, but nothing you wouldn't likely encounter at an actual baseball game. Like anything else, we need to read with discernment and be able to recognize when an author does not have Christ in his life. The book could spur some good discussion on the shortness of baseball fame, even by the greatest players of the game. Also in how we should glorify God in whatever we do - whether we eat, drink, or play baseball. Both the players and the spectators make choices that can either honor or dishonor God. God wants us as Christians to enjoy the game of baseball and use our talents and love for the game as a way to give Him glory.

Crack open this oversized coffee-table book and you’ll see baseball in a whole new light. But be careful. You might just fall in love with the game like Craig Robinson has.

Update on Abigail’s kidney

2011-07-26T08:53:00.001-07:00

Here’s an update Natalie wrote last night explaining Abigail’s kidney condition and the expected treatment...

We are encouraged because it appears at this point that most of Abigail's kidney will be able to be saved. This morning we left the house just after 8:00 am. Stephen and the kids dropped Abby & me off to check in at the Loma Linda Hospital at 9:30. They went to the park, did a couple errands/explored until we were done.

Abby’s appt. was at 10:00 and we were expecting to be done no earlier than Noon, but were done by 11:30 -- no waiting -- YIPEE!! :) They inserted a catheter for the duration of the test. That went so smooth -- hardly a wince this time! Then the IV. Finding a vein is not such an easy task on a 5-month-old. They tried and failed once and switched limbs and were successful in her right arm. (Same thing happened in the ER.)

Then, as she lay on the table, she was wrapped up like an Indian papoose -- on a body board with the heavy x-ray-apron-material enclosing her. She could wiggle her toes and move her head but that was it for an hour. But as you know, God has given us a content baby. I read to her, played with her, held toys to her mouth to chew on, sang to her, fed her, etc.

There were a couple times when she wanted to grab at something early on and, when she realized she couldn't, she started to get fussy. As soon as I distracted her, though, she was happy again. In fact, at one point she was nearly ready to fall asleep with the pacifier in her mouth, when she decided she didn't want to sleep. So she shook her head left...right...left... in a very playful mood & and giant grin/giggle. It was neat to see how she could be playful even without her arms! So cute!

After lunch, at 2:15 we arrived at the doctor office to go over the test results. He was able to pull off the video onto his own computer and see the test results for himself, even though there was not a written report after such a short turn-around. Our pediatric urologist is semi-retired and no longer performs surgeries. He said the likely doctor to perform the surgery was once his own student and is now his boss -- and he's really good, too. He probably performs 6 of these a month because this is a fairly common problem. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

So first he showed us the images and talked through them with us. There is a definite blockage in the right kidney, but it IS draining -- slowly. He explained that, in the womb, the kidneys and the bladder are formed. Next the ureters grow up from the bladder and connect to the kidneys. In Abby's case, the right kidney formed well, but the ureter did not meet up with the kidney properly. This is the reason for the blockage. It isn't a complete blockage, as we saw today -- it drains very slowly. From what I observed during the test, it appeared to my untrained eyes that the right is about double the size of the left. The technician agreed that it seemed to be at least half-again the size it should be.

So, what's to be done? As I said, the ball is just starting to roll today, heading toward surgery. The doctor explained the procedure while drawing a picture. Let's see what I can do with words. Imagine a balloon with a string dangling down. The balloon being the kidney, the string the ureter. (Obviously not perfect because surgery on a balloon would pop it. Not so, the kidney.) So imagine this unpoppable balloon gets cut across an inch above the knot and an inch down the string. That part is removed. Then the string is reattached to the new base of the balloon. After a little time to heal up again, the balloon is as good as new. A little balloon lost, but not much. That is probably a great injustice to the doctor’s explanation, but I hope it helps.

He said that Abigail is not in a critical condition, but he also doesn't think we should wait 6 months, either. The danger of not operating is that her kidney will continue to deteriorate as well as fill up. If she were to fall hard sometime (down the road, if we waited) there's even a chance that she could pop the kidney, like a water balloon. Which would very quickly lead to a dangerous situation. Again, he's okay waiting a little while, she's not at that point, yet. And he said again, several times now, how good it was for us to find this out ahead of time, before any serious problems arise! Praise the Lord!!

During the surgery, there will be an extra tube (like a teeny, tiny IV) inserted to the sutured area, in case urine tried to seep out past the stitches. This would be kind of like a catheter in that it will flow directly into a diaper that she'll "wear" on her side. And a second tube that will have little pin-prick holes in the tube allowing the urine to pass through within the kidney itself. The reason for this second tube is to help relieve the pressure on the healing kidney. It seems that when he started, 35 years ago, they didn't make a tube small enough and so pressure would build up in the kidney as it was healing and actually pop the stitches. He says that rarely happens now. The tube will be stitched in so it is difficult for her to pull it out (but kids are quick, he warned us with a smile -- so watch out for fast hands!). About a week after the surgery we will follow up and the tubes will be removed. Super-easy removal, just like removing an IV. Once the stitches are removed, the tube slides right out without a problem.

She'll need to be in the hospital the day of her surgery and overnight, then should be released the next day with little pain and able to be cared for normally (except for changing bandages as needed). There shouldn't be any problem carrying her or anything. Such good news!

When will this take place? The doctor filled out the necessary form today. It will be sent in to our insurance for approval. Then the gal who schedules surgeries will work on setting up a tentative date. We should hear from her in two weeks or so. If, for some unlikely reason, we don't hear we are to call her. But she should be calling us in a few weeks. It sounds like we are likely to have the surgery date scheduled two to four weeks from when we get the call. So perhaps as early as 4-6 weeks from now we'll be down at Loma Linda in surgery. And 4-6 weeks from now Abigail will be on her way to being a healthy little girl. :) Praise the Lord!

We'll let you know more once we know more. Thanks to all of you for your love and prayers!

Natalie & Stephen

Palm Springs Tramway

2011-07-22T07:48:00.001-07:00

Last week, I took Natalie to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to celebrate our anniversary. Here are some of our favorite photos…

Here’s a view from the base of the tram station. It’s one of the steepest tramway ascents in the world, rising almost 6,000 ft. over a span of 2.5 miles.

Halfway up, we are met by a tram descending on the other side of the cable.

We had a beautiful view looking to the east, over the Coachella Valley and Salton Sea 30 miles away.

We took a nature hike up at the top and some some pretty wildflowers still in bloom. This one is lupine.

Standing at this outlook on the Desert View Trail, we could hear a waterfall and caught this magnificent view of the foothills leading into the San Jacinto mtn. range.

Creek and meadow just a short walk from the upper tram station.

Happy 11th Anniversary, Sweetheart!

“Might” have eternal life?

2011-07-20T09:57:00.001-07:00

In our weekly Greek class, we’ve been learning the basic mood known as the “indicative.” It is the most common verbal mood and deals with what is real, taking the form of either a statement or a question. Other Greek moods include the subjunctive (a probability), imperative (a command), and optative (a wish).
In a sense, the subjunctive mood is one step removed from reality, and often deals with what “might” or “could” to be. Sometimes, it deals with probability. But not always.
We haven’t gotten to the subjunctive mood yet in Mounce’s Basics of Biblical Greek yet (see ch. 31), but a student raised an interesting question last night about might/should/will in John 3:16 and our promise of everlasting life.
Greek: “μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ ̓ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.”
NASB: “shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
ESV: “should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Is there some uncertainty here? No. Apparently, the subjunctive mood was used by John out of grammatical necessity. The subjunctive is used simply because it follows the conjunction ἵνα, “in order that”. Mounce explains this use on p. 293:

31.13. 1. ἵνα and the subjunctive. ἵνα is almost always followed by the subjunctive and can indicate purpose.

Here’s a more in-depth explanation from Wallace’s Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, p. 474:

3) Subjunctive mood used in a Purpose-Result Ἳνα Clause
Not only is ἵνα used for result in the NT, but also for purpose-result. That is, it indicates both the intention and its sure accomplishment. BAGD point out in this connection: “In many cases purpose and result cannot be clearly differentiated, and hence ἵνα is used for the result which follows according to the purpose of the subj[ect] or of God. As in Jewish and pagan thought, purpose and result are identical in declarations of the divine will.” Likewise, Moule points out that “the Semitic mind was notoriously unwilling to draw a sharp dividing-line between purpose and consequence.” In other words, the NT writers employ the language to reflect their theology: what God purposes is what happens and, consequently, ἵνα is used to express both the divine purpose and the result.
This probably does not represent a change in syntax from classical to Koine, but a change in subject matter. It is, of course, possible to treat each of these examples as simply purpose ἵνα clauses in which there is evidently no doubt about the accomplishment from the speaker’s viewpoint. Hence, in order that is an acceptable gloss.
Jn. 3:16 τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ ̓ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον
He gave his only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him should not perish but should have eternal life.
The fact that the subjunctive is all but required after ἴνα does not, of course, argue for uncertainty as to the fate of the believer. This fact is obvious, not from this text, but from the use of of οὐ μή in John 10:28 and 11:26, as well as the general theological contours of the gospel of John.

So, there you have it. By using ἵνα + the subjunctive mood, the Apostle John says that both the original purpose and the accomplished result of our faith in Christ is rescue from death and the gift of life! Eternal life is not just a possibility. It is an absolute certainty for those who believe.

Atlantis blasts off

2011-07-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the final blast-off of Space Shuttle Atlantis on Friday, July 8. The "shuttle view" camera is mounted to the orange external fuel tank. Be sure to watch until the rocket boosters disengage about 3 minutes in. Very cool.

When Atlantis touches down next week, it will mark the end of the Space Shuttle era. All shuttles are being retired and will be moved to space museums across the country.

With over 2.5 million parts, the Space Shuttle has been called "the most complex machine ever built." Interested in learning more? Check out this infographic.

Great news

2011-07-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord, the cardiologist met with Natalie this afternoon and said that Abigail’s heart is PERFECTLY NORMAL.

The color change in her skin is apparently just a phenomenon that some kids have. But her heart looks great, all tests came back negative, and oxygen level is very stable.

The echocardiogram did reveal a tiny hole in her heart, but about 20% of all people have this, and it is no cause for concern. It is not causing any vascular problems.

We could not be more thankful and relieved. Thanks for all your prayers!!

Still waiting

2011-07-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

"In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity,

consider: God has made the one as well as the other"

(Ecclesiastes 7:14)

In this life under the sun, God is teaching us that He is the sovereign ruler who gives both blessing and suffering.

Abigail is spending her five-month-old birthday in the hospital today. She has been undergoing tests since Friday, and Natalie has been staying with her. The night nurse briefly saw some purple in Abby’s leg on both Friday and Saturday night, and agreed that it looks abnormal. The pediatric doctor and original ER triage nurse also said they may have heard a faint heart murmur through the stethoscope, but it’s really hard to tell.

So far, the pulse & oxygen meter, her blood pressure, blood sample, urine, x-ray, and EKG have all come back normal. Perhaps today or tomorrow we'll hear back from the cardiologist about her echocardiogram (ultrasound) results. She is also undergoing a pneumagram test which will monitor her breathing, heart, etc. for 15 hours, so Lord willing it will show what is going on.

Natalie is very thankful to know it’s not just “in her head,” but that a few medical professionals have confirmed they see something, though we’re still not sure what. Looks like Natalie and Abigail may have to stay through tomorrow at least.

Please pray that God will give us grace and peace through this trial, and that doctors will see something definitive. We're thankful tests are coming back negative so far and that some problems are being eliminated, but we just hope they don't discharge her without getting to the bottom of this. The color change is subtle and elusive, but something is obviously going on and we'd like to know what.

Be still my soul

2011-07-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Heard a peaceful instrumental version of this song playing on the radio last night. It was a good reminder as Abigail undergoes testing at the hospital for a possible heart condition...

Be still, my soul—the Lord is on thy side!

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

leave to thy God to order and provide—

In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul—thy best, thy heav’nly Friend

thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul—thy God doth undertake

to guide the future as He has the past;

thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake—

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul—the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From his own fullness all he takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on
When we shall be for ever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Health concerns for little Abigail

2011-07-07T21:10:00.001-07:00

Over the past few weeks, we’ve noticed our five-month old Abigail's skin sometimes turning purple/grayish instead of a healthy pink. It's been especially in her legs, and now it seems to be worsening. After holding her just a brief time, her legs darken as though her circulation is being restricted.

Natalie took Abby to the doctor last week and they didn’t see anything, but took her again this afternoon, and after a couple tests he was able to see she has “delayed capillary refill” (her blood capillaries are not refilling at the normal rate).

She's not in any immediate danger that we know of, but we are instructed to take her to the ER immediately if she develops trouble breathing or her skin begins to turn blue (this has happened twice in the past 3 weeks when we fed her and apparently held her in one position for too long). Otherwise, we will just try not to cut off her circulation, and will take her to the cardiologist just as soon as they can fit her in.

This appears to be unrelated to the problems with her right kidney, which is still being tested for hydronephrosis. As most of you know, Dylan had a major heart defect which required open-heart surgery when he was 2, so we’re on somewhat familiar territory here. But this is the first evidence that Abigail has a heart condition.

We’re very grateful for your prayers, and that God is in control of all this. We’re also thankful that the doctor confirmed Natalie’s suspicions about a vascular problem, and that we are now on the fast track to see the cardiologist.

Abiding in Christ,
Stephen & Natalie

Highlights of the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention

2011-07-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Al Mohler's recap of highlights of the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention. As expected, he gives a helpful analysis of what transpired in Phoenix two weeks ago.

On a personal note, this was the third year I've attended the convention, and the first time it was feasible to bring my family (since it was in the Western U.S.) It was wonderful to have my bride with me and to put the kids in the children's program, but I probably won't haul the whole family out to another one of these conventions until 2017, when the convention is back in Phoenix again. It would be far too much effort and cost to bring them to New Orleans in 2012, for example.

The other highlights of the convention were all the breakout sessions: the IX Marks at 9 Discussions, the Baptist Twenty-One panel, the Founders Breakfast with guest Wayne Grudem, and the great Re:verb Workshop sponsored by IX Marks on Wednesday and Thursday at Trinity Bible Church. The convention was a necessary part of 'taking care of business' on a national scale, but these other meetings fed me spiritually, and charged me up for returning home to serve the local church.

The Milky Way like you've never seen it

2011-06-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

I'll never forget the first time I really saw the Milky Way Galaxy. It was in August 2004. My wife and I were camping with her parents at Horse Meadow Campground in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We'd been city slickers for the better part of 8 years, and had long forgotten the splendor of the night sky.

But late that summer night, high in the mountains, all of that changed. I stepped out of my tent and was blown away at the sight of the Milky Way Galaxy. You could almost reach out and touch it, it looked so close.

With our rural location and night sky ordinances, Yucca Valley is pretty dark as far as towns go, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to see a totally dark sky with no light pollution at all. I imagine what Abraham must have seen, when God told him to look up, and promised him an offspring that would outnumber the stars in the heavens (Gen. 15:5). With no city lights to compete, it must have been pitch-black with tens of thousands of brilliant stars shimmering down.

Most of us may not have the luxury of totally dark skies in the 21st century, but this amazing time-lapse video captures the majesty of the Milky Way, and the power of its Creator.

Plains Milky Way from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.

Our solar system

2011-06-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

My family took a trip last Friday to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ, where the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930. Got to view the sun through a special filter and see Saturn through their 24" telescope. Breathtaking!!

Here's a fascinating infographic of our solar system. A great way to capture the size of earth and our neighboring planets. Yes, the heavens are still declaring the glory of God (Ps. 19:1).

Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

2011-06-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

The first volume of the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary was just released, and I'm thrilled to be holding it in my hand ... uh, I mean seeing it on my screen.

The book was just released ten minutes ago, and it's already been downloaded and fully integrated into my Logos Bible Software. Ezra/Nehemiah by Israel Loken is the first of 44 volumes that will be produced in this series over the next decade. At first glance, the book looks outstanding.

There are two things that make the EEC truly unique. First is its rich exegetical content. With H. Wayne House as General Editor, the EEC promises a conservative, contemporary, and in-depth approach to exegesis. The editors write in their Preface,

In this series, the biblical books are studied with the tested tools of biblical scholarship, keeping in mind that these books, produced by human authors, come from the very mouth of God (2 Tim 3:16). The EEC reflects the important interpretative principles of the Reformation, while utilizing historical-grammatical and contextual interpretative methods.

Secondly, the EEC is the first of its kind to be published in the digital age and first published in electronic form. Here we see technology at its very best, being used to draw us closer to God and His Word. Again, from the editors:

The EEC is the very first commentary series produced first in electronic form. Doing this has enabled Logos to link each volume to the other resources of their massive electronic library. Additionally, the electronic volumes may contain such items as charts, graphs, timelines, and photos. Another benefit of the electronic edition is that authors will be able to add to their original contribution when new archaeological discoveries or additional insights become available. Thus, the owner of this series can benefit from an expanding resource. The EEC is scheduled for completion in half the time of comparable series. The dedication of the authors and the Logos Bible Software staff make this possible.

How cool is that? These books might actually grow as new research is uncovered.Once again, Logos has exceeded my expectations.

Each section in Ezra/Nehemiah contains the original Hebrew text, textual notes, translation, commentary, applicational and devotional implications, and selected bibliography. Here's a sample screenshot:

While it's too late to get the rock-bottom pre-pub discount on the EEC, you can still order the set at a good price.

Amazing catch

2011-05-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Now this is an amazing catch.

June 28, 2011 Update: So, my brother-in-law just informed me this was a hoax. According to Snopes, the whole thing was staged. That’s too bad. I guess you can’t trust anything online anymore – even a video! I feel a little betrayed. A video goes viral because of an absolutely amazing catch and the near concussion of a reporter. But in reality, the whole thing is manufactured and digitized. If we had known this all along, I guarantee the video wouldn’t have been such a hit. What’s the point? I don’t get it. At this moment, it makes me NOT want to buy Gillette! Sigh.

Mommies are warriors

2011-05-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

I watched my wife lay on that hospital bed with her face pale and sweaty. Her body was still cramping and bleeding from complications after delivering our third child. “Please bring me the baby,” she said. “I need to feed her.” I shook my head in amazement and said to the nurse, “Mommies are warriors.”

Thankfully, my wife is doing better now, but I’m learning to appreciate the heroic role of mom. According to Salary.com, if you added up the total value of a mother’s work ranging from chef to housekeeper, day care provider to van driver, moms would earn a salary of $117,000. Guess I shouldn’t complain when my wife wants to go out to eat once in a while. She’s earned it!

Moms have one of the hardest jobs in the world. But their duties go well beyond feeding, grooming, and shuttling the family. They’ve also been entrusted by God with spiritual training. The Apostle Paul writes to a young pastor named Timothy, “I clearly recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy’s faith and spiritual formation were directly tied to the loving training of his mom and grandma. This is not to undermine the central role a father must play as spiritual leader in the home. But let’s pause and tip our hats to mom.

Mothers, don’t grow weary in doing well. You’re changing the world by raising up a new generation of teachers, soldiers, artists, inventors, pastors, and missionaries. Grandparents, keep praying for your family, cheering them on, and reminding them that God is always faithful. And Fathers, take time this Mother’s Day to sincerely thank that heroic woman who raised you, and the one who is now helping you raise the kids. Let them know just how special they are.

President Teddy Roosevelt said in 1905, “The woman’s task is not easy—no task worth doing is easy—but in doing it, and when she has done it, there shall come to her the highest and holiest joy known to mankind; and having done it, she shall have the reward prophesied in Scripture; for her husband and her children, yes, and all people who realize that her work lies at the foundation of all national happiness and greatness, shall rise up and call her blessed.”

Over 100 years later, those words still ring true. Happy Mother’s Day!

This article appeared in today's edition of our local newspaper, the Hi Desert Star.

Related posts

Augustine and the death of Bin Laden

2011-05-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

If ever there was a "just war," our nation's pursuit of Osama Bin Laden would qualify. Here are Augustine's comments on the necessity and limits of waging a "just war"...

For it is the wrongdoing of the opposing party [Al Qaeda] which compels the wise man [Coalition Forces] to wage just wars; and this wrong-doing, even though it gave rise to no war, would still be matter of grief to man because it is man’s wrong-doing.

Let every one, then, who thinks with pain on all these great evils, so horrible, so ruthless, acknowledge that this is misery. And if any one either endures or thinks of them without mental pain, this is a more miserable plight still, for he thinks himself happy because he has lost human feeling...

...For even they who make war desire nothing but victory,—desire, that is to say, to attain to peace with glory. For what else is victory than the conquest of those who resist us? and when this is done there is peace. It is therefore with the desire for peace that wars are waged... (Augustine, "City of God," quoted from Philip Schaff, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Vol. II, 407).

I think it's appropriate to feel a mix of sorrow and gladness today as we reflect on the death of Osama bin Laden. On the one hand, we grieve the thought of anyone facing the prospect of eternity in hell, apart from Christ. On the other hand, when a battle was provoked by wrongdoing, and weapons were reluctantly taken up by the innocent nation, we should rejoice at the sight of justice and a little more peace in our world today.

Book review: The Official Joomla! Book

2011-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Whether you're looking for information, a product, or local service, chances are one of the first places you'll check is online. In today's world, every organization needs a web presence, and with Joomla!, this has never been easier.

Joomla! is a free content management system (CMS) for creating websites and applications. Our church has been using Joomla! for the past five years and has been very satisfied. There's always been help available at the Joomla! forum (http://forum.joomla.org/) and Joomla's wiki-style documentation site (http://docs.joomla.org/), but nothing beats an old-fashioned physical book in hand to browse through, markup pages, see the big picture, and have new ideas at your fingertips.

The Official Joomla! Book is more than just a user's manual. It's a whole introduction to web design. The author's goal is to help you build an effective website. Joomla! just happens to be their tool of choice. The authors accomplish their goal by looking not only on the anatomy of Joomla!, but also discussing the purpose and branding of a company, strategic importance of the home page, and an appendix of helpful links that extend well beyond the boundaries of Joomla! I was glad to see after several chapters of technical instruction on the program, the authors include extensive practical applications in the area of business, nonprofit groups, and education.

The book has a clean layout, a helpful glossary and index, and generous use of illustrations. Whether you're an experienced Joomla! user or just getting ready to build your first website, The Official Joomla! Book could be a real help to your company or organization.

The birth certificate

2011-04-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sure by now you've seen it. It would be almost impossible not to; it's all over the news. President Barack Obama has released his Hawaii birth certificate hoping to satisfy critics once and for all that he's a U.S. citizen. A man's origin came into question, and some official proof was needed to settle the argument.

That got me thinking, something very similar happens to Jesus in the Gospel of John. The Jews accuse Jesus of being a fake, a fraud, an impostor. They seriously doubt whether He is the Son of God. After all, there is no certified paper with these words:

Name: Jesus Christ
Heavenly Father: God
Biological Mother: Mary
Conceived By: Holy Spirit
Birth Date: Existed Before the Foundation of the World
Physical Place of Birth: Bethlehem in Judea

So, how can God prove to mankind that Jesus is truly His Son? He does it at the very outset of Jesus' public ministry, when Jesus is baptized. And John the Baptist is standing by to report the event for us:

“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." (Jn. 1:32-34)

When no birth certificate is available to verify His Son, God does something even better. He speaks audibly from heaven, He sends down His Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and He puts John on the scene to witness and report the events for us.

If there was ever a question about Obama's origin, today's release of the birth certificate would seem to settle the case. And if there was ever a question about Jesus' origin, John chapter 1 provides all the proof we need to believe that Jesus is truly the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, we would have life in His name (Jn. 20:30-31).

Jesus is alive!

2011-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” Two angels asked the women on that first Easter Sunday. “He is not here, but He has been resurrected!”

Jesus, who suffered a gruesome death just three days earlier, now stood in triumph over sin and death. The tomb was empty! Jesus was alive! God had raised up His Son! And the world would never been the same.

The story is told of a Muslim in Africa who surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. When asked why he’d become a Christian, he replied,

“Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go. And there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead and one alive—which one would you ask which way to go?”

Truly, Jesus is alive, and worthy of our trust and devotion.

May we continue to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s death and resurrection for our forgiveness, and to share this astounding message with others.

Amazing love

2011-04-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

But He was pierced because of our transgressions,

crushed because of our iniquities;

punishment for our peace was upon Him,

and we are healed by His wounds.

We all went astray like sheep;

we all have turned to our own way;

and the LORD has punished Him

for the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:5-6)

Here's a video that reminds us of God's amazing love demonstrated by sending Jesus to the cross.

Take time today to meditate on the work of the cross. God's love is amazing, and available to all who turn from sin and accept God's free gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of His Son.

Related posts:

One Flesh: God's design for marriage

2011-04-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

First Corinthians 7 contains one of the most detailed treatments of marriage found anywhere in the Bible. At church this morning, we concluded a five-part series on the subject, after taking some "detours" along the way to look at singleness, divorce and remarriage, contentment, and discipleship as slavery to Christ, plus two weeks while I was at the hospital to care for Natalie.

But here are the links for all five messages side-by-side. They really stand alone as an independent series.

Part 1: Purity
Marriage is one of God's antidotes to lust and sexual immorality

Part 2: Pleasure
God commands a husband and wife to be united in heart, mind, and body, and to bring pleasure to one another. (No audio available, but here is the link to the full transcript)

Part 3: Permanence
God instructs a believing husband and wife to stick together, through thick and thin.

Part 4: Permanence, cont.
Even when one spouse is an unbeliever, God still calls the believing spouse to remain faithful for the good of the home

Part 5: Perspective
This life is a short journey, so travel light. Even the best of marriages needs to keep an eternal perspective.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

At the beginning of the new year, when we launched into this series, I asked our congregation the following questions. Why not ask them for yourself, then listen to what 1 Corinthians 7 has to say:

On a scale of 1-10 how strong would I rate my love for my spouse when I first got engaged and married? How strong is it now? Do I think this is God’s will for our marriage?
Have I learned to tune out my spouse when they speak?
Am I ever critical of my husband or wife when I’m around friends?
Is our marriage relationship nothing more than a contractual obligation, just two roommates sharing the same roof?
Have I entertained, even for one moment, the thought of divorce?
Because of my spouse’s lack of attention, have I begun to seek emotional, relational, or sexual fulfillment in someone else?
Do I see my spouse as someone who mainly exists to love and help and serve me, or someone God wants me to love and help and serve? In other words, is our marriage primarily self-centered or God-centered and others-oriented?
As I’ve listed these questions, have I been thinking to myself, “I sure wish my husband or wife is listening right now,” or have I been examining my own heart?

Book Review: The Lord's Prayer

2011-03-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

When the disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," Jesus did not simply tell them. He showed them. He modeled for all of us how we can talk to God in words that are simple yet profound. This prayer, known as "The Lord's Prayer," has endured for two thousands years, and is now available in a new edition by Rick Warren and Richard Jesse Watson for a new generation to discover. I read this book last night to our 3-yr old daughter and 5-yr old son. We all enjoyed looking at the artwork and discussing the meaning of Jesus' precious words.

The Lord's Prayer introduces us to all the important elements of prayer: Adoration. Submission. Supplication. Confession. A longing for heaven. This kids' edition pairs the poetic beauty of the King James Version with the beautiful artwork of Richard Watson. Watson creatively depicts the wonder and almost whimsical nature of prayer through the trusting eyes of a child. At times, I would like to see a clearer connection between the illustrations and the content of Scripture. Some of the images are brilliant (a girl feeding sparrows to show how God supplies our daily bread), while others are just too abstract (two children walking hand-in-hand up a stairway to show God's eternal glory).

By depicting children from many countries, Watson gives the book a multicultural flavor and shows that God invites people of all ages and nationalities to talk to Him through His Son. The brief prayers and explanatory notes by Rick Warren at the back of the book are a great addition, and can provide great talking points for parents. All in all, The Lord's Prayer could be a good tool to help introduce children to the power and beauty of the Lord's prayer.

Update on Natalie

2011-03-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Natalie had a follow up appointment with her doctor this morning, but we really don’t have much to report. The lab reports are not back yet. The doctor briefly checked Natalie, noticed a little bleeding, and said to come back in another week.

The doctor still seems optimistic that the uterine lining is just weak/thin, and that it will eventually heal on its own. The area he scraped six weeks ago is probably still very tender, and needs more time to heal. We envision it kind of like a scab, that needs to heal, and when picked, starts to bleed again. He says it’s possible the bleeding she had last weekend was even agitated by her menstrual cycle (this is only speculation).

The doctor who saw Natalie today is the one who delivered the baby and did the D&C six weeks ago. He is not the same one who was on call over the weekend and did Natalie's D&C last Saturday (that was his partner practitioner; they form a sort of tag-team and alternate shifts). Today, Natalie's doctor said there were two options of how last weekend could have been handled.

The first option was to perform a D&C and scrape/clean out the uterus again. This solved the immediate bleeding problem, but may have opened that “scab” up again and delayed healing. This is obviously the route the on-call doctor took in the ER last Saturday. Today, the doctor said that if Natalie were not his normal patient, and without knowing her history, he would have done the same thing.
However, the second option would have been to try to control the bleeding in the hospital with more Methergen and Pitocin, helping the uterus push out remaining tissue, constricting the blood vessels, and permitting the “scab” to continue healing. The doctor said this is what he would have done if he was the one on call last weekend.

We’re thankful there is minimal bleeding at the moment, but the same thing occurred the first three weeks after Natalie’s first D&C. We realize that Natalie’s uterus might be slowly building up clots again and eventually gush, but there’s not much we can do right now but wait. We’re encouraged that there’s still a chance she will heal on her own, but it’s very hard to be in this constant state of limbo. We do appreciate that the doctor wants to see her in another week and is avoiding a surgery if at all possible.

Thanks for continuing to pray. When we pulled into the garage this afternoon, we immediately paused to pray and give this all to the Lord, asking for His strength and protection. "God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble, therefore we will not be afraid (Ps. 46:1-2). May that be true in our hearts every moment of the day.

CMC Christian club

2011-03-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

The Christian club at Copper Mountain College is now meeting on Wednesdays at noon. If you or someone you know is a student at CMC, please join us! We'll be meeting each week at the new amphitheater just outside Student Services.

This is a great way to learn more about Christianity in a friendly setting, to have your questions answered, and to be encouraged in your faith. Grab a lunch and come discover Jesus from the book of John (new visitors will receive a free copy).

I'm excited to be partnering with Pam Hoyt and the student leaders to get this group back up and running. For more information, please email phoyt[at]cmccd[dot]com, or just drop by this Wednesday at noon.

Hilarious baby video

2011-03-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

As some of you heard, Natalie bled a lot more Saturday evening, so we had to take her back down to ER. The doctor did a D&C around 11 pm to clean out her uterus and stop the bleeding. Amazingly, she was discharged about an hour later and we got a good night's sleep. Natalie is feeling much better today.

We'll be waiting and praying this week to see if this solves the problem for good. Natalie has an appointment scheduled for Friday. They think this should fix the problem, but if bleeding persists, she may need a hysterectomy. We certainly hope that won't be necessary, but continue to trust in God. For the moment, all is quiet. Natalie's mom drove down today to help out, which will be really nice the next few days.

After all the drama this weekend, we really appreciated this video. It provided some great comic relief. Enjoy!

Another hospital adventure

2011-03-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all who were praying for us yesterday. Natalie started having more heavy postpartum bleeding around 8 am yesterday. She continued to bleed throughout the morning, so she called the triage nurse at her doctor’s office and was advised to go to the hospital. By the time we got a babysitter, fed Abigail, drove down the hill, and arrived at ER, it was a little after 1 pm. By the time we got there, her bleeding had already slowed considerably.

It was a very busy day in the ER. The waiting room was packed, and the ER halls were lined with beds everywhere. One staff joked that beds were going to be all the way out to the front lobby! And at one point, we overheard that there were five trauma patients being treated, including a baby.

Natalie, Abigail, and I waited a few hours in the waiting room, then were moved into the ER hallway to wait a few more hours on a hospital bed. An early blood test showed her hemoglobin count was still OK. Around 6 pm, Natalie was taken back for an ultrasound. The radiologist said the results looked very similar to the pictures taken two weeks ago when we were at ER, though the mass in her uterus appeared even a little more engorged. Nurses seemed confident at first that she would need a D&C. The waiting game continued, and around 11 pm, the doctor finally came to visit and said there was nothing they would be doing that night.

The nurses and doctor seemed to lean toward the need for another D&C due to her enlarged uterus and this persistent mass of tissue, but the doctor also said it can sometimes resolve on its own over a period of weeks or months. Since her blood count was OK and bleeding had slowed down, there really wasn’t much they could do in ER. However, if she has another bleeding episode like yesterday, we are instructed to go back down to ER and start the whole process over again. Otherwise, we just need to call the doctor on Monday, set up an appointment, get examined, and possibly schedule a D&C. Not the resolution we had been hoping for. By the time we got our discharge papers and left the hospital, it was after 1 am. We walked out feeling like we had more questions than answers. The only thing we knew for sure is God is still sovereign!

Please pray for Natalie’s continued protection, and for Abigail’s immune system to be strong after being in ER for a whole day. In spite of all the setbacks and question marks, we still find many reasons to be thankful to the Lord: that Natalie’s bleeding subsided and blood count is OK; that Natalie was in very little pain other than some cramps that morning; that we were placed at the furthest hallway away from much of the ER commotion and germs; that Abigail did very well overall; that we had an excellent ultrasound technician with an attention to detail and a willingness to explain what was on the screen; that the mass in Natalie’s uterus has not grown significantly; that we had a little time to read and pray together throughout the day; that Lila came on short notice to watch Dylan and Heidi all day long; and that we had all of you praying!

When weak becomes strong

2011-03-10T23:10:00.000-08:00

Two of the most common "adversative" or "negative" conjunctions in Greek are δέ (de), and ἀλλὰ (alla). δέ is the weaker of the two, and can be translated either "and" or "but" depending on the context. ἀλλὰ, on the other hand, is a stronger contrast. Of the 628 times it appears in the New Testament, only once is it translated "and," and in this instance, it still carries an adversative idea (Mt. 18:30). The vast majority of the time, it is translated "but" or "yet."

In the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus contrasts the external rules of the Jewish tradition with the internal laws of His Messianic kingdom, I naturally expected Jesus to choose the strong adversative ἀλλὰ. But this isn't the case! In all six instances, He actually chooses the weaker conjunction δέ:

Matthew 5:22 But I tell you, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν

Matthew 5:28 But I tell you, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν

Matthew 5:32 But I tell you, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν

Matthew 5:34 But I tell you, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν

Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν

Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν

Why didn’t Jesus use the stronger ἀλλὰ to show the sharp contrast between the Jewish traditions and His own teaching? Perhaps it's because contrast has already been supplied by the pronoun ἐγὼ, which is emphatic. Lit., He says, “But I Myself tell you.” Leon Morris writes,

“[Jesus] uses the emphatic ἐγώ. France comments, “This is not a new contribution to exegetical debate, but a definitive declaration of the will of God. It demands (and receives, 7:28–29) the response, ‘Who is this?’ Thus this passage contributes another aspect to the presentation of Jesus as the Messiah which is Matthew’s overriding purpose.”

I suspect that in this case, using the stronger adversative conjunction ἀλλὰ may have actually stolen emphasis away from the pronoun, where Jesus wanted all His shock and emphasis to land. So Jesus instead chose a weaker conjunction and put all the emphasis squarely on the pronoun ἐγὼ. He says, "It is I alone, and not the tradition of the elders, who will instruct you in God's Law."

A new authority had arrived in town. His name was Jesus, and He was singlehandedly overturning centuries of oral tradition with one sermon.

Herod who??

2011-02-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

I must admit, I still get confused by all those Herods mentioned in the New Testament. To keep them straight, I find it helpful to read the biblical text with a genealogy of Herod's family at my side (here's one from the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible).

Well, so much for simplicity. Even this chart looks more like an engineering schematic than a family tree. To boil it all down, there are four key members of Herod's family mentioned in the Gospels...

Herod the Great. This is the original Herod of them all. The very name sent shivers up the spine of ancient Jews. Son of Antipater, he was a cunning politician, ruthless dictator, and brilliant architect. He was responsible for constructing the temple mount in Jerusalem, fortress palaces at Herodium and Masada, and a harbor at Caesarea -- all which continue to astound archaeologists and engineers today. In addition to killing several kin who threatened his throne, Herod murdered all the young boys in Bethlehem at the news that a baby king named Jesus had been born (Mt. 2:16). Herod died a short time later, splitting his kingdom between three sons.

Herod Philip - son of Herod the Great through his wife Cleopatra. Ruled over a vast area of NE Palestine until AD 34. The city of Caesarea Philippi up in the foothills gets its name from this man.

Herod Antipas - son of Herod the Great through his wife Malthace. Ruled over Galilee and Perea until AD 39. Antipas is the one who stole Herodias from another half-brother named Philip (Mt. 14:3) and was responsible for executing John the Baptist (Mt. 14:10). He's also the Herod who appears during the Roman trial of Jesus (Lk. 23:7).

Archelaus - Another son of Herod the Great through his wife Malthace. A vicious and inept king who ruled for about a decade over Judea and Samaria, but was de-throned while Jesus was still a child (he is mentioned only in Mt. 2:22). By the time Jesus began His public ministry, this region had long been taken away from Herodian control and assigned to Roman procurators/governors.

There are even more descendants of Herod mentioned in the book of Acts, but I won't take time to discuss them now. Here's a map from the Holman Bible Atlas showing the political boundaries right after Herod the Great's death. This is how Israel looked when Jesus' family returned from Egypt and settled up in Nazareth.

Book review: Wycliffe Bible Commentary

2011-02-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

Someone recently asked me what I thought of the Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Overall, it's a good conservative commentary.

Though relatively brief (the 1990 edition is only one volume), the WBC goes a step deeper than today's Study Bibles like the MSB, ESV, and HCSB which have notes alongside the text. However, it's certainly not as deep (or expensive) as a more scholarly multi-volume commentary. The WBC is rather dated (originally published in the early 60s) and fairly light on application, but could be a very good starter tool for Bible students and teachers.

Jim Rosscup, in his book Commentaries for Biblical Expositors, says, “Conservative and premillennial scholars here have been experts in their fields. The work contains brief introductions and attempts to give a verse-by-verse exposition, though it does skip over some verses. The treatments vary with the authors, but as a whole it is a fine one-volume commentary for pastors and students to use or give to a layman. Outstanding sections include, for example: Whitcomb on Ezra-Nehemiah-Ester; Culver on Daniel; Ladd on Acts; Harrison on Galatians; Johnson on 1 Corinthians; and Ryrie on Johannine Epistles.”

Below is a description from the book’s introduction:

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary is an entirely new commentary on the whole Bible written and edited by a number of scholars representing a wide cross section of American Protestant Christianity. Within the limits of its more than a million and one-quarter words, it attempts to treat the entire text of the Old and New Testaments on a phrase by phrase basis. In addition, summaries of the major sections of each Biblical book generally appear in the text in connection with the main headings in the outline. Thus, the reader is permitted an overview and a detailed discussion of a passage of Scripture at the same time.

In the commentaries on the various books the writers present the results of their own careful, personal Bible study. But also they have preserved some of the best work of the older commentators and have utilized the insights of contemporary scholarship. While they infuse the whole with a fresh spirit, at the same time they manifest their unflinching belief in the divine inspiration of Holy Scripture...

The basic aim of this volume is to determine the meaning of the text of Scripture. It is therefore, strictly speaking, neither a devotional nor a technical exegetical treatment. It seeks to present the Biblical message in such a way that the serious Bible student will find extensive help within its pages.

If you're looking for a single-volume commentary on the Bible, then the Wycliffe Bible Commentary may be just for you.

Welcome, Abigail!

2011-02-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord! Abigail Adelle Jones was born yesterday at 1:08 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and is 19.75" long. Thank you all for your prayers.

Natalie had very heavy post-delivery bleeding, clotting, and sharp pain for about five hours. Finally, the doctor did a DNC which revealed a small placenta lobe still attached to the uterus that was causing the bleeding. Once back from OR and stabilized, she received four units of blood and is now doing much better. She gets her first meal this morning. Thursday was a long day full of pain and frightening moments, but we knew God was with us and felt His grace in many ways. There are so many reasons to be thankful.

The doctors did their first ultrasound on Abigail for her hydronephrosis. We’ll get an update sometime today of what needs to be done next. The cupping on the right kidney is still there, so we will probably be referred to a specialist, but don’t know how much of this will happen while we’re still at the hospital. Thankfully, Abigail is eating and going to the bathroom normally and showing no signs of discomfort. She’s a precious little girl, and we’re enjoying lots of cuddles after yesterday’s excitement.

Thanks for your continued prayers for Natalie and Abigail. The doctor will probably keep them in the hospital at least through Sunday morning.

5-month enhancement campaign underway

2011-02-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

Over the past 25 years, God has blessed First Southern Baptist Church of Yucca Valley with a very comfortable and adequate facility. But the time has come to make some repairs and improvements. In 2011, we hope to enhance our facility in four key areas.

First, we need to replace stolen equipment and expand our preschool playground to be more kid- and family-friendly. Second (and the most urgent), we need to repair our leaking sanctuary roof with a new Fibertite roofing system and skylights. Third, we need to upgrade our sound system with new microphones, speakers, and wiring to better broadcast God’s Word. Finally, we need a new front sign to help invite our neighbors. These four components will not only get us back up to standard, but will improve our ability to minister to people in the 21st century.

This project represents the fruit of many hours of prayer and research by our church leaders. As I recently noted from 2 Chronicles 24, “how we care for God’s house reflects how much we care about God.” This is a great opportunity to love God and support His work here in the Morongo Basin.

This Friday and Saturday, we're encouraging families to take time to pray and assess what the Lord is leading them to give. Then on Sunday, during the worship service, we’ll pray together for this project, humbly ask for God’s blessing, and quietly make our pledges before the Lord. The pledges are just a tool for each family’s benefit to take a step of faith and set a bold, yet attainable, goal. They will also help our stewardship committee in planning the timeline and extent of our repairs. The commitment cards will look like this:

We pledge, by God’ grace, to give above our regular offering...

$ ________ a Week for 21 Weeks (or)
$ ________ a Month for 5 Months (or)
$ ________ Total Amount
[ ] We cannot currently make a commitment, but pledge to pray for this campaign.

All names and individual amounts will be kept confidential. We realize that someone's amount may even need to be revised or cancelled should circumstances make it necessary. But I think we will find our pledges to be a helpful benchmark as the year unfolds.

This is an exciting moment at First Southern as we unite together, give joyfully, and watch the Lord provide!

Please pray with us for this important campaign, and if the Lord lays it on your heart, consider making a donation of any amount to support our church ministry.

God never fumbles

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Next Sunday, over 100 million people are expected to watch Super Bowl XLV, making it the most viewed TV event in American history.

Imagine the pressure on these players! They’ve spent every waking moment of their lives preparing for this single game, and it’s winner take all. Every play will be crucial. Every pass. Every rush. Every tackle. Every kick. A single play could change momentum and spell victory or defeat. One misplaced finger on the ball could result in a fumble. One misjudged pass could cause an interception.

This year’s matchup promises to be a good game, but in the end, it’s still a game. I’m so thankful that with the weightier matters of life -- like heaven and hell -- there’s no risk of a fumble. If God is carrying you in His arms, then your salvation is secure. He’ll never drop you or let the Enemy strip you out of His hands.

Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd says, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish – ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

This is a wonderful promise for those who belong to Christ. Are you one of His sheep? Christ’s sheep hear His voice calling and follow Him. They admit they are lost and need to be rescued from sin. They trust in His atoning sacrifice, when He laid down His life for the sheep and then took it up again on the third day. Have you done this?

If you’re one of Christ’s sheep, then nothing can snatch you out of His hands! Satan can’t snatch you; the Destroyer is impotent against the power of God. Unbelievers can’t snatch you; they can mock and even threaten you, but they can’t lay a finger on your soul. Suffering can’t snatch you; even when life is most painful, God will help you persevere and walk by faith rather than sight.

As one man said, “It’s not finally our hold on Christ, but Christ’s hold on us. And praise God, he will never let us go!” What a comfort to know God never fumbles.

This article appeared in the Minister's Message of today's local newspaper, the Hi-Desert Star

Photo credit: kungfubonanza

Sovereign Grace sale

2011-02-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

New from Sovereign Grace Ministries...

Our annual February Sale kicks off today, and this year we are dropping our prices a little lower than in the past: 30% or more off books, music, DVDs, and everything else in the store. Free U.S. shipping remains in place for orders of $15 or more.

Here is a sampling of the deals available:
The Cross Centered Life— $4.90
Dug Down Deep — $9.10
Rescuing Ambition — $6.65
All Sovereign Grace Music CDs — $6.72 or less
All Sovereign Grace Music MP3s — $0.69

Task Force takes first steps to advance Great Commission in California

2011-01-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

Here's the press release from our first SBC Focus 21 Task Force Meeting last weekend. Please continue to keep us in prayer...

BAKERSFIELD—The Focus 21 Task Force, approved to study how California Southern Baptists can best fulfill the Great Commission, had its inaugural meeting Jan. 14-15 at Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield.

Glen Paden, retired pastor and president emeritus of California Baptist Foundation, said all 12 members of the task force were present for the meeting and “spent time getting acquainted and agreeing on ground rules” by which the task force would operate.

“I don’t believe there was a single member of the task force who knew everybody else. It is amazing how God can take a group of people, weld them together and make them worthwhile. The task force has some incredibly gifted people on it which will serve this task force and California Southern Baptist Convention well.”

Paden said the “broadness of our task – the Great Commission – almost makes a specific agenda difficult to come up with. However, we looked at our assignment and decided our first job is to gather information. Therefore, we want to begin with our key leaders – the heads of our entities – CSBC, CBF and California Baptist University.”

Paden said the task force “plans to go beyond” the three agency heads, but no list has been formulated.

He said the task force will meet Feb. 25-26 and March 18-19 at Valley Baptist, a central location to all members.

The task force issued the following statement about its first gathering.

“Focus 21 Task Force met at Valley Baptist Church, Bakersfield, January 14-15.

“The history of our Southern Baptist Convention and California Southern Baptist Convention were presented and celebrated. We reviewed the Task Force assignment given at our recent convention meeting in Clovis. Roger Spradlin, pastor of Valley Baptist Church of Bakersfield who served on the SBC Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, reported on its implications for California.

“Gathering information and hearing from key leaders was agreed as a “first step.” Invitations have been extended to the Executive Director of the CSBC, the President of California Baptist University and the President of California Baptist Foundation to address the Task Force. A request has been made to dialogue with Directors of Missions at their annual conference in March.

“The Task Force has created an e-mail address to receive comments and questions from California Southern Baptist constituents. Please address these to: Focus21taskforce [at] gmail [dot] com.

“Your prayers are requested as we focus on reaching California for Christ.”

Glen Paden, Chairman

Related post:

A major crossroads

Life: love it, protect it.

2011-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Today our church is observing Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Please take a moment to pray for protection of the unborn in America, and around the world. Here's a short video from Life International.

Life: love it. protect it. from LIFE International on Vimeo.

Related post:

Sanctity of Life Sunday

One flesh: God's design for sex in marriage

2011-01-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday morning, I preached on a delicate subject, but one pastors cannot be silent on: sexual intimacy in marriage. I did my best to be discreet and appropriate for a broad audience, yet not shy away from what the Bible teaches on this subject. We had some recording problems, so I thought I'd attach the full manuscript below...

“One Flesh: God’s Design for Marriage, Part Two”

1 Corinthians 7:3-6

Pastor Stephen Jones

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Introduction
You’ve probably heard of Corrie Ten Boom. She and her family were Christians living in Holland during World War II, and are best known for hiding Jews from the Nazis. Eventually, her family was taken to a concentration camp, where her sister and father both died. I highly recommend her book The Hiding Place, which you can find in our church library. It's a beautiful story of God's providence in the midst of chaos and suffering.

In that book, she recounts the train rides she would sometimes take with her dad – a time she always cherished.

Oftentimes I would use the trip home to bring up things that were troubling me, since anything I asked at home was promptly answered by the aunts. Once – I must have been ten or eleven – I asked Father about a poem we had read as school the winter before. One line had described ‘a young man whose face was not shadowed by sexsin.’ I had been far too shy to ask the teacher what it meant, and Mama had blushed scarlet when I consulted her. In those days just after the turn of the century, sex was never discussed, even at home. So the line had stuck in my head. ‘Sex,’ I was pretty sure, meant whether you were a boy or a girl, and ‘sin’ made Tante Jans very angry, but what the two together meant I could not imagine. And so, seated next to Father in the train compartment, I suddenly asked, ‘Father, what is sexsin?’
He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case from the rack over our heads, and set it on the floor.
‘Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?’ he said.
I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning.
‘It’s too heavy,’ I said.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.’
And I was satisfied. More than satisfied – wonderfully at peace. There were answers to this and all my hard questions – for now I was content to leave them in my father’s keeping.

Certainly, there is some knowledge too heavy for children to bear. But eventually, we have a duty to discuss with both children and adults what God says on every matter of life, including physical intimacy and marital relations. We dare not let the world do all the talking and set the moral standards in this area.

This morning, we’re going to have such a discussion. We are studying through the book of 1 Corinthians, and this morning, we arrive at chapter 7 verse 3, where Paul teaches on the subject of sex. Because of this, our conversation this morning will be somewhat explicit, though I plan to go no further than the Scriptures themselves.

It’s not my intent to shock you, or to talk dirty, or to make you feel uncomfortable in any way. But I do have a responsibility to preach the whole council of God, and believe God could use this text in a mighty way to teach our singles what they need to prepare for, to strengthen the marriages in our church, and even to heal any marriages who are hurting and broken right now.

I’ll tell you up front, this is a message for mature audiences. I’m thinking teenage and older. If your children are listening with you this morning, I’ll let you decide if your children are mature enough to listen. If you are hesitant at all, you may want to listen for yourself first, then share the recording with them later. We have a children’s church program going on right now over in Bldg. C, and you’re more than welcome to take your children over there -- even if they’re above grade school level. This is totally a parental decision. None of us will judge you for stepping out. I want you to do whatever you think is best.

The passage

For the rest of us, please turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 7, if you haven’t done so already. You’ll remember that last week, we began a sermon series on chapter 7 which I’ve entitled “One Flesh: God’s design for marriage.” We were challenged to make a New Year’s Resolution before God to improve our marriages in 2011. We looked briefly at the theme of purity. That is, one of the purposes of marriage, and reasons why it is good for many to get married, is to remain sexually pure, not giving into the temptation of sexual sin. You’ll notice that again as I begin reading in verse 1...

1 Corinthians 7:1–9 (HCSB) About the things you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman.” But because of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. A husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. A wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. Equally, a husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife does. Do not deprive one another—except when you agree, for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift from God, one this and another that. I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. But if they do not have self-control, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with desire.

Let’s pray. Father, we thank you for your Word this morning, and that it speaks to every matter of life and godliness. Help us, as Your Word says, to put to death whatever is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Help us put away all anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from our mouths. Help us put off the old man with his practices, and fully put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of our Creator. Let us approach Your Word this morning not with a morbid curiosity for what is sinful, but with a sincere desire to know You better and more fully serve our spouse. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This morning, we move on to our second theme of marriage, which is pleasure. The text I have read just makes clear that God has designed for a husband and wife to be united in heart, mind, and yes, even in body. There are two points to our outline. First, we’ll look at the exhortation in verses 3-5. Then we’ll close by seeing one exception, in verses 5-6.

The Exhortation: Please Your Mate (vv. 3-5a)

God’s Word teaches that one of the main purposes of marriage is for a husband or wife to bring pleasure to one another. God intends for you to love your spouse by taking a genuine interest in their desires and stepping out of your own comfort zone, so to speak, to serve them, meet their needs, and express selfless love to them.

This is true in every area of live, but particularly here in the area of sex. You have a duty before God to have sex together. Paul says this in several different ways.

In verse 3, Paul says, that a husband is to “fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband.” It is very clear that Paul is speaking of sex within marriage. God commands a husband and wife to know each other in the fullest sense of the word and enjoy physical intimacy. But Paul goes on.

In verse 4, Paul states, “A wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does.” Paul very quickly follows this statement up, lest we think a woman is somehow to be a doormat or be barked at, but saying, “Equally, a husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife does.”

In short, your spouse now has authority over your body. When you exchanged marriage vows, you gave up all personal rights and demands. When I said “I do” to my wife, I was saying I no longer have authority over my decisions. I no longer have authority over my finances. I no longer have authority over the color scheme in our house. I no longer have authority over my goals and ambitions in life. And I no longer have authority over my body. That has been given over to my wife.

In marriage, God now intends for your body to be a source of pleasure for your spouse. It would be wrong for you to demand sex from your spouse, because your body is no longer your own. But it would be equally wrong for you to withhold sex from your spouse. You must each be mindful of the needs and desires of the other. I believe this is the principle Paul teaches over in Ephesians 5 as well, where husbands use their God-given authority to love and serve their wives, and wives respond by showing submission and respect to their husbands.

In verse five, Paul gives this exhortation one more time. “Do not deprive one another,” he says. Or we could literally translate it, “Stop depriving one another!” since that is apparently what some of the Corinthians were doing, thinking it was somehow more spiritual to abstain from sex between husband and wife. But Paul says just the opposite. It’s not more spiritual. It’s actually sinful!

Paul concludes this verse by saying, even if you pause momentarily for prayer, you are to come together again; otherwise, Satan may take advantage of this moment of weakness, and tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

From these verses, we learn that sex between a husband and wife is not merely an option. It is not a suggestion. It is not a necessary evil to create offspring. It is a good thing, and it is a duty. But it is more than a duty. It is intended by God to be a privilege, a joy, and a pleasure!

Supporting Scriptures

Let’s look at a few other Scriptures that teach on this subject.

In Genesis 2:23, right after God has created a wife for Adam, he declares with his pulse pounding, “This one, at last, is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called woman, for she was taken from man!” Shortly after, it says that they “became one flesh” and that they were “naked, yet felt no shame.” God created Adam to need Eve, and Eve to perfectly complement Adam. In every way, they were to be united together and enjoy complete intimacy. This was God’s design.

In Proverbs 5, God says that men are to “Drink water from your own cistern, water flowing from your own well…Let your fountain be blessed, and take pleasure in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful fawn— let her breasts always satisfy you; be lost in her love forever” (vv. 15, 18-19). Notice the words that describe our marital duty: drink, blessed, pleasure, satisfy, be lost in her love. The one flesh sexual union is to satisfy and bring mutual pleasure to both husband and wife, and as we saw last week, is a great preventative to sexual immorality.

But without a doubt, the Bible’s most exhaustive treatment of this subject is found in the book called the Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs. I firmly reject the idea that this is an allegory of the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. No, this should be taken at face value. It is a beautiful love letter between Solomon and his bride, the Shulamite (6:13). It is every bit as inspired by God as any other part of the Scriptures. Listen to these words, the sexual overtones, how they describe one another’s bodies, the use of all the senses, and the holy delight between a husband and wife…

Song of Solomon 4:1–7 How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful! Behind your veil, your eyes are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from washing, each one having a twin, and not one missing. Your lips are like a scarlet cord, and your mouth is lovely. Behind your veil, your brow is like a slice of pomegranate. Your neck is like the tower of David, constructed in layers. A thousand bucklers are hung on it— all of them shields of warriors. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies. Before the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. You are absolutely beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection in you.

Song of Solomon 5:1–2 I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride. I gather my myrrh with my spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk. [And now, the narrator steps in, who is likely God Himself bride and bridegroom to enjoy one another.] Eat, friends! Drink, be intoxicated with love!

Song of Solomon 7:6–13 [The husband begins] How beautiful you are and how pleasant, my love, with such delights! Your stature is like a palm tree; your breasts are clusters of fruit. I said, “I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of grapes, and the fragrance of your breath like apricots. Your mouth is like fine wine— flowing smoothly for my love gliding past my lips and teeth! [Then the wife responds] I belong to my love, and his desire is for me. Come, my love, let’s go to the field; let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms. Let’s go early to the vineyards; let’s see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love. The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our doors is every delicacy— new as well as old. I have treasured them up for you, my love.

Application

I hope you can see from 1 Corinthians 7 and these supporting texts that sex in marriage is intended by God to be pure, passionate, pleasing, intoxicating, and exclusive. I assure you, it is far more satisfying than any kinds of sex this world has to offer. Young people, don’t let the world pawn its cheap wares off on you! God’s design of pure sex between a husband and wife is so much more fulfilling.

How should a husband and wife apply this biblical truth? Dr. Ed Wheat, in his excellent book Intended for Pleasure, says, “The union of marriage frees the couple to enjoy their bodies in whatever ways are most pleasing, provided that both are being pleased. Without restrictions (other than selfish acts that hurt the partner or evoke distaste), the couple should feel free to experiment and to ‘know’ each other in the most intimate sense possible. Love involves close bodily contact and the pleasure of seeing, touching, and enjoying all the senses. Let this be your guide in love play” (p. 82)

One of these things this means is that a husband and wife must understand their spouse’s physiological differences. As they say, “men are from Mars, and women are from Venus.” In reality, all of us are from Earth, but God clearly created man and woman to be different and complementary. One of the ways men and women are different is in their sexuality. They respond differently. They get excited differently. They have different desires and expectations. One person described a woman’s body like a crockpot, slowly heating up, while a man’s body is more like a microwave, excited and heated almost instantly! We must be learners of our spouse and see how we can bring them maximum pleasure.

I’ve included in your handout this morning an application section, which I would strongly urge you to use this week.

If you are married, then take a deep breath, pray for courage and loving honesty, and then set aside a couple hours to ask your spouse these questions:

Non-sexual: What’s something I’ve done in the past month that encouraged you? That irritated you? What are some free activities you enjoy doing together? Activities that cost money? What concerns do you have that I seem uninterested in? (It’s important to start with questions like these, because our sexual relationship tends to mirror the overall health and communication of our marriage in other areas)
Sexual: How satisfied are you with our sexual relationship? How often would you like to have marital relations? What words, touches, and positions do you enjoy the most? What do you enjoy the least? What could I do both before bed and in bed to bring you greater pleasure?

If single, be careful not to spend too much time fantasizing over these questions. Tuck them away for the time when God may give you a spouse. And take time to ask, what is your duty to God right now regarding sex? (We will unpack the subject of singleness together next week)

If you’d like to learn more about this subject and how you can grow to serve your spouse and bring them pleasure, here are some recommended resources:

Intended for Pleasure, by Dr. Ed Wheat and his wife Gaye. This is probably the single best volume on the subject, written by a biblical counselor who is also a family physician. The pastor who did our premarital counseling advised us to look through this book the week before we got married.
Intimate Issues, by Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus. This book takes the subject from a female perspective, helping a wife to better understand her body and how to love her husband.
God on Sex, by Daniel Akin, who is President of Southeaster Theological Seminary. This is an exposition through the Song of Solomon with many helpful principles and lighthearted moments.
Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God, by C.J. Mahaney. This is probably the shortest of the four books, and is geared toward the husband, helping him put sex in a bigger perspective and learning better how to love and romance his wife.

Now, some of you may be asking, what about medical issues (during/after pregnancy, bodies age and hormones change, medication you’re taking, always tired)? This will make it more difficult to serve your spouse. But it does not remove your responsibility to know their desires and meet their needs. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor and seek professional medical help too.

What if my spouse doesn’t want to talk? Pray for them. Be gentle and patient. Maybe wait a week or two, then graciously bring up the subject. Maybe say something like, “Honey, do you remember that sermon we heard a couple weeks ago on sex? We still haven’t had a chance to discuss it, and I’d really appreciate if we could. I want to know how I can love and serve you better, and for you to know how you can help me.”

Two of the most difficult areas of communication in a marriage are money and sex. I’ve tried to break the ice and breach the subject today, so please take advantage of this and discuss the issue together.

The Exception: Prayer for a Moment (5b-6)

We’ve established that physical oneness and sexual intimacy is a duty between husband and wife. God’s design is for a husband to please his wife, and for a wife to please her husband. In our closing moments, let’s look at the one exception Paul gives.

1 Corinthians 7:5 “Do not deprive one another – except when you agree, for a time, to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
There may be a time when it is better to abstain from sex, but notice that it is only by mutual consent, and it is only very temporary in nature. This is not a command, but an option. It may be the ‘concession’ Paul refers to in verse 6.

There are certain occasions in life, for the sake of repentance of devotion to Christ, when it is appropriate to give up certain earthly pleasures. This could be “fasting” from food, drink, some other pleasure, or even sex.
What this might look like practically, is agreeing for a week that you will not have sexual relations, but instead will use that time for praying. It would probably even be best to do that praying together. But then, at the end of that time, you promptly come back together, with a renewed love and anticipation of your time together.

Notice what reasons are NOT okay to abstain from sex. It is not because you are too tired. Or because you don’t feel like it. And certainly not as a bargaining chip to get something you want, or to punish your spouse for something they did. The only legitimate reason to abstain from sex is for a momentary time of greater devotion to God.

Conclusion

God has designed for a husband and wife to be united in heart, mind, and body. God created sex, and it is only pure and satisfying when done His way.

God created the anatomy of a male and female to be different and complementary. He created man and woman so they would perfectly fit together respond to one another, enjoy one another, and become one flesh in the truest sense of the word.

In 2011, may we improve our marriages by loving our spouse and serving their unique physical and sexual needs, for the glory of God and for greater unity in our marriages.

Book review: Politics According to the Bible

2011-01-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

The Bible and politics. Do these two words even belong in the same sentence? For Wayne Grudem, the answer is an unequivocal 'yes.' And I agree. If we believe the Bible speaks to every matter of life, then surely it has something to say about politics. In fact, it might surprise us to see just how MUCH God's Word has to say about this subject.

If you're looking for a handbook that introduces you to the U.S. Government and contemporary political issues from a Christian perspective, then a great place to start might be Politics According to the Bible.

In part one, Grudem lays down some basic principles of government and society, dealing with issues like Christian involvement, influence, rule of law, worldview, and the role of the courts. In part two, Grudem applies these principles and turns to specific issues like the sanctity of life, marriage, family, economics, environment, national defense, and first amendment rights.

This is not a comprehensive political theology, but I do appreciate Grudem's ability to take a complicated subject and break it down into bite-size pieces. For each political topic, he offers pertinent Scriptures, a historical perspective, very contemporary examples, and interacts with case law. At times, he also provides suggested resources for further study.

Grudem is at his best when he put politics in an eternal perspective: God is sovereign. Christ will one day reign. Salvation is a work of God. And true change involves spiritual revival. On p. 601 he says the basic role of the Christian in politics is to work to protect the freedoms necessary to bring about revival, creating the legal ‘space’ in which others can act to bring true transformation. This seems consistent with 1 Tim. 2:2. But even then, our deceitful hearts can easily have our priorities mixed up. Revival must never become a means to an end (political utopia), but rather be an end in itself (forgiveness and reconciliation with God), which may bring with it certain benefits to society and government.

A review of the HCSB Study Bible

2011-01-04T16:46:00.000-08:00

Today, I finally had a chance to browse through a copy of the new HCSB Study Bible.

The HCSB Study Bible is 2272 pages long (plus a few maps). As expected, the translation is the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) version. It ranks well and rivals the ESV in both exegetical accuracy and literary quality. Some of its unique features are:

Its translation of yahweh as "Yahweh" (instead of LORD) in the OT when referring to the personal name of God (e.g. Ex. 3:15)
The translation of doulos as "slave" instead of "servant" or "bondservant" in the New Testament (e.g. Rom. 1:1)
The translation of christos as "Messiah" in the New Testament, whenever referring to the Jewish expectation of the Messiah (e.g. Matt. 16:16)
Capitalized pronouns when referring to God
The use of contractions in direct discourse (e.g. "let's go" in Mark 1:38)
A wonderful feature called bullet notes (small bullets next to key words that may be unfamiliar, pointing you to a glossary of common biblical terms; e.g. 'propitiation' in Rom. 3:25).
A willingness to alter familiar passages for the sake of accuracy. (e.g. "for God loved the world in this way" in John 3:16. You can read a fascinating article by Dr. Bill Barrick on this subject, and see his high scoring of the HCSB).
An innovative approach to Bible translation called "optimal equivalence," which retains the literal wording of Scripture except in cases where the idea is not easily conveyed in English. Then, the HCSB opts for a more "dynamic" translation to the text. This can really aid in reading, understanding, and memorizing the text.
A second edition in 2009 which further improved the translation and corrected a few unfortunate choices by the original translation team.

Additional tools include thorough study notes, charts, maps, word studies, architectural illustrations, timelines, photos, and over 25 essays by renowned scholars such as Daniel Wallace, Bruce Ware, and Kenneth Kitchen. Book introductions are helpful, though not quite as exhaustive as the MacArthur Study Bible or ESV Study Bible.

The theological viewpoint of the notes and essays are conservative, and lean Baptistic and dispensational. For example, the note under Romans 11:25-27 says,

A mystery has been revealed by God: (1) A partial hardening has come to Israel; (2) this will continue until a full number of the Gentiles com in; and (3) then all Israel will be saved. "Israel" is the name for the Jewish people. It is used 70 times in the NT of Jews, Hebrews, or Israelites. It is not used as a title for the church. Galatians 6:16 is not an exception; it refers to saved or godly Jews as "the Israel of God." Here in verse 26, "all Israel" means there will be a conversion of the Hebrew nation. It does not mean that every single Jew living will be saved. Salvation is defined in verses 26-27 as the new covenant that the Messiah will inaugurate.

This is a positive feature that distinguishes it from the ESV Study Bible. But regardless of one's ecclesiology or eschatology, every Bible student will find a strong commitment to Scripture. In his opening comments, the General Editor Jeremy Royal Howard writes,

"The goal of each tool in this study Bible, whether notes, essays, book introductions, maps, charts, or the online study component (hcsbstudybible.com), is to serve the text of Scripture by bringing to light facts that aid comprehension. As servants to the text, the study tools are designed to keep the focus on Scripture and never on the too.ls themselves. Practically speaking this approach is demonstrated by the fact that the text of Scripture is never positioned beneath a study tool. The uppermost feature on any given page is the text of Scripture itself. Theologically speaking our text-centric approach is reflected in the fact that each of our contributors honors the Bible as God's inspired and inerrant Word."

The HCSB Study Bible has the most effective use of color I've ever seen in a Bible translation (at least since the days of illuminated manuscripts). Book introductions are printed on pages that resemble ancient parchment. Verse numbers are marked in a subtle blue, pericope headings appear in brown, and the marginal notes are set apart in a tan. Holman has long featured some of the best maps available in their Holman Bible Atlas, and these maps look great in the HCSB Study Bible, though the font is a bit small. Font size of the biblical text is easy on the eye, and the genuine leather edition feels comfortable and sturdy.

To learn more, check out the complete notes of the HCSB Study Bible online for yourself, or view this sample of the book of Matthew.

While there are already some great study Bibles on the market, I believe the HCSB Study Bible makes a valuable contribution to our study of God's Word, and would heartily recommend it.

Related post:

Photo credits: Robert Jimenez

New Hymns album streaming for free

2011-01-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

For a limited time, you can listen to the entire Hymns III album by the band Page CXVI. Enjoy!

Evangelism articles

2010-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

One of our big areas of focus in 2011 at First Southern Baptist will be evangelism. God has been giving me a greater burden for the lost, and I pray this coming year will find our people better equipped and excited to share their faith.

We will not be doing much by way of events or programs, other than our annual Vacation Bible School and Grubstake Days booth. Instead, we'll be focusing on training and equipping our people to share the gospel in their own circle of influence.

At this point, I'm leaning toward using the book Share Jesus Without Fear as our main training manual. It gives confidence and a sound theology of evangelism, good transition questions, a concise gospel outline with key Scriptures, and answers to common objections. There's also a video series that goes with it, but I haven't had a chance to review that yet. I have a few qualms with some of the finer details in the book, but believe its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, and that any problems can be addressed while teaching through the material.

I spent some time this morning looking back through my old blog posts on evangelism, and thought perhaps some of them would interest you as well...

We are called to "Go" - Jesus did not call us to draw people into our settings, but to go where people already are.
Why we don't obey Christ's call to "Go" - Fear and overcommitment are among the top reasons we fail to tell others the good news
Is door-to-door evangelism still effective? How your neighbor perceives a stranger knocking on their door.
Praying for the lost - A heartfelt prayer for our unsaved friends.
Do you love lost people? You won't evangelize those you don't love. But be warned: it can be messy business.
The American mission field - A reminder that America is more religiously diverse than ever before.
How to witness to your waitress - Seizing those little opportunities God gives us everyday to tell others the good news.
Talking practically about evangelism - A candid interview with several of our church members to hear about their struggles and victories in evangelism.
Steering a conversation toward the gospel - There are many casual, non-threatening ways to take an interest in others and move a conversation toward spiritual things.
How to live in the world - Eight great ideas for living "salty" lives and engaging our culture with the gospel.

20 hour blizzard

2010-12-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of a 20-hour blizzard condensed down into just 40 seconds. Photos were taken 5 minutes apart by a photographer in New Jersey. Amazing. I miss the white stuff, but not that much.

Resolved 2011 registration opens this weekend

2010-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

I received this message last week for the Resolved team. I believe this is one of the best conferences on the West Coast. It's geared toward young adults hungry for dynamic worship and expository preaching, and is a real bargain at $150.

Christmas Greetings! I pray this finds you celebrating the birth of our Savior, Emmanuel: God with us!

As the year comes to an end the Resolved team is busy preparing for our 2011 conference. Registration will open in just a few days on January 1.

We will be returning to the Palm Springs Convention Center, June 24-27, to worship together and study God's Word with John MacArthur, C.J. Mahaney, Al Mohler, Steve Lawson, and Rick Holland. I am anticipating a rich time as each speaker leads us to consider what God has to teach us through the lives of Biblical HEROES. More details to follow in the next few days.

Early bird registration starts at just $150. For more information about the conference, visit resolved.org.

I hope you will join us!

John Martin
Producer, Resolved Conference

Here are details for the conference:

When: June 24-27, 2011
Where: Palm Springs, CA

Speakers confirmed:
John MacArthur
C.J. Mahaney
Al Mohler
Steve Lawson
Rick Holland

Registration opens January 1, 2011.

Conference Schedule:
The conference will begin Friday evening, 6/24, and end on Monday night, 6/27.

Terms and Conditions:
Refunds, less a $25 (U.S.) processing fee per registrant, will be granted for cancellations received in writing by May 31, 2011. If you have extenuating circumstances, please contact our office.

Transfers may be made by logging in and changing the name of the conference attendee. Last day to make changes is June 15, 2011.

Registration can not be processed without payment.

Related posts:

What is the purpose of life?

2010-12-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

This video was shown at our Christmas Missions Banquet last night. Our guest missionaries this year came from Scandinavia, and are spreading this video for people to see. It's an outstanding presentation. I only wish more Americans would have the opportunity to hear such a clear and concise summary of the gospel too.

The video is in Finnish (which you'll notice sounds a lot like the Elvish language from Lord of the Rings), but it has English subtitles. Take a few minutes to watch it. It really is a great reminder of the power and simplicity of the gospel, and that Jesus is the only name under heaven by which we can be saved.

Miksi minä olen täällä? - In English from Jere Valkonen on Vimeo.

Shop at Amazon and support a pastor

2010-12-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

Need to do some last-minute Christmas shopping? If you like to shop online at Amazon, you can support my ministry by clicking through this linkwhen you shop.

Just by using the link, I receive a percentage of your purchase. There's no extra cost to you! So for example, if you spend $100 at Amazon this year on Christmas gifts, I'll automatically get a $4 credit. This program is available all year long, not just at Christmas time. Any time you shop at Amazon, use the link, and you'll be supporting my book fund. (An easy way to do this is to bookmark my blog home page, then use the Amazon link in the bottom right corner.)

This past year, I was able to buy two books with my affiliate credits:
The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God's Mandate in Our Time, edited by Adam Greenway and Chuck Lawless
The Financial Peace Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Your Family's Financial Health by Dave Ramsey

Remember, Amazon sells a lot more than books. They also have movies, music, their bestselling Kindle, computer and office equipment, toys and games, clothing, and much more. I find they consistently have the some of the best prices, especially when you use their free Super Saver Shipping.

Happy shopping, and thanks for reading my annual "shameless plug" to support my book fund!

Jesus the Prophet

2010-12-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

When appearing to the shepherds that first Christmas night, the angel announced, "today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David" (Lk. 2:11). But who was this Messiah? Why did He come? And what should be our response?

"Messiah" is Hebrew for "anointed one." It comes from the word mashach, which means "to anoint." There were three kinds of people anointed by God in the Old Testament: the prophet, priest, and king. These were the three branches of government in ancient Israel, and each had a special duty to perform. The prophets were to be God's spokesmen. The priests taught the law and oversaw the sacrifices. The king protected and ruled over the people.

At the outset of their ministry, these three offices would often be anointed with perfumed olive oil to publicly show they were appointed by God (sort of an inauguration ceremony). But more importantly, this oil symbolized God's Spirit dwelling in them and empowering them for His special task. Jesus perfectly fulfilled all these roles as the true Messiah.

It is simply impossible to grasp the meaning of Christmas without some idea of these three messianic roles. John Walvoord explains:

Taken together, the three offices of Christ as Prophet, Priest and King are the key to the purpose of the incarnation. His prophetic office was concerned with the revelation of the truth of God; the priestly office was related to His work as Saviour and Mediator; His kingly office had in view His right to reign over Israel and over the entire earth. In Christ the supreme dignity of these offices is reached.

On Sunday, we began an advent series on this subject and looked at Jesus as Prophet. There were three points to our outline:

Moses spoke of a coming prophet. As Moses' life drew to a close, and Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, he warned them of dabbling in the occult and practicing witchcraft. Instead, they were to await another prophet "like him" whom God would send (Deut. 18:15-22). There were indeed many prophets in Israel's history like Samuel, Elijah, and Jeremiah, but none achieved the status of Moses or mediated a new covenant with God's people. Only Jesus could truly fulfill this prophecy.
Many recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of this promise. After Jesus fed over 5,000 people, the crowds exclaimed, "This really is the Prophet who was to come into the world!" (Jn. 6:14). And after offering Himself as living water, the people said in amazement, "This really is the Prophet!" (Jn. 7:40). After the Apostle Peter healed a lame man in Jerusalem, he preached Christ crucified and risen. He warned of judgment and called the people to repentance and restoration. He clearly identified Jesus as the prophet whom Moses had foretold. (Acts 3:17-24).
You are responsible to listen and obey His words. If Jesus is truly the prophet like Moses, what should our response be? We must listen to Him (Dt. 18:15), because we'll be held accountable for what we do with His message (Dt. 18:19). If Jesus is the prophet, then we should thank God for revealing Himself to us in Christ (Heb. 1:1-2). If Jesus is the prophet, then we must believe every bold truth claim He has made (Jn. 14:6). If Jesus is the prophet, then we should do our best to study His word and know Him better.

Is Jesus more than a prophet? Yes. But He's certainly never been less than one. This is one important facet of His work as the anointed mediator between God and man. Jesus was the Word who became flesh (Jn. 1:14). Only He could gives us the words of life, and perfectly reveal the Father to us. No wonder God said on the Mount of Transfiguration, "This is my beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him!"

Questions for thought and discussion:

What does it mean that Jesus was the “Messiah,” or “Anointed One”?
What famous prophets can you think of from the Old Testament? How does Jesus resemble them?
What is my duty to Jesus the Prophet? (Dt. 18:15)
What is the result if I ignore Him? (Dt. 18:19)
Who are the “prophets” or “experts” in society today that speak with authority? Do I trust them more than I do Jesus?
How can I better honor and obey Jesus’ words?
Does this apply to “red letter” words only? (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Is it enough to believe Jesus was simply a prophet?

Sunday's sermons are usually uploaded to our weekly podcast, but we regret our CD recorder was not working this week.

A little plug for The Master's Seminary

2010-12-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Pastoral ministry brings new and exciting challenges every day, but I've never regretted my time at The Master's Seminary. My four years in their MDiv program laid an important foundation in theology, preaching, pastoral skills, Christian character, Bible survey, and biblical languages.

One incoming student recently wrote:

I want to attend The Master's Seminary because I know that God has called me to become a pastor and I feel the heavy responsibility to teach the word of God accurately and without compromise. I have looked at other seminaries and talked with alumni from those schools. The common theme among the other seminaries was that they had a curriculum that was broadly focused to prepare the student for many jobs in ministry, but they did not offer a theological education that focused on teaching the Word of God and preparing men to preach it. I want to attend TMS because I feel it will prepare me to know and teach the Bible and fulfill my ministry goal of becoming a pastor/teacher in a local church.

I used the TMS website to locate and contact alumni of TMS and asked them to honestly tell me how they felt the school had prepared them for the positions of ministry that God has currently placed them in. The response was very positive and each former student that I talked with said that they felt that God had used their time at TMS to prepare them theologically and spiritually for the work of the ministry and, without exception, each asked if they could pray with me about God's direction in my life. That was the type of answer I was looking for and the kind of minister I want to become.

I couldn't agree more. Master's has a high academic standard and their MDiv program specializes in one thing: producing teachers and preachers of God's Word.

But is the cost too high? It may not be easy, but when God places a call on your life, you can be assured He will provide the means to obey it. And you may be encouraged by this chart:

There are several great seminaries out there today, but if you're looking for a place to get thoroughly equipped for pastoral ministry, I cannot recommend The Master's Seminary highly enough.

Two free audio books by John Piper

2010-11-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

This month, you can get two audio books by John Piper for free. Thanks to christianaudio.com and Desiring God for these special deals. Here are the links:

Let the Nations be Glad: the Supremacy of God in Missions
(use coupon code GLAD10 at checkout; offer expires Dec. 31, 2010)

Summary: Why do we do missions? We are told, by Jesus, to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. So missions is duty, right? Wrong. If you do missions purely from a sense of duty you will not honor those you are reaching out to, nor will you truly honor God. Duty is the wrong place to look, so where do we find the answer to why we do missions? We turn, according to John Piper, to worship.

In our worship of God we encounter God's glory. The overflow from our worship is a desire to share God's glory with others (the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever), and we naturally become missional. When Jesus was asked what the kingdom of God was like, he compared it to a pearl so valuable that one would sell all they owned simply to possess it. Does that seem like duty to you? Instead, Jesus calls us to a new mindset, which flows from the mindset that worship creates in us. Thus, according to Piper, does worship become the goal of missions and the fuel which makes missions possible...

Don't Waste your Life

Summary: Millions of people are wasting their lives pursuing dreams of happiness that don't rise above a good marriage, nice kids, a successful career, a nice car, fun vacations, nice friends, a fun retirement, a painless death, and (hopefully) no hell. John Piper calls this a tragedy in the making. He argues that we were created for joy. We were designed to have one life-encompassing passion.

In this book he describes his own journey in discovering this great, single passion. And He pleads that at all costs we pursue our joy in the crucified Christ, who is the glory of God. The cost is great. But the joy is worth any cost. Don’t buy seductive, tragic promises of worldly joy. Don’t waste your life.

True treasure

2010-11-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Many dream of “striking it rich,” but few actually succeed. Mel Fisher began his quest for riches in 1969. He started to search off the Atlantic Coast for the Atocha, one of the few remaining Spanish galleon shipwrecks never recovered. It was thought to contain a fortune.

For sixteen long years, using state of the art equipment, Fisher scoured the ocean floor for any sign of the ship. Finally, on July 20, 1985, his son Kane announced, “Put away the charts; we’ve found the main pile!” Their find was dubbed the “shipwreck of the century,” worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and has been compared to the discovery of King Tut’s tomb.

Did you know you, too, could strike it rich? I’m not talking about the lottery. The Bible says “Happy is a man who finds wisdom…for she [wisdom] is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire compares with her” (Proverbs 3:13-15). Find wisdom, and you’ve hit the real jackpot.

Wisdom is the ability to make good and godly choices in life. It’s more than just an IQ. Wisdom is an attraction to everything good, and true, and beautiful. It is not driven by emotions. It carefully weighs each option. It acts responsibly. It thinks about long-term consequences. It is street-wise in a dangerous and confusing world. Imagine how different things would be if we all spoke and acted with wisdom!

So, how do we find wisdom? Proverbs 9:10 provides the treasure map: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” To gain wisdom we must first develop a healthy fear and respect for the living God.

This means we must recognize that God alone is pure and powerful, able to tell us how life works. We must admit our own sense of direction is faulty. We must believe God’s Word is more reliable than our closest friend, our smartest professor, or our favorite talk show host. We must accept that Jesus alone can rescue us from our sin, for “in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord begins with knowing Christ. Only then can we become truly rich. Even richer than Mel Fisher.

This article was written for publication in today's edition of our local paper, the Hi Desert Star.

Slave

2010-11-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the trailer for MacArthur's newest book Slave, coming out in another month. He has really done some great research on this subject. Kudos also to the Holman Christian Standard Bible for translating doulos correctly!

When was Passover?

2010-10-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

I administer an online Life of Christ class through The Master's College DEEP Program, and recently had a student ask this question. I thought this subject would probably interest many others too.

I'm a bit confused about which day the Passover happened: Thursday or Friday of Passion week, and just want to make sure that I'm understanding it correctly. On Thursday afternoon, the disciples were sent to request the upper room, and likely the lamb was slain that day. When sundown came, it was Friday (by a Jewish understanding), and the Passover was eaten at this time (correct?)...I guess the question enters in when reading John 18:28, clearly in the midst of Jesus' trials, when John writes that the Jews did not enter Pilate's Praetorium "in order that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover." This makes it sound like Passover was to be eaten Friday evening (or Saturday, by the Jew's understanding).

Here was my reply:

Jesus’ disciples must have sacrificed their lamb Thursday afternoon and eaten the meal together on Thursday night. Many other Jews went to the temple on Friday afternoon and ate their meal Friday at sundown. So the Lamb of God would have died just as thousands of lambs were being slaughtered in the temple.

There have been many proposed solutions to the discrepancy between John and the Synoptic gospels, but newer research seems to show two different nights that the Jews would celebrate the Passover meal.

Robert Thomas, in his Harmony of the Gospels, explains in detail:

The Jews of Jesus’ day apparently recognized a dual method of reckoning dates. In addition to the better known system which regarded each new day as starting at sundown, the policy of some was to reckon from sunrise to sunrise. Each of these customs finds support from the OT, the former in such places as Gen. 1:5 and Ex. 12:18 and the latter in Gen. 8:22 and 1 Sam. 19:11.

The system of reckoning used by Jesus and His disciples and described by Matt., Mark, and Luke was from sunrise to sunrise. John describes the events from the perspective of a sunset-to-sunset reckoning. Indications are that the difference in systems was also a point of disagreement between the Pharisees (sunrise to sunrise) and the Sadducees (sunset to sunset).

The synoptic accounts therefore see Jesus as eating a Passover meal the evening before His crucifixion. For those who followed the sunrise-to-sunrise reckoning, the Passover lambs had been slain a few hours earlier, in the afternoon. For them the slaughter took place on the 14th of Nisan, as did the Passover meal. The 15th did not begin until the next morning, Friday, at about 6:00.

The Johannine description, however, views the events from the standpoint of the Sadducees who controlled the Temple. Jesus was crucified at the normal time of killing the Passover lambs, that is, the afternoon of Nisan 14. Nisan 14 had begun at sunset Thursday and would not end until sunset Friday. This was the normal time for the lambs to be slain, but the Temple authorities had apparently compromised with those who followed the other calendar and allowed them to slay the lambs on Thursday afternoon. This difference explains why Jesus’ accuser had not yet eaten the Passover (Jn. 18:28). They were about to do it Friday evening, Nisan 15, which began at sunset.

If the above solution is correct (and it is impossible at this point to say dogmatically that it is, but it does seem to handle all the data more effectively than other proposals), then Jesus was crucified on Nisan 15 according to the sunrise-to-sunrise reckoning and on Nisan 14 according to the sunset-to-sunset method. (appendix 10, pp. 321-22)

Peter Walker hints at this also in In the Steps of Jesus:

There are clear suggestions in John’s Gospel…that Jesus’ crucifixion took place during Nisan 14 (not 15) – around the time when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the nearby Temple.

That may be part of John’s point (Jesus, he was implying, was now the true Passover lamb). Yet it would also have made sense historically for Jesus to celebrate it 24 hours early. Conceivably this altered schedule brought Jesus into line with other Jewish groups (the Essenes or Pharisees), who may have been operating on different calendars. Yet the main reason may have been starkly practical: Jesus knew that, if he waited another 24 hours, it would be too late. He would be dead. (p. 156)

At our church’s last communion service, I preached on 1 Corinthians 5:7 and found this whole connection between Christ and Passover to be quite amazing. Down to the tiniest detail, our Lord pointed to the importance and blessing of His substitutionary death.

A major crossroads

2010-10-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

This week, we enjoyed some great preaching, encouraging reports, and quality worship at our pastors conference and California SBC annual meeting. I always walk away from these events refreshed by the fellowship as well.

But 2010 will probably be remembered most for the newly appointed "Focus 21" Task Force. Dr. Walter Price, in his President's Address this morning, announced that we are at a major crossroads. He spoke of a huge disconnect in thinking between the older and younger generation, something like "Mars versus Venus." If something drastic does not happen soon, he warned that our convention will simply die a slow death.

After two years as President, Walter has done his best to listen to the younger generation and get a conversation going, but his only solution at the end of his term is to put this in the hands of the Lord and appoint a task force to take a deeper look under the hood of our convention. The task force has been asked to bring a progress report to the 2011 convention in Freemont, and a Final Report to the 2012 convention meeting again in Clovis.

I'm humbled to have been appointed to this task force, and pray God will use our research to bring a more gospel-centered, Bible-driven, prayer-empowered, glory-motivated focus to our convention for the 21st century.

11/2/10 Update: Here's the full version of the recommendation:

That the California Southern Baptist Convention, meeting October 26-27, 2010, in Clovis, CA, authorize the current President of the California Southern Baptist Convention to appoint a Focus 21 Task Force charged to bring a progress report to the California Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Fremont, CA, October 25-26, 2011, concerning how California Southern Baptists can more efficiently and effectively focus our efforts for the glory of God in fulfillment of the Great Commission; and, to request the next President of the California Southern Baptist Convention to extend the work of this committee for a second year to bring it’s final report and any recommendations to the California Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Clovis, CA, October 23-24, 2012.

Why attend the CSBC annual meeting?

2010-10-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

This year's annual meeting of the California Southern Baptist Convention is coming up on October 25-27 at Clovis Hills Community Church. But many young pastors are wondering, "Why bother attending? Why would I add another business meeting to my busy schedule? How can I justify the travel expenses?" These are sincere questions, and they need to be answered.

Young pastors need to know what goes on at these meetings, and why it's worth attending. Here are five reasons I can think of...

Preaching. The pastors conference is scheduled to coincide each year with the annual meeting. This is your chance to get away, sit with your wife, and have your soul refreshed with some good expository preaching. I must admit, I haven't always been impressed with the conference themes and preachers. But it seems to be improving each year. Jeff Mooney did a fantastic job as president last year improving the quality of this event, and Bret Capranica has put together another great program this year. We can expect more of the same from Chris Morgan, who will be serving as president in 2011. During the annual meeting, we also have the privilege of hearing sermons from the Executive Director, the currently elected President, and one guest preacher.
Fellowship. "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Pastors need time with one another for encouragement and edification. One of the key benefits of the annual meeting is precious time together with other pastors, sharing prayer requests, exchanging ideas, and forging new partnerships. Spare moments in the exhibit halls and around the meal table are priceless times of fellowship.
Missions. Missions is the main reason we partner together as Southern Baptists. International missions. Church planting. Disaster relief. These are the great goals of our Cooperative Program. The annual meeting gives us a chance to hear how God has been at work over the last year and how we can participate more effectively in the year ahead. In 2010, we're in store for a special treat on Tuesday night, when dozens of new IMB missionaries will be commissioned to full time missions work.
Books. I've heard through the grapevine that several free books will be given away at this year's pastors conference. Look for quality titles from Crossway, Lifeway, and Desiring God. Plus, the Lifeway bookstore is on the premises to let you browse and buy some other great items.
Organization. Though less exciting, this is still an important reason. Every organization must have a structure and way of conducting business. "All things must be done properly and in an orderly manner" (1 Cor. 14:40). Just as staff meetings and congregational meetings are a necessity in the local church, so our state has to conduct business somehow to approve its budget and appoint leaders. We should be thankful for the transparency of these meetings and a chance to participate. Thankfully, the business items and reports have been streamlined over the past couple of years, cutting down on the tedium.

Walter Price has called for a “new normal” in our convention, and he needs our support if there is to be any long-term change. The time is now. Let's help make a difference for the glory of God and the spread of the gospel in California.

Below are some of the highlights of this year's pastors conference and annual meeting, or you can click here to view the full program for the annual meeting.

Monday, Oct. 25

6:45 p.m. – Music - Jeff Mooney

7:00 p.m. – The Local Church, Preaching, and Our Mission – Roger Spradlin

7:45 p.m. – The Painful Side of Local Church Ministry – Jeff Iorg

8:40 p.m. – Upholding God’s Truth in Our Churches, Extending God’s Truth in Our World – A Conversation – Jeff Iorg, Roger Spradlin, Stephen Jones; Chris Morgan; Walter Price officiating

Tuesday, Oct. 26

8:45 a.m. Welcome/Music

9:05 a.m. – The Local Church & Effective Pastoral Ministry - Stephen Jones

9:55 a.m. – God’s Glory and the Local Church – Chris Morgan

10:45 a.m. – The Local Church and Finances – a Ministry Resource for Pastors – Jim Rickard

11:00 a.m. – The Local Church and Leadership Development – Jeff Iorg

1:15 p.m. - Annual Meeting begins
1:45 p.m. - "Declare His Glory Among the Nations" Theme Interpretation by Johnny Mendez
4:00 p.m. - Annual Sermon by Matt Spradlin
4:45 p.m. - Disaster Relief dinner
6:30 p.m. - IMB Commisssioning Service

Wednesday, Oct. 27
8:45 a.m. - Welcome/Music
9:10 a.m. - Executive Director's Message
10:45 a.m. - President's Message
12:00 p.m. - Close in Prayer

Free childcare with great crafts and activities is available for kids in grade school and under, so there's really no reason not to come. For more information on childcare and housing, click here.

Hope to see you in Clovis in a couple weeks!

Rethinking our evangelism

2010-10-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago, I first blogged about our mission statement at First Southern Baptist: "to make disciples of Jesus Christ who love God and love people by reaching and teaching everyone." It's inspired by the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20), and sums up what Christ has commanded the church to do until His return.

I think all of us at First Southern would agree we’re stronger on the teaching side of this paradigm than on the reaching side. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A church first needs to grow spiritually on the inside before it can reach out effectively to others. By the grace of God, we have matured in doctrine, in love, and in leadership. During this time, we have even seen a few people come to Christ and grow in faith, but honestly, our evangelism still has much room for improvement.

At our annual deacon retreat a couple weeks ago, we agreed that it's time for us to become more prayerful and purposeful in our evangelism. We really need to move further beyond the four walls of our church. We've hosted some good events, but too often, we are still being reactive rather than proactive. God occasionally throws a fish into our boat, but we are doing very little fishing of our own -- very little engaging of the culture around us.

There's no doubt about it. This is a challenging mission field. Consider these statistics: There are 27,000 residents in the immediate Yucca Valley / Joshua Tree community. Yet only 20% of these would say “my faith is really important to me." Even fewer (15%) consider it “important to attend religious services.” This is pretty representative of California as a whole. Yet how much of our church's outreach strategy and style of ‘doing ministry’ is targeting that 15% versus the other 85% who don’t even consider their faith important, and couldn’t care less about attending our worship service?

According to Chuck Williams from Gideons International, who recently gave a presentation at our church, there are 100,000 people in our basin, but only 6% of these are attending church (and how many of those are truly evangelical?). I don’t think it would be exaggerating to say only 1 out of 20 (5%) in our community is saved. Jesus did say “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Mt. 7:13), but this is no excuse for idleness in our evangelism.

So, how do we begin to break down this massive amount of lost people and create an evangelism strategy that is bold yet dependent on the supernatural, regenerative work of God? One thing that we discussed at our deacon retreat is the idea of moving more toward regional home Bible Studies. Something offered on a weeknight that would be a "first contact" with unbelievers. It would be a place where Christians could invite their unchurched friends and where the gospel could be discussed in a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere. Plus, we would have the benefit of meeting regionally, which means we could host them in Palm Springs or Twentynine Palms, or anywhere in between where our church folks are talking with unsaved friends and co-workers, and want to invite them to a local evangelistic event. We're not exactly sure what this will look like in the months ahead, but we're looking very seriously at the Christianity Explored materials as our springboard.

Most importantly, we realize that just adding more evangelistic "programs" to our church calendar is not the solution. Programs and events are often very costly and labor intensive, and somewhat artificial, requiring people to come to us on "our terms." Instead, we need to incorporate evangelism into the very warp and woof of our ministry. We need to cultivate a burden for the lost and a confidence in sharing the gospel within the heart of every member of our church. We need to begin viewing ourselves as missionaries, and training our people to take the gospel to the people God has placed in their immediate circle of influence.

Father, forgive us for the many times we have failed You in our evangelism. We are weak and inadequate to save the lost. But we believe the Gospel is the power of God which leads to salvation (Rom. 1:16-17). And just as you had many elect in Corinth, we believe you have "many people in this city" (Acts 18:10). Bless our efforts as we try to become more purposeful in our evangelism in the year ahead.

Related posts:

Our identity in Christ

2010-09-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

“For me, to live is _____.” How would you fill in that blank? What excites you? What gets you up in the morning? What occupies most of your thoughts, your time, your talents, and your treasure? Recently, I was reminded that as a Christian, my identity is found first of all in Jesus Christ.

I love being a husband, a daddy, and a pastor. I really enjoy hobbies like hiking, geocaching, reading, and stargazing. But most importantly, I want it to be said , “You can’t truly know Stephen Jones unless you know his Savior.” I want to be so acquainted with Jesus, so interwoven with Him, that our lives and identity are inseparable.

The idea of “union with Christ” appears many times in the New Testament in a tiny two-word phrase we often skim right past. It’s the phrase “in Him.” If you have surrendered your life to Jesus and trusted in His substitutionary death for your sin, then your life is already hidden “in Christ.” Ephesians 1:7 says “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” And 2 Corinthians 5:21 says the Father “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” If you’re a Christian, then your identity is now wrapped up in
Jesus. You’re a little branch attached to the life-giving Vine.

This is the most wonderful news in the world! It means you can have assurance, because you now belong to Christ. You are His, and He is yours. There’s nothing you can ever do to earn or forfeit your salvation, because you’re already fused and fastened together with your Savior through faith. But there’s another implication to this. It means your life must be separate from the world. Your thoughts and behavior (walk) must be radically different than before you were saved. “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). “The one who abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

So, how does the Apostle Paul fill in the blank, “For me, to live is _____”? You’ll have to look up Galatians 2:20 to find the answer. But I’ll bet you can guess it has something to do with his identity in Christ. May the same be true of us.

BOOK

2010-09-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

Click the video below to learn about an exciting product called BOOK (Bio Optical Organiced Knowledge device). This is great satire. Could it be that today's smartest technology has been sitting right next to us the whole time?

HT: Tim Challies

An open letter to Muslims

2010-09-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

The following "Open Letter to Muslims" was recently drafted and signed by pastors in the Santa Clarita Valley, and was published in their local newspaper, The Signal, on September 10, 2010. I would heartily add my endorsement of it as well. I may share the same title with this man in Florida ("Pastor Jones"), but I certainly don't share his approach toward people of other faiths. Here's the original open letter...

Although it appears that the Quran burning event planned by Pastor Terry Jones has been called off, we believe that the ethics behind the idea and the idea itself need to be righteously opposed.

We have followed with a heavy heart the developments in Gainesville, Florida, where the pastor of a small church announced plans to burn 200 copies of the Quran on Saturday evening. Despite the national and international outcry provoked by his outrageous plan, including opposition from Christian leaders across the country and around the world, Pastor Terry Jones seemed determined to move forward. We sincerely hope that his stated change of mind change will hold, but believe that we need to speak out against his viewpoint.

We are writing this letter to assure you that Pastor Jones does not speak for the Christian community, and that he definitely does not speak for us, or for the members of the churches that we represent. His plans are offensive to us, and should be offensive to Christians everywhere. We are embarrassed by his actions, and sincerely hope that the local and international Muslim community will see them for what they are: a publicity-seeking provocation by an unreasonable man of no standing in the Christian community.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that we are called to represent Him by embodying His principles. The Jesus of the Bible did not burn the sacred books of other religions. He spoke the truth in love, prayed for His enemies, and forgave those who persecuted Him. We believe that His death on the cross made it possible for rebellious human beings to be reconciled to their Creator. This good news can sadly be obscured by offensive acts done in His name by people who claim to represent Him.

Whether or not the burning ever takes place, the very thought of it has done damage around the world. We are grieved to see that damage, and will do all in our power to counteract it as we strive to represent the One who said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We wish Pastor Jones would remember these words. We pledge to do our best to live by them, and hope that you, our Muslim neighbors, will notice the difference.

Final two SBC open forums on Thursday

2010-09-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

The elected officers of the California Southern Baptist Convention will host two final Open Forums tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 16) to discuss the future of CSBC. All pastors, lay people, and state and associational staff are invited to attend.

We invite your input on issues such as:

How can we get young people more involved?
How can we cooperate more effectively as churches?
What does the Great Commission Resurgence mean for California?

The first forum for the Sacramento area is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon at Cypress Avenue Baptist Church, 5709 Cypress Ave, 95608; (916) 972-8200.

A second forum for the San Francisco area is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, 201 Seminary Dr., Mill Valley, CA 94941; (415) 380-1300.

These are the final two in a series of forums held throughout the state this year. For more information, please contact me (Stephen Jones) at desertpastor[at]gmail[dot]com.

Unfortunately, due to a severe kidney infection my wife came down with earlier this week, I will not be able to participate in these final two forums. She's feeling much better and is now home from the hospital, but it would be unwise to leave her so soon. I will be praying for all of you who participate.

Here are recaps of our first three open forums:

Ilumina Bible software now only $15

2010-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Rejoice Christian Software is now selling Ilumina Gold Premium Bible Software for only $15.

Todd Bolen reviewed this software several years ago, saying,

The best multimedia Bible ever made, as far as I know, is iLumina ... I've given a number of copies of iLumina to friends and it has always been well received (and we're giving a few more this year).

Ilumina certainly isn't going to replace your need for more scholarly Bible resources like those found in Bibleworks or Logos Bible Software, but it does use creative graphics, videos, and animations to make studying the Bible a great interactive experience.

With our oldest son Dylan now in kindergarten, this would be a fun program for him to learn more about Bible manners, customs, geography, and key events.

The program features:

Interactive Virtual Tours
Hundreds of Photos, Maps, Bible Charts
Animations
Discussion Guide Questions
10,000 Bible Study Notes (Life Application Study Bible, Life Application NT Commentary)
Bible Studies for Every Chapter in the NT
8,900 In-Depth Articles (Theology, Christian History, Bible Dictionary, etc.)
All 22 Volumes of the Book of Life Encyclopedia
Search Engine
Interactive Timeline of All of History
Snap-Shot Feature for Exporting Images
140 Bible People Profiles
Interactive Bible Atlas
Over 350 Hymns
Includes the KJV and New Living Translation
Original List Price: $89.99

Click here to buy for only $15. Standard shipping is an additional $2.95.

The joy of giving

2010-09-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

A young boy, setting out for church one Sunday morning, was given two nickels: one for the offering plate and one for himself. As he rambled down the street, he played with the coins. One of them slipped out of his hand, rolled away, and suddenly disappeared into the sewer drain. The boy stared down through the grate in disbelief, then sighed, "Well, there goes the Lord's nickel."

When money is tight, it's easy to give God the short end of the stick. But in the process, we miss out on the tremendous joy of giving. Over the past five weeks, I've been preaching through 2 Corinthians 8-9 on the subject of financial stewardship. We concluded the series last Sunday, and our church is now beginning a season of prayer and practical financial planning.

No one would deny these are tough economic times. I don't know yet how the Lord is going to meet our church's needs, but this much I know: God is faithful and promises to bless those who give generously to His work. I'm thankful for this opportunity to cast myself at God's feet and see how He's going to provide.

Here are links to the messages in our series. May the Lord use His Word to create a passion for His glory and an eagerness to give toward the needs of His church.

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 1 (2 Cor. 8:1-6)
Theme: joyful giving begins with total surrender to God

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 2 (2 Cor. 8:7-15)
Theme: joyful giving is a natural response to Christ's great gift to us

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 3 (2 Cor. 8:16-24)
Theme: joyful giving must be managed with integrity

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 4 (2 Cor. 9)
Theme: joyful giving invests generously in God's kingdom work

The Joy of Giving, Pt. 5 (2 Cor. 9)
Theme: joyful giving is a voluntary act of faith and love

Passing the ministry baton

2010-09-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

In 2008, both the U.S. men's and women's 400m Olympic relay teams were disqualified for dropping the baton. But how many pastors are guilty of failing to pass on the ministry baton to the next generation? In the Pastoral Epistles, we see Paul's effort to make a clean pass to younger men who will minister long after Paul has finished his leg of the race.

Perhaps most significant is 2 Timothy 2:2, where we see the transmission of truth between four generations: "The things which you [Timothy] have heard from me [Paul] in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men [Timothy's disciples] who will be able to teach others also [their disciples]."

How should this be applied in the local church? As I once heard and often tell others, one of the main roles of a pastor is to work himself out of a job. That is, over the years, and as I disciple my congregation, there should be an increasing number of trained and godly men who are able to receive the baton from me and carry it on for a new generation.

Colin Hansen has a must-read article for all pastors today on Gospel Integrity and Pastoral Succession. It frames the issue in a historical perspective, giving both some healthy and unhealthy examples of succession. Sadly, he points out that often,

Senior leaders don’t want to let go. They realize too late that they’re slowing down, a process that begins in many cases around age 60. Various aspects of the church’s vision become neglected, and the church stagnates. The senior leader’s gifting and experience mask underlying structural weaknesses, as in the case of Spurgeon. Meanwhile, younger leaders don’t want to wait around to take charge. Many capable young leaders know the long odds of a successful succession. So they prefer to plant their own churches or invest in smaller ones they can grow by God’s grace.

Curtis Thomas, in his excellent book Practical Wisdom for Pastors, gives a tragic example of one pastor:

Everything seemed just right, and it was expected that when he turned the reins over to a successor an ongoing, dynamic ministry would continue.

But he would not step down. His age advanced well beyond normal retirement. His health began to fade. His sermons began to lose their appeal. His influence began to wane. The members and even some of the leadership began to move elsewhere. Young couples began moving their memberships to other churches. Only his close, personal friends stayed with him, many of whom were quite old and less mobile, hence not very energetic when it came to the work of the Gospel.

As he saw his ministry begin to fade, he became bitter and very caustic. Squabbles erupted within the remaining members. Eventually the church voted to vacate the pulpit. Things became very acrimonious. The pastor left the ministry as a tired, pitiful, bitter old man.

I am a mere 32 years old. If the Lord tarries, and blesses me with good health, I have perhaps another 30-40 years of vibrant ministry ahead. Compared to the age of some in my congregation, I'm still a "kid." But ironically, the time to start planning my succession -- and to be training up the next generation -- is right now.

Photo credit: psychbird

Prosperity theology vs. poverty theology

2010-09-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I watched a 15-minute interview between Mark Driscoll, Joshua Harris, and Francis Chan. Francis is preparing to leave a thriving ministry at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley to start a church plant in inner city L.A. In the meantime, he plans to spend some time in a third world country to gain a fresh perspective and see things apart from the hustle and bustle of American life. His goal in this whole endeavor seems to be to follow Jesus, to get back to early church life, and to strip away the misconceptions of how ministry should be done.

In the interview, Driscoll asks Chan some very penetrating questions: How do you know that in several years, you're not going to grow dissatisfied with this new endeavor as well? Is there a danger that we have exchanged the error of a prosperity theology with the error of a poverty theology? In other words, since we know God often sanctifies us through poverty, simplicity, and suffering, have we decided that riches, complexity, and health are intrinscially bad? Should we feel guilty or ashamed by these things and deliberately avoid them?

This conversation hits the nail on the head, and echos cautions made by Mark Dever to David Platt at the IX Marks at 9 seminar in Orlando last June. See also Kevin DeYoung's review of Radical, where he says,

We must do more to plant the plea for sacrificial living more solidly in the soil of gospel grace. Several times David [Platt] talks about the love of Christ as our motivation for radical discipleship or the power of God and the means for radical discipleship. But I didn’t sense the strong call to obedience was slowly marinated in God’s lavish mercy. I wanted to see sanctification more clearly flowing out of justification.

Most of us are still far from the danger of a poverty theology, and still have much to benefit from the almost prophetic lifestyle and ministry of Platt and Chan. But I appreciate Driscoll's warning against a Catholic form of asceticism that may be subtly at work here which could ultimately undermine the gospel itself.

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