Christian Treasure Hunters
We all love a good story with a treasure hunt. The mystery and wonder of looking for something incredibly valuable that has been lost but now could be found, has a way of capturing our attention. In his book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn argues that every Christian should be a treasure hunter of sorts. We should be looking for the treasure of eternity that God has in store for those who lay up their treasures in heaven. Expounding on Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:19-24, Randy Alcorn lays out these six keys to finding true treasure:
God owns everything; I’m His money manager.
We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted–not given–to us.
My heart always goes where I put God’s money.
Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.
Heaven–the New Earth, not the present one–is my home.
We are citizens of "a better country–a heavenly one". (Hebrews 11:16)
I should live today not for the dot, but for the line.
From the dot–our present life on earth–extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in Heaven.
Giving is the only antidote to Materialism.
Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.
God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.
God gives us more money than we need so we can give–generously.
I highly recommend reading or listening to this book. It is the best treatment on a biblical understanding of giving and generosity that I am aware of.
Or if you would like an abbreviated version of this book check out this message from Randy Alcorn in which he consolidates the message of his book down to about an hour.
10 Proverbs for Social Media Use
The Joy of the Saints in Heaven (Thomas Brooks)
“The joy of the saints in heaven shall be a lasting joy, an uninterrupted joy. Here their joy is quickly turned into sorrow, their singing into sighing, their dancing into mourning.
Our joy here is like the husbandman’s joy in harvest, which is soon over, and then we must sow again in tears, before we can reap in joy.
Surely there is no believer but finds that sometimes sin interrupts his joy.
Sometimes Satan disturbs his joy. Sometimes afflictions and sometimes desertions eclipse his joy.
Sometimes the cares of the world, and sometimes the snares of the world, and sometimes the fears of the world, mars our joy.
Sometimes great crosses, sometimes near losses, and sometimes unexpected changes, turns a Christian’s harping into mourning, and his organ into the voice of them that weep.
Surely there is hardly one day in the year, yea, I had almost said one hour in the day, wherein something or other doth not fall in to interrupt a Christian’s joy.
But now in heaven the joy of the saints shall be constant; there shall nothing fall in to disturb or to interrupt their joy: Ps. 16:11, ‘In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand is pleasures for ever more.’
Mark, for quality, there are pleasures; for quantity, fulness; for dignity, at God’s right hand; for eternity, for evermore. And millions of years multiplied by millions, make not up one minute to this eternity of joy that the saints shall have in heaven.
In heaven there shall be no sin to take away your joy, nor no devil to take away your joy, nor no man to take away your joy: John 16:22, ‘Your joy no man taketh from you.’
The joy of the saints in heaven is never ebbing, but always flowing to all contentment. The joys of heaven never fade, never wither, never die, nor never are lessened nor interrupted.
The joy of the saints in heaven is a constant joy, an everlasting joy, in the root and in the cause, and in the matter of it and in the objects of it. Their joy lasts for ever whose objects remains for ever.
Isa. 35:10, ‘And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joys upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away.’
In this world not only the joy of hypocrites and the joy of profane persons, but also the joy of the upright, is oftentimes ‘as the crackling of thorns under a pot,’ (Eccles. 7:6) now all on a flame, and as suddenly out again.
But the joy of believers in heaven shall be like the fire on the altar that never went out. (Lev. 6:13)
So when your hearts are sad and sorrowful, oh! then think of these everlasting joys that you shall have in heaven.”
–Thomas Brooks, “The Best Things Reserved Till Last,” The Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume 1, Ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1666/2001), 1: 425–426.
New Digital Psalm - Psalm 63
New Digital Hymn - Hallelujah What A Savior
The Only Tears in Heaven (Tim Challies)
How many tears do we shed over the course of a lifetime? From the days of infancy when we cry out from hunger and discomfort, to the days of old age when we weep from the agony of physical pain and the sorrow of compounding loss, we are creatures who cry, creatures who express inward trauma with outward weeping. The path that leads from birth to Beulah is a path stained by tears.
It is little wonder, then, that many of the Bible’s promises are concerned with our sorrow, that they point us to a time when all tears will be dried, to a place where all weeping will be comforted. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy,” says the psalmist, and “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,” promises the prophet. Then, as the Bible comes to its final pages, John describes his vision of a multitude of saints joining their hearts in praise. They are in the presence of God, clothed in white robes, waving palm branches, and crying aloud in triumph, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” These now reveling in joy are the ones who have passed through the great tribulation, who have suffered grievously for the sake of the name of Jesus. How, then, can they be rejoicing? They can rejoice because they have received the promised reward, that “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
What greater promise do we have than this, that in a moment God will comfort all sorrow, that his tender hand will wipe away not just some tears, but every tear?
He will wipe away our tears of grief, for never again will we endure loss, never again will we have to say farewell to those we love.
He will wipe away our tears of pain, for never again will we experience the suffering of illness, the agony of physical trauma.
He will wipe away our tears of anxiety, for never again will we fret over an unknown future, never again will we weep with anxious uncertainty as we consider the hazy days to come.
He will wipe away our tears of despondency, for never again will we be overwhelmed by the cares of life, never again overshadowed by the darkness of depression.
He will wipe away our tears of fearfulness, for never again will we need to fear the devil, fear the darkness, fear the creatures of the night.
He will wipe away our tears of remorse, for never again will we sin, never again will we fail to fulfill our whole duty to God and man.
He will wipe away our tears of shame, for never again will we blunder and fall, never again will we commit shameful deeds that cause us to hang our heads in humiliation.
He will wipe away our tears of repentance, for never again will we have to apologize, and never again will we have to plead for the forgiveness of God or man.
He will wipe away our tears of envy, for never again will we be consumed with our lack of accomplishment, never again will we compare ourselves unfavorably with others.
He will wipe away our tears of disappointment, for never again will we experience the sadness and displeasure of falling short of our expectations or his.
He will wipe away our tears of self-pity, for never again will we feel sorry for ourselves, never again will we become self-absorbed with our own shortcomings and failures.
He will even wipe away our holy tears of sympathy, for never again will we need to weep with those who weep.
What a day that will be when every tear is dried by God’s most tender, gentle hand!
But I do wonder, might there still be tears in heaven? Didn’t God create our bodies with glands to produce them, with eyes to glisten with them, with cheeks to display them? Though we weep at our lowest moments, don’t we also weep at our highest? Though our eyes fill with tears when we sink to the valleys, don’t they also fill with tears when we soar to the heights? Maybe then, just maybe, such tears will still fill our eyes when we stand before that throne, when we gain a sight of that Lamb, when we join our voices to sing of that salvation. Maybe, just maybe, these will be the only tears in heaven.
He Will Dwell with Them (Richard Baxter)
He will dwell with them. (Revelation 21:3)
The glorious and infinite God, who made the worlds, and upholds them by his word, who is praised continually by his heavenly hosts; this God, has sent to you a joyful message to raise you from the dust, and banish the terrors and troubles from your hearts, and help you to live like the sons of God.
He takes notice of your sorrows. He stands close by when you do not see him and feel he has forsaken you. He attends you with the greatest tenderness when you say he has forgotten you. He numbers your sighs and bottles up your tears. He feels the groans of your heart.
Providence heaps up mountains of daily mercies, but do you see and feel and taste his mercy and love? Do you live wholly on it? Do you doubt it, and so hardly acknowledge it? The flesh plays a part in this and the remnants of our corruption. The serpent will always be suggesting false thoughts of God. But soon, our Redeemer will return to give you such a convincing demonstration of his love as to leave no room for one more doubt.
Your comforts are now a taste, but then, they shall be a feast. How soon do our conquered fears return, and what inconstancy and unevenness is there in our peace! Then, our peace will be perfect and permanent. We shall then enjoy him continually. O Christians, our comforts should be more abundant, but we do make a mistake by expecting too much on earth.
Our true rest in heaven will be our peace indeed. Looking off to these yet unseen blessings is an eminent part of our faith. It is in the apprehension and expectation of our yet unseen heavenly blessings that our earthly peace and safety depend. O that Christians were careful to live with one eye on Christ crucified, and the other on his glory.
-Richard Baxter, Practical Works, 11:884-885
New Congregational Psalm - Psalm 136
Recognizing the Work of the Holy Spirit (O. Palmer Robertson)
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
This little poem for children by Christina G. Rossetti captures at once something of the wonder of the wind, as well as the concreteness of its work. The wind is never seen but is clearly known by its work.
Jesus Himself compared the will of the wind to the work of God’s Spirit (John 3:8). Those who have seen His work know His reality. And yet, very little of the Spirit’s work is properly recognized by God’s people today. As a consequence, too much concentration focuses on the subjective experience of the Spirit rather than the broader dimensions of His reality. So the present article focuses first on the objective work of the Spirit, and then on His subjective work.
The Wondrous Work of the Holy Spirit Outside the Believer
First, the Holy Spirit created and sustains all life. Equally with the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is the source of this universe and all that is in it. The creation narrative of Genesis informs us that “the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.” Just as an eagle “broods” over its nest to bring forth life, so the Spirit of God served as the life-infusing agent at creation (Gen. 1:2; Deut. 32:11). When the psalmist speaks of the earth as being “full of creatures” and the sea “teeming with creatures beyond number,” he declares: “When you send your Spirit they are created, and you renew the face of the earth” (Ps. 104:30; see also 24–25). The molecules, the atoms that constitute everything in this earth, and the gravitational forces that bind the world together all derive their functioning power from the sovereign creating and sustaining Spirit.
Not only in creation, but also in the accomplishment of redemption, the Spirit of God plays a primary role. For apart from His marvellous, mysterious work, there would have been no incarnation of the Son of God. The Spirit was the one who caused the conception of Jesus in the womb of the virgin. Dr. Luke reports the results of his careful investigations. The Holy Spirit came upon the virgin Mary, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her (Luke 1:35). So apart from the Spirit there would have been no incarnate Savior.
So the objective working of the Holy Spirit in creation and redemption deserves careful attention. This great God the Spirit, this all-powerful person of the Godhead, must be appreciated for all that He is and does. He is not a milque toast will-o’-the-wisp who only comes as a divine after-thought in the progress of redemption. From creation to consummation He is the Great One who continually performs wonders.
The Wondrous Work of the Holy Spirit Within the Believer
In similar fashion, the scope of the Spirit’s work within the life of the redeemed must be appreciated in all its fullness. Note well seven works of the Spirit among the elect, the favored of the Lord:
First, the Spirit regenerates. How often have the clear words of Jesus been misunderstood! People universally re-write “You must be born again” so that the phrase reads instead, “You must born yourself again!” Not only does this mis-interpretation make no sense grammatically (an intransitive verb has no object); it makes nonsense of a profound spiritual truth. Just as you did nothing to cause yourself to be born into this fallen world, so you can do absolutely nothing to bring yourself into the divinely renewed world of redemption. You must be born “of the Spirit” (John 3:5, 8). You cannot even coerce the Spirit of God to effect your regeneration. The wind blows where it will — and it is the Spirit’s will, not yours, that causes a person to be born from above (John 3:3). Indeed, if your will is renewed by the regeneration of the Spirit, you will choose to cry out to God for salvation, just as the newborn baby cries out once born. But give the divine Spirit the glory He deserves! Your cry for salvation comes as a consequence of your new birth, and never could be the cause of regeneration. The Spirit Himself sovereignly does this great work of total renewal.
Second, the Spirit assures. You keep on sinning even after you have been born again, don’t you? So how can you be so sure that you are a child of God?
You can be so bold because the Spirit within you attests directly to your spirit that you are a son of God. In this most wondrous of works, “the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:16). Nothing less than the Spirit’s constant working could keep the sinner certain of his salvation. But who would dare contradict the solemn witness of God’s own Spirit? Because of His personal testimony within your own spirit, you can be at peace. Be assured. If His witness is there, you are a son of God.
Third, the Spirit seals. The gummed seals we use today on an ordinary letter are not so impressive. They can be easily ignored and violated. But in the days of old, dripped wax with an official stamp of the king made it a perilous thing to break the royal seal.
So the Regal Spirit seals every believer in the possession of all the blessings of redemption. In this case, it is the seal of the King of kings that cannot be broken. Beyond making you certain at the present moment that you have been redeemed, the Holy Spirit seals you in the permanent possession of your salvation. For “having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” until the day of Christ’s return (Eph. 1:13b, 14a). It is a settled fact. His sealing work cannot be undone — all “to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:14b).
Fourth, the Spirit sanctifies. The apostle Paul uses a strange comparison and contrast to describe this work of the Spirit. “Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit,” he admonishes (Eph. 5:18). So what happens when a person gets drunk? Well, the alcohol of the “spirits” gets into his bloodstream and permeates every part of his person. He walks differently and talks differently, and he sees, hears, and acts differently.
So is the experience of everyone who is “filled” with the Spirit. God’s holiness, the holiness of the Holy Spirit, permeates every part of his person. He goes happily to places of worship, praise, and prayer — places he would not otherwise go. He talks boldly about Jesus the Christ. To abuse, he responds with love.
This experience of being filled with the Spirit is not something that happens once and then is done. The phrase literally reads, “Be being filled with the Spirit.” Constantly, continually, more and more extensively, be permeated in all you think, say, and do by the abiding influence of the divine Spirit. It’s the greatest possible experience of life.
Fifth, the Spirit brings forth fruit in the life of every believer. And what a fruit it brings forth! No less than nine specific products of the Spirit are listed (Gal. 5:22, 23). But even for the first three of these fruits the world would give its all: “LOVE, JOY, PEACE.” But little do they know that it is only the indwelling Holy Spirit of God that is capable of producing true love, joy, and peace within the sinner’s heart. He can and will do it when no one and nothing else can.
Sixth, the Spirit distributes gifts. Never has every believer received all the gifts, but every believer in every age has received some gift for ministering to others (1 Cor. 12:7–11). Sometimes it is asserted that unless a person has manifested the gift of “speaking in tongues,” he cannot have been baptized by the Spirit. But Paul makes it very plain. Not all believers have received the gift of speaking in tongues, but all have been baptized into the one body of Christ by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13, 29–30). Once in the age of the apostles, God gave the gifts necessary for providing a solid foundation of revealed truth to establish an infallible guide for the life of the church throughout the ages (Eph. 2:19–20). These gifts were essential for the grounding of the church on solid, unshakable revealed truth. But since this foundation has no need of being laid again in every new generation, these specific gifts related to new revelation have not been manifest since the days of the apostles.
Yet, to every single member of the body of Christ the Spirit gives spiritual capacities for ministering to others. For some, it is the gift to preach or to teach God’s Word (Eph. 4:11). For others, it is the gift of encouragement (Rom. 12:8a). For still others, it may be the gift of administration (Rom. 12:8b). No greater sense of fulfilment in life can be found than when you are using your spiritual gifts to the fullest. If you are a blessing to others, you know you are most fully blessed. And this most satisfying of experiences will come only through the outworking of God’s gifts, given to you by His Spirit.
Seventh, the Spirit empowers for worldwide witness. The resurrected Christ promised it: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you shall be my witnesses” to the world (Acts 1:8). The Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, and His power for witnessing to the world has been present ever since. For two thousand years, the Christian Gospel has continued to spread to every continent and nation.
By the coming of the Spirit of God into your life, you are empowered to give a worldwide witness, as well as a local witness, by your praying, your testifying, your giving, and your going. How great a privilege it is to be the instrument of witness to the whole world by the power of Christ’s Spirit.
So the Spirit does a great work, both without and within. A proper appreciation of His mighty deeds should stir up a spirit of submission and praise. For He accomplishes far more than inspiring spontaneous utterances within the occasional assemblies of believers. Creation, redemption, and consummation are all a part of the wondrous work of the Holy Spirit.
Source: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/recognizing-holy-spirits-work-today/
Calvary's Stupendous Scene - A Prayer by Henry Law
Holy Father,
The spotless Lamb was devoted to all anguish—that we may be inheritors of all joy.
He was cast off from You—that we may be brought near to You.
He was treated as Your enemy—that we may be welcomed as Your friends.
He was deserted by You—that we may be received to Your everlasting favor.
He was surrendered to hell's worst—that we may attain heaven's best.
He was stripped—that we may be clothed.
He was wounded—that we may be healed.
He thirsted—that we may drink of the water of life.
He was in darkness—that we may rejoice in the glories of eternal day.
He wept—that all tears may be forever wiped from our eyes.
He groaned—that we may sing an endless song.
He endured all pain—that we may rejoice in unfading health.
He wore a crown of thorns—that we may receive a crown of glory.
He bowed His head in death—that we may lift up our head in heaven.
He bore earth's reproach—that we may receive heaven's welcome.
He was tormented—that we may be comforted.
He was made all shame—that we may inherit all glory.
His eyes were dark in death—that our eyes may gaze on unclouded brightness.
He died and rose—that we may escape the second death, and live forevermore.
O gracious Father, thus You spared not Your only begotten Son—that You may spare us! All our sins are cast behind Your back—all are buried in the ocean of reconciling blood!
From Calvary’s stupendous scene! by Henry Law
10 Reasons Why We Need Physical Church Gatherings (David Gundersen)
Over at the Crossway blog, David Gundersen helps us think through this question:
If our restored gatherings are so different and restricted, our online options so available and convenient, and our physical presence a genuine vulnerability, why should we even meet in person?
And he prefaces his answer with this disclaimer:
So unless you’re someone who needs to stay home for health reasons, here are ten reasons to come back to church.
So with that disclaimer in mind consider these ten reasons for why you should go back to church:
1. We’re embodied creatures.
God made Adam from earth’s soil, Eve from Adam’s side, and humanity from their union (Gen 1:26–27; 2:18–25; 3:20). We’re embodied souls, male and female, in his image. We’re not ethereal beings made to float in virtual space. We’re not just pixels and screennames, headshots on Zoom and Facetime. We’re human beings. We’re designed to see and hear and taste and touch and feel our way through the physical world God’s made. In recent months, we’ve seen the power of our online world. But we’ve also felt its limitations. No loving couple gladly accepts a “long-distance relationship” as ideal. Neither should a loving church family.
2. The church is one body.
The Bible consistently teaches that the church is Christ’s body on earth (Eph 1:22–23). Each believer is a different body part, but we’re intricately knitted together (Eph 4:15–16). We’re not independent but interdependent. Our spiritual gifts are like eyes and ears and hands and feet that each play their part in the body’s growth and mission. Yes, even at a distance, we’re still Christ’s body. But like any healthy body, we shouldn’t want to stay dislocated.
3. The Spirit is drawing us.
Not only are believers one body; we also have one Spirit (Eph 4:4). The Holy Spirit—the third person of the Trinity—inhabits God’s church, and he’s always drawing us toward unity. God’s Spirit can’t be divided, so when believers are separated involuntarily, we feel the tension—like a rubber band stretched too far. The Spirit within us yearns for us to be together, like that same rubber band pulling us back in.
4. We’re a spiritual family.
In the church, God is our adoptive Father, so we’re all spiritual siblings—God’s “household” (1 Tim 3:15). With our different ages and genders, Paul even calls us fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters (1 Tim 5:1–2). But families aren’t meant to be separated. Healthy families live together, laugh together, cry together, and help each other. Parents with grown children love when the adult kids get together—and those parents are only fully satisfied when everyone’s present. We must be faithful during this season to reach out to those who can’t safely join us. But all who are able should seek to gather for our life-giving family reunions.
5. Preaching is a sacred moment.
Phones and screens and apps are now our default medium. In just three months, we’ve even grown used to watching our own pastors and leaders teach God’s word through WiFi and glass. In this digital environment, we must remember that preaching is fundamentally a live, sacred moment (Acts 20:20, 27). Yes, it can be streamed and recorded and posted, benefiting both virtual attendees and future hearers. But for a local family of believers, God’s word is best communicated live as the Spirit empowers an appointed preacher and trusted shepherd to articulate God’s word personally in a moment pregnant with purpose and possibility. In these moments, pastors shepherd their own sheep, and sheep hear the voice of their shepherds. In these moments, we’re struck not only by the content of the message but also the gravity of the moment. When we hear God’s word taught in a congregation, we resonate not only with our risen Lord and his royal word, but with each other. A feast enjoyed together is better than food eaten alone.
6. There’s nothing like singing together.
There’s no experience on earth like congregational singing (Ps 95:1–2). Singing together glorifies God by re-enthroning him in the hearts of his people. Singing together brands our minds with truth and warms our hearts with grace. Singing together symbolizes our unity as we harmonize over the gospel. Singing together expresses our emotions to God (and we have lots of emotions right now). But we don’t just sing to glorify God; we also sing to encourage each other (Col 3:16). And we can’t sing to each other through a screen. Yes, we’re vulnerable: Congregational singing could get an American Christian infected, just like it could get a Chinese Christian arrested. But like the underground church has always done, God’s people will figure out how to praise him together, as faithfully and safely as possible. We’ll wear masks, or clean the air, or meet outside, or recite psalms, or even whisper. But ultimately, God will hear the rising praises of the Christian church, and it will be good if we’re there to express them together.
7. We need baptisms and communion.
Whether your church has practiced these ordinances “virtually” or not, every believer needs to see and taste these gracious symbols so that we can sense the gospel story once again. Baptism and communion remind us that God communicates to us in sensory ways. In these two ordinances, we taste and touch and see and hear the gospel, whether the splash of water in a baptismal tank as a new believer dies and rises with Christ, or the broken bread and crushed grapes that feed us with the remembrance of his sacrifice (Matt 28:19; 1 Cor 11:26). The way we practice these things may look different for a season, but our hearts will need them more than we know.
8. You have a job to do.
If you’re a believer, you have a job to do when the church gathers. The work of ministry isn’t mainly for pastors and leaders. It’s for every Christian. Every believer has spiritual gifts meant to be used, and every church body desperately needs every body part to be active (Rom 12:4–8; Eph 4:15–16; 1 Pet 4:10–11). When we stay home, we can still listen and give and call and text virtually. But there are many ways we simply can’t serve or encourage or build up Christ’s body unless we’re physically present.
9. Our worship is a witness.
Each week our friends and neighbors and coworkers walk through the same broken world we do, but without our hope and our map. Each week they suffer challenges and tragedies that make them wonder where grace and truth can be found. Yes, there are ways we can minister to them online, and we should rejoice that God’s now reaching new people with new methods. But the unbelieving world also needs to see the gospel’s transforming power embodied in a local family of Christians who love God and serve each other in the most gracious and gritty ways.
10. Greetings change lives.
It may seem strange to end with the act of greeting—a simple activity that’s become so restricted and complicated. But all over the New Testament, the writers not only greet the churches but ask Christians to greet each other. These greetings aren’t just an afterthought tacked onto the end of their letters. These greetings symbolize the reconciling power of the gospel and foster our family dynamic. The way we greet each other—and the fact that we greet each other—is central to the church’s life and witness. Happy greetings remind us of the gospel unity we enjoy in Christ. Awkward greetings declare that the healthy church shows no partiality. Avoided greetings remind us to resolve our conflicts and reconcile our hearts. Every greeting reflects God’s love, reunites Christ’s body, enables hospitality, cultivates selflessness, opens doors for ministry, and bears witness to the God who’s welcomed us through Christ. Even if these greetings are masked, touchless, and distanced, they’re still life-shaping micro-events in every church. Just recently, our church held an outdoor worship service in our parking lot after not meeting for ten weeks. What were the happiest, most explosive moments? Our greetings. We need to see each other.
Conclusion
You may not be able to return right away. You might need to exercise caution for yourself or those you love. You might need to keep watching from a distance for a while. But when the time is right, God’s people can and must gather again, and I hope you’ll join in. After all, our gatherings are ultimately a taste of heaven. The Bible’s vision of heaven doesn’t look like a quarantine, a livestream, or a Zoom call. It’s a “face to face” encounter with the risen Christ and a worshipful reunion of both saints and angels (Heb 12:22–23; Rev 22:4). In the life to come, we won’t be siloed and segregated in mansions of glory, but living and working and loving and serving together in a new world where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13). So once we know it’s safe, wise, and no disservice to our communities, let’s gather together again—in person—until all things are new.
Peace in the Midst of Pressure (Mark Murnan)
“I have said these things to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Jesus had just completed His final meal with His disciples. They were mystified by many of His words that evening; talk of His departure to His Father, the coming of the “Comforter,” warnings that each of them would abandon Him. And Jesus, sensing their confusion, discomfort and dismay, provided them with this word of encouragement as He began His high priestly prayer to His Father, and their Father.
The word for tribulation (or ‘trouble’ as it is in the NIV) is a root, thlipsis, which has a cognate form of “pressing” or “pressure.” The verb is used to describe the crowds pressing to get to Jesus with such force that He urged His disciples “to have a boat ready for him because of the crowds, lest they crush Him” (Mark 3:9). In our text, the meaning is metaphorical for “distress that is the result of outward circumstances.” The events that follow this verse would indeed cause distress for the disciples and their Lord and Savior. At the end, however, Jesus purchased the “peace that passes all understanding” for His followers, a peace that would only be found in Him, a peace that surpassed anything this present evil age could possibly offer. Jesus did indeed “overcome the world.”
The pressure of the past few weeks have left many of us distressed and troubled. The sequestration caused by COVID-19 has inflicted massive damage on our nation and our lives, financial distress, emotional discomfort, physical suffering and isolation. The past few days have only added to our collective consternation as we watch our country seemingly implode in civil unrest, with peaceful protests devolving into anarchy and violence.
Some in our congregation have experienced times like these before. Assassinations and political upheaval sent our country spiraling into protests and violence in the 1960’s and 70’s. In 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed, along with the Soviet Union, our implacable foe for decades. And for our youngest families, they have now experienced the tragedy of 9/11, the “Great Recession” of 2008, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now the international Coronavirus and the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, an African American man, which precipitated the latest round of protests.
Like all of you, we have felt the pressure of these outward circumstances that weigh upon us, robbing us of our joy and confidence. Yet our great Savior has a singular instruction for us: “Take heart!” The verb is an imperative, a command. In the face of seemingly hopeless despair, the One who overcame the world promises us a peace that will only be found in Him, a peace that surpasses anything this present evil age could possibly offer.
What does “take heart” look like in our present circumstances? When helplessness envelopes us, what are we to do with our troubled hearts? Our passage provides two contrasting conditions for the believer in times of trouble. Since our peace is in Christ and not in the world, our most important focus should be heaven, not this present evil age. If Christ’s death and resurrection has overcome this present evil age, then our peace is secure in Him.
Listen to the words of Jeremiah Burroughs as he describes the believer in times of distress:
“A Christian is desirous that the Word of God should take such full possession as to divide between soul and spirit, but he would not allow the fear and noise of evil tidings to take such a hold in his soul as to make a division and struggling there. A well-tempered spirit may enquire after things outside in the world, and suffer some ordinary cares and fears to break into the suburbs of the soul, so as to touch lightly upon the thoughts. Yet it will not on any account allow an intrusion into the private room, which should be wholly reserved for Jesus Christ as His inward temple.”[1]
As we turn our gaze upon Christ, on His word, His unshakeable promises and His glory, our passing troubles in this present evil age come into perspective, “and the things of the world grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”[2]
May the shalom which Christ purchased with His blood comfort us in our present circumstances as we “take heart” in His sovereign rule over us until His return.
[1] Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1964; first published 1648), 23. Emphasis mine.
[2] Helen Howarth Lemmel, The Heavenly Vision (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus), published 1922. Based on Isaiah 45:22.
Stifling vs. Stoking the Spiritual Gifts
This is an excerpt from the sermon Use Your Gift to Serve One Another Part 2:
I want us to consider some ways that we can stifle or stoke the spiritual gifts within the body of Christ.
Paul gives this advice to his protege Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6:
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,”
Think of the healthy and proper use of the spiritual gifts in the church as if you were trying to build a roaring camp fire. To do so you want to ensure that you have wood that is dry, kindling that will light, you need oxygen, and finally you need a match to light the fire. Once you get the fire going you have two options moving forward you can either do things that will stifle the fire or you can do things that will stoke the fire.
So what are some ways that we stifle the proper use of the gifts within the body and how can we counteract that and instead fan into flame our gifts and those of others within the body of Christ?
(1) One way that we can stifle the proper use of spiritual gifts in the church is through Gift Conditionality.
Gift Conditionality is when we functionally or actually say the following to our church family: “I will only serve if ____________”
if I have time
if I am interested in the opportunity
if it doesn’t interfere with my social calendar
if I get the recognition that I am due
if enough people sign up for me to use my gift
Basically, offering conditional service is a subtle form of saying to the church “I’ll serve on my terms and under my conditions.”
The counter to Gift Conditionality is to plead with God to cultivate in you a heart of service that says whenever, wherever, whoever.
I distinctly remember one of my seminary professors saying to me that part of what it means to be a Pastor is that you are ready and willing to clean toilets and change diapers if the need arises.
This reminds me of Jesus’s words in Matthew 23:11: “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”
(2) A second way that we can stifle the proper use and purpose of the spiritual gifts is through Gift Envy.
Gift Envy is what happens when we become discontent with the gift that God has given us and desirous of the gift that God has given to someone else. This grows in our hearts a competitive spirit where we view the church as if it were a mini-version of America’s Got Talent - “may the best gift win.”
Instead we need to remind ourselves that we are comrades not competitors in the mission to build and advance the church. If the Michael Jordan of Hospitality is on your team don’t grumble that your only Scotty Pippen, be grateful that you get to serve alongside Michael Jordan and hopefully win tons of championships together.
(3) A third way that we can stifle the proper use and purpose of the spiritual gifts is through Gift Uniformity.
If Gift Envy is wishing you had someone else’s gift, then Gift Uniformity is demanding that everyone else have the same gift you do and use it the same way you do.
We can easily become so passionate about our gift and area of service that the Lord has given us in the body that we believe we are the most vital and essential part of the church. We are the essential business above all essential businesses!
But in falling into that mindset we lose sight of God’s wisdom in making the body of Christ diverse and giving a diversity of Gifts. If the whole church was merely a clone of our gifts and abilities the body would be severely lacking.
It would be like having a football team with 11 quarterbacks, or an orchestra with only violins, or a golf bag with only 9 irons.
We need to reflect regularly on the Wisdom of God in designing the body to be a diverse yet interdependent organism.
(4) A fourth way that we can stifle the proper use and purpose of the spiritual gifts is through Gift Consumerism.
In Gift Consumerism we view the church not as a family in which we share privileges and responsibilities but like a shopping mall or grocery store where we merely come to fill up on goods and services. Gift Consumerism is all give and no take. It’s all eating and no exercising.
One sad statistic that I often hear about churches is that 20% of the people do 80% of the work and 20% of the people do 80% of the giving. I would like to flatten the curve on that statistic at Sand Harbor (pun intended).
To counteract this we need to keep in mind that when we don’t use our gift, the body is not as healthy and vibrant as it could be. And we are missing opportunities to experience the growth and joy that comes through serving others. God has designed us in such a way that our joy doubles when we serve others and our growth in Christlikeness rapidly increases when we give ourselves away to others.
(5) Finally, the biggest way that we can stifle the proper use and purpose of the spiritual gifts is through losing sight of the Gospel of Christ.
The Gospel alone holds the gravitational power to keep all of the diversity and interdependency of the church in their proper orbit.
Never lose sight of the fact that this is His church that He purchased with his own precious and priceless blood.
Never lose sight of the fact that you are not your own but have been bought with a price, so glorify God with your gift.
Never lose sight of the fact that while you were still a sinner - far off from God in rebellion against Him - Christ sought you ought and served you by laying down His life for you so that you could be welcomed in to the church.
It is when we gaze upon the glorious grace of Christ who loved us and gave himself up for us that we will use our gifts to love and give ourselves up for one another.
How Do I Find My Spiritual Gifts?
This blog post is an excerpt from the Sermon - True Community: Using Your Gifts to Serve One Another.
A very practical question that is often asked regarding spiritual gifts is “How do I find out what is my spiritual gift?”
I would suggest that you utilize the following methods of discovering your spiritual gift in concert with one another.
The reason I say “in concert with one another” is because there is no one single fool-proof method for discovering your spiritual gift.
It’s like the current state of antibody testing regarding the Coronavirus if you only take one test there is a 20-30% chance you could get a false-positive.
So it’s important that you employ multiple methods in discovering what gift(s) God has given you.
(1) The first method for discovering your spiritual gift is the method of Trial and Error.
You will never discover what your spiritual gift is if you are a spiritual couch potato. You have to get off the couch or the pew and get involved, take initiative, volunteer, try this and that. You can hypothesize all day long about possibly having this or that gift. But if you never test that theory it will only ever be a hypothesis. Just as the best scientists test their theories so the most mature Christians test themselves to see what gifts they have by trial and error.
Like Thomas Edison it may take you 100 times before the light bulb actually turns on but hey be encouraged you know at least 99 gifts that you don’t have and 1 that you are certain you do have.
(2) The second method for discovering your spiritual gift is the method of Inviting Feedback from Others.
It is so important that you pair this one with the Trial and Error approach. We are not the best and most objective evaluators of our gifts. We need to invite feedback from others. Notice that I didn’t say merely “receive” feedback from others, as if you just sit back and wait for it to come to you. We need to invite feedback from others in assessing our gifts. Ask those who know you best: “What gifts do you think the Lord has given me?” “What gifts do you think the Lord has NOT given me?” “How could I improve the gifts that the Lord has given me?” And get ready to swallow some humble pie.
(3) The third method for discovering your spiritual gift is the method of Examining Fruitfulness.
As you seek to serve and test out certain gifts what ones do you see the Lord blessing in particular? What service opportunities in your life are bearing the most fruit in the lives of others? Fruitfulness can be a great thermometer in testing giftedness. For example, if you believe that your gift is the gift of service and you go over to someones house to help them and you start breaking and damaging things - perhaps it’s not your gift. On the other hand, if you get a hold of something and it becomes more organized and efficient after you are done with it to the point that people keep coming to you with things to organize, that doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to discover that you might be on to something.
(4) The fourth method for discovering your spiritual gift is the method of checking the pulse of your passions and interests.
What interests you? What are you passionate about? What opportunities do you gravitate towards and get excited about? There are things in life and in the church that we have to do and then there are things that we look at and with excitement think I get to do that. If you see an opportunity and area of service and you are like a dog after a bone or a kid in a candy store, there is some real potential there.
Now with this method in particular we have to be careful because our passions can be misleading in two different but equally dangerous directions.
On the one hand, we can be passionate about serving in a particular area because it is more public and noticeable and we like the limelight a little too much. So we have to check our pride.
On the other hand we can try and quench and ignore a passion or interest because we are lacking in boldness. For example, I have a passion to teach and preach God’s Word but sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach because I don’t prefer standing up in front of people, which is quite an odd mix. In fact, during middle school and high school I would intentionally refuse to read books so that I didn’t have to get up in front of the class to give an oral book report. In college, I walked into the first day of Speech Class - I counted about 60 students - then the teacher proceeded to go over the syllabus and tell us how many speeches we had to give. I promptly walked out of the class to the registrars office and dropped the class. And then the Lord called me to be a Preacher. Whoever says that the Lord doesn’t have a sense of humor is a liar.
(5) The fifth method for discovering your spiritual gift is the method of taking a Spiritual Gift Inventory test. Like this one HERE.
I intentionally put this near the end of my list because I think this are a bit overrated. Call me a spiritual gift inventory party-pooper if you want. But I find that people treat these as the be all end all approach to discovering your spiritual gift. If you pair this with all the other methods I’ve listed that is good and healthy. But if you isolate this one, I think it can be misleading and unhelpful. An inventory test is so impersonal and it can’t provide you with real feedback.
I’ve met people who have confidently told me that they have such and such a gift because that’s what the test told them. And I wanted to say well you need to burn that test because it lied to you but I didn’t.
Please use a gifts test in concert with the other methods.
(6) Finally, I think the most important method for discovering your spiritual gifts is to look for needs and opportunity.
A much more important question to ask than “What are my spiritual gifts?” is “Where are there needs and opportunities that I can serve?”
You may never nail down precisely and specifically what your spiritual gifts are and that’s ok but that should never stop you from serving others in a Christ-like way.
Always remember that we use our gifts to serve others, because He first served us and laid down His life for us.
On Prayer and Politics: Praying for our Nation’s Leaders (Mark Murnan)
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
The old maxim is that we never discuss religion and politics in polite company, yet here the apostle Paul instructs his young protégé, Timothy, to do exactly that. Paul urges Timothy, and through Timothy to his congregation, to make supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings for all people. He then specifies that these must also be made for those who lead the nation (kings and all who are in high positions). In Timothy’s context, these would include the Roman emperor, the Senate, local city-kings and magistrates and city officials.
Those prayers have a purpose, which is stated in the latter part of verse 2, “(so) that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” In other words, Timothy and his congregation were to pray for their city, their nation, and the leaders of the Roman empire in such a way that the believers might serve God faithfully, in relative peace and security, while they bore witness to Him in their everyday lives. The verbs in the Greek are synonyms; they share the same essential meaning expressed in slightly different ways, as expressed in the English translation. Paul’s instruction is to pray for those in authority, to plead with God for them, to intercede for them, and to give thanks for them.
This instruction is timeless, and we remain under its authority even today. Our nation (and the world) is reeling under the physical and economic impact of the COVID-19 virus. Our leaders are tasked with maintaining the physical security of our communities as they struggle with decisions about restoring some semblance of “normalcy” so that people might be able to return to their jobs and businesses. Our prayers are always urgent, and never more urgent as we navigate the current uncertain circumstances.
How then should we pray for those in authority, for our President, our Governor, our commissioners and mayors and the civil authorities? Let me paraphrase this lofty petition from the Book of Common Prayer (1662) as a possible example to follow:
“Most gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for this nation in general, so especially for the Congress under our President this time assembled: that You would be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations to the advancement of Your glory, the good of Your church, the safety, honor and welfare of our nation and citizens; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavors, upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other necessities, for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Savior. Amen.”
1. Pray for our national and local leaders, that they would be directed and prospered in their discussions concerning the welfare of our citizens, that they might be granted wisdom and discernment in navigating the critical decisions before them.
2. Plead with God for their health and well-being always, and especially in the midst of this crisis. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain, was diagnosed with the Coronavirus and hospitalized. Imagine the chaos that would have ensued should he have perished from the disease and the leadership of that nation be thrown into disarray. Think how quickly circumstances can devolve within any nation where the leadership is disrupted, and how anarchy is kept at bay only by stability.
3. Intercede for them, that their own salvation might be won during this crisis. Paul’s instruction to Timothy includes a rationale for their prayers: This (praying, pleading, interceding, thanksgiving) is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. We are subject to these leaders; should we not pray for their conversion and salvation, that they might govern us wisely, with the love of Christ?
4. Give thanks for them, since they have stepped into positions of authority, with the terrible responsibility of governing their constituents, and bearing the sobering weight of accountability to God and men. Consider the time they have devoted, away from their families and businesses, to bear the burden of government. Our lives are peaceful and relatively free of disruption because men and women have volunteered to serve. Be grateful to God for them.
Our prayer for each of you is that you would honor Christ during this crisis, that you would submit humbly to the governing authorities, that you would lead your families wisely in your devotions and service to each other, and that you would rejoice in your great salvation, knowing that when Christ returns, death and sickness will be no more, and He will wipe every tear from our eyes. We long to be with each of you when we gather again as a church.
Love in Christ to all who honor His name.
On Prayer During a Pandemic (Mark Murnan)
“Lord, teach us to pray…” Luke 11:1
“For we do not know what to pray for as we ought…” Romans 8:26
Struggling with prayer and in prayer is a continuous cycle for genuine believers. Prayer requires attention, devotion, quietness of mind and spirit, and, of course, time. All of these requirements are hard to come by in our digital age and busy lives, yet, particularly in this time of social separation, prayer has never been a more necessary component of our walk with Christ. We should and must be praying for our homes and families, for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for our church, for God’s Kingdom to be advanced, for those afflicted with and affected by this terrible virus, for the lost who do not know Christ, and for our leaders in the world, our nation and our communities. Yet prayer is likely the most difficult of disciplines for the reasons mentioned above. So how can we learn to pray, and to pray effectively?
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
From this verse, allow me to offer some (hard-learned!) lessons on developing and maintaining a vibrant and growing prayer life.
Rise early. For many years, I disciplined myself to get out of bed at 6:00 a.m. In the first years of my Christian walk, this allowed me to get up before my family and spend time in the Bible. This time became precious to me, and over the years, the one hour a day has reaped dividends that only eternity will reveal. So the first step to a fruitful prayer life is to “rise early.”
Find a place to pray. This might be another room or the kitchen table or your favorite chair in the living room. When our kids were small, I had a room set aside in our garage, which had been enclosed. Now that we have puppies, I use our bedroom while my wife goes for her morning runs several times a week. This privacy allows me the freedom from distractions and quietness of mind and spirit that allows me to concentrate. Of course, I have to keep my cell phone to the side, and battle the temptation to check the news, the weather, the stock market, social media, etc.!
Begin to pray. Did you ever wonder how Jesus was able to spend hours in prayer? What did He pray for? This is the real battle to be fought and won. No battle, however, is fought without weapons, so allow me to provide you with some suggested “weapons,” or resources, for waging this spiritual battle.
Weekly Order of Worship. We are blessed to have this wonderful resource provided to us by Pastor Andrew. It is structured to include aspects of worship through adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication (the ACTS outline). Merely by following the WoW, any of us can find ourselves in the attitude of prayer and petition. I even find myself singing the songs (very quietly, of course!) and this furthers my ability to concentrate. It brings to mind those things I need to be praying for as I engage with the Lord through the passages and Scripture verses Andrew has included.
The Valley of Vision by Banner of Truth Trust. This small devotional book is filled with hundreds of the prayers of the Puritans, who really knew how to pray. Under headings like “Redemption and Reconciliation,” “Penitence and Deprecation,” and “Needs and Devotions,” you will find dozens of wonderful petitions and pleas for grace and mercy for weary saints. Spending a few minutes in this resource during your devotions will prompt reflection and a penitent spirit that longs to be refreshed.
A Way to Pray, by Matthew Henry. This updated version of Henry’s classic A Method for Prayer, with Scripture Expressions is edited by O. Palmer Robertson and published by Banner of Truth, and is filled with Scripture directed toward every aspect of our lives. It includes prayers for adoration of God, confession of sin, petitions and requests, thanksgivings for mercies, and beginning and ending the day with God. Most of the content is Scripture directed toward each topic. Have your Bible handy to note some favorite passages. I have spent many satisfying and fruitful hours in this resource alone and have seen much blessing from its study.
The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), 1662. I was introduced to this resource by a Reformed Anglican pastor from Australia at a conference. (This version is not to be confused with the Episcopal BCP available worldwide; the ISPN for this version is 978-0521612425.) Originally drafted by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the English reformer, during the reign of Edward VI in the sixteenth century, it contains the liturgy of the original Church of England when Britain separated from Rome. Its prayers are ancient and profound; there are prayers for morning and evening, for the sick and dying, for the newborn, for plague and famine, for our national leaders and clergy. It is solidly Protestant, but there are doctrinal distinctions from Presbyterian tradition that the reader should be alert to. Yet the book is filled with wonderful prayers and petitions, and beautiful, ancient language that lifts the soul of the reader to the heavens.
Your Bible. Of course, there are countless prayers in Scripture that can direct our devotions and address our need for grace and mercy. Some prayers include Solomon’s dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:22-53); Israel’s covenant renewal after the return from exile (Nehemiah 9), and Daniel’s prayer for the nation (Daniel 9). The New Testament epistles are filled with praises and prayers as well.
