Shocker.  Two blog posts in two days.  I know.  I’m still recovering myself.  But I have recently heard of more than one evangelical friend giving up something for Lent.  Hmm.  This is troubling to me in some ways (depending on their reasoning for doing so which I have not investigated).  So since this is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent (a season of preparation for Good Friday and Easter), a few brief thoughts: I'm not going to address every aspect of Lent, every question you've ever had about it, the benefits of learning self-denial, etc.  

Jesus assumes that his followers will fast.  There is real benefit to foregoing food for a time in order to focus on prayer.  Even the hunger pangs themselves can serve to remind us of our poverty before God and his rich abundance to provide all that we need, whatever the situation we are facing.  True fasting is good for God’s people and honoring to him.  It is not about manipulating God or trying to earn favor with him.

That said, 3 troubling things about Lent.  Giving something up for Lent is not fasting.  Fasting is giving up food altogether for a period of time.  So not eating chocolate or no soda or not watching American Idol for 40 days is not fasting.  Second, telling everyone what you’re giving up for Lent (and how hard it will be/is for you) goes against what Jesus teaches regarding fasting.  After warning against those who fast to be seen by others, he says in Matthew 6:17-18, "But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."  And finally it smacks of trying to earn favor with God and trying to pay for our own sin by our own "suffering" – things we cannot do and don’t need to do because Jesus has accomplished all that we need before God.  As we approach Good Friday and Easter, let's focus on Christ and his perfect work.

This might be a rather self-serving post, but I hope it will be an encouragement to you as well.  Pastors need prayer.  I know this by personal experience.  You probably do too whether you are the pastor or the one who sits under the pastor's ministry.  The apostle Paul asked for prayer.  For example in Ephesians 6:18-20 he says, "To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel."  Paul needed prayer and so do I.  The obvious benefit of praying for the pastor is the help that is afforded him in the work of the ministry.  But does praying for your pastor help you too?  I believe it does.  I ran across this quote from Philip Ryken.
  
          Most churchgoers assume that the sermon starts when the pastor opens his mouth on Sunday.  However, listening to a
          sermon actually starts the week before.  It starts when we pray for the minister, asking God to bless the time he spends
          studying the Bible as he prepares to preach.  In addition to helping the preacher, our prayers help create in us a sense 
          of expectancy for the ministry of God's Word.  This is one of the reasons that when it comes to preaching, congregations 
          generally get what they pray for.

So please pray for your pastor.  This one certainly needs it.  But you may find as you pray for him that you profit more from his ministry.  It is easy to criticize the preaching (and we need this too!).  It is harder to pray for the preacher.  But multiple blessings await us as we pray for the things God calls us to pray for!  May we often be found at the throne of grace where mercy and grace are dispensed to us in our time of need.

What do you think when you look at our country and our world?  Are you afraid or at peace?  There are many reasons for concern.  Severe economic crises are devastating various European nations.  There is a power struggle in the volatile countries of the Middle East.  Nations with unstable governments have nuclear weapons.  Our own nation is descending further into crippling debt.  We are facing a presidential election that may or may not provide our country with the leadership we need in the next 4 years.  Society's slide into moral decay and inhibition appears to continue unchecked.  There is confusion about sexuality, marriage, right, wrong, and everything in between.  Feeling good yet? 
 
What should the Christian's response be?  I hope yours is not despair or depression.  Instead, here are 2 responses that should characterize us: confident joy and a willingness to be salt and light.  
How in the world can we have cause for confidence and joy in the midst of great trouble and turmoil?  
1.  God is on the throne.  Psalm 2 says, "The kings of earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed...He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision."  If God laughs, why shouldn't we?  He is not troubled by government instability and economic disaster.  He is our sovereign God and we rest in his powerful, wise, good hands.
2.  Jesus.  John 14:27;16:33 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid...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."  Do you believe him?
3.  Our joy is in the Lord, not in our circumstances.  Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again i will say, Rejoice."  If our joy was tied to our circumstances, reading the first paragraph of this post might be enough to fill us with despair.  But our joy is in the Lord who does not change.   

The second response is to be salt and light in the dark and decaying world in which we live.  Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  Do your neighbors and classmates and co-workers know that you love Jesus?  Is your community the better for your salty influence?  Are you going to vote in the election?  Have you volunteered at or supported your local crisis pregnancy center?  Are you faithful to and active in your local church?  Are you preparing your children for this kind of life?  You have influence.  Don't waste it by hiding away in fear.  It may be tempting to isolate yourself from all you see that you don't like, but that's not the life God has called us to.  He has called us to live for him in this world.  May your life of confident joy be salty and bright in your community.

I eat three meals a day...with some snacks in between. I rarely consider skipping a meal.  I know that if I don't eat, my body becomes weak and I can't function as I usually do.  You've experienced this as well.  We must have food in order to thrive or even survive, and we are very regular about making sure we get that needed sustenance.  Of course we also often over indulge, but that is a point for another day.
The point I am interested in at the moment regards a different kind of food.  We need the food of God's Word to sustain our spiritual lives and well-being.  Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep."  It is the duty of ministers of the gospel (shepherds) to faithfully proclaim the word of God to the people of God.  They are to feed the flock of God with the Bread of Life.  That is they are to proclaim Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture.  So here at Grace Baptist Fellowship, we seek to provide all who come through our doors with a steady diet of preaching and teaching from God's Word that is focused on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
We also encourage our people to be feeding themselves from the Word of God on a regular basis.  In Proverbs 8:34 it is the voice of wisdom that cries out, "Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors."  If we are to be spiritually thriving believers, we need a regular diet of Scripture.  I'm not talking about loading up once a week on Sunday and hoping that gets us through the week (would you even consider feeding your physical hunger that way?).  I'm talking about a daily reading and soaking up of the Bible.  Since many Bible reading plans are scheduled to fit with in a year and since the turn of a year is a good time to reflect as well as look forward, here are a few thoughts about and helps toward regular reading of Scripture as we near the start of 2012.
If the goal is to read the Bible daily, it helps to have a plan for doing so.  There are A LOT of plans out there.  The folks over at Ligonier Ministries have compiled a helpful list of Bible reading plans.  If you don't have one, check out some of these.  Available on the book table at GBF will be a schedule produced by Heritage Baptist Church of Owensboro, KY.  It is easily separated into 4 bookmarks that help you keep your place as you read from 4 different sections of scripture each day.  Personally I'm looking forward to following a chronological plan that takes the reader through the entire Bible, seeking to gain a greater appreciation for the historical setting of the books of the Bible.  Whatever plan you go with, simply make sure you spend time in God's word!
Let me leave you with a thought from a fellow pastor, Nick Kennicott, from his post on Bible reading plans.  He writes, "You are justified by grace, through faith, apart from works of the Law. Jesus doesn't love you more if you read the entire Bible 5 times in 2012, nor does He love you less if you miss a day or two and fall short of your goal at the end of the year. Your standing before God is based upon the righteousness imputed to you through Christ, not upon your ability to maintain a strict schedule of
spiritual disciplines. Of course, these things are important and necessary for our spiritual growth (sanctification), but they are not the means of our salvation. Let us not confuse justification and sanctification."
As you read, may you find Jesus, for the Scriptures speak of him, and may he be your only hope and trust.

First real snow of the season came last night.  It was several inches, depending on where you measure, but this was the wet, HEAVY stuff.  Heavy enough to bring down branches from our trees (including cracking one of the nice main branches of the little dogwood at the corner of our house); heavy enough to cause power outages in Warsaw, though not at our home; heavy enough to make shoveling a pain.  This morning with sunshine and rising temperatures, I am hearing the thud of chunks of snow hitting the ground.  All in all it wasn't that major of a weather event.  Although school is canceled today.
There are all sorts of lessons we could learn, but a friend's facebook status made me think of one in particular.  She said, "It bothers me when people who claim to be Christians still refer to Mother Nature when talking about weather related events. Is it really that hard to acknowledge God in something as basic as the weather?"  Good question.  I hope not.  The God with whom we have to do is in sovereign control over all things.  Including the weather.  The snow that fell and branches that cracked did so at his decree.  If we take the weather out of his hands, we also take out of his hands the ability to use that weather for our good; to restore and to heal those broken and mourning because of it.  To leave it in the hands of chance (or mother nature) is to remove all possibility of comfort, hope, or purpose in it.  When the weather comes do you rest in God's sovereign hands, chalk it up to chance, or shake your fist at him because of the inconvenience or even tragedy it brings?
What about things more significant than the weather?  These are in his hands too.  What a comfort to know that it is God who does the work of salvation and not me; he takes away my sin and guilt.  Here is true freedom and peace.  Denying God's sovereignty has tragic consequences for our ability to navigate this life with peace, confidence, and joy.  May we rest in his perfect, wise, good, sovereign power today and every day.

Some of you know this about me: I typically spend some part of Mondays at Martin's Supermarket Side Door Deli.  From my table in the 2nd level dining area I can see people come and go, talk with folks, having meetings, prep for Wednesday and Sunday, and on a day like today watch a nice storm roll in.  There are other perks - wireless internet, greater visibility in the community than when I am shut away in my study in my house, one of the best salad bars I've seen, a Starbucks coffee, and muffins.  I'm a sucker for the muffins.  The standing deal is that if you stop by and see me, I'll get you a coffee or muffin.
Which brings me to the subject of speaking clearly.  You may have noticed some ambiguity in the title of this post.  It could be about enunciating words distinctly.  Or it could be about speaking in such a way that the meaning is clear.  It is the latter that I am thinking of.  In talking with people I have often said something like "On Mondays, I work over at Martins."  Or before Martin's came to town, it was Courthouse Coffee.  I have found out that more than one person has taken that to mean that I was actually employed by Martin's Supermarket (or Courthouse Coffee) and was working a 2nd job there.  That is not what I meant.  I meant that I pack up my laptop, some books, notes, etc. and do church planting work from a table in Martin's instead of at my desk in my study.  Imagine some of our church folks trying to figure out why I was working a second job!
All this to say that it is important to speak clearly; I mean it is important to make your meaning plain when you speak.  That's true whether your a preacher, a parent, or a Martin's employee.  So stop by and see me some Monday.  Just don't expect to find me behind the counter.   

We moved to a new town and new house in November, 2010.  The house is great, but needed some updating and improvements.  We're finding as we plow through the list of things to be done that doing one project often leads to another.  When you rip out an old, leaking corner shower stall to install a new one (or pay someone to do this, which is what we did), you'll probably find that the bathroom floor also should be replaced.  At least it's a small bathroom.  When you're having the house roofed, you might find that the sheathing underneath needs to be properly fastened down, some of the fascia board behind the gutters is rotten (largely because the gutters need to be replaced - but we pretty much knew that already), the exhaust pipe for the hot water heater is in need of repair, and the chimney chase is so poorly flashed that the sheathing around it is rotten.  These things are no big deal, but they illustrate the point that one thing leads to another.
Maybe you've found something similar as you seek to grow in grace.  You identify a project - controlling your overactive temper.  And you go to work on your self-control.  You start to identify triggers to your temper: the lousy driving of everyone on the road except you; disobedient children; the incompetence of a certain co-worker; your spouse not meeting your every expectation; etc.  You try really hard in those moments to not lose your temper.  But as you think about and pray for self-control, you begin to realize it's not just your temper.  You don't have self-control when you're at the store with credit card in hand.  The all-you-can-eat buffet is an occasion for unrestrained indulgence.  High speed internet and an empty house are too much to resist.
Then by God's grace you begin to see that you don't just have a problem with self-control.  You have a deeper problem of the heart.  The reason that you can't control your temper is that (as Tedd Tripp once said in a counseling class) your kingdom isn't coming and your will isn't being done.  In those situations you're saying that your way is better than God's.  You are more important than he is.  Your spending spree on credit is saying that God's provision for you isn't enough - you're bowing at the altar of gifts instead of the Giver.  The over-indulgence of your physical appetites shows that you worship pleasure above God.  What God has provided for you in Christ is not enough. 
A little "self-improvement" project unearths some ugly stuff.  Idolatry isn't pretty.  But it's good you found it.  When working on our house, I don't like finding new projects that need to be done, but in the long run it's better for the house and the people living in it.  When you see red flags for projects/problems in your life (like controlling your temper), it's not self-improvement that you need; it's Jesus.  Make no mistake; you have work to do in growing in grace, but if you try to do it on your own, you'll fail.  You need his grace to do the painful work of digging deeper to find the heart problem behind the presenting symptoms.  It hurts, but what a wonderful thing to find out that we have been worshiping self so that we can re-focus on our Savior, Jesus.  In him we have a perfect righteousness; in him we have forgiveness of sins; in him we have everything we need for life and godliness.  Why would we try to replace that with some lesser idol of our own making; why would we be satisfied with anything less?

So, I enjoy reading.  It wasn't always that way.  When we were kids, my brother loved to read and I loved to play.  As I saw it, his reading kept him from playing with me: a problem to which I didn't always respond well.  If you know my parents, you can check with them.  Somewhere in elementary school a reading contest got me going on reading (pretty sure it was 2nd grade with Mrs. Sowles - thanks!).
There are so many blessings that come with reading.  Some are a bit cliche, but true - you can go places and times you've never been and could never go.  You can learn tons about life, history, food, culture, hobbies, hobbits, architecture, theology, sports, relationships, wardrobes, finances, scripture, and on and on we could go.  And one other thing...a picture is worth 1000 words?  Not always.  The words of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as my dad read them to me years ago and as I have re-read them created images in my mind that were better than anything the (very fine and  enjoyable) big screen adaptation has managed.  Two plus hours of images fail to fully capture what the words of the book portray.  
These days I'm on a bit of a reading kick, so I thought I'd write about it.  I'll tell you something about my reading, but I want to hear from you.  What are you reading and give me one or two of your favorite or most influential books you've ever read.  I've been reading a small stack of commentaries on Matthew's gospel, since that's what I'm preaching through.  Besides that Planting, Watering, Growing: Planting Confessionally Reformed Churches in the 21st Century is proving helpful for this church planter.  I've just finished up Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones which helpfully applies biblical truth whether you're facing depression or not.  I'm about to begin The Trellis and the Vine regarding how we do ministry in the church.  I'm in the early stages of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, where I've learned that one of the passions (and gifts!) of a deeply thinking man was teaching children!  On the secular side, two books about baseball.  This summer I read 3 Nights in August and am now enjoying Moneyball by Michael Lewis.  The two books offer two different approaches to the game of baseball.  I'm thinking the reality lies somewhere in between.  [DISCLAIMER: Reading these books and mentioning them here does not mean I recommend everything in them or about them.  If you want to know more about why, ask me before you pick one of them up to read.] 
Okay.  A few on the all-time list.  How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp.  If you've ever been discouraged with your growth in grace (sanctification) this book should be on your must read list.  Rightly applying the principles laid out here can be life changing.  More than Conquerors is a commentary on Revelation that opened my eyes to understand a book of the Bible that had been very confusing.  And one from my childhood: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton.  There are so many I am leaving off this list.  But now, really.  I want to know what you're reading and some all time favorites.  Share away.

That's how long it's been since the most deadly terrorist attack on American soil.  I bet you remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001.  I sure do.  The radio alarm clock that woke us up that day wasn't pouring out music, but rather talk of an airplane hitting the World Trade Center in New York City.  I didn't realize they were talking about a jet and not a Cessna; a terrorist attack and not an accident.  You might wonder why we were sleeping so late, but in our defense, we lived on the west coast at the time.  As the day wore on, the magnitude of what was taking place became clear.  This was a coordinated attack, not an accident.  The toll?  On board American Airlines flight 11 that hit the north tower of the World Trade Center: 92 souls, all killed instantly.  On board United Airlines flight 175 that hit the south tower: 65 souls, all killed instantly.  On board American Airlines flight 77 that hit the Pentagon: 64 souls, all killed instantly.  On board United Airlines flight 93 that was courageously brought down in Shanksville, PA, by a band of brave passengers: 44 souls, all killed instantly.  At the World Trade Center, 2606 killed.  At the Pentagon, another 125 killed.  All told, 2996 people died that day in the terrorist attacks.  Sobering, isn't it?  It should be.  Not sure that 10 years later is any more significant than 9 years last year or 11 next, but as a nation pauses to remember, what should we think?  Here are a few thoughts on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 

The words, 'killed instantly' jump out.  With the exception of the terrorists, not what those who died were planning on that day.  Not typically what any of us are ever planning on when we get out of bed and head off to whatever it is we do.  But it iis appointed to man to die once, and after that comes judgment.  Are you ready?

Evil men will do evil things.  The magnitude of 9/11 was shocking; the ability to carry out such an attack, disturbing; the brazenness of the attack, chilling; but the fact of such a thing should not be surprising.  Those who reject the God of the Bible as the one true and living God and embrace false gods, left to themselves, will care nothing for his creation, people made in his image, or his special people.  Some will act in accordance with the depth of their depravity.  The more amazing thing is the restraining grace of God at work in the world.

Whether seeing the disturbing image of iconic buildings in our nation collapsing or uprisings in the Middle East, I love the comfort of Psalm 2.  "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed...He who sits in the heavens laughs."  God is not troubled by the raging of terrorists or tyrants; he laughs at it.  If our refuge is that Lord and his Anointed, we need not fear.

Give thanks for freedom and those who defend it.  I went to bed last night knowing that if my house caught on fire, within minutes there would be men I have never met putting that fire out.  I drove to church today without a thought of fear that I might be perrsecuted or arrested for worshiping publicly.  We don't even think about those things very often because we assume them.  It's not like that everywhere in the world.  Since we are to render honor to whom it is due (Romans 13:7), let's remember to honor and thank those who run into burning buildings and not away from them; those who go towards the battle instead of fleeing from it so that the battle doesn't come to us.  Thank you.  At the same time, remember that those people are instruments in the hands of God.  Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

The only way to live is trusting in Christ.  You know how Psalm 2 ends?  "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him."   Come what may if your refuge is Christ, you will
be safe in the storm and he will bring you home to heaven whether you're killed instantly in a terrorist attack or die of old age.

So may we remember.  Remember what happened that day; remember the pain and pride we felt; remember the hurt that family and friends still feel; remember our great privilege; but most importantly remember our Creator and his Son, Jesus.

No theme today; just some miscellaneous thoughts.

Many Words.  This picture - along with the caption, "Can you do this?  (In other news, this is the effect of my preaching on my children.)"- got more feedback on Facebook than anything I have posted in a long time.  It happened while I was preaching on Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent."  Not sure what the significance of that is, but the comments received ranged from the virtue of flexibility to comparisons to Eutychus (check Acts  20).  Maybe he was just being a 3 year old (with a rubber skeleton) at the end of a long day.  But that Proverb is interesting when thinking about sermons and blogs.  Lots of words there, which doesn't inherently indicate the presence of sin (the Bible has many words; God ordains the preaching of the word as the means he will bless).  But wow.  Let's be careful with what we say and write. 

Redeeming the time.  I was talking with my brother-in-law recently, and he gave me a good idea.   I don't spend too much time reading blogs, although there's a lot of good stuff out there.  His idea was bookmarking some good blogs on my phone so that when I am stuck somewhere (like waiting for a haircut), I can easily pull them up and read something with profit instead of just launching birds or matching jewels.  What blogs do I read when I take the opportunity?  Among others, I enjoy Kevin DeYoung and Tim Challies.  (Disclaimer: just because I've linked to them doesn't mean I agree with everything they write.)  So if you've got a phone that can access the internet and ever have a little down time, there's one idea.

Promises.  God keeps his.  2 Peter 1:3-4.  "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."  That is nothing short of amazing.  For more thoughts, head over to the "Messages" page and check out the morning and evening message from September 4, 2011.  Thanks, Dad.