Monday, December 31, 2012

Options on Reading the Bible Through in 2013


by 

One need not be a Christian long to appreciate the impact the Bible has on us. Through it Holy Spirit speaks and our lives are transformed. It truly is like a two-edged sword, that reveals the deepest recesses of ourselves to us.

Those who have long attended churches likely will remember sermons exhorting them to read the Bible, seen structured plans for Bible reading, and received challenges to memorize Scripture. Verses like Psalm 119:11 ("I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I many not sin against you") and Jesus encounter with Satan in Matthew 4 spur us to remain in the Word. Or, at least, it should.

As it is, the busy lives people live today often leads to biblically illiterate churches. This causes all types of misunderstandings because too many do not know the Bible.

One easy way to encourage people to get into the Word is lead the church (or your small group or family) to read through the New Testament or even the entire Bible together. There are a number of plans to help accomplish this. I tweeted to get some ideas and here are a few that were suggested.

Bible Gateway has a number of reading plans including Old/New Testament, New Testament in a Year, Chronological. You can also choose form an enormous number of Bibles in English, French, Spanish and more. Many translations are also available.

Faith Comes by Hearing provides audio Bibles in scores of languages, available online, iPad, iPhone and Android. This is perfect for those who struggle with the printed word or whose travel makes an audio experience more preferred.

YouVersion has topical reading plans, Christmas and Advent reading plans, partial and whole Bible plans and more. They have an insightful New Testament plan designed for small groups called Community Bible 

Experience: NT. In total YouVersion has dozens of different types and lengths of Bible reading plans. You will need a free YouVersion account to access all the features.

Some groups like Bibleinayear.org provide the daily scripture reading through email. They also provide several versions and plans from which to choose. Tyndale House has partnered with The One Year Bible Online for a number of plans as well.

Daily Bible Reading uses a very simple, online, staggered through the Bible pattern. Daily readings feature selections from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. You'll need your own Bible for reading, but audio clips are on the page.

If you prefer regular books to digital (as, I confess, I do), it's hard to beat George Guthrie's chronological daily Bible, Reading God's Story. Guthrie's work leads readers through the biblical text with acts and scenes framing the narrative of God's working throughout history. The ultra-readable New Living Translation On Year Bible is also available in paperback. (Search "one year Bible" on Lifeway.com for many different options.)

For a church-wide effort it is hard to beat what B&H Publishing has put together with Read the Bible for Life. As the website explains,
the Read the Bible for Life initiative...aims to improve biblical literacy in the church by encouraging readers to grow in joy and skill in reading the Bible. The initiative seeks to foster:
• an understanding of how to read the parts of Scripture well,
• a perspective on the Bible as a grand story God has written on the world,
• a grasp of the themes of Scripture that thread their way powerfully and beautifully from the beginning to the end of this book of books, and
• sound application of the Scripture to modern-day life.
Read the Bible for Life in includes reading plans, sermon series, events, mobile and web interaction, videos, podcasts and access to Dr. George Guthrie's blog. The podcasts alone are a wealth of help for the average church member. The sermon series is 50-weeks through the Bible with video of each message from David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills.

I strongly encourage you to choose a plan that will get you through the entire Bible, through the entire year, or both. Whatever plan you choose for yourself, family, small group or church, being in the Word is better than being out of the Word.


There are a number of Reading Plans for ESV Editions. Crossway has made them accessible in multiple formats:
  • web (a new reading each day appears online at the same link)
  • RSS (subscribe to receive by RSS)
  • podcast (subscribe to get your daily reading in audio)
  • iCal (download an iCalendar file)
  • mobile (view a new reading each day on your mobile device)
  • print (download a PDF of the whole plan)
Reading PlanFormat
Chronological
Through the Bible chronologically (from Back to the Bible)
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Daily Light on the Daily Path
Daily Light on the Daily Path – the ESV version of Samuel Bagster’s classic
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Daily Office Lectionary
Daily Psalms, Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospels
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Daily Reading Bible
Daily Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
ESV Study Bible
Daily Psalms or Wisdom Literature; Pentateuch or the History of Israel; Chronicles or Prophets; and Gospels or Epistles
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Every Day in the Word
Daily Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Literary Study Bible
Daily Psalms or Wisdom Literature; Pentateuch or the History of Israel; Chronicles or Prophets; and Gospels or Epistles
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
M’Cheyne One-Year Reading Plan
Daily Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Gospels
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Outreach
Daily Old Testament, Psalms, and New Testament
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Outreach New Testament
Daily New Testament. Read through the New Testament in 6 months
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
Through the Bible in a Year
Daily Old Testament and New Testament
RSSiCalMobilePrintEmail
You can also access each of these Reading Plans as podcasts:
  • Right-click (Ctrl-click on a Mac) the “RSS” link of the feed you want from the above list.
  • Choose “Copy Link Location” or “Copy Shortcut.”
  • Start iTunes.
  • Under File, choose “Subscribe to Podcast.”
  • Paste the URL into the box.
  • Click OK.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Will Congress Effect Your Giving?


Will Congress Effect Your Giving?

As the so-called Fiscal Cliff draws nearer, members of Congress are looking at multiple ways to increase revenue to the government. One of the ideas being considered is reducing or eliminating tax deductions for charitable gifts. Proponents argue that the government loses hundred of millions of dollars of revenue in charitable deductions, many of which are frivolous. Opponents respond that these deductions keep the churches and non-profits that do the bulk of the good work in the country and around the world in business.
Another deduction proposed for the chopping block is the adoption credit, which can be up to 12k for an adopted child. Many fear that if the deduction is removed, adoption numbers will dramatically decrease.
As a leader of a non-profit, and a Christian who gives more than 10% of my income away, and as one who plans toincrease my giving in 2013, I’m not the least bit concerned about the deductions for charitable gifts going away.
Here’s why:
  • Most of the people I know who are givers do so out of a sense of love and gratitude to God. They know God honors their worship through giving and most of them would never consider not giving. The tax break is a nice benefit to giving, but not at all why they give.
  • People who adopt kids do so because they feel called to and because they can’t not adopt. Who do you know can afford to adopt a child? It’s never about being able to afford or not afford it. So if the 12K tax break goes away, people with hearts for adoption are still going to adopt anyway.
  • Our hope has never been in tax breaks. My ability to pay my bills and feed my family has nothing to do with what my tax status is or my level of deductions. My hope for provision is in God alone. If I lose a few thousand dollars a year in tax breaks, God will still meet my needs.
  • People give because its right, not because its expedient. Giving never makes sense on a spread sheet. Few Kingdom things do. People give because it’s what Christians do, not because it’s a good tax strategy.
Please don’t read this as an endorsement of anything being proposed in Congress. I have no such agenda. I’m rather simply pointing out that God has always funded his work through the sacrificial giving of his people. And if we happen to drive off a fiscal cliff or lose some tax breaks, that’s not going to change.

©2012 Will Davis Jr.  Originally Posted on WDJ's blog, on Nov. 27, 2012. 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Seven Characteristics of an Effective Critic


Seven Characteristics of an Effective Critic

A few days ago I had a long conversation with a critic of me. Actually, it would be better to say that he is a critic of a decision I made. He would not want to describe himself as a critic of me in the general sense.

Rare is the person who actually enjoys criticisms. I certainly would not be among that unique group. But this man made the criticism tolerable. And he certainly gained my respect by the way he handled it.

Immediately after the conversation, I began to think through how he had approached me. I thought about his words, his body language, and even his preparation for criticizing me. I realized I had a case study on effective criticism. I also was able to note seven of the characteristics of this conversation where he criticized me.
  1. He had no pattern of having a critical spirit. Some people are perpetually critical. Their negativity is known and often avoided. Such people have little credibility. Even if they have something worthy to say, it is often ignored because of their patterns in the past. That was not the case with this man. He was not known as a negative person. He did not speak or write in a critical way on an ongoing basis. Because of this pattern, I was inclined to listen to him.
  2. He prayed before he criticized. In fact, this man prayed every day for two weeks before he ever approached me. He asked God to stop him if his mission was not meant to be. He did not take the moment lightly. To the contrary, he treated it with utmost seriousness.
  3. He communicated concern without anger. This critic did not once raise his voice. His body language did not communicate anger. He was passionate in his position while maintaining his composure.
  4. He avoided any ad hominem attacks. My critic wanted to be certain that I knew he was not attacking me personally. He affirmed me in many ways. He voiced respect for my character. But he did not waver in his expressed concern. Never once did I feel like I was under attack personally.
  5. He asked for my perspective. Frankly, most of my critics through the years have not expressed any desire to hear my side of the story. They are so intent to communicate their position that they leave no room for me to speak. Such was not the case with this critic. He asked a surprising question early in the conversation: “Thom, why did you make this decision? I really want to hear your thoughts straight from you.”
  6. He listened to me. Undoubtedly you’ve been in those conversations where the other person really does not indicate any desire to listen to you. Even while you are speaking, it is evident that he or she is formulating the next response rather than hearing your words. This critic not only asked for my perspective, he really listened as I spoke. The only time he interjected was to ask clarifying questions.
  7. He was humble. One of the primary reasons we get defensive when we are criticized is the attitude of the critic. They often seem to have an all-knowing and condescending spirit. To the contrary, my critic was genuinely humble. He was not a know-it-all. He did not act like the smartest man in the room. Frankly his humility was humbling to me.
You can’t be a leader without being criticized. Leaders have to make decisions, and it’s rare that everyone will agree with your decisions. While dealing with critics is not the most pleasant part of leadership, it is a necessary part. Sometimes leaders must discount the message because of the lack of credibility of the messenger. But, in my case, I heard from a critic who truly made me pause and consider his position. Not only did I hear his position, though, I learned even more about being an effective critic and recipient of criticism.
For those reasons, this fallible leader is very grateful.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A Cautionary Note for Those of Us in Social Media


A Cautionary Note for Those of Us in Social Media

I love the freedom of expression pervasive in social media. This relatively new means of expression and communication has given power to those who had little power in the past. Anyone now has a platform to express himself or herself. Everyone has the ability to critique and vent about organizations and people.

There is indeed a sense of liberation in the new world of social media. But some cautionary warning signals are being made lest we who love social media show little or no restraint in what we write, record, photograph, or video.

Growing Legal Concerns

Dana Rousmaniere noted in a recent Harvard Business Review article the growth of lawsuits against social media users. She cited the specific example of a critic of a homebuilder who vented her concerns online about the contractor. As a consequence the homebuilder went forward with a $750,000 defamation lawsuit, stating that the unsubstantiated complaint cost him significant business.

Rousmaniere said: “Free-speech advocates say the lawsuits are heavy-handed attempts to stifle critical — but valuable — consumer information. Business owners argue that a defamatory review can devastate a business. Lawyers say such cases are a cautionary tale for a new era: Those who feel targeted by defamation on the Web are more likely to file suit, and judges and juries are more likely to take such claims seriously than in years
past, raising the legal stakes over vitriolic reviews, nasty blog comments and Facebook feuds.”

Employment Issues

I have the opportunity to interact with business leaders often, and the issue of social media arises frequently. Almost every leader I’ve asked told me that checking a prospective employee’s use of social media is now standard before hiring someone. Social media background checks are thus becoming as common as legal checks and credit checks.

One business leader recently told me that his organization decided not to hire the son of a controversial blogger. I disagree with this guilt by association, but it does highlight the level of scrutiny that is taking place in the world of social media.

How Then Do We Respond?

The best path, it would seem, for those of us who engage in social media, is to use wisdom and common sense. We should not engage with a level of fear that precludes our honest exchange with others. At the same time, however, we should always write and say words that are factual and honest. Anytime I create a document, particularly one that will be put on the Internet, I assume that the document will get wide dissemination whether it does or not. I also assume my writing will always be available for others to see indefinitely.

I also try to follow the rule of not engaging social media while I am emotional or upset about something. I give myself a cooling off period, something that has proved beneficial on more than one occasion.

On other occasions, I ask others to preview what I wrote before I send it over the Internet. There are times frankly when I have not had sufficient self awareness to realize that the tone of my contribution could be construed in a way different than I intended.

I do indeed love the world of social media. From my perspective, this new world of communication has done much good for our society. But like any other instrument, something that it used for good can also be used in a harmful way. We who engage this world of social media should be certain that what we say and write is a positive contribution to the world and society.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

The Babyhood of God


“The tremendous revelation of Christianity is not the Fatherhood of God, but the Babyhood of God – God became the weakest thing in His own creation, and in flesh and blood He levered it back to where it was intended to be. No one helped Him; it was done absolutely by God manifest in human flesh. God has undertaken not only to repair the damage, but in Jesus Christ the human race is put in a better condition than when it was originally designed.”
“Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby.”
- Oswald Chambers

Monday, December 24, 2012

"The Man and the Birds" by Paul Harvey


(this is one of my favorite stories at Christmas)
Paul Harvey and “The Man and the Birds a Christmas Story” Remembered

The man to whom I’m going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

“I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he’d feel like a hypocrite. That he’d much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound…Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud…At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them…He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms…Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me…That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

“If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm…to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.” At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells – Adeste Fidelis – listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Sunday Sermon, December 23, 2012

Sunday, December 23, 2012 I concluded the series of Christmas messages "Unwrapping the Gift You've Always Wanted" with the message "The Gift of Peace" based on Jesus being "The Prince of Peace" from Isaiah 9:6

The sermon notes are here.

The audio is below:

The Hope of Christmas


Advent - The Promise

This e-mail has been shortened from the original resource. To download the full-color PDF with additional Scripture references and discussion questions, visit www.paultripp.com/advent. 

In this week?s devotional, I want to lay out two principles about hope found in Isaiah 59. Here?s the first ? the doorway to hope is hopelessness. It sounds contradictory, doesn?t it? But the only way you will ever find true hope is to give up on all those places where you?ve put your hope before. Our default is to find hope horizontally, in the situations, locations, and relationships of everyday life. How many times have you thought, ?If only I had ______?? Or, ?If only I lived _____?? That?s finding your hope horizontally.

You?re not going to meet a person who will give you life. No one can give you the peace and security you?re seeking. You?re not going to get a job that will make life worth living. You?re not going to own a possession that will give you the happiness that you seek. You?re not going to have an experience that will fulfill you. It?s all horizontal hope, and before you can find true, life-giving hope, you need to reach a point of hopelessness.
Here?s the second principle ? to be reliable, hope needs to fix what is broken. Hope must address the biggest, deepest, and darkest dilemma of our life. Isaiah 59:2 tells us what is broken. ?But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.?

Just as horizontal hope will fail us, a horizontal diagnosis will miss what is truly broken. I like to think that my biggest problem in life exists outside me, not inside me. I want to say my problems are situational, locational, or relational. But they?re not. My biggest problem is vertical and personal.

There is something that lurks inside me that is dark and dangerous ? sin. It kidnaps my thoughts, diverts my desires, and distorts my words. Only Christ can fix this problem. No horizontal hope can ever fix a vertical problem. So God promises to send His son as the vertical and ultimate solution. ?And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression (59:2).?

That?s the Christmas story. The Christmas story is about hope coming. That?s why the angels sing the glorious song that we?ll focus on next week. That?s why the wise men came to worship. That?s why the shepherds were blown away. Hope had invaded the earth in the person of the Lord Jesus. Hope had come.

This Advent season, celebrate the true, life-giving source of Hope. And remember, hope is never a situation. Hope is never a location. Hope is never an ideology. Hope is a person, and his name is Jesus Christ.
  • Name some situations, locations, and relationships that our culture defines as sources of hope.
  • Reflect on times when you searched for hope in the wrong places. What was the outcome?
  • Reflect on times when you relied on Christ as your only source of hope. What was the outcome?
  • Who in your life is in need of Hope? How can you use the Advent season to share Hope with others?
God bless
Paul David Tripp
"Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life"

Friday, December 21, 2012

What Does the X in Xmas Mean?


What Does the X in Xmas Mean?

The X in Christmas is used like the R in R.C. My given name at birth was Robert Charles, although before I was even taken home from the hospital my parents called me by my initials, R.C., and nobody seems to be too scandalized by that.

X can mean so many things. For example, when we want to denote an unknown quantity, we use the symbol X. It can refer to an obscene level of films, something that is X-rated. People seem to express chagrin about seeing Christ's name dropped and replaced by this symbol for an unknown quantity X. Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, "Put Christ back into Christmas" as a response to this substitution of the letter X for the name of Christ.

There's no X in Christmas

First of all, you have to understand that it is not the letter X that is put into Christmas. We see the English letter X there, but actually what it involves is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.

We don't see people protesting the use of the Greek letter theta, which is an O with a line across the middle. We use that as a shorthand abbreviation for God because it is the first letter of the word Theos, the Greek word for God.

X has a long and sacred history

The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That's how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There's a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.

Adapted from Now, That’s a Good Question! ©1996 by R.C. Sproul. Used by permission of Tyndale.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

What happens to children who die?


In January of 2005 Dr. Albert Mohler wrote an interesting article about the fate of the children wiped away in Southeast Asia during a storm.  His words then speak well for what we are thinking about now.  

“What is our answer to the question of the eternal destiny awaiting those children? My argument that these children are safe in the presence of Jesus Christ is based upon biblical evidence and theological reasoning. I cannot accept the glib and superficial assertions put forth by those who would simply offer assurance without adequate argument.

These infants are in Heaven, but not because they were not sinners. The Bible teaches that we are all conceived in sin and born in sin, and each of us is a sinner from the moment we draw our first breath. The doctrines of original sin and total depravity do not spring from some speculative theological imagination, but from the clear teaching of Scripture. There is no state of innocence, and these babies cannot enter Heaven unless the penalty for their sin is provided by the atonement of Jesus Christ.

These infants are in Heaven, but not because everyone is in Heaven. The Bible presents us with a stark picture of two destinies for humankind. Those who are in Christ, who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, will be in Heaven. Those who are apart from Christ will be in Hell. Hell may be a despised concept–rejected by the theological modernizers–but it will not disappear, and its horrors await those who die without Christ. Jesus warned sinners to fear Hell, and the Bible warns that we must flee the wrath that is to come. Universalism is just not an option for any Christian who believes the Bible. Those who deny Hell deny the authority of Christ.

These infants are in heaven, but not because any of them were baptized. The practice of infant baptism has led to multiple theological confusions, and the death of infants is often one of the points of greatest bewilderment. Most of the early church fathers simply assumed that baptized infants who die in infancy go to Heaven, while unbaptized infants do not. These significant Christian leaders and thinkers, including figures such as Ambrose of Milan and Augustine of Hippo, taught the doctrine of baptismal regeneration–a belief still held by the Roman Catholic Church and most Eastern Orthodox churches. Among Protestants, Lutherans hold to a form of baptismal regeneration and some sacramentalists in other denominations also lean in that direction. According to this logic, infants are saved because they have been baptized and have thus received the gift of salvation. There is simply not a shred of biblical support for this argument. What these churches call infant baptism cannot help us in framing our argument. There is no biblical foundation for arguing for the salvation of infants from baptism, or for positing the existence of “Limbo” as a place of eternal suspension for unbaptized infants.

So, how can we frame an argument that is true to Scripture and consistent with the Gospel? Before turning to Heaven, perhaps we should take a closer look at Hell. According to the Bible, Hell is a place of punishment for sins consciously committed during our earthly lives. We are told that we will be judged according to our deeds committed “in the body.” [2 Corinthians 5:10] Adam’s sin and guilt, imputed to every single human being, explains why we are born as sinners and why we cannot not sin, but the Bible clearly teaches that every person will be judged for his or her own sins, not for Adam’s sin. The judgment of sinners that will take place at the great white throne [Revelation 20:11-12] will be “according to their deeds.” Have those who died in infancy committed such deeds? I believe not, for they have not yet developed the capacity to know good from evil.  No biblical text refers to the presence of small children or infants in Hell–not one.

Theologians have long debated an “age of accountability.” The Bible does not reveal an “age” at which moral accountability arrives, but we do know by observation and experience that maturing human beings do develop a capacity for moral reasoning at some point. Dismissing the idea of an “age” of accountability, John MacArthur refers to a “condition” of accountability. I most often speak of a point or capacity of moral accountability. At this point of moral development, the maturing child knows the difference between good and evil–and willingly chooses to sin.

The Bible offers a fascinating portrait of this truth in the first chapter of Deuteronomy. In response to Israel’s sin and rebellion, God condemns that generation of adults to death in the wilderness, never to see the land of promise. “Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers.” [Deuteronomy 1:35]. But God specifically exempted young children and infants from this condemnation–and He even explained why He did so: “Moreover, your little ones who you said would become prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good and evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it.” [Deuteronomy 1:39] These little ones were not punished for their parents’ sins, but were accepted by God into the Promised Land. I believe that this offers a sound basis for our confidence that God deals with young children differently than He deals with those who are capable of deliberate and conscious sin.

Based on these arguments, I believe that we can have confidence that God receives all infants into Heaven.

Salvation is all of grace, and God remains forever sovereign in the entire process of our salvation. The Bible clearly teaches the doctrine of election, but it nowhere suggests that all those who die in infancy are not among the elect. Even the Westminster Confession, the most authoritative Reformed confession, states the matter only in the positive sense, affirming that all elect infants are received into Heaven. It does not require belief in the existence of any non-elect infants. Those who insist that all we can say is that elect infants are saved while non-elect infants are not, confuse the issue by assuming or presuming the existence of non-elect infants and leaving the matter there.

We must remember that God is both omnipotent and omniscient. He gave these little ones life, knowing before the creation of the world that they would die before reaching moral maturity and thus the ability to sin by intention and choice. Did He bring these infants–who would never consciously sin–into the world merely as the objects of His wrath?

The great Princeton theologians Charles Hodge and B. B. Warfield certainly did not think so. These defenders of Reformed orthodoxy taught that those who die in infancy die in Christ. Hodge pointed to the example of Jesus: “The conduct and language of our Lord in reference to children are not to be regarded as matters of sentiment, or simply expressive of kindly feeling. He evidently looked upon them as lambs of the flock for which, as the Good Shepherd, He laid down his life, and of whom He said they shall never perish, and no man could pluck them out of his hands. Of such He tells us is the kingdom of Heaven, as though Heaven was, in good measure, composed of the souls of redeemed infants.”

Charles Spurgeon, the great evangelical preacher of Victorian England, and John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace,” added pastoral urgency to this affirmation. Spurgeon was frustrated with preachers who claimed to have no answer to this question, and he hurled judgment on anyone who would claim that infants would populate Hell.

In the end, we must affirm the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the full authority of Scripture. We trust the goodness, mercy, justice, and love of God. Whatever He does is right. Salvation is all of grace, and there is no salvation apart from Christ. All are born sinners, and those who reach the point of accountability and consciously sin against God will be judged and punished for their sins in Hell–unless they have come by grace to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. B. Warfield may have expressed it best when he beautifully affirmed, “If all that die in infancy are saved, it can only be through the almighty operation of Holy Spirit, who works when, and where, and how He pleases, through whose ineffable grace the Father gathers these little ones to the home He has prepared for them.”

Keep those words firmly in mind as you contemplate this great and often troubling question. The little ones are safe with Jesus.”

Friday, December 14, 2012

Some thoughts on the November election


“Our Backsliding Can Correct Us” 

(I presented the following to CrossRoads Baptist Church on Wednesday, November 28, 2012)

We have just gone through the longest, most expensive and one of the ugliest presidential elections our nation has ever known.  Let me say, I am not discouraged with the results. My God is in control.

In fact, I am encouraged.  I have not spoken publicly about the election but have listened to many who have spoken and written about the election.

But as I have reflected, I came across Jeremiah’s message to Israel.  Let me make it clear, America is not Israel. We are not in covenant relationship with God, like Israel.

But I believe the message is applicable to us.  

Look at Jeremiah 2: 4-13 God makes His case of how good He has been to them and is asking why did Israel leave Him?  He then asked them one of the most probing question of the Bible - verse 17 - “Have you not brought this on yourself?  In that you have forsaken the Lord your God?”

The impending judgement has been brought on by Israel’s own disobedience.  Could it not be said that the condition of America has been brought on itself?  

Then in verse 19, “Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will reprove you.”

Your backsliding will reprove you.  I believe God is telling Israel you will learn from your backsliding some things that will bring necessary correction in your life.


And yet God tells them over and over again “To Return to Me.”  Jeremiah 3:1, 7, 14, 22;  4:1.  Their backsliding has not gone so far that they can’t return to the Lord.

What can the church learn in our backslidden condition that will make it profitable for us?

  1. Our backsliding should cause us to stop depending on the government and depend only on God.
  2. Our backsliding should cause us to stop promoting the government and promote only the gospel.
  3. Our backsliding should cause us to stop signing petitions and start praying.
  4. Our backsliding should cause us to clear up the confusion of our purpose and embrace our mission.
  5. Our backsliding should cause us to stop demonizing politicians and start praying for them.
  6. Our backsliding cause us to stop living “soft” and prepare for suffering.
  7. Our backsliding cause us to stop spending and start saving.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Sunday Sermon, December 9, 2012

I am continuing the series "Unwrapping the Gift You've Always Wanted" on these Sundays leading up to Christmas.  This past Sunday, December 9, 2012 I preached "The Gift of a Father" from Isaiah 9:6.

Here are the sermon notes.  Click here.

Here is the audio:


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

To Those Hurting this Christmas


To Those Hurting This Christmas

I know some of you are praying you’ll make it through Christmas — just make it through — not anticipating anything good will come from gathering with extended family and friends. It has become a cliche — right next to the article on what second-graders are excited about for Christmas is the article on the rise in depression during this last month of the year.
You know the sadness is real. While you change the diaper of a teenager, or administer complicated medications, or prevent your non-verbal ten-year-old from hurting himself again, or explain yet again the complicated life of your five-year-old without a diagnosis for her disability, your nieces and nephews and young friends are playing and running and eating, happily talking about the toys they want or travel they’re excited about or things they are doing in school. They easily do things your child will never do, no matter how many therapies or medications or prayers are offered.
Or maybe the disability in your family member means you can’t gather with other loved ones, and the heartache is almost more than you can stand.
Jesus knows.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15, italics added)
More than that, he endured and is victorious!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2, italics added)
And there are some of you who can’t see it. There is still hope!
From Pastor John’s book, When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy,
It is utterly crucial that in our darkness we affirm the wise, strong hand of God to hold us, even when we have no strength to hold him. This is the way Paul thought of his own strivings. He said, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12). The key thing to see in this verse is that all Paul’s efforts to grasp the fullness of joy in Christ are secured by Christ’s grasp of him. Never forget that your security rests on Christ’s faithfulness first.
Our faith rises and falls. It has degrees. But our security does not rise and fall. It has no degrees. We must persevere in faith. That’s true. But there are times when our faith is the size of a mustard seed and barely visible. In fact, the darkest experience for the child of God is when his faith sinks out of his own sight. Not out of God’s sight, but his. Yes, it is possible to be so overwhelmed with darkness that you do not know if you are a Christian — and yet still be one.(216, italics added)
Jesus understands. Jesus is victorious. Jesus is the answer. May you find him, and in finding him, find hope and peace in these hard days.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Memorial Service of my friend, Barry Clingan's, mom

This is the transcript of my friend, Barry Clingan's service he did for his mom.



Judith Ann Charlesworth Meeks

October 19, 1939 - November 23, 2012

On a cold Tuesday afternoon friends and family gathered at the Chattanooga National Cemetery to say goodbye to my Mom who had passed away the previous Friday evening. Before she died my Mom asked me to lead the graveside service. I have had the challenge and privilege of preaching in many venues across the world. Nothing was harder than saying goodbye to my Mother. The following is the notes from my fifteen minute remarks. Many have asked if I would post them online. You can also listen to a recording of the event posted on my website by clicking here.


            
           How do you summarize the importance of anyone’s life in fifteen minutes? Even if we had two hours it would never do justice to the occasion. So I will attempt to say a few things today. I can assure you that I will not be profound, erudite or articulate. I couldn’t do that if I wanted. Today, I am simply a grieving son who deeply grieves the loss of his mother. I am here for one reason, Moma wanted me to do this and I want please my mother.
               I ask the grandkids, “What do you think of, when you think of your Granny?” There were three words that were consistent in all of their memories.
            Number one, Granny was FUN. She was not your typical Granny. Jacob said, when we went to the arcade she didn’t give you a quarter, she would give you twenty dollars! Many years ago when the grandkids played the arcade at the bowling alley, she would not have her grandkids getting those little cheap toys you usually get with your meager coupons. After playing all summer they had tens of thousands of tickets and they came out with little T.V.’s and Radios.

            They also said Granny was CURRENT. She never got stuck in a previous decade. She knew how to speak their language. She knew that a dollar in the fifties will not buy the same thing today. She was never stuck in the fifties, sixties, or seventies. She understood their world and she could relate to it.

            Finally they said Granny was GENEROUS. Granny was a generous grandmother to her grandchildren. She would take them out to by them clothes before school started and she bought them some real clothes. These grandkids loved to get their birthday card from Granny. You do not have to be a millionaire to be generous.

            I am confident that Katie and Courtney, Jacob, Jordan, Jessie Kate, and Joy, and Patton and Savannah will always remember their Granny as the fun and generous woman that she was.

            My mother loved her daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Back when I was living with James and Mom while in high school, I brought home some interesting girls. Mom was always diplomatic but I will never forget the time after I brought Amy to meet her. She said, “Barry, this is the one!” She loved you so much Amy. You were the daughter she never had. Amy has known my Mom since she was seventeen years old and she loved my Mom as well. When Jacob was making his way into this world, Amy wanted my mother to be with her and Mom travelled down and stayed with us in Hattiesburg, MS the month before Jacob was born. You were so good to my Mother, Amy and I know you will miss her as well.

            Gail, she loved you so much and you were so good and generous towards her. Thank you. She loved you dearly. To Calvin and Jason I say as well that she loved you and was determined to never show partiality.

            My mother was a very determined woman. What made her determination different is that she always found a way to have fun in the middle of all the inevitable challenges that come to all of our lives. After my brother Keith was born the doctors told her that her body would never be able to take another pregnancy. My Mom always said that she was an only child and she was determined to not raise an only child. So four years after Keith I was born.

            My mother was determined through all of her medical issues. Because my mom was so beautiful and always laughing it is hard for some to believe what all she has been through. We had a funny experience back in July of this year after her surgery for her brain tumor, the Physician who would help with her follow up treatment came in to her room and after looking over her scans was very perplexed and said, “Mrs. Meeks I am confused at what I am seeing or rather what I am not seeing.” My Mother had a complete hysterectomy after my birth, she had no gallbladder, no appendix, no spleen and one kidney and the one kidney had been operated on and only half of it was present. The Dr. said, “Mrs. Meeks you are missing some parts!”

            I wanted to say today that my Mothers biggest challenge was raising my brother Keith! The truth is she loved Keith so very much. I wondered what stories to tell of Keith and I thought most of them would have to wait until we gather at the pool house. I do want to share one with you. When Mom moved back to Chattanooga and Keith and I were still little we went with her to Kingwood Pharmacy in East Ridge one day. Let’s be honest today, my Mother was a beautiful woman. There were two men that began to follow her around obviously to see if they could get a date. When Keith saw what was happening he turned to them right in the middle of the store and said, “Guys, you do not want her, she is thirty years old!” Mom was horrified. She loved her Keith and she was very proud of everything he has accomplished.

            I have so many memories. I remember driving around every weekend in that old 62 Chevrolet Impala. It was so bad that the rust had taken out parts of the floorboard and you could literally see the road passing by from the inside. We had towels down on the ripped seats. But we learned you did not have to have money to have fun.

            I remember being outside in the freezing rain standing upon a barrel and reaching up to take the electric meter off of the back of our little duplex apartment. They had shut our power off because of lack of payment and we were freezing to death. I took the meter off and “fixed it” like poor people had to do from time to time and we gathered our pennies together and went and paid the bill the next Monday (I hope the statute of limitations has run out for that confession).

            The most important story I can tell you about my Mom today happened when I was a young boy, probably a pre-teen. I stayed with Mom on the weekends those days and we would always get up on Saturday mornings and have these wonderful talks about everything. One Saturday she told me that she had something serious she wanted to tell me. She then proceeded to tell me about the worst decision she had ever made: the decision to leave Chattanooga when Keith and I were very little. She took full and complete responsibility for that decision and asked me to forgive her. She told me that she would live with the results of that decision the rest of her life.

            She also always demanded that I respect my dad. She never said one bad word about him to me ever. She did not have to do that because I respect my dad anyway because he is a great man. But what her actions did was make me respect her.

            As a pastor I have counseled with hundreds maybe even thousands of people who have gone through the difficulties of divorce. I have told every one of them the lesson I learned from my Mom – “RISE ABOVE YOUR DIFFICULTIES AND REFUSE TO USE YOUR CHILDREN TO ADVANCE YOUR OWN BITTERNESS.”

            A month ago she took me out on her back porch and wanted me to help her write out her obituary. I didn’t want to do it but she insisted. As we wrote out the details she said I want to thank my best friends, Terrell and Pam Horton. So, we wrote it in her obituary. Last night at the Funeral home Terrell and Pam gave me a beautiful Eulogy of my Mother and their relationship with her. I want to read it to you today:

EULOGY TO JUDY

A book cannot hold the precious memories you leave behind, but our grieving hearts can and will hold them forever.  In our friendship spanning slightly short of two decades, you have brought so much pleasure and happiness into our lives.  Words cannot express the joy we have shared with you, nor the sadness we feel in our hearts todays.  You have been like a mother, a sister, but most of all; you became our closest, dearest friend. 

Thanks for accepting Terrell’s invitation to join his bowling team, sparking our friendship, which only grew stronger as the years have now so quickly passed.  The fun times at the bowling center will not be forgotten. Our introduction to karaoke produced many hours of enjoyment with both “good” and “bad” singing throughout the years.  From now on your words of  “I’m next,” “Shut up, I’m trying to sing,” and “It don’t matter, nobody’s listenin’ anyway” will resonate each time we crank up our karaoke system.  You must surely be singing “Move it on over, the big dog’s movin’ in.”

Thanks for introducing us to your family, whom we have grown to love.  We now feel they are a part of ours. We also thank you for the adopted friends, many of whom we may never have known.

Thanks for the vacation times we spent together whether at home or abroad.  Our cruise in particular would never have been taken had you not convinced us to go. Thanks for flying to Texas with Pam after she begged you to go because she had never flown before and wanted you with her.  The birth of her premature grandson and his open heart surgery persuaded you to give you attending your own granddaughter’s graduation ceremony to hold Pam’s hand as she cried in terror when the plane ascended.  Only a true friend could do that.

Thanks for being there so many times for the “dine-out” or “dine-in” the “hanging-out” or “Hanging –in”, the what if’ or “who cares,” the “all-right!” or “huh-uh?” the “dress-up” or “come as you are,” the “themed party” or “no reason at all get-together,” the “come early” and “stay late,” the “foul moods” and the “happy hours,” the “more the merrier” but in particular the “just us.”

Thanks for our first taste of your white chili and jalapeno cornbread, inducing our craving for it quite often. You leave behind the recipe, missing only one ingredient, your loving, caring hands mixing it just right.

Thanks for the mystery desserts.  Some were “delicious repeats” and others “never again!”  You leave behind a craving from our sweet teeth for “I’ve got a new dessert recipe I want to try.”

Thanks for your idea to leave the Christmas tree standing year-round in the Pool House.  Decorating it each occasion or for nothing special at all brought us many hours of fun and laughs.  A new tree is standing now that will always embrace a picture of you among the various decorations.  Everyone will remember the tree is there because of you.  It will be impossible to arrive and leave without thinking of you.

We know in time our sorrow will subside, but your memory will forever be cherished within our hearts.  Until we meet again, dear friend, we love you


Terrell and Pam


Thank you Terrell and Pam for being such good friends to my Mom she loved you dearly. Thank you to all of you who were friends at the pool house. Mom cherished her times with you.

            Finally I speak to James. James, you have done a lot of great things in your life. You served our country and you are a Vietnam Veteran. I am so proud of our country today that they provide you and Mom with a final resting place. You are rightfully proud of Brooke and Kelly as you should be. But in my eyes the best thing you ever did was making my Mom’s last 36 years the happiest years of her life. If James could stand up here today He would say how much He loved my Mom but I tell him he doesn’t have to because we have seen it demonstrated in the wonderful 36 years God gave them.

            I would be remiss today if I didn’t take a minute at the closing to give glory to God. In the Gospel of John the fourteenth chapter Jesus spoke to His disciples. They were experiencing the same kind of heart trouble we feel today. Not physical pain but emotional pain at the fact that Jesus had informed them that he would be leaving them soon. In these past few days many of you have comforted me and this family by offering words of encouragement. How thankful we are for good friends. Two of my best friends stand here with me today. We couldn’t make it without good friends. But let’s be honest our words of “it will be ok” are limited by our own human power to do anything about it. Yet when Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” He has the power to back it up. He links our sentiment to His omnipotence.


John 14:1-6

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.


            The preachers have pointed out for years that Jesus reminds us here that Heaven is a real place. It is not a pie-in-the-sky, imaginary, made up fable. It is as real as Jesus Himself. Jesus told us as well that Heaven is a prepared place. Not prepared in the sense that Jesus is a carpenter up there somewhere hammering and sawing and constructing mansions, but rather prepared in that he did what He alone could do and prepare our entrance to Heaven by dying on the Cross for our sins. Our only hope today is a hope that is supplied in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ in preparing the way. It is as well, a prepared place for prepared people. Jesus said I am the way, the only way to heaven. That is the most dogmatic statement that a person could have ever made. It demands a decision out of all of us. Was He a Fool or was He exactly who He said He was? Today we choose that He was exactly who He said He was. Jesus is Lord!

On behalf of James and the rest of the family, I say thank you for coming out on this cold day to honor my mother. God Bless You.