Tuesday, September 30, 2008

To Improve and Ennoble Our Souls


"The true way to improve and ennoble our souls is, by fixing our love on the divine perfections, that we may have them always before us, and derive an impression of them on ourselves, and 'beholding with open face, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, we may be changed into the same image, from glory to glory.'

"He who, with a generous and holy ambition, hath raised his eyes toward that uncreated beauty and goodness, and fixed his affection there, is quite of another spirit, of a more excellent and heroic temper than the rest of the world, and cannot but infinitely disdain all mean and unworthy things; will not entertain any low or base thoughts which might disparage his high and noble pretensions."


Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man, p. 71.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Divine Love and Lawkeeping

Another quote from Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man:
The love which a pious man bears to God and goodness, is not so much by virtue of a command enjoining him so to do, as by a new nature instructing and prompting him to it; nor doth he pay his devotions as an unavoidable tribute, only to appease the Divine justice, or quiet his clamorous conscience; but those religious exercises are the proper emanations of the Divine life, the natural employments of the new-born soul. He prays, and give thanks, and repents, not only because these things are commanded, but rather because he is sensible of his wants, and of the Divine goodness, and of the folly and misery of a sinful life; his charity is not forced, nor his alms extorted from him, his love makes him willing to give; and though there were no outward obligation, his 'heart would devise liberal things'; injustice or intemperance, and all other vices, are as contrary to his temper and constitution, as the basest actions are to the most generous spirit, and impudence and scurrility to those who are naturally modest: so that I may well say with St. John, 'Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin: for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin
because he is born of God' (1 John 3:9). Though holy and religious persons do much eye the law of God, and have a great regard unto it, yet it is not so much the sanction of the law, as its reasonableness, and purity, and goodness, which do prevail with them. They accout it excellent and desirable in itself, and that in keeping of it there is great reward; and that Divine love wherewith they are acted makes them become a law unto themselves. (pp. 45-46)

Preaching at Southeastern

The Lord granted me the privilege today of addressing the students and faculty at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. The chapel talks for this year are available here.



What a great privilege it was to fellowship in the word with the saints here. SEBTS has impacted my life in very important ways. The first pastor to begin discipling me for pastoral ministry and to model commitment to exposition, Peter Rochelle, was a Southeastern grad. While living in Raleigh, N.C., my family had the privilege of serving at Church on the Rock, where the seminary's influence was positively felt through some of the members there. So, it was a great privilege to serve here today.


One of the remarkable things about SEBTS is the sweet spirit that pervades the place. There is just an obvious joy and freedom here. Dr. Danny Akin is a gracious host... "a gentleman and a scholar" as they say. The school seems to be obviously thriving under his leadership. I was really encouraged with the missions emphasis and zeal in the place. A good work is being done here. Please pray that the Lord enlarges the work of His Spirit in this place.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Henry Scougal on Preaching

"If a man could speak fire, and blood, and smoke, if flames should come out of his mouth instead of words, if he had a voice like thunder, and an eye like lightning, he could not sufficiently represent the dreadful account which an unfaithful pastor shall make....

"Again, preaching is an exercise of which many are ambitious, and none more so than those that are the least qualified for it; but it is not so easy a matter to perform this task aright. To stand in the presence of God, and speak to his people in his name, with that seriousness, gravity and simplicity, that zeal and concern which the business requires; to accommodate ourselves to the capacity of the common people, without disgusting the more knowing ones; to awaken drowsy souls, without terrifying tender consciences; to carry home the charge of sin, without the appearance of personal reflection; in a word, to approve ourselves unto God as workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

"You see, sirs, to what a dreadful and important charge you aspire. Consider, I beseech you, what great pains are necessary to fit you for it. It is not a knowledge of controversy, or the gift of eloquence; much less, a strong voice and bold confidence, that will prepare you for it. Your greatest work lies within, in purifying yourselves, and learning that wisdom which is necessary to win souls. Begin, I pray you, and preach to your passions, and try what good you can do to your friends and neighbours. Be not forward in rushing into public; it is better to be drawn than to run.

"Again, we are not to entertain our people with subtle questions, and metaphysical niceties, etc. Let us study to acquaint them with the tenor of the Gospel-covenant, and what they must do to be saved; and teach them their duties to God and men. But it is not enough to speak these things, to tell men what their duty is; we must endeavour to stir them up by the most powerful and effectual persuasions. The judgment being informed, we must move the affections and this is the proper use of our preaching. 'The people that commonly sit under the pulpit (as the excellent Herbert observes) are usually as hard and dead as the seats they sit on, and need a mountain of fire to kindle them.' The best way is to preach the things first to ourselves, and then frequently to recollect in whose presence we are, and whose business we are doing."


Taken from a sermon Scougal delivered before the synod of Aberdeen called "Importance and Difficulty of the Ministerial Function." Cited in the introduction to Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man (Christian Focus, 1996), pp. 33-34.

Protecting Marriage to Protect Children

That's the title of social scientist and advocate for fatherhood and family David Blankenhorn's op-ed in The LA Times today. During my days in the Washington think tank world, Blankenhorn was respected on both the left and the right. The punchline from Blankenhorn's article:
... changing the meaning of marriage to accommodate homosexual orientation further and perhaps definitively undermines for all of us the very thing -- the gift, the birthright -- that is marriage's most distinctive contribution to human society. That's a change that, in the final analysis, I cannot support.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Contextualization....

As an American abroad, I'm constantly finding little ways that I'm America-centered in my view of life. Sometimes these are important discoveries; other times humorous. Here are a couple of pictures from N. Ireland that brought a chuckle. Why are these pictures a problem for those of us too America-minded?


Saturday, September 20, 2008

Around the Blog in 80 Seconds: Great Quotes Edition

It's been a while since I've been "around the blog". There's been a lot of great stuff out there, edifying stuff. Seems there have been a number of really good quotes posted. Thought I'd list links to a few.

Pyromaniacs quote Spurgeon on preaching with candor and personal application. See here.

Lig' Duncan gets personal with Calvinists regarding controversies, courtesy of John Newton. See here.

Lig's homie with the accent, Derek Thomas, sets the bar high with a quote from Bishop Howe on ideal gospel ministers. I plugged this once but thought it was challenging enough to link again. Here.

Colin quotes Keller on learning to preach well through practice. See here. Someone said to me it takes about 400-500 sermons before you've worked out who you really are in the pulpit. I know I'm still working on it.

JT quotes Mollie Hemmingway of the WSJ on a new study from Baylor University called "What Americans Really Believe." The New Atheism leads to a new superstition. Good quote here.

What? Theology solves practical problems?! Indeed. JT via Lig via Donald Macleod in The Humiliated and Exalted Lord provides the quote. See here.

And if you've not had enough quotes, spend a season at Of First Importance. Too many good ones to choose from.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Scary Sights in Scotland

Scotland boasts some of the most picturesque sights on the planet. The landscape of the highlands makes an ordinary man a poet.

But some sights are surprisingly scary. Take this one for instance:

This is taking the Scottish Reformation waaayyy too far!


Thanks to the MacKenzie clan for the memories and the use of the tartans! Real men wear kilts!

Lloyd-Jones on the Tests for the Christian Life, 3

Here's the final quote from Lloyd-Jones from one of his sermons on Romans 7:4. After meditating on four "tests" for true Christian life, the good doctor provides a little balm for the weak and wounded.

For your encouragement and comfort--and especially for those who may feel that they are very weak, and doubtful about their position--let me suggest some few simple tests. What are the tests of 'life?' Here are some of them. The Apostle Peter writes, 'As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby' (1 Peter 2:2). I put it to you in this way. Do you enjoy public meetings for worship? That is not true of the natural man, the non-Christian. Men and women of the world regard such meetings as the height of boredom; and they have no understanding of what is being said. They say, 'What is all that? What does it mean? What has it got to do with me?' And they would never want to hear it again. Does exposition of the Truth in preaching appeal to you? Do you like it? Do you enjoy it? Would you like to know more about it? If you can say 'Yes' to those questions you possess good presumptive evidence that you have new life in you. You may only be a 'babe'; but thank God, you are born again, you are 'in Christ'. Do not be misled by people who would apply the test of mature, adult, fully-grown Christian to a new-born babe. 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned' (1 Cor. 2:14). If you therefore 'receive' these things, though you may be living an unworthy life, you are 'born again.' 'The natural mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' If you can say honestly that your desire is to know God and to serve Him, you are a child of God. You may be imperfect, I am not excusing you--but you must be clear about this. If, because of your failures, you are made to feel, as I said earlier, that you are not a Christian at all, then your position is such that you ahve to go right back to the beginning once more. Therefore, I say, do not allow any legalist to cause you to doubt your position. The new-born babe desires the 'milk', 'the sincere milk of the word, that he may grow thereby'; he is interested in spiritual things. His understanding may be very small, and very immature; but if he has even a glimmer of light, and if he wants more of it--if he is drawn to the truth, and likes to be amongst God's people--then the statement that 'We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren' applies to him. Those are some of the tests which we can apply to ourselves. The Apostle's assertion is that you cannot be a Christian without a death and a new birth--a 'life'.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

April 21-23, 2009


That's the date for the Gospel Coalition conference, "Entrusted with the Gospel: Living the Vision of Second Timothy." Don't forget to register!

Lloyd-Jones on the Tests for Christian Life, 2

Here's the remainder of Lloyd-Jones' comments on Romans 7:4 and the tests for a true Christian. These are tests 2-4. Lord willing tomorrow, an encouragement for those who feel weak and doubtful about their position before the Lord.

The second truth is that the man who has become a Christian is in an entirely new relationship. That is w hat the Apostle is emphasizing here in particular. To be a Christian means that you are now in an entirely new relationship to God. Before, your relationship to God was one through the Law; it is now through the Lord Jesus Christ. What a change that is! My whole standing is different; my position, my status as I stand before God, is altogether different from what it was before. Here again is something which emphasizes the profound character of the Christian life. So as we talk about it we must always include this thought, that there has been an entire change in our relationship to God. We were 'under law', we are now 'under grace.'

The third truth is that as Christians we have an entirely new purpose in life, namely, 'to bring forth fruit unto God.' The man who is not a Christian knows nothing of that purpose; he lives for himself, he brings forth fruit unto himself. He lives to satisfy himself; he is self-centered, entirely egocentric. It matters not how good a man he appears to be; if he is not a Christian, he is always egocentric. He is proud of his morality, he is proud that he is not like other people, he looks at them with disdain. All along he is pleasing himself, coming up to his own standard, trusting his own efforts and endeavours. He revolves around himself. But the man who has become a Christian has an entirely new purpose, to 'bring forth fruit unto God.' These are basic definitions of what it means to be a Christian.

The fourth general truth which here lies on the surface is that the Christian is a man who has been provided with an entirely new ability, a new power and strength. Certain things have happened to him in order that he should 'bring forth fruit unto God'. He could not do that before; he can do so now. A new ability, a new power has entered into the life of this man.

There, I say, are four things which lie here on the very surface of this verse, and which are always true of the Christian. Therefore if we would know for certain whether or not we are Christians we have four thorough tests that we can apply to ourselves. Can you say quite honestly, 'I am not the person I once was, I have been born again, I am a different person?" That is the first thing--new life. It does not mean of necessity that that evidence is always very strong or very powerful. You can be a 'babe in Christ', but even a babe has life. A babe is not as strong as a grown-up adult person, but he has life. The question therefore is: Are we aware of the fact that there is this 'new life' in us? It is not that we have done something, but that something has happened to us which causes us to be surprised at ourselves, and to wonder at ourselves that something is now true of us which was not true before.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Lloyd-Jones on the Tests for the Christian Life

Yesterday we excerpted some comments from Martin Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Romans 7:4. He pointed out four things from the text that characterized the Christian life: (1) regeneration; (2) a new relationship; (3) a new purpose; and (4) a new ability.

Lloyd-Jones continued that sermon by meditating on some tests for whether a person has entered into the Christian life and give evidence of these four characteristics. Here's Lloyd-Jones' thoughts:

There, I say, are four things which lie here on the very surface of this verse, and which are always true of the Christian. Therefore if we would know for certain whether or not we are Christians we have four thorough tests that we can apply to ourselves. Can you say quite honestly, 'I am not the person I once was, I have been born again, I am a different person?' That is the first thing--new life. It does not mean of necessity that that evidence is always very strong or very powerful. You can be a 'babe in Christ', but even a babe has life. A babe is not as strong as a grown-up adult person, but he has life. The question therefore is: Are we aware of the fact that there is this 'new life' in us? It is not that we have done something, but that something has happened to us which causes us to be surprised at ourselves, and to wonder at ourselves that something is now true of us which was not true before.

For your encouragement and comfort--and especially for those who may feel that they are very weak, and doubtful about their position--let me suggest some few simple tests. What are the tests of 'life'? Here are some of them. the Apostle Peter writes, 'As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby' (1 Peter 2:2). I put it to you in this way. Do you enjoy public meetings for worship? That is not true of the natural man, the non-Christian. Men and women of the world regard such meetings as the height of boredom; and they have no understanding of what is being said. They say, 'What is all that? What does it mean? What has it got to do with me?' And they would never want to hear it again. Does exposition of the Truth in preaching appeal to you? Do you like it? Do you enjoy it? Would you like to know more about it? If you can say 'Yes' to those questions you possess good presumptive evidence that you have new life in you. You may only be a 'babe'; but thank God, you are born again, you are 'in Christ'. Do not be misled by people who would apply the test of a mature, adult, fully-grown Christian to a newborn babe. 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned' (1 Cor. 2:14). If you therefore 'receive' these things, though you may be living and unworthy life, you are 'born again'. 'The natural mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' If you can say honestly that your desire is to know God and to serve Him, you are a child of God. You may be imperfect, I am not excusing you--but you must be clear about this. If, because of our failures, you are made to feel, as I said earlier, that you are not a Christian at all, then your position is such that you have to go right back to the beginning once more. Therefore, I say, do not allow any legalist to cause you to doubt your position. The newborn babe desires the 'milk', 'the sincere milk of the word, that he may grow thereby'; he is interested in spiritual things. His understanding may be very small, and immature; but if he has even a glimmer of light, and if he wants more of it--if he is drawn to the truth, and likes to be amongst God's people--then the statement that 'We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren' applies to him. Those are some of the tests which we can apply to ourselves. The Apostle's assertion is that you cannot be a Christian without a death and a new birth--a 'life'.

Lord willing tomorrow we'll conclude with encouragements and tests 2-4.

Tremble! Then Rejoice!

Some of the most sobering and frightening passages of Scripture reveal to us that God does not see the way we see. And more to the point, those passages reveal to us that God's holy and searching gaze falls upon our hearts.

So we read in Gen. 6:5, just before the universal flood that wiped out all but eight souls, "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."

And afterwards, we learn that the soul-destroying infection of a corrupted heart was not removed by the flood waters. Rain could not wash away this defilement, nor could a murky flood shield the human heart from God's penetrating stare. So we read in Jeremiah 17:9-10, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what he deserves."

Even in the days of our Lord, religious men had their hearts laid bare before the searching eyes of God. "The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight'" (Luke 16:14-15). Had they known the penetrating character of God's sight, they surely would have trembled in their sandals. Their loves--their highest loves--was detestable to the One who tests men's hearts.

King Solomon understood the importance and the implications of this. In his prayer of dedication for the temple, Solomon spread his hands toward heaven and said, in part, "Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers." The knowledge of God's searing insight is to drive men to their knees in pleas for forgiveness and stir reverence and abiding awareness of the presence of God in daily living.

To grasp this puts a person on their face, trembling before the God of the universe. It's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of a holy God. If there were nothing covering our distorted and defiled hearts from the eyes of God, we would perish in the brilliant blaze of His glory and holiness. We would run into the caves and cry out for the rocks to fall upon us! And we may feel the awesome terror of this merely reading the words, "God knows your heart." It's only those who are unfamiliar with their own hearts who don't shake and tremble at the thought.

But there is a covering; one that draws the eyes of God to a sight more glorifying and pleasing in His sight than we can imagine. There is a covering that averts the gaze of justice and evokes the longing look of love. There is a covering that makes God's searching of our hearts a glad and welcome experience.

The blood of Christ covers us. And in God's sight beats the pure heart of His Son. Indeed, it's His heart we now have if we are His. A new heart with new desires and the law of God written on it (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 10:15-18). Where this new heart beats, God says, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

Now with exceeding joy and no cowering fear we can pray with the psalmist, "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

And we can now rejoice and take confidence in the promise of reward in Jeremiah 17:10, "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what he deserves." In Christ, the prospect of God's reward for our conduct is no longer thunder and lightning but eternal joy. The reward that follows the searching of Christ's heart... is... well, unimaginably glorious!

And in our daily living as well, the searching of the Christian's heart leads to supernatural, divine help. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Rom. 8:26-27).

The search that once only revealed a disgusting depravity, now turns up reward and intercessory help from the Holy Spirit. The old heart caused us to tremble in guilt and fear; the new heart propels us upward and higher in Christ with great rejoicing.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24).

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Evangelicalism in America

A few from the Gospel Coalition describe it and dissect it in brief:

Lloyd-Jones on the Marks of a True Christian

A couple weeks back, we had the privilege and joy of stopping off in London to visit with friend and fellow-worker in the gospel Mike Gilbart-Smith. Mike and his family are recently settled as the pastor of Twynholm Baptist Church in London (Fulham). Mike is an exceptional preacher, godly, faithful, and full of love for Christ's Bride.

He's also generous with books. He gave me a copy of Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Romans 7:1-8:4. I thought Lloyd-Jones' meditation on Romans 7:4 very helpful and encouraging. I'll break the section into two parts. The first focuses on the description of the true Christian as found in Romans 7:4. It's lengthy, but it's worth it.

First, let us look at this verse as it gives us a general description and definition of the christian life. It is here for us on the surface. It tells us immediately that to be a Christian means that we have an entirely new life. The Apostle speaks in terms of being 'dead' and 'alive.' To be Christian is nothing less than that. It involves a death and a rising. The difference, therefore, between the Christian and the non-Christian is obviously a radical one, and not merely something superficial. To become a Christian does not mean that you just modify your former life a little, or adjust it slightly, or make it look a little better, or 'brush it up' as it were. There are many who conceive of Christianity in those terms. To become a Christian, they think, means in the main that you stop doing certain things, and begin to do others. There is a slight adjustment in your life, a slight modification, some things are dropped, others added; there is some improvement, you live a better life than you lived before. All of that, of course, is quite true, but that alone is not Christianity. Whatever our definition of Christianity is, it must include this idea of a death and a new life--nothing less than that. In other words, to be a Christian means to undergo the profoundest change that one can ever know. That is why the New Testament, in speaking of the way in which a person becomes a Christian, uses such terms as 'Ye must be born again', 'a new creation', a 'new creature'. It is nothing less than regeneration. Naturally, generation is fundamental; it is the giving of life and bringing into being. Becoming a Christian involves regeneration, and the spiritual far surpasses the natural. So here at once, and on the very surface, we are made to realize that to be a Christian is no small matter, and that the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian is not a slight one. It is the greatest difference possible between two human beings. It is no other than the difference between life and death. That is why I say that the main trouble with most of us in the Church today is that our whole concept of the christian life is much too small. We seem to have lost this idea, though we may pay lip-service to it, that it involves as radical a process and as deep-seated a change as is conceivable. That is the first truth.

The second truth is that the man who has become a Christian is an entirely new relationship. That is what the Apostle is emphasizing here in particular. To be a Christian means that you are now in an entirely new relationship to God. Before, your relationship to God was one through the Law; it is now through the Lord Jesus Christ. What a change that is! My whole standing is different; my position, my status as I stand before God, is altogether different from what it was before. Here again is something which emphasizes the profound character of the Christian life. So as we talk about it we must always include this thought, that there has been an entire change in our relationship to God. We were 'under law,' we are now 'under grace.'

The third truth is that as Christians we have an entirely new purpose in life, namely, 'to bring forth fruit unto God'. The man who is not a Christian knows nothing of that purpose; he lives for himself, he brings forth fruit unto himself. He lives to satisfy himself; he is self-centered, entirely egocentric. It matters not how good a man he appears to be; if he is not a Christian, he is always egocentric. He is proud of his morality, he is proud that he is not like other people, he looks at them with disdain. All along he is pleasing himself, coming up to this own standard, trusting his own efforts and endeavours. He revolves around himself. But the man who has become a Christian has an entirely new purpose, to 'bring forth fruit unto God'. These are basic definitions of what it means to be a Christian.

The foruth general truth which here lies on the surface is that the Christian is a man who has been provided with an entirely new ability, a new power and strength. Certain things have happened to him in order that he should 'bring forth fruit unto God'. He could not do that before; he can do so now. A new ability, a new power has entered into the life of this man.

There, I say, are four things which lie here on the very surface of this verse, and which are always true of the Christian.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, the four tests Lloyd-Jones offers for knowing whether we're Christians.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Ideal Ministers of the Gospel

Yesterday we had the joy of celebrating the ordination of two elders at FBC. The two brothers are faithful and eager servants and will with God's help be very faithful pastors. We charged them from 1 Peter 5:1-4:
1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Yesterday was a good day of meditating on the pastor's calling and the great reward that comes to those who shepherd faithfully. Then this morning, I was challenged by this description of gospel ministers from Bishop How:
Bishop How once gave a striking description of the characteristics he believed should be found in an ideal minister of the Gospel. "Such a minister," he said, "should be a man pure, holy, and spotless in his life; a man of much prayer; in character meek, lowly, and infinitely compassionate; of tenderest love to all; full of sympathy for every pain and sorrow, and devoting his days and nights to lightening the burdens of humanity; utterly patient of insult and enmity; utterly fearless in speaking' the truth and rebuking sin; ever ready to answer every call, to go wherever bidden, in order to do good; wholly without thought of self; making himself the servant of all; patient, gentle, and untiring in dealing with the souls he would save; bearing with ignorance, wilfulness, slowness, cowardice, in those of whom he expects most; sacrificing all, even life itself, if need be, to save some. (cited in Ernest E. Ryden's English Hymnody) HT: Ref21.

The good meditations continue!

A Pastor's Witness Against His People

During our visit to beautiful Scotland, our kind host gave us something of a Scottish Christian history tour. It was a wonderful time.

We stopped at one church in the highlands of Scotland formerly pastored by Rev. Thomas Hog (1628-1692). Despite the unfortunate last name, Hog was a faithful evangelical pastor in the best sense of the term. Below is his tombstone, situated at the foundation of the church's front entrance.


The inscription reads: "This stone shall bear witness against the parishioners of Kiltearn if they bring ane ungodly minister in here."

In a generation or so after Hog's death, an unfaithful minister took charge of the congregation. In a further generation or so, the Lord removed the lampstand from that place (Rev. 2:5). The church is now a ruin in the midst of a country churchyard. May unbelief not keep us from taking seriously our Lord's words in Rev. 2:5!

I pray that my ministry--however long or short--would be a stone of witness for the supremacy of Jesus and the glory of the gospel and against ministerial unfaithfulness in all her varied forms. I pray that everywhere a faithful pastor stands and labors there an Ebenezer is raised, and the congregations of their charge take seriously their responsibility for safeguarding the gospel and calling men of sober, holy, and joyfully reverent character.

How horrible it is when the Lord's bride forsakes her first love! He surely holds that against her (Rev. 1:4). What a great height from which to fall (Rev. 1:5)! The sound of cracked and crushed bones from such a fall is eternally deafening.

The Christian world's love for novelty and fad, for ease and comfort, for popularity and influence, for entertainment and play, for riches and monuments conspires against her, and eases her ever so surely toward irrelevance and destruction, toward the crypt and rigamortis of worldliness. In so many places, Christians are, as C.S. Lewis put it, "men without chests." We are, in too many cases, phantoms rather than rock-solid, rock-ribbed, living girders and pillars holding forth the Truth.

Jesus calls us to repent and return to our first love (Rev. 1:5b) wherever unfaithfulness exists, being fearful that anyone should ever stand over the heaped ruin of our lives and ministries. Better that we be like Thomas Hog:
  • Scottish divine ; M.A. Marischal College, Aberdeen;
  • minister of Kiltearn, 1654-1661 and 1691-2;
  • deposed as protester, 1661;
  • imprisoned for keeping conventicles;
  • fined and banished, 1684.
Even if it means witnessing against our people on behalf of the truth.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Rev. 1:7).

Saturday, September 13, 2008

A Proposal for Christian Bloggers Interested in Politics

Well... it's happened. We all knew that it would. The national campaign for president has taken a nasty turn. For the first time in years, we had two candidates that looked as if they might fulfill their promise of a race with integrity and some measure of cleanliness. Well, okay, that was a brief and fleeting moment as both candidates tried and usually did take relatively high ground during the primaries.

Well, looks like the gloves are off and the mud-slinging has begun in earnest, including complete fabrications. The NY Times chronicles McCain's recent blunders here and focuses on Obama's plans for a "sharper tone" here.

So, I'm officially uninterested, turned off by what could be one of the most scintillating moments in American political history--either the election of the oldest president and first woman VP or the election of the first African American to the highest post in the land. Either event could have massive social implications for America and how we understand ourselves. But, it seems to me, the moment lies about six feet deep in putrid mire.

Who will go in and retrieve it?
Admittedly, I've been a bit out of the loop over the past month. But as far as I can tell, many Christian blogs have essentially toed their party lines, taking up their candidates mantle with slightly less vitriol.


Here's a proposal:

If you're a Christian blogger with interest in this presidential election, how about serving as a truth watchdog for your candidate? In other words, since you're already spending at least some time consuming the information your candidate produces, how about serving that candidate and the rest of us by simply reporting the accuracies, inaccuracies, exaggerations, and distortions that come from your camp. We can't trust the candidates to do that. And many of us are reading your blogs, in part, because we have some measure of trust for you. How about deepening that trust and serving the public in a distinctively Christian way... by "putting off falsehood and speaking truthfully to your neighbor" (Eph. 4:25).

I don't suppose that any of us will turn into full-time distortion hunters. But it would be humble and good to work against the sinful inclination to champion our favored candidate's positive qualities and not turn a blind eye to known falsehoods when we discover them. Our being salt and light depends on our holding fast to the truth--especially when it's inconvenient and not in our self-interest. It would be great if the so-called Evangelical or "Christian right" became synonymous not so much with this or that policy position or party but with truth-loving, truth-defending, truth-living witness.

Monday, September 08, 2008

In Which Direction Do You Preach?

The family is back from a week at the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention in Bangor, Norther Ireland and a week of vacation celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary. It was a fabulous time in N. Ireland, Scotland and London. Without question, N. Ireland and Scotland boasts some of the most gorgeous countrysides and vistas on the planet. And more beautiful than that, both countries are home to some of the most hospitable people I've ever met, warm and inviting in every way. We're deeply grateful to the Lord for our time away and for the fruit He bore in our family through it.

Of the many nuggets and morsels we were treated to, the following quote is one I've pondered since first reading it. I have brother William MacKenzie to thank for directing my attention to it, and I hope it's thought-provoking for you as well.
As preachers, they were all remarkable. There are some who preach before their people, like actors on the stage, to display themselves and to please their audience. Not such were the self-denied preachers of Ross-shire. There are others who preach over their people. Studying for the highest, instead of doing so for the lowest, in intelligence, they elaborate learned treatises, which float like mist, when delivered, over the heads of their hearers. Not such were the earnest preachers of Ross-shire. There are some who preach past their people. Directing their praise or their censure to intangible abstractions, they never take aim at the views and the conduct of the individuals before them. They step carefully aside, lest their hearers should be struck by their shafts, and aim them at phantoms beyond them. Not such were the faithful preachers of Ross-shire. There are others who preach at their people, serving out in a sermon the gossip of the week, and seemingly possessed with the idea that the transgressor can be scolded out of the ways of iniquity. Not such were the wise preachers of Ross-shire. There are some who preach towards their people. They aim well, but they are weak. Their eye is along the arrow towards the hearts of their hearers, but their arm is too feeble for sending it on to the mark. Superficial in their experience and in their knowledge, they reach not the cases of God’s people by their doctrine, and they strike with no vigour at the consciences of the ungodly. Not such were the powerful preachers of Ross-shire. There are others still, who preach along their congregation. Instead of standing with their bow in front of the ranks, these archers take them in line, and, reducing their mark to an individual, never change the direction of their aim. Not such were the discriminating preachers of Ross-shire. But there are a few who preach to the people directly and seasonably the mind of God in His Word, with authority, unction, wisdom, fervour, and love. Such as these last were the eminent preachers of Ross-shire.