Author: Brian

Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor

Rely On God

On By BrianIn Habit of Prayer, Virtue of Humility

I was listening to part of a message about John Bunyan by John Piper this morning which referenced II Corinthians 1:9 – “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.  But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

How easy it is for us to get this wrong.  We try to rely on ourselves or on our bank accounts or in our own cleverness or…you fill in the blank.  This is a huge issue in ministry as well.  Am I relying on God or trying to do it myself?  Of course, we have to minister, to do the work.  But God is the one who blesses our ministry, who makes it effective…or not.  We always need his grace, his help, his Spirit to be at work, or we labor in vain.

We know this, yet that self-sufficiency can creep in.  We can get so excited and impressed with our newest sermon, program, idea, whatever.  We think, “Certainly this will make a difference!”  But if God doesn’t bless it, it amounts to nothing.

Perhaps God doesn’t bless our churches more because we simply couldn’t handle it.  We would start to think too much of ourselves, begin to rely too much on ourselves.  We would forget that we need God, and that it is all of God, not of ourselves.

I think this is where prayer comes in, though that too can become a mere formality tacked on to our own self-reliance.  But if we truly believe we need God’s help, we will pray.  We will plead with God to work through us.  We will pray with fervor – “Your kingdom come.”  We will join the Psalmist in praying, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yea, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17)

May this be our prayer as we rely on him.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Last week was a very good and busy week of VBS at our church, so I wasn’t able to blog much.  Let’s start this week with a few recommended posts to visit from around the web related to Three Passion living.

First, we start with God’s passion for us.  Justin Taylor explores how Paul describes God’s grace throughout the book of Ephesians.  His question at the end of his post is important for us to consider: “Do we feel, with Paul, how truly great God’s grace is?”

People are obsessed about all kinds of things in our world, but our passion should only be found in one place as Mark Altrogge reminds us.

If we are going to grow in our passion for God and compassion for people, we need to be in God’s Word.  James MacDonald reminds us of some of the Bible’s vivid pictures of itself – and what they mean for us.

What Defines You?

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes1 Comment

C. J. Mahaney asks some good probing questions for all of us to consider in his book, The Cross Centered Life:

It’s important to ask honestly what we’re currently building our lives around….  We’re all living lives centered on something.  But is it the right thing?

So think about this for a moment.  What is the main thing in your life?

Let me put it another way.  What are you most passionate about?  What do you think about when you can think about whatever you want?  What do you love to talk about?

What defines you?

Let Us Go Over

On By BrianIn Church Life

Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”  And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish.  Behold, I am with you heart and soul.” – I Samuel 14:6-7

“Come, let us go over”

The Philistines had invaded Israel.  The two armies were camped on either side of a large ravine.  Jonathan wanted to go over to these uncircumcised – those who were not God’s people, those who did not know God.  His mission was to defeat them and chase them out of the land.  We too need to go over to those who are not God’s people, who do not know God.  Our mission however is different – to make disciples, to show the way to God, to point people to Jesus.

Jonathan needed courage to go.  There was a great risk.  He could have been killed.  We too need courage to go, though the risk is not usually physical death but death to our pride – they might ridicule us, laugh at us, reject us.  It would be easy for us to sit around as Saul did (see v1-5), but God calls us to go.  Are we seeking opportunities to share the gospel with others?  Come let us go over.

“It may be that the Lord will work for us”

Jonathan is hoping God will deliver Israel from the Philistines and bring about a great salvation.  We hope that God will deliver people from their sins and bring about a great salvation.  Salvation is God’s work.  We must go over and share the gospel, but God must convict of sin, and give grace to respond.  We are completely dependent on God for the results of our going over.  As such, we ought to pray, asking God to bless our efforts, asking God to change lives.  Pray – it may be that the Lord will work for us.

“By many or by few”

Saul was concerned with numbers – 600 Israelites against thousands of Philistines.  Jonathan understands that numbers mean nothing when God is at work, and so he goes over.  The result?  God brings a great victory (see v8-23).

Have you noticed that God loves to use the small, the humble, the few?  Jonathan and his armor-bearer against thousands.  David against Goliath.  Gideon amasses a great army, and God says, “Too many.”  God reduces the army until we would say, “Too few.”  But God uses them to bring about victory.  There is a church near us in a town of 125.  Four years ago the church had 6 people.  Today it has over 100.  God delights to use the small, the few, the humble.  Will we trust that God can work through us?  By many or by few.

“I am with you heart and soul”

Jonathan’s armor bearer is also a great example to us.  He is of one heart with Jonathan.  They will go over together.  As local churches, we must be united around the great commission.  We ought to pray for each other to have opportunities to share the gospel, and courage to make use of those opportunities.  We ought to support our church’s outreach efforts – whether through prayer, or inviting people, or helping to do the work.  What a wonderful thing when each person in a church can say to the other – “I am with you heart and soul.”

Come, let us go over!  It may be that the Lord will work for us – by many or by few.  I am with you heart and soul.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

A few days late, but here are some noteworthy links from the past week (and in same cases older).

First, some good links on prayer: wandering prayer, morning prayer, and a prayer for generosity.

Justin Taylor quotes D. A. Carson about how we tend to drift from holiness, and ways we try to justify it.

Finally, some important questions for us to ponder from Chris Brauns and Coram Deo.

The Coming of the Spirit 8

On By BrianIn God & His Glory1 Comment

The Holy Spirit changes us.  At the moment of salvation, he comes into our lives and gives us a new life.  We are born again of the Spirit (John 3:3-8).  Though we were spiritually dead and unable to please God, the Spirit makes us alive in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:1-10).  The Spirit changes us.

Not only does the Spirit give us a new life, but he then begins a process of making us more holy, more like Christ.  He produces within us the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  He changes us.

The Spirit changes us, but we must walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).  We must cooperate with him.  We must follow his lead.  Suppose I see my son playing in the middle of a busy road.  I am going to go out and change his location.  He can either cooperate and walk with me off the road.  Or he can drag his feet.  Are we walking with the Spirit away from sin?  Or are we dragging our feet?

To conclude this series – the Holy Spirit comes and does amazing things in our lives:

  • He empowers us for witnessing
  • He makes us part of the church
  • He empowers us for ministry in the church
  • He dwells in his church
  • He makes us God’s children
  • He helps us in our daily lives
  • He dwells within us
  • He changes us

Let us give thanks to God for the work of the Spirit in our lives!

The Coming of the Spirit 7

On By BrianIn God & His Glory

The Spirit of God not only makes us God’s children and helps us in daily life, but he also dwells within us.  I Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  God himself dwells within us.  That is an incredible thought.  Stop and ponder what it means for God to dwell within you.

One response we must have to this incredible truth is that we must glorify God with our bodies.  This is what v20 tells us.  In the context of the chapter, to glorify God with our bodies first means that we must not commit sexual immorality.  But the application can swing much wider.

All of our actions are to glorify God.  All of our words are to glorify God.  All of our thoughts are to glorify God.  When we sin in deed, word, or thought, we desecrate God’s temple.  We bring abominations into God’s temple.  Sin is serious indeed.

What is more, if our bodies are God’s temples than we must take good care of our bodies.  How could we treat God’s temple poorly?  This includes what we eat, proper exercise, and avoiding those things that would be harmful to our bodies.  What we wear must also be considered.  Do my clothes honor God?  Modesty is important here.

The Spirit of God dwells within me.  My body is the Spirit’s temple.  I must use my body for his glory.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

A few gems from the past few weeks.  First Chris Brauns challenges us to get serious about fighting sin with a great quote from Billy Sunday.  He also challenges us to get serious about preparing to hear God’s Word preached with a quote from Spurgeon.

Meanwhile Justin Taylor quotes Tim Keller on how salvation by grace encourages our outreach.  And Kevin DeYoung gives us some helpful thoughts on assurance of salvation.

Finally, He Is My Delight asks us, “What were we made for?“

The Coming of the Spirit 6

On By BrianIn God & His Glory

The Holy Spirit not only makes us God’s children giving us hope, but he also helps us in our daily lives.  Jesus calls him our Helper (John 14:16, 16:7).  Various translations translate the word Helper as Comforter, Counselor, or Advocate.  And he is all three.

The Spirit is our Advocate interceding before the Father for us (Romans 8:26-27).  The Spirit is our Counselor teaching us how to live (John 14:26, 16:13, II Peter 1:21).  The Spirit is our Comforter giving us peace in the midst of trials (John 14:26-27, Galatians 5:22).

The Spirit is there to help us.  We must simply look to him.  Are we in need of comfort and peace in the midst of trials?  We can look to our Comforter.  Are we in need of direction and counsel?  We can look to our Counselor.  Are we filled with cares and concerns?  We can look to our Advocate who will intercede for us.

We need not face life alone.  The Spirit has come to help us.  Let us look to him for the help we need.

The Coming of the Spirit 5

On By BrianIn God & His Glory

In the first four posts on the coming of the Spirit, the emphasis was on the Spirit’s work in us together as the church.  In the next four, we want to see how the Spirit works in us as individuals.

First, the Spirit makes us God’s children.  Romans 8:15-17 tells us that it is through the Spirit that we are adopted, it is through the Spirit that we call God our Father.  Because we are God’s children, we are heirs.  We have an inheritance.  One day we will receive resurrected glorious bodies like Christ’s resurrected glorious body (I Corinthians 15) – we will be co-heirs with Christ.  We will dwell in a new heaven and new earth where there will be no more pain or crying or death (Revelation 21:1-4).

Our response to this should be hope.  We have a great hope of a day when we will be with the Lord, and there will be no more sin, no more suffering, no more sickness, no more pain, no more death.  In the last week, an older man in our church passed away, and a young woman in our community passed away.  In the face of death, how we need this hope!

In the midst of trials and struggles – times of loss, sickness, surgery, family problems, and so much more, we can cling to our hope of a better day that is ours through the Spirit.  In the midst of good times that God blesses us with for our enjoyment, we can cling to the hope that even better days are coming through the Spirit.  In the face of our own deaths someday, we can cling to the hope that a day is coming when even death will be defeated and we will dwell in paradise with the Lord forever – all because the Spirit has made us God’s children.

Is this hope alive in us today?  Do we live in the good times and the bad times holding on to the hope of what God has prepared for us?  Or do we get so caught up in life today, that we forget our hope?  Our hope can give us strength and courage for today.  Our hope can clarify our priorities and motivate us to live for Christ in this life.  Are we living each day in light of our glorious hope?

The Spirit makes us God’s children and heirs of a great inheritance, and so we have hope.  Let’s live like it!