How the Church is Not Like a BBQ Restaurant

“His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” –Ephesians 3:10

I just read on social media a barbecue restaurant in Hamilton is closing. When I first moved to Hamilton, another barbecue restaurant occupied the same space before closing. Who knows what might move into this space next? The ebbs and flows of businesses and restaurants moves with the appetites and wallets of the people who live in our community.

I also know of a few churches which closed. The world would say this is all the same thing. Much like a business or a restaurant, churches close and make way for something new. Perhaps an apartment complex or a restaurant. A mindset not surprisingly worldly. Yet, this is not the reality of Christ’s church.

The Lord Jesus Christ is not merely another product like barbecue. Jesus is preeminent, majestic, eternally ruling as King. As Colossians 1 says, Jesus is firstborn of all creation, highest in rank and rule, sovereign over visible and invisible authorities having created all things. And the members of one body the church has Jesus Christ the supreme as its Head (Colossians 1:18). Jesus demands and will have every knee bow before Him (Philippians 2:9-11).

And where does Jesus display His supremacy and glory for all the earth and heavenly realms? His church. Christ who is our peace tore down the wall of hostility in His torn flesh reconciles those who believe in Him to God, making peace and leading His new creation (Ephesians 2:14-16).

When Paul wrote to Corinth, he said that specific local church was “called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 1:2). If you could look at our planet from above, look down with wonder and think about the multitude of local displays of Christ in places all around the world! Each local church is important.

And the day is coming we gather in that eternal gathering to sing a new song to the worthy Lamb who was slain, saving His people, completing His new creation and our full sanctification, ruling with full authority (Revelation 5:9-14). This power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing belonging to Christ is the manifold wisdom of God on display in the local church, being made known to the world and to rulers and authorities in heavenly places.

Dear saints of Allison Avenue, our gathering and faithfulness is important, for we display the glorious Christ. We exist to know Him and make Him known. We come to know Him by the teaching and preaching of His Word. We make Him known by proclaiming Him to our community.

This joyful labor to know Him and make Him known welcomes each of our investment in the local church. To be there, to serve, to study the precious Lamp to our Feet together, and to proclaim the riches of His glorious grace to one another and to the world.

Heavenly Father, remind us of Your glory and power invested in Your Word and Your manifold wisdom displayed in Your household, the church, the pillar and buttress of the truth. Grant us strength to follow our Lord Jesus faithfully, proclaiming Your excellent goodness in the church and to those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Who is God?

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” – II Corinthians 4:6

Who is God? This is a most valuable question. Not what the unbeliever asks, which is, “which religion best suits me,” or, “which version of God am I most comfortable with?” The quest for truth is found in the question, “Who is God,” asks truthfully, no matter how I feel about Him or what I expect or want Him to be like, who is God really?

The important task for the Christian is to know God. And Paul says we know God and His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. And this knowledge is a gift chosen by God to give freely to us. He has shone this knowledge in our hearts. The very God who spoke light from darkness, created all things by the power of His Word, has spoken this light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

God is to be known, adored, and worshiped. We study His Word, we gather and worship with a healthy local church which teaches truth, and we grow in love for the God who tells us truth in His Word and we grow in love for one another by the rich truths we discover and are changed by in His Word.

What about the unbelievers around us? They do not know God. “We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord,” Paul said in the previous verse. Your unbelieving neighbor needs to know Jesus Christ is Lord. He is sovereign, wise, and rightfully demands worship. We proclaim Jesus as Lord.

We preach Christ crucified. A rich truth called “good news.” He is God in the flesh come to us. He is the atoning sacrifice for sinners to be reconciled to a holy God forever. We preach Christ as Lord, meaning He is promised in the Old Testament, and has fulfilled every promise of God. We preach Christ as Lord as an encounter with those we proclaim to. It’s a confrontation.

Such a confrontation is a preaching of repentance. To turn from wickedness and worshiping anything but God toward the truth worship of God. Such glory shines in the hearts of God’s people who see His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. He is risen from the dead, with full authority in heaven and on earth.

To those who believe upon Jesus we proclaim as Lord, Christ Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). Such a confrontation from the risen Christ breaks down the wall of hostility of our flesh breaking God’s laws. Jesus kills our hostility in dying for us, reconciling us to God, making peace with the God we offended with our sin.

Paul knows what it was like to be confronted with Jesus Christ the Lord. He was blinded by the glory of the resurrected Jesus. This man honored in Jerusalem with papers from temple leaders justifying his persecution now humbled by Jesus. In Galatians, Paul said his conversion came by Jesus’ revealing Himself, not by any human teaching (Galatians 1:11). This encounter with Jesus which blinded and humbled Paul was a calling “by His grace” (1:15). God was pleased to reveal Jesus to Paul to set him apart for preaching Christ as Lord to the Gentiles (1:16).

Christian, God has called you by His grace. Remember your sinfulness. Rejoice in His saving grace that His wrath for your sin was on Jesus and His cross, and Jesus’ righteousness is now yours received by faith alone. God has saved you to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord to others.

Know Him. Adore and worship Him. Proclaim Him. He who is known by the power of His Word, the power of Him who called light to shine out of darkness shines light into the hearts of His people to know Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God.

If you do not know God, you can know God. Look to Jesus. Look to the fullness of His glory and power and majesty. In the fullness of His glory there is grace upon grace; grace overflowing for sinners. You, sinner, must be made new. "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). And you will find the Lord in the only Son sent by the Father, the glorious crucified and resurrection Christ.

Heavenly Father, teach us. Create in us a heart which strives to know You in Your Word. Stir in us a response to knowing You a heart struck with awe and filled with rejoicing to know Christ. Awaken a desire in us to proclaim Christ as Lord, Christ and Him crucified, to those who have not heard. Grant us wisdom and strength to obey You and be glorified in Your good works in us. In Jesus’ name we ask for mercy. Amen.

Big Thoughts of our Big God

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” –Romans 11:33a

Life brings new challenges, new things to overcome, new difficulties to climb, new achievements to strive for. And as life goes on, the road we have walked can take its toll on our minds. Not only for the labors on the road behind, but the struggles in the here and now as well as the unknown in the open path that lay before us.

Such a life requires deep thoughts. Sometimes, we fall into the pit with a sign reading, “overthinking.” Our minds become cluttered and overwhelmed trying to juggle our lives.

If you ever visit Mammoth Cave, there is a tour where visitors can see Symmes Pit. Named for Captain John Cleves Symmes, a man who theorized that our earth is actually hollow (side note, Symmes spent the last years of his life in Hamilton, Ohio, where he is buried and his Hollow Earth Theory is enshrined in a park on the East Side). The pit seems bottomless, which is why guides referred to this pit in honor of Symmes and his theory of a hollow earth.

We know now, of course, that the earth is not hollow. Though the pit is very deep, there is a bottom. We think in human terms of depths. We think our earth is very big. Our solar system, our galaxy is very big. Incomprehensibly big. And yet, they can be searched and measured.

God’s thoughts cannot be searched and measured. His thoughts, Paul says, deep. God’s thoughts are “very deep,” sings the Psalmist (Psalm 92:5). How deep is “very deep?”

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Even in our deepest thoughts, our minds pale in comparison to God’s thoughts which are higher than the heavens. Our ways can challenge us, but God’s ways are far greater. And He is never exhausted, confused, baffled, or overwhelmed. God never overthinks. So deep are God’s thoughts we cannot begin our search much less find the end of them. Yet, in those great depths are “riches,” Paul says. Those riches are knowledge and wisdom.

God’s thoughts are true. Truly real. Not the thoughts of humanity, or society, or culture which are shallow and so quickly changed. God’s thoughts are truly real. Paul begins with that shout of joy, “Oh!” Like the Psalmist, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them” (Psalm139:17)! God’s thoughts are vastly deep, unsearchable, and yet precious to the worshiper of God.

So, dear overwhelmed, overthinking, baffled, weary Christian, think about how precious are the depths of our Creator’s thinking. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out” (Isaiah 40:28).

The depths of the unsearchable mysteries of God’s thoughts are rich, yet the fullness of such riches are in Christ Jesus our Lord (Colossians 2:2-3). And He promises to give rest to the weary and heavy laden, yet in giving us rest does not make our Lord tired or weary.

Your mind tires and fails. At the end of yourself, quitting tempts you. Turn to the Lord. His thoughts are unsearchably deep, and His mercy and love are also described as “rich” (Ephesians 2:4). Oh, the depths of the riches! And we ask like the prophet Micah. Who is like our God who forgives? He may get angry, but not forever. He delights in showing us mercy (Micah 7:14).

Think about the depths of wisdom and love to send Jesus Christ to die for you, to be risen from the grave to bless your weary, failing mind and heart with hope. A living hope alive in Christ!

Let us end this devotion with the Psalmist’s request of the Lord. “Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm139:23). What will God do with the heavy burden of my anxious thoughts? What will He think? Oh, the riches of the depths of His wisdom we find a God who delights in mercy.

Hear this invitation: “cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you” (IPeter 5:7). Oh, such deep wisdom and such deep compassion! Run to the Lord for the joy of His rest for our failed, wearied minds. Rest your mind on big thoughts about our big God.

Heavenly Father, we come to You with burdened minds. We overthink in our smallness, grant us big thoughts of Your unsearchable vastness. By Your inexhaustible mercies, grant Your servants peace as well as strength for the journey of life. All glory be to our great Father who loves His children. Blessed be the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, the name we pray. Amen.

Exposing Works of Darkness

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” – Ephesians 5:11

On my way home from the office, I stopped by Kroger to pick up ingredients to make dinner. I noticed several young people meandering through the parking lot. As I parked, I noticed a young lady approach me. Her name tag read, “Sister Mary,” and in much smaller font, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”

“Excuse me, do would you like to attend church with me on Sunday?” I informed her I already attend a church. She asked so politely, “Do you know anyone who could use prayer? They can come to our church.” It’s at this point I knew the Lord wanted me to speak up. “I know plenty that need prayer, but I pray they never step foot in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” Her eyes grew large as she seemed shocked. “You see, your gospel presents a Jesus that cannot save and your church preaches a false gospel that sends people to hell. You need to repent of preaching this false Jesus and false gospel"

I explained the reason Jesus must be God the Son sent by the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God, to reconcile sinful humans to our eternally holy God. “Well, our Jesus is god,” she said. I replied, “Your Jesus is A god and not THE God, and that is why he cannot save.” She quickly rebutted, “Have a nice day, sir.” And quickly walked away. You see, III Nephi 11 teaches Mormons that contention is a sin. Yet, Paul tells Christians to expose unfruitful works of darkness. That is, false teaching. And liberation from the dominion of darkness into God’s kingdom of light is only possible by exposing darkness and preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13). Galatians 1 says to let anyone preaching a false gospel be eternally accursed. This is strong language to consider.

Christian, I encourage you to study Mormon teaching and engage these missionaries with the gospel that saves. Listen to these Mormon missionaries explain Jesus, ask probing questions, expose darkness with the light of Christ in the Scriptures. You will discover Mormon doctrines such as Jesus is the heavenly father’s and heavenly mother’s first born son, a created being, that we all pre-existed as a family of spirit children and with the right amount of good works here, we can progress to become gods with our spouses having spirit children of our own.

Beyond being strange, Mormon doctrine is eternally accursed. The true gospel of Jesus Christ is eternally blessed. Remember, Mormon missionaries are lost, but they are image bearers of God. We the church are to preach the gospel to the lost!

Our God is Trinity, and this is important to understand the only gospel that saves sinners. God the Father so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. So, God is Father and Son. And Jesus the Son was sent “born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:4-6). Notice, we who believe upon Jesus are given the right to be called children of God (John 1:12) because God is the Father is now our Father and not merely “a” Father.

Jesus is God giving Himself. He took on our flesh, suffered and died, rose from the dead. Jesus is God with Us, not a god of many with us. We can confess with Paul in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

God in the flesh gave Himself for me, and the life I live now is by faith in the Son of God. He who lives in me has promised me forgiveness and eternal life. This possible only by the righteousness of God revealed from faith for faith. Jesus is the righteousness of God, gifted by God and received by faith. This is only possible if Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity.

My fellow beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be found faithful in our proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Expose darkness. Let us preach Christ and Him crucified. And together let us pray His saving grace rescues many from the grip of such false, eternally accursed gospels.

Heavenly Father, we confess we don’t want to be impolite, yet our hearts are grieved for those on the wide path to destruction. Grant to Your servants wisdom and the right words to speak, that we might please You and be faithful witnesses of the resurrected Savior. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

 

A New Heart

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” –Ezekiel 36:26

Hamilton, Ohio, is known as the “City of Sculpture.” My favorite is near True West Coffee on the west side. The sculpture is a man with an umbrella. He is looking up at the sky with his hand out to catch rain drops, depicted in a fountain falling off the umbrella. It’s a fun sculpture. But the man isn’t alive.

Same for heart of stones. It’s heart shaped, but not heart like. It’s stone. Dead. Heart of stone means I was once dead. A heart dead to God. Alive to sinful desires. Dead to desiring God. I didn’t need a repair. I needed a new heart. I needed my stone heart dead to God to be replaced by a new heart of flesh alive to God.

God made me alive together with the church in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). This promised by God through the prophet Ezekiel. Israel had a long history of stony-heartedness, or hardheartedness. Yet, God still promised to put new hearts in His people when He pours out His Spirit. And His people will include once stony-hearted Gentiles.

In Hebrews 8, God promised of old, “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” God writes on my new heart His wise instructions for living for His glory. Old desires put away, new desires to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

God’s instructions were once burdensome, now a joy. Once I hated them, now I treasure them.

In II Corinthians 5:16, Paul writes, “From now on…” Now, after conversion, after receiving this new heart, we live no longer considering anyone according to our sinful nature. We once even consider Jesus according to our sinful nature, but now with a new heart and God’s instructions penned upon my new heart, I regard Him thus no longer.

Dear reader, how are your affections for the Lord? Are you stirred that the sinless Jesus would willingly suffer for you, become a curse for you, die for you? Are you stirred Jesus would remove your stone heart for a fleshy heart that is alive, beating with joy and praise to the things of God?

In the wilderness, the people quarreled and grumbled over water. Then, the people “grumbled against” Moses. With stony hearts, the people rebelled. But God, being rich in mercy, instructed Moses to strike the rock, and water will flow for the people (Exodus 17:6). Look to Jesus the Rock who was struck that we may drink water, spiritual water (I Corinthians 10:4). We may eat spiritual manna (I Corinthians 10:3).

Long for the Lord like a deer pants for streaming water. Sin and groaning with creation for redemption intensifies this longing (Romans 8:22). Go thirsty to the Lord Jesus and drink. Go to the Lord’s Supper for symbols of spiritual food and spiritual drink, reminders of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our once stony hearts, now alive to the things of God, will rejoice in His mercies, be stirred within us to love Christ and His church deeply, all to the glory of God who transforms hearts and lives with great power and compassion.

Heavenly Father, we praise Your mighty works of changing stone hearts to hearts of flesh alive to the worship and delight in God. Continue Your work in me, in us, to love the Lord more deeply, to love one another, and to glorify Your great name. We ask for mercy, which we receive with thankful hearts of flesh. In Jesus’ name. Amen.                                         

The Word of God as Eternal Lamp

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” –Psalm 119:105

Greetings from our nation’s capital! My family really enjoyed our week here. The weather has been nice enough to walk around and see the sights. The Japanese cherry blossoms surrounding the Mall of Monuments are all in bloom releasing a sweet fragrance.

In the midst of so much power and influence in the capital of the most powerful and wealthiest nations in history stands the Museum of the Bible. What a joy it was to see the history of the Bible and why we may be greatly confident that the Bible we hold in our hands today has been so carefully preserved. Yet, most importantly, that the Bible is God’s very word.

Think about the history of God’s Word to His people. By Word God promised Adam and Eve of a promised son to crush the head of the deceiving serpent. By Word God promised Abraham offspring and land. By Word God promised enslaved Israel through Moses of deliverance as well as instructions to live with God’s presence in their midst. By Word God promised David a son to sit on the throne forever. By Word God promised through the prophets of a coming eternal kingdom uniting all nations in the peace of the rule of the Messiah.

By Word Jesus the Lord promises everlasting life for those who believe upon Him for salvation (John 3:15). Jesus promises that though we Christians die, yet shall we live (John 11:25). By Word Jesus promises that His church may charge at the very gates of hell, but those gates will not prevail against us (Matthew16:18). Church history is filled with persecution, attempts to silence the church from proclaiming God’s Word. Yet, here in the middle of Washington DC stands a museum to the testimony of the power of God’s Word. Surely, the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord endures forever (Isaiah40:8)!

In the museum is a large room filled with replica pieces and rooms from the New Testament era. In the middle stands a synagogue with seating and a crudely cut wooden table for the scroll of God’s Word to be read from and explained. God’s Word has not only be preserved for us, but has preserved us for God.

Imagine the scene as Ezra the scribe standing above the people unraveled the Torah scroll to the Jewish people returning from exile (Nehemiah 8:5). There was a blessing of the Lord, a double “amen” from a crowd of worshipers with hands in the air then kneeling before the Lord. The people came hungry for the Word of God and were satisfied.

Dear reader, remain hungry for the only satisfying nourishment of your soul, the ever enduring Word of God. The lamp unto the feet of a great cloud of witnesses throughout history is still burning brightly, a trustworthy lamp for your feet in this dark world.

As we sing the hymn, “The voice that spans the years speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us. Will sound 'til He appears, for He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!”

Receive God’s Word taught, not only in word but also in power (I Thessalonians 1:5). Power to save, to change you, to keep you until that eternal day we enjoy God forever.

Heavenly Father, keep Your people hungry for Your enduring Word, then feed us these nourishing words of life. Your majestic throne of Grace, which we behold in Your Word, is the delight of our soul. In the hearing of your Word our souls are refreshed as we receive mercy in the hour of our need. All praise to our God who has given us His eternal Word and has preserved His people by the power of His eternal Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

George Müller and a Devotional on Love

George Müller was a 19th Century evangelist and, most notably, caretaker of orphans in England. It is said Müller cared for more than 10,000 orphans simply on prayer and generosity of donors. Müller had a deep devotional life before the face of God, as well. Today, I came across this undated devotional from George Müller. I pray this is an encouragement to you.

On the Way to the Father's House

We are to love those who do not care in the least for us. We are to love those who do not walk with us on the road to Heaven, and whom we have never seen or heard of; that is the will of our heavenly Father regarding us.

We ought to look lovingly on weak disciples, and you and I, instead of looking at their weakness and shortcomings, ought to seek to find out Christ in them. If we do so, we shall find how dear they will become to our hearts, and we shall love them.

How deeply important to keep this before us in the divine life, that we manifest the mind of Christ. Just as that Blessed One sought not to please Himself, but to be the servant of others, so have we to imitate that Blessed One. 

Though not yet perfect in love, we are to aim after that for which we have been apprehended of God in Christ Jesus. We ought to love one another in spite of the weaknesses and infirmities we see in one another.

We are left here to be representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ in this world. This great honour He has bestowed upon us here.
God is love, and he who loves most is most like God. All the members of the heavenly family should remember the precious blood that bought them, and love one another whilst on the way to their Father's house.