Think Upon the Lovely Things of God

“If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” -Philippians4:8

The pace of our daily lives makes moments to stop and think rare. When you do have a stop and think, where does your mind wander? Our minds can dwell on ugly things and anxious things, which never ends up promoting a glad heart.

A glad heart is not anxious but thankful in prayer, rejoicing in the Lord always, expressing a mild and gentle spirit to everyone (Philippians 4:4-6). Such a glad heart enjoys the peace of God. A peace which goes beyond our mind’s comprehension, guarding our minds to think upon God’s excellence and our hearts to be glad in Him (Philippians 4:7).

Such is the life of a Christian who thinks upon excellent, praiseworthy things.

We are commanded by God to think – to intentionally and regularly think upon – pure, truthful, lovely, excellent, praiseworthy things. It’s a command from the loving heart of God to enjoy Him forever. Such training for the loveliness of eternity rises from our minds dwelling on such excellence and loveliness of God here.

God speaks in His trustworthy Word of the lovely things our minds are to dwell upon. This truth comes with a warning to avoid immaturity like infants who are “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of teaching” (Ephesians4:14). Such immaturity of infant thinking spawns jealousy and hostility, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3.

Those who intentionally set their minds on the excellencies of Christ above will form better friendships, marriages, and parenting (Hebrews 1:3, 1 Peter 2:9). Christ who humbly served us and loves us first commands us to consider one another’s interests above our own. This level of service is fueled by minds filled with the lovely things of God. Promote goodness from a lovely heart which swells with good things which the mind thinks about.

What beautiful, lovely things am is my mind to dwell upon? Beauty is not in the eyes of the beholder, but the pure in heart will behold our beautiful God (Matthew5:8). When this ugly world entices your heart toward dark, impure thoughts, fight this by thinking about the things of God which are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. When your mind goes negative and dark, fill your mind with the lovely things of God.

Remember, to have joy in God is a command from God (Philippians 4:4). We are to ALWAYS rejoice in the Lord. We can only rejoice in the Lord always because our hope is in His unceasing love for us. When our minds dwell upon the rich, lovely truths of God revealed to us in His Word, His peace guards our hearts and minds even in the most tense, hostile, hurtful things of this vapor like life.

We grow in grace, this increase of love and kindness and patience and gentleness, by intentionally thinking upon the lovely things of God. We fight worldliness and enjoy the peace of God together by thinking of and reminding one another of the lovely things of God.

Heavenly Father, in our war against worldliness and the threats to our minds and hearts, we pray now for wisdom from above for our minds to dwell upon Your beauty and truth. The evil one threatens us with devices to pull our minds from the lovely things found in Your Word. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We praise You and are comforted by the truth that Your peace which surpasses understanding guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In whose name we pray. Amen.

God, I'm Sad

 “Jesus wept.” –John11:35

God the Son, eternal in power and glory, took on flesh, dwelt among us, and wept. Lazarus had died. He was moved deeply and troubled upon seeing Lazarus’ sister Mary and others weeping (John 11:33). I take comfort that when I am sad I have a great high priest in Jesus Christ who wept and is able to sympathize with me (Hebrews 4:15). Why? He is without sin. I can weep with hope for the sinless Christ sympathizes with me.

So, a simple prayer is heard by my Father in heaven: God, I’m sad. Perhaps I tell God like the Psalmist, “all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Psalm 6:6). I look for my God to answer with comfort, “I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God” (Psalm 69:3). I know that “my groaning is not hidden from You” (Psalm 38:9).

I know how I feel, but in sadness my faith needs reminding from God’s never changing, never fading Word.

1) Remind me what I know when I feel sad.

When we see someone we care about become sad, we feel drawn to help. True help comes in unchanging truth God reveals in His everlasting Word. When you are sad, Christian, you need reminding of what you know to be true.

God reveals Himself to be an emotional being. Our God takes pleasure, gets angry, gets jealous, grieves, hates, loves, and even rejoices. He took on flesh and wept. He took on flesh and endured the suffering and shame of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. God’s emotions are perfect, holy emotions.

I know my heart is tainted with sin. Corrupted. So, temptations visit me in my sadness. I need reminders of God’s everlasting truth when tempted to despair, or become angry, jealous in my sadness.

Dear sad reader, remember what God has done. Sadness isn’t a sin. We become sad at the state of this fallen world. Angry, perhaps. And it all comes with longing for God’s kingdom. A kingdom which enjoys eternal joy in God’s presence with sin and death defeated.

Another reminder of truth is that God is with us. He is not absent from us in our pain. He draws near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). Puritan William Bridge reminds us, “Thus does God, with whom are reserves of mercies, reserve His sweetest consolations for the time of our sourest afflictions, and temper the one with the other in most fit proportion” (A Lifting for the Downcast, Page 53).

Feeding your faith with truth of the unseen you know is true is not to be compared to modern medicine where pain can be relieved immediately. I KNOW Jesus raised from the dead, and I know one day He will wipe away every tear from my face. I am still sad, but it is not a sadness without hope.

Dear sad soul, remind your downcast heart of truth. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:11).

2) Remind me what is ahead when I remain sad.

We may be sad here along with the groanings of all creation for redemption, but “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

RC Sproul said, “Ultimately there are no tragedies for the people of God. God has promised by Himself that all things that happen in this world – all pain, all suffering, all tragedies – are but for a moment and God works in and through those events for the good of those who endure them…Tragedy for the Christian is temporary. Never permanent.”

I know what work the Lord has begun in me. I know He will complete this good work at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). However, today I am sad as sin still drags souls from enjoying God and death still takes loved ones. Christians may not weep like the world without hope does, but we weep. 

Yet, Paul commands us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).  There is joy in the Lord when we are sad. There is the key: joy is in the Lord. Such joy cannot be obtained by will or thought, but is a gift from God (Romans 15:13). How precious is such everlasting joy in the Lord, especially when we are sad!

I will never forget the first time my wife and I attended a Baptist church just outside of Richmond, Kentucky. An elderly man came to sing a special. He had been a widow for a number of years and sang with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes, “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free! For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!”

We may have tears of sadness and longing here, but we have hope of the future God has promised us. And He is good to gift to us joy in such foretastes of eternity along our pathway here.

What is this joy God gifts to us? Our Triune God has love in Himself. The Father, Son, and Spirit loves. John Piper writes, “It is an admiring, delighting, exulting love. It is Joy. The Holy Spirit is God’s Joy in God.” He continues, “This means that Joy is at the heart of reality. God is Love, means most deeply, God is Joy in God.”

When we are sad, our joy in God remains by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. He produces fruit in us, among which is joy. Such joy now is looking forward to the coming glory which cannot be compared to this momentary suffering of sadness here.

As we sojourners and exiles make our way home heavenward, God’s presence with us, His mercies to us, is a comfort.

In Revelation 6, those martyred cry out to the Lord, “How long, O Lord?” They cry for God’s justice, for God’s justice in Christ’s return means He will right every wrong. The Lord gives them each a “white robe and told to rest a little longer” (Revelation 6:11). The God of all comfort in Christ our Lord comforts those who cried this prayer.

The sharp pains of grief here are comforted in the Savior’s love for us as we, too, await that coming Day. “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (I Peter 5:10).

Only a little while longer, dear mourning Christian. Our Savior will return for us. He will restore. He will right every wrong. He will wipe away every tear. Rejoice for the coming day in tears. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

God, I am sad. I trust in Your promises in Christ. I trust in what You have revealed what is ahead for me. Yet, I am sad. Remind me of Your promises, of Your gospel. Remind me once again of what is ahead. Draw near to me in my sadness, and draw me nearer to You, that I may abound in hope. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Blessed Hunger

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” -Matthew5:6

The human experience of hunger and thirst are internal alarms of a great need to survive. These words are more than craving. Our bodies warn us of what is needed inside of us to survive and thrive. The instinct of a deep need for survival is one thing, but our Lord taught that blessed joy is found in hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

In verse 10, Jesus tells us there is blessedness in being persecuted, but not just any mistreatment. Persecution for the sake of righteousness. The very righteousness we hunger and thirst for. There is a blessedness to enjoy for being persecuted for righteousness’ sake. So, in context, the blessed follower of Jesus is poor in spirit, agonizes over their own sin, is humble and lowly in their relationships to others, is merciful even to the undeserving, is pure in heart, exhausts energy to be a peacemaker, is persecuted for living a godly life, and is insulted and mistreated without retaliation.

The promise for the blessed Christian hungering for righteousness and being mistreated for righteousness’ sake is this precious truth of Jesus: they shall be satisfied. This goes to Paul’s secret to contentment in Philippians 4. To know how to have plenty and to lack, to be free or imprisoned, to have plenty or to be hungry, Paul learned how to be content. Christ strengthens us to do all things (Philippians 4:13).

However, Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes for being satisfied is “fattened.” That is, fed until completely full. It’s the same word for the feeding of the 5,000. They ate until they were satisfied. If we hunger for righteousness, we have the promise to eat until completely full. Fattened on the righteousness of God.

The Christian suffers the longing for righteousness as a hunger and a thirst, then suffers being persecuted for having been filled, or fattened with righteousness. To desire our own righteousness, that is self-righteousness, is the natural desire of the sinner. God works this longing, this desire for His righteousness.

Such a desire goes from selfishness to the very next verse, the blessed shows mercy (Matthew 5:7). This blessed mercy shower receives mercy. So, a pursuit of God’s righteousness has two results. One, that we mourn how far short we fall of God’s righteousness. Yet, with a new born-again heart, sin is dead to us and we pursue righteousness with the reward of being fattened with the righteousness we crave.

We are to long for eternity. Yet, we have never experienced eternity. We have only tasted portions of the eternal goodness of God. By faith in Christ, we receive the assured promise of everlasting life (I John 2:25). There, in eternal glory, we receive the fullness of this promise. While we sojourn here on earth, let us pursue His righteousness. Even if we are mistreated for pursuing a godly life (II Timothy 3:12), we are fattened with righteousness and content.

Heavenly Father, give us hearts craving Your righteousness. Where sin is dead to us and Your beautiful truth is alive in the deepest places of our hearts. May we be satisfied and content, even in the hardest times on earth, knowing You will lead us home with You in Your eternal dwelling place where we will be fully, finally, and forever satisfied. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

The Honest Church in a Dishonest World

“Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” –Proverbs 12:22

We live in a time of deep suspicion. Lying is nearly expected of each other to get ahead, to hide true motives, and to look good in front of others. Artificial Intelligence will work for you, write papers for students, research for lecturers and preachers, and modify photos to post online. Everything in our social media culture is airbrushed, cleaned up, and often completely made up for mass consumption with a high level of anticipated dishonesty.

God more than simply hates dishonesty. His Word tells us the lips of dishonesty are detestable to Him. Our God of perfect truth detests the lips of liars. It is not simply a matter of being dishonest about ourselves, but also flattery: that is, dishonesty about others. Instead of friendly criticism or correction, we can be dishonest about how we see others.

A culture dishonest about how we project ourselves to one another and how we view one another is a detestable culture in the perfect eyes of our God. God is always truth telling toward us. First, He reveals Himself in His Word. He is trustworthy to tell us nothing but the truth about Himself. Second, He is always truthful about us. God is eternally reliable. His Word is eternally reliable.

What stands out in a culture of liars and an expectation of being lied to is a person of rare honesty. This is our Lord’s call to us to be wise Christians. So, we heed this Proverb. We desire to be pleasing, not detestable, to God. God delights in our faithful dealings with others. Dishonesty about ourselves hide iniquities from others with no fearful trembling thought of God (Psalm 36:1-2). Flattering dishonesty about others are simply abounding kisses of an enemy (Proverbs 27:6).

Jesus taught us that what we say to others is simply from the overflow of our own hearts (Matthew 12:34). Honest speech is the overflow of a heart resolved to deal faithfully to the delight of God. The wise Christian is a truth speaker with words that heal rather than speaking truth to wound and to kill (Proverbs12:18). So, we speak the truth in love.

The world sits in wonder at a church loving one another as honest to and with one another rather than the deception and man-fearing masquerade the world enjoys and demands conformity to. We have been commanded to confess sin and to hear one another’s confession with honesty, all in the fear of our Lord who loves us and is always truthful with us.

An honest local church is a church that can help sinners. Dishonesty hides iniquities from Christians who can help with repentance, and flattery only tells others that their sin is okay. The church which faithfully deals with one another is a delight in the heart of God.

Let us strive to be wise and honest Christians about ourselves and others, creating a culture of love in the local church founded on the truth of God. This is the striving to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). This is the awe of a watching world who knows we are disciples of Jesus by how we love one another (John 13:35).

Heavenly Father, You are a teller of truth always. There is never deception in Your mouth. Conform our hearts to the truth of Christ, and with reliable, regenerate hearts will overflow words of truth from a reliable, truthful character. In such mighty works in Your church, such glory, honor, and praise be to our God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This Noble Task

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” –I Timothy 3:1

As a church family, we will be ordaining Dan Bauer into gospel ministry as a pastor. Also, this year marks 15 years I have been in pastoral ministry. This has me reflecting on God’s Word and the great privilege of being an elder in the church of our Good Shepherd.

As a pastor, I have the unique invitation to witness closely the mighty works of Jesus Christ in the lives under my care. Lost souls saved, marriages and friendships strengthened, trials overcome, and the ordinary pattern of church life and growth in the church. To be a pastor close up in the lives of Christ’s sheep truly is a noble task.

Yet, that intimacy is shared in the church as a family. The “one another” passages of the local church draws people from all walks of life into intimacy not found in the world. A privilege and joy is found being close witnesses to Christ’s work in the lives of folks near us in a local church. Only in such closeness with great compassion can the great practice of theology, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:15-16a).

Christ the Chief Shepherd gives to His sheep elders entrusted with the noble task to nourish and guide a church to love and to serve one another with enjoyed closeness. Pastors, deacons, and the church together are equipped to the task of “building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

Think about what a joy and privilege you enjoy as a mercy of Christ in your local church. Whatever He has tasked you with, Christ has given and equipped you for His sheep and for His glory. The Christian involved in a local church sits on the front row of the theater of God’s works of power and love in the lives of His children around you. And they observe and rejoice in His works they have the joy and privilege to see in you.

As I reflect in my own past of this noble task the Lord has charged me with as a pastor as well as look what is ahead, I think about the word “equip.” Christ charges us to our labors in His church, and He equips us for every good work. The pastors strive to improve on skills as does every member of the church. Skills to love and to serve. Skills to being mature disciples and better friends. Skills to being better disciple-makers and evangelists. We do this together.

The Lord raises new elders and equips them to grow. The Lord adds members and equips each of His children by His Holy Spirit to mature. Are you committed to grow and be more useful as a servant in the church of Jesus Christ? We are invited into a gathering with care for one another’s holiness and encouragement to persevere in this life as we journey heavenward.

If you are reading this and you are not committed to such spiritual health for yourself and for a local church, I encourage you to join us at Allison Avenue Baptist Church Sundays at 9:30AM and Wednesdays at 6:30PM. Study Scripture, that is the Word of God, with us. Come witness with us the mighty works of God in each of us that in our gathering we praise God enthusiastically in the congregation and the council of elders (Psalm 107:32).

Heavenly Father, we rejoice in what You have invited us to witness. Your works of grace in the lives of others in Jesus Christ. You are mighty and compassionate, maturing and strengthening Your people to care for and encourage one another in the faith as well as proclaiming Your good news of salvation in Christ to the lost. You are good and You are mighty, worthy of great praise. Amen.

Do Not Be Alarmed by What Must Take Place

“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.” –Mark 13:7

Do not be alarmed. Do not be troubled. Wars and rumors of wars are troubling things, but the Christian is commanded by Christ not to be troubled. Christ warns us of troubling things to come such as being hated for Jesus’ name sake, persecution, and false Christianities, that the church would be on guard, stay awake, and not alarmed.

The apostles heard Jesus’ prophecy which came true with incredible accuracy when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD70. What troubling things were on the news! Famines, earthquakes, the volcano Vesuvius completely destroying Pompeii in AD79, wars such as the Roman conquest of Britain by the end of the 1^st Century. With this came the ebb and flow of the Roman economy, especially hurting the poor.

The news could be troubling. Do not be alarmed, Jesus commanded. The alarming hostility and restlessness of our fallen world entices the Christian to be entangled in only secondary things or to remain in a motionless hiding. Christ, who is our strength and peace, commands us to not be alarmed as well as not to be silent.

I am constantly being pulled in many directions with the call that I am not doing enough. The alarm is sounded. Do you not see how bad the world is? Did you hear the troubling news? Opinion pieces and long speeches are given to charge into the public square with great alarm.

As I write this, the sun is blaring through my window. The birds are singing. The air is warm. I can hear my children playing. Time goes on despite the news I hear. Wars. Rumors of wars. Real image bearers of God are suffering and dying in a hostile world. As I raise my children, pray for and live a peaceable life in this world, I know my love for Jesus will be met with hatred.

“You will be hated by all nations for my name's sake” (Matthew 24:9). “That’s the dark said of missions,” writes John Piper. “The hatred will be as widespread as the harvest (Taste and See, Page 249). And yet, I am not to be alarmed. Jesus told me this to be ready.

Hatred, war, famine, persecution. We are not to be surprised by these fiery trials as if something strange were happening to us. They are manifestations of what sin is and does. But we are not alarmed.

David sings, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Psalm 27:3). Why so confident? David was certain he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 27:4). David was certain by faith in God’s promise of everlasting life.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a bold Welsh preacher during the Second World War and pastoring in London during The Blitz, a series of mass bombing raids by the Nazi’s. Preaching from Matthew 24, Lloyd-Jones said, “we must all agree that the world is in a strange and extraordinary condition especially at this present time…a time of uncertainty.” He goes on to say that those in the world see the gospel preached for 2000 years has failed to stir world peace, that the world is as bad as ever. The world goes to politics to do something more practical to reform nations and make the world a better place.

Lloyd-Jones added, “The gospel has never claimed to reform or to improve the world.”

Did our Lord raise up the disciples to go before kings to reform nations into peaceful societies? Is the gospel of Jesus Christ a social gospel? No. They will be dragged before kings because of their devotion to the name of Christ. And there, upon that platform, preach the gospel.

Yet, we as Christians should unashamedly say, “I want the world to be more Christian.” We labor with the gospel in the face of hostility, for the harvest is plentiful. The world becomes more Christian by hearing the gospel of Christ.

Let us be so bold to continue preaching the gospel, loving and serving in our churches, raising godly children, with eyes fixed to the end of the age where we can confidently say Christ will return. Christ is King. His kingdom is forever. The nations continue to rage and our own nation may crumble, but we trust in the words of Christ which will never fade away.

Heavenly Father, the world is in chaos and Your people must face hostility. Give us boldness in our confidence in the gospel to persevere in preaching Christ to a perishing world. Grant to Your church a peace which surpasses understanding as we must face this hostile world; a peace longing and looking for the return of our Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Joy in the Gospel of John

John's Gospel has a theme of the Christian's joy in Christ throughout. John the Baptist's message was "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him" (John 3:28). He referred to Jesus as the Bridegroom who has the bride, and John the Baptist himself is the friend of the Bridegroom who has great joy just hearing the Bridegroom's voice; a complete joy (John 3:29). 

The day of Jesus, the I AM in flesh, was the joy of Abraham (John 8:56). Jesus had joy that He was not present at the death of Lazarus so witnesses would see the glory of God in the dead man's resurrection (John 11:15, 40).

There was joy in the disciples as harvest reapers shared with Christ the Sower (John 4:36). Jesus' leaving and being with the great Father who exalts the Son is a fountain of joy for those who love Jesus (John 14:28). 

In His lesson on abiding in Him and He abides in us like the relationship of vine and branches, Jesus said He teaches the disciples that His joy may be in them, and their joy complete (John 15:11).

Jesus promised that the world will find joy in the Christian's sorrow, but the church will have their grief turned into joy like a mother giving birth in anguish only to have joy at the sight of her newborn (John 16:20-21). In the meantime during our time of sorrow now, we can ask anything of the Father in Jesus' name and receive that our joy may be complete (John 16:22-24).

In Jesus' high priestly prayer, He asks His Father to keep the church united, abiding and sanctifying the church by the truth of His Word that Jesus would be glorified in the church. As Jesus comes to the Father that the church may have Jesus' joy fulfilled within them (John 17:13).

Finally, there was joy in the disciples as they saw the resurrected Jesus who blessed them with peace and showed them His wounds (John 20:19-20).

There is joy in knowing Jesus. There is joy in hearing and knowing His teaching and abiding in His Word. There is joy in soul-winning, a shared joy with Christ the Sower. There is joy in knowing and being known by Jesus while we must suffer sorrow in this world. There is joy in asking and receiving mercy from the Father. There is joy, complete joy, when we see Jesus in the finished kingdom. 

This is good news of great joy! To quote John Piper, 

The gospel is the good news that the everlasting and ever-increasing joy of the never-boring, ever-satisfying Christ is ours freely and eternally by faith in the sin-forgiving death and hope-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ.

May this truth of Christ's joy in you, dear Christian, encourage and strengthen you for the journey homeward with the Lord.