LET NOT ONE OF THEM ESCAPE

From Spurgeon’s devotional: Morning and Evening

1 Kings 18:40 - Let Not One of Them Escape

When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal and sternly cried, “Let not one of them escape.” He took them all down to the brook Kishon and slew them there. So must it be with our sins-they are all doomed; not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Do not spare it because it cries. Strike though it be as dear as a beloved son. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon His own Son. With stern unflinching purpose you must condemn to death that sin that was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin, given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin and recovery from its power and guilt as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half as well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is often becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God. He is a consuming fire; He will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy and to a holy revenge against those iniquities that are hateful in His sight. Go forth to battle in His strength and utterly destroy the accursed crew: “Let not one of them escape.”

So I’m Officially Black…

According to the High Court in South Africa, they ruled that Chinese South-Africans are to be classified as black…

You can read the article here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7461099.stm

Not exactly the most spiritual thing I’ve written, but I found it amusing. So I guess I’m black. Anyway, I realized that I haven’t written in a while, and I still need to get working on that series of blogs on the local church. Dah, spoke too soon Matty… Spoke too soon..

soli Deo gloria.

A Sweet Comfort to My Soul

I think I might be the worst blogger known to man. But I’m trying, and while this post will have no relation to my intended series of posts on the local church, I felt that it would be best to share a recent sweet comfort to my soul.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong a perfect plea
A great High Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the Risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The king of glory and of grace
One in Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

I absolutely adore this hymn. In this hymn I am reminded time and time again of my security before Christ. It serves as a sweet testimony to the truth that those who follow Christ are His own. We are His sheep, and He is our good shepherd. He knows His own, and His own know Him (John 10). And we are eternally secure. Though we may fail, though Satan whispers and reveals our greatest sins that we would despair of our own security, we have a faithful Christ who teaches us that:

“… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

soli Deo gloria.

The Local Church

I guess it’s been a while since I last blogged. Most notable the title, from “Every Thought Captive” to “Wage the Good Warfare.” Why? Well I wanted to prevent confusion from the countless of other blogs which are titled “Every Thought Captive.” That’s pretty much about it. But aside from that change, the premise remains very much the same.

It is a wonderful thing to think about the church. And it is a wonderful thing to have a Master who knows the hearts and minds of those that are His adopted sons and daughters. For our God has called us into fellowship and communion by the bond of Christ. He who knows the heart of men to be prone to wander, is infinitely wise as to provide and establish for His saints the glowing beacon of light, the church. And what a privilege it is to be in fellowship with other brothers and sisters. To be encouraged by each other’s faith, to be exhorted, rebuked, to see the hearts of the saints be refreshed through each other, is a privilege.

And sadly, we find in our day that there are many who have neglected the church. They have chosen to forget and forsake the very community that Christ died for. Instead, they have chosen to opt for a life of the lone Christian. They have rejected the church for which God has specifically established so that we would “stir up one another to love and good works,” and instead have been “neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”

And it breaks and burdens my heart to find many who have yet to commit to the local church. As the Lord has shaped and convicted this area of my life, through Scripture first and foremost, and then through experience, I see the local church of such immense importance. Therefore, it has been my conviction as of late to begin posting my thoughts and convictions on the local church. These next series of blogs are not necessarily authoritative per se, but I stand firm in my convictions because I see it portrayed in Scripture. But if I err in anyway, I humbly ask for forgiveness, for I seek to be corrected in my understanding of Scripture, and in specifically, the church. Neither are my blogs on the church comprehensive and exhaustive, but it is my prayer that through these blogs, we would have a heavier burden for the local church. That by understanding the church in so many aspects, we would at the very least begin to love the church, just as Christ loves the church, died for it, and sanctifies it by the washing of the Word.

soli Deo gloria.

Relationships

Sorry if I deceived many of you into thinking this was a post outlining my personal thoughts on relationships, but its not. I don’t know anything about relationships.

But I am very pleased to announce that the ministry of Alistair Begg (Parkside Church in Ohio), Truth for Life recently began a new series on… that’s right. RELATIONSHIPS! I’m excited to see what my favorite preacher has to say regarding this topic… Stay tuned!

soli Deo gloria.

Thoughts on Prayer

He who comes to God in prayer, comes not in a spirit of self-assertion, but in a spirit of trustful dependence. No one ever addressed God in prayer thus: “O God, thou knowest that I am the architect of my own fortunes and the determiner of my own destiny. Thou mayest indeed do something to help me in the securing of my purposes after I have determined upon them. But my heart is my own, and Thou canst not intrude into it; my will is my own, and Thou canst not bend it. When I wish Thy aid, I will call on Thee for it. Meanwhile, Thou must await my pleasure.” Men may reason somewhat like this; but that is not the way they pray. - B. B. Warfield

soli Deo gloria.

True Humility

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

- Matthew 1:18-19

This is a humility to be emulated. That Christ, God Himself, came down in the form of man to be birthed in a manger, and to die a criminal’s death.

Yet in these 2 verses we see another dimension of His humility that is not often thought of when we consider the humility of Christ. That Christ, in His glory, not only humbled Himself in the form of man and in a manger, but He humbled Himself in such a manner that Joseph would want to divorce the mother, Mary, quietly. And for what reason? Precisely because Mary had a child that Joseph was unaware of. Oh that Christ, in His glory not only humbled Himself as a human, but came down of an even lowlier disposition. That Christ, our Savior-King, our Messiah, our Lord and Master would come down and perceived even as a bastard child.

How far this was from the truth… A Savior was born.

Christ, You truly were humble. Teach me to be the same Lord.

soli Deo gloria.

A Sure Word

I find for myself, that there is a difficulty in finding comfort through the counsel of other people in my own trials. I do not mean to say that I don’t take heed to wise and godly counsel, and neither am I saying that the counsel of others is useless, but there is a difference between taking heed to the counsel of men and finding absolute sovereign and divine comfort. After all, as Methodist preacher George Whitefield once said: “The best of men are but men at their best.” And while we may try to offer whatever counsel or advice we can muster from experience, all fall short of a divine comfort and peace that can only be found in the sureness of God’s Word.

And it strikes me as strange that, even for myself, we do not cling to the truth of God’s Words with greater closeness and intimacy. Other promises tremble on the wavering foundations of men. But Scripture as it is, stands upon the sureness of the Lord Himself. And I am reminded of the eternal authority that Christ maintains in the Gospel of Mark 13:31–

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Why do we look to anything else when we have a Lord who exalts “above all things His name and His Word” (Psalm 138:2)? Why do we seek comfort in anything else than the promises of God in which we receive by faith, knowing that He is true to His Word? Why do our souls not find even a fleeting security, much more an eternal one in truths such that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)?

And we find that in the midst of it all, the Word that we read in Scripture is a sure word, because Christ is:

… the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:15-20).

Is there someone who is hurting? His stripes heal your own. Is there someone who is in the darkness of uncertainty? His hand guides us. Is there anyone who fears? His assurance emboldens us. Is there anyone who lacks faith? His Spirit grants us an unwavering confidence. Over and over again, we find that His Word is full of promises to His saints. And His Word is true even to those who do not know Him in the same manner as His sons and daughters would. If unbelievers would but admit their need for a Savior and turn away from sin to Him as both Lord and Savior, He welcomes them. These promises extend to even the chief of sinners, and to those who are bound to the deepest depths of hell. Because our Christ is a sure cornerstone, a solid ground, and His Word is a sure Word. Commit yourself then to the truth of His Word. That His Word will serve to us as a comforting promise, firm through the fiercest tempest. Let us then come to our Rock of Ages, and let us hide ourselves in Thee.

soli Deo gloria.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

“He/She is a HARDCORE Christian…”

It would seem that to the world, and even to some who proclaim to be religious that there are those who are “hardcore” Christians. And just who are these “hardcore” Christians? These are those who have devoted themselves to daily prayer and intercession of the saints, as opposed to those who do not even regard prayer of any importance. These are those who have devoted themselves to the reading of Scripture, when the world has labeled Scripture as old, expired, and useless. These are those who have devoted themselves to the edification and sanctification of the bride, and indeed even their own lives, as opposed to the world who looks at the church as a long dead institution, and the need for sanctification has abdicated its priority to the desires of indulging the flesh. These are people who the world and even those of the religious crowd will point and label: “He is a RADICAL HARDCORE Christian.”

And this may be true. Perhaps there can be a distinction made between those who are Christians, and those who are RADICAL Christians. Maybe we who devote ourselves to daily reading and praying, who devote ourselves to the life-long process of sanctification, who devote our free time to the sanctification and edification of the local church, are in fact, too radical, and too hardcore.

But while we may be bombarded with human wisdom and worldly philosophy, we should think and meditate on that which gives us reason to call ourselves “Christians” to begin with. Let us meditate on the Cross of Christ. Let us meditate on the fact that He made Him to be sin, who knew no sin. Let us meditate on the truth that God Himself, humbled Himself to be born in the feed box of a donkey, when He could have come in chariots of glory and fire. Let us meditate on the truth that He prayed in agony until He bled for us in the garden of Gethsemane. Let us meditate on the thorn-pierced brow. Let us meditate on the fact that He was shamefully nailed to a Cross of wood. Let us count the deep lashings, let us count the mocking, let us count the drops of blood. And then let us consider that all was done by the same group of people who mocked, tortured, and killed the Christ, who we find ourselves identifying with, so that He may reconcile us to a God who is infinitely angered at our sin.

Tell me then, was Christ’s death for us too radical? Was Christ’s sacrifice too hardcore? If so, then yes, I am a radical Christian. I am a hardcore Christian. For the weight of sin and the souls of men are hardcore issues, and we were reconciled by a hardcore Savior.

soli Deo gloria.

Every Thought Captive

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…”

- 2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

The question I believe most are asking is this: “Why the new blog?”

And to tell you the truth, there is no simple easy answer. Then again, its not as if this issue was a controversial issue to begin with, so I suppose it really makes no difference except to those of you who read this (which I suspect are not many). But after thinking about it, I wanted to discipline myself to carefully consider and flesh out my own thoughts regarding anything. I believe there is much discipline to be gained from blogging or journaling on a consistent basis. To be able to examine my own thoughts and to purposely reconsider my thoughts at that time have been a blessing as I have been able to note my own sin, and where God has been sanctifying me the most.

The question then that comes to mind is, “Why do I think the way I do?” Is it because of culture? Because of my own personal view on life? How are my thoughts most influenced? From entry to entry, what influences our thoughts and our mindset of the day can, and in most cases are reflected. And that in turn says a lot about our views on everyday living, and even how we think and how we are influenced.

While we may point to a myriad of influences, for the Christian, his conscience is held captive to Christ. I am convinced by Scripture, that everything we do is to reflect a Cross-centered, Christ-magnifying view on everything. And if that is the case, then shouldn’t even our blogging be representative of that? More so our every day to day activities? How often have our thoughts, decisions, actions been influenced by an act of whim or passion? And yet even in the context of 2 Corinthians 10:5, it is assumed that we take “every thought captive to obey Christ…” Because a Christian is not a Christian, unless his every will and every area of life is under the subjectivity of a sovereign God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Even his very conscience.

What else was able to compel the apostle Paul to write with boldness as he did? It certainly wasn’t his character. Even he himself says in verse 1 of chapter 10: “I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!” But he does so, because he recognizes that while he walks according to the flesh, he does not wage war according to the flesh. And so finds his thoughts and conscience held captive to a Christ who is perfect and all-satisfying.

Consider J.C. Ryle’s classic, Thoughts for Young Men and his final exhortation:

“Young men, these things are true. Suffer the word of exhortation. Be persuaded. Take up the cross. Follow Christ. Yield yourselves unto God.“

This is what I believe is meant when we say “Have a Christ-centered mentality.” It is simply as Paul states: “… take every thought captive to obey Christ.” And such is the premise and desire of this blog, that there would be a reflection of Christ as the catalyst behind my thoughts, Christ as the influence of my thoughts, that every entry is held captive to obey Christ.

soli Deo gloria.