Adorn the Doctrine

A reason to worship this morning!

2010-01-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am currently reading through Titus and this morning my reading fell upon the following verses. These verses penetrated my heart and reminded me of what God — the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — have done for me, for you and for everyone whom He has saved and redeemed. Let these verses remind you of where you came from and where He has brought you. If you have been saved by grace through Jesus Christ, these verses will give you reason to celebrate, shout for joy and worship at the feet of our great and glorious God. May God, through this part of His Word, bless you as it has blessed me today.

Titus 3:3-8 (ESV)
"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works."

"...but not forgotten."

2009-12-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

To those of you who follow this blog, my apologies for failing to be diligent in updating it with "thought-provoking" words. Since I became engaged in September and have been working at The Alabama Baptist, certain things in my life have been neglected but not forgotten. However, I want to share some Web links with you of the writings I have been doing in the meantime. Come January, I will once again be jobless so I'm sure I will be writing more on this blog. I know that excites a few of you. ;)

Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) — myMissionFulfilled

"The Wise Shopper: How You Are Spending Your Money Does Matter." (12/08/09) http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/article.asp?id=1801
"Praying for friends of other faith backgrounds." (09/29/09) http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/article.asp?id=1652
Book review - Faces in the Crowd: Reaching Your International Neighbor for Christ http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/article.asp?id=1570
Book review - City Signals: Principles and Practices for Ministering in Today's Global Communities http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/article.asp?id=1571
Book review - John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/article.asp?id=1572

The Alabama Baptist newspaper

"Alabama Campers set records with projects." (10/8/09) http://www.thealabamabaptist.org//print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=13031
"Green Valley Church's RAs, GAs take fall festival to families in recovery program." (10/29) http://www.thealabamabaptist.org//print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=13263
"State Baptist churches use variety of fall events to reach community." (11/12) http://www.thealabamabaptist.org//print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=13328
"Grove Hill goes wet in first of several wet/dry elections." (11/12) http://www.thealabamabaptist.org//print-edition-article-detail.php?id_art=1338

The listings for The Alabama Baptist are just a few of the more recent articles I have done. You can go to www.thealabamabaptist.org and search "Kristen Lindsey" to see more.

I also want to encourage you to check out The Manhattan Declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org. This is a declaration that all Christians, no matter the denomination, need to together stand — stand for life, marriage and liberty. Please read the declaration and sign your name and be a part of a 21st century Christian movement in America.

May you experience God's blessings in giving to others this Christmas season,

Kristen

Praise and Thanks

2009-07-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers last week. I could definitely tell that I was being prayed for as I was working with youth-aged pastor kids last week. God is continually faithful, and I give all my praise to Him for the good work He did last week at Pastors School.

I would encourage all pastors to take part in some type of school for pastors like Beeson Divinity School offers. It was such a joy to see pastors and their families come for a week of teaching, encouragement, studying, growth and relaxing. Stories are told of pastors coming to Pastors School ready to quit the ministry, but by the week's end they were encouraged to continue in the work of the Lord. I encourage you, if you are a member of a church, to check and see if the church provides a week of learning and studying for your pastor each year. Your church will reap the benefits of a pastor who has been given a week to be taught, encouraged and challenged by other pastors and renown biblical scholars. Every other profession sets aside time for continued learning. Why not pastors?

In regards to the articles mentioned in my last post, you can read them by going to www.thealabamabaptist.org and by clicking on "Alabama News" in the sidebar on the left-side of the page.

Thank you for reading this blog and for your encouragement, even if I have never met you. I read all your comments. My prayer is that we would continue working together for the kingdom of God and His glory.

Until next time.....

Gloria a Dios!

Prayer requests

2009-07-19T04:56:00.000-07:00

Good Sunday morning friends! I hope you will be worshipping the Lord somewhere in a local body of believers this morning! Great is the Lord and worthy of praise!

This blog is intended to be a place for me to offer up reflections on Scripture passages. However, I am making an exception today. Today, I write asking for a little prayer.

First, this coming week I will be directing Beeson Divinity School's Pastors School youth. Beeson has an annual "school" for pastors, basically it is a week where pastors can take classes from some great scholars so that for once someone can be teaching them the Scripture; they have times of worship; they get encouraged; they learn how to handle situations in their church; etc. Many pastors bring their wives and their children. There is a separate track for their wives, their young children, and their children who are youth age. I have the youth age children from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. I have been planning for a long time, but I have never done this before. Please pray for the youth who will come, for me and others as we teach in the mornings and in the evenings, and that God will do a good work.

Secondly, I ask for prayer about something else that will take place this coming week. I work for a state-wide Baptist newspaper, and I will have several articles come out in next week's issue - the July 23rd issue. The articles, though very truthful and revealing, may cause an outbreak of anger against me or the paper. Please pray that they are received well and that they help people who are affected by this situation. I won't dive into much detail, but the articles are about a self-proclaimed church which has many characteristics of a cult, the church/cult leader, and the non-profit foundation which came out of this church/cult. Please pray that the truth will set people free and for the protection of the paper and myself. You can see these articles online on Thursday at www.thealabamabaptist.org.

Lastly, I ask for prayer as I continue to look for a full-time job. God is providing for my needs and is giving me opportunities of ministry, for which I am thankful. I have an article assignment due at the beginning of August for WMU's www.mymissionfulfilled.com. Please pray that I will do God's work with excellence and diligence.

Thank you for your prayers for me. I believe in the power of prayer. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

A Pleasant Vineyard

2009-05-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a family that did not drink any alcohol, including wine. So when I went on my first trip to Napa Valley to tour the wineries this past week, I knew absolutely nothing about wine or how wine is made. Before heading to Napa Valley, I did not think that I would be too impressed with the vineyards. Having grown up in the South where there are lots of gardens, corn fields, and other types of fields, I thought it would take more than a field of grape plants to awe me. However, much to my surprise, the sight of these beautiful vineyards on softly, rolling hills took my breath away.

A vineyard is a widely used metaphor in the Bible of God's people - Israel in the Old Testament and Christians in the New Testament. In Isaiah 5:1-7, we read about God's first vineyard - Israel. Isaiah tells us that God planted this vineyard on a fertile hill; he cleared it of stones. He planted in it the choicest of vines and built a watchtower in the middle of it. He also hewed a wine vat in it and built up a wall and a hedge of protection around it. (Is. 5:1-2,5) God loved this vineyard and did everything necessary for a fruitful and profitable return. However, at the end of it all, this vineyard yielded wild grapes (Is. 5:2,4). What was wrong with this vineyard? It had faulty vines. Despite all that God did for it, the vines could not produce good fruit. Who are the vines? The vines are the people.

Because of sin, people have been estranged from God ever since the Garden of Eden. When God called the nation of Israel out from among the nations of the world, He did everything necessary for them to have fellowship with Him and for them to produce good fruit. He gave them the Law; He gave them His presence in the tent of meeting. He gave them the sacrificial system so that atonement could be made for their sin. God gave them righteous men and women to serve as judges, kings, and prophets to guide them in the way of righteousness. He protected them many times from enemies, and fought on their behalf. Yet, after all God did, many of God's people turned to idols, murdered their brothers, practiced corrupt business, divorced their spouses, gave their children up for unholy things, and the list goes on. The vines had produced sour, wild grapes.

Yet, 22 chapters later, Isaiah is given a vision for the future. A vision of hope. A vision of a pleasant vineyard that will produce the fruit God desires - the good and choicest fruit.

Isaiah 27:2-6 says:

In that day,

'A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!

I, the LORD, am its keeper;

every moment I water it.

Lest anyone punish it,

I keep it night and day;

I have no wrath.

Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!

I would march against them,

I would burn them up together.

Or let them lay hold of my protection,

let them make peace with me,

let them make peace with me.'

In days to come Jacob shall take root,

Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots

and fill the whole world with fruit.

This passage begins with "in that day." As prophetic literature, "in that day" denotes something in the future. However, many people today will still read this passage as something futuristic that has not happened. Although there is an element of "not yet," the majority of the prophecies in the Old Testament have already been realized in Jesus Christ. We can best understand Is. 27:2-6 by reading John 15:1-6. Nothing changed with how God kept the vineyard in chapter 5 to how he tended it in chapter 27. God is still the keeper of the vineyard. He still takes care of it most ardently. He still protects it so that he challenges even the briers to get in. Yet, something has changed to which now the vineyard in chapter 27 is producing good and sweet fruit instead of wild grapes in chapter 5. The vineyard has gone from being accursed to pleasant. The vineyard has changed because there is a new vine.

Can you imagine a vineyard with only one vine? Having seen vineyards, the idea is laughable. One vine to produce hundreds and millions of grapes? One vine? Yes, one vine. In John 15 Jesus says, "I am the vine and you are the branches." Look at the image below:

We see in this picture the vine coming forth from the ground and from the vine little branches shooting off in every direction. Because Jesus came to earth as completely human, remaining both 100% God and 100% human in the flesh, Jesus was able to live a life without sin. Being God in human flesh, He was able to be the perfect "vine," which is to say the perfect human. This vine - Jesus - is not diseased by sin, so this vine will always produce good fruit. Therefore, this new and pleasant vineyard has already begun, and it is a vineyard with one vine and millions of branches. God uses this metaphor of the vine and branches to drive home the point that as branches cannot bear fruit apart from the vine so neither can we bear fruit apart from Christ. The branches on a vine that do not bear fruit will be destroyed; likewise, the people who do not have a relationship with Christ will experience the wrath of God.

Through the metaphor of the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7, 27:2-6, and John 15:1-5, we have been told the history of God's salvation. I encourage you to look at other places in Scripture where the metaphor of the vineyard is used to make a teaching point. It comes up often in prophetic literature as well as the parables of Jesus.

I couldn't go to Napa Valley without tasting one of the wines, though probably much to my parents' dismay. However, it was important for me to taste something that was made from cultivating the fruit grown right outside its door.

What a wonderful thing to be part of this pleasant vineyard that began 2000 years ago with the coming of Jesus Christ and to be producing good fruit for the harvesting of our vinedresser God.

(*To my Shades Mountain Baptist peeps, I began writing and formulating this blog post earlier this week. It is only, in my estimation, by divine appointment that today's sermon would be on one of the passages used here and thus a similar message being spoken.)

I love you with my whole....liver?

2009-05-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I love to doodle. I have been in school for 20 years, and I can look back over 20-years worth of class notes and find all around the edges of my paper little stars, smiley faces, trees, and yes, my most adored doodling character, hearts. For as long as I remember, hearts have signified that one, most sought after word - love. I will sign a letter with a heart as a substitute for the word love, knowing that it is understood that I mean love. I even wear a t-shirt, along with most of America, that reads, "I 'heart' N.Y.", with the big red heart standing in the place of the word love. To us, the heart is a symbol of love, a love that is often times defined as an emotional and sentimental feeling.

There is nothing wrong with this; however, the danger comes when we read our understanding of heart back into the Bible. Every Christian, no matter their culture, is in danger of reading their own culture, thoughts, and experiences back into Scripture thereby potentially making a passage say something that it never would have meant in the time and culture in which it was written. This is called eisegesis.

The Old Testament, like us today, refers to the heart symbolically. One of the most popularly quoted OT verse is Deuteronomy 6:5 - "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Verse 6 follows with "and these words that I command you today shall be on your heart." If we want to leave eisegesis (reading into the text) and to cleave to exegesis (reading out from the text), we must first ask what did the heart symbolize in the ancient near eastern culture and thus to the Hebrew people?

The heart, especially in the book of Proverbs, is interchangeably used with the mind. Since the heart symbolized the seedbed of decision making and since thinking is very much involved with making decisions, the heart and mind almost overlap in their function. The heart is thus the spiritual side of you that makes decisions. When David confessed his sin to God after committing adultery with Bathsheba, he asked God to renovate his heart. When he prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God," (Ps. 51:10) David was asking for a decision-making rehabilitation. This is why David said a few verses prior, "Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart"(Ps. 51:6). David desires truth and wisdom in his heart since it is where he makes his decisions. Understanding then that the heart in the OT is often understood with mind, thinking, and decision-making, we can rightly understand Psalm 119:11 - "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." If you are going to hide something in your heart, it means you will keep it in memory and let it influence the decisions you make.

This does not mean that the heart in the OT had nothing to do with love, but a Hebrew hearing the law would not have equated the heart with an emotional feeling of love. I thought it was quite comical when one of my professors at Beeson Divinity School, Allen P. Ross, to whom I credit this understanding of heart in the Old Testament, told our class that a Hebrew would not likely say, "I love you with my whole heart." Instead, they would more likely say, "I love you with my whole liver." The liver to the Hebrew people was a bigger and more important organ. In fact, it would be easier to change a heart than a liver; therefore, the liver would be a better way to express love - it was bigger, more important, and unchanging. I don't think "I love you with my whole liver" will catch on anytime soon, but it makes sense nonetheless.

To love the Lord my God with all my heart does not mean loving him with all my emotional and sentimental love. It means to love him with my decisions and my thoughts. It is how I live my life. I must love God through and with all of me and let my words, thoughts, and deeds reflect that I truly love God. Peter's thrice confession that he loved Jesus after Jesus' resurrection meant nothing until he fed his sheep, just like Jesus said to do. I must reassess the condition of my heart. What do my decisions about what to say, what to wear, what to do, what not to do, how to respond to my enemy, how to treat my neighbor (and the list goes on) reveal about my love for God? What do they reveal about my character? It takes one second to doodle a heart, but it takes a lifetime to fashion one's heart, one's seedbed of decision-making, to love God.

How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place

2009-04-28T07:35:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry for not having posted since Easter week. I have been sick and am busy writing some samples for a few Christian publishers. I appreciate your prayers as I know that I cannot write without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Today I just want to post Psalm 84 for your own reflection and encouragement.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca

they make it a place of springs;

the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;

each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;

give ear, O God of Jacob!

Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed!

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

the LORD bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,

blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Amen.

Resurrection Sunday

2009-04-12T05:03:00.000-07:00

Read Luke 24:36-49
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. Luke 24:39

All Gospel writers record Jesus’ death and resurrection. Luke records that Jesus had resurrected from the dead sometime early that morning, before dawn, appeared to two followers on the road to Emmaus that afternoon, and by evening appeared to the eleven remaining disciples. Jesus was alive! He was not resurrected only spiritually, as Jehovah Witnesses believe, but he was resurrected physically as witnessed by the fact that you could see and touch his physical body and witnessed by the fact that he ate fish with his disciples. The importance of Jesus returning to life in both body and spirit is that he conquered sin in the body and truly holds power over death in the body.

Jesus reiterates again to his disciples what he told them earlier in the week before his death in Luke 24:36-49. First, he reminds them he brings peace. Jesus entered the room with the disciples by saying peace to you. Through his resurrection, Jesus made a way for us to be at peace with God (v. 36). Secondly, his power over death gives our hearts no reason for fear, trouble, or doubts. His resurrection drives away a troubled heart (v. 38-39). Thirdly, he has fulfilled Scripture in every way, especially through his death and resurrection (v. 44-46). Fourthly, his death and resurrection has commenced a new kingdom in which repentance and forgiveness of sins can be preached to all nations (v. 47). Lastly, with his ascension at hand, the Father will send, as Jesus has already promised, the Holy Spirit in his place (v. 49).

Because Christ has risen, we have peace. Because Christ has risen, we too will raise with him if we have united with him in faith. Because Christ has risen, we can join with Paul and say, “‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:53)

Make the following song by Keith and Kristyn Getty your prayer and your song today as you worship the risen King.

See What A Morning, ©2003

See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead.

The Plan that Failed

2009-04-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

Read Matthew 27:62-66
So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. Matthew 27:66

Gospel writers Mark, Luke, and John, in their account of Jesus’ death and resurrection, skip from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. We do not know what Jesus’ disciples and devout followers were doing on that Sabbath, even though we can assume they were in deep mourning. Matthew is the only Gospel writer who records any type of event on that Sabbath; however, his focus was not on what Jesus’ followers were doing but rather what the priests and the Pharisees were up to. Ironically, the priests and Pharisees, who were adamant about not working on the Sabbath, were working hard this particular Sabbath to ensure the protection of Jesus’ tomb. Though they referred to Jesus as an imposter, they remembered Jesus said that in three days he would rise, a saying that not even his disciples seemed to remember. So they told Pilate they were afraid his disciples were going to steal his body in an attempt to say Jesus rose from the dead. They then said that if that happened, it would be a greater fraud than the first, the first fraud referring to the claim Jesus made that he was the Son of God.

However, by the Jewish leaders securing the tomb with guards, a rope and a wax seal,* they actually gave more credence to Jesus’ resurrection. Since there was no way for the disciples to steal his body, Jesus’ resurrection had even greater credibility. Had the Jewish leaders simply left the tomb alone, Jesus’ resurrection could perhaps have been subjected to doubts and queries as to if the disciples had stolen his body. However, thanks to the Jewish leaders, rather than his resurrection being a scam, it was an undeniable reality. Instead of being indicted as a fraud, Jesus was acquitted by his resurrection. Instead of being an imposter, Jesus was exactly who he said he was. The Pharisees and priests were trying with all their human power to stop Jesus from doing what he said he was going to do, but instead their weak human attempts displayed even more so God’s power.

If we jump to after Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28, we read that the guards, who were standing at the tomb, reported what had happened to the chief priests. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they (the chief priests) gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, ‘Tell people, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep."

Have you ever found yourself doubting in Jesus’ resurrection? Are you struggling with the reliability of Scripture? Are you doubting the power of God in your life? If nothing else, this passage confirms that nothing can thwart the plan of God and that what he says he will do, he will do. May this passage strengthen your faith in God, your faith in his power, and your belief in Jesus' resurrection.

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Acts 2:22
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:8-10

*See Frank E. Gaebelein, ed, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 8, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 586.

Good Friday: Yet He Bore the Sin of Many

2009-04-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

GOOD FRIDAY
Crucifixion
Read Isaiah 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
He had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him. (Is. 53:1-2)
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. (Luke 2:7)
But (he) made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:7)
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted by grief,
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is. 53:3)
But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified.’ (Mt. 27:23)
And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they
had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. (Mk. 15:19-20)
But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. (Lk. 23:23)
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. (Is. 53:4)
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. (Mk. 15:33)
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mt. 27:46)
This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. (Acts 2:23)
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed. (Is. 53:5)
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. (Jn. 19:1)
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. (Jn. 19:34)
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Pet. 2:24)
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned – every one – to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:6)
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Pet. 2:25)
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth. (Is. 53:7)
But he (Jesus) remained silent and made no answer. (Mk. 14:61)
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Pet. 2:22-23)
…yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors. (Is. 53:12c)
And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ (Lk. 23:34)
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. (Mt. 27:50)

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper

2009-04-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

The Last Supper
Read Matthew 26:26-29
For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew. 26:28

This was not the first Passover meal Jesus had observed with His disciples; but, it most certainly was his last on this side of the cross. Jews from all over the Roman Empire had come to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover week, so it is likely the disciples had thought they too had come to Jerusalem in light of this celebration. However, Jesus did not come to celebrate the Passover per se, but rather to generate a new “Passover.”

The Passover up to this time commemorated when God had passed over the first born of Israel by the blood of a lamb in Egypt. The Jews passed over from impending death to life thanks to the death of a lamb. Yet, this Passover was only the beginning as it inaugurated a sacrificial system in which animals would constantly have to be slaughtered for the appeasement and forgiveness of sin. Through Jesus’ death, however, the sins of people would be appeased once and for all and all who would believe in Jesus would experience an everlasting passing over by God.

When Jesus broke the bread and said, this is my body, he was communicating that his body would be physically broken. Jesus had already told the disciples in John 6:35, I am the bread of life, and now the bread of life is going to be broken for them (1 Cor. 11:24). When Jesus said the cup represented his blood being poured out, he was fulfilling the sacrificial system as summed up in Leviticus 17:11 – For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. So as the disciples joined with Jesus in taking the bread and the cup they were joining Him in a new meal – a meal that communicated the sacrifice he was to make for the forgiveness of sins.

Have you eaten with Christ at this new meal? Have you received from him the once-and-for-all forgiveness of sins? As we prepare our hearts for Good Friday and the sacrifice he made for us at the cross, let us too sit at the table with him thinking of the cost. And let us reflect on the following Scripture that helps explain the significance of the cross.

“…and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Hebrews 9:22b
“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all…” Romans 6:10a
“He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” Hebrews 7:27
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18

Not As The World Gives

2009-04-08T04:35:00.000-07:00

Read John 14:25-30
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

With Jesus going to the cross within two days time, He comforts his disciples. He tells them his leaving this world will produce great results; therefore, they can be comforted in his departure. By his leaving:
➢ The Helper, who is the Holy Spirit, will come and will remind and teach us all Jesus has spoken (v. 26).
➢ Jesus leaves his peace, a peace that the world is incapable and impotent to give. Only the God of peace can leave peace, and this peace is a sign of the beginning of the messianic kingdom (v. 27). [John quoted from Zechariah 9:9 in John 12:15 showing that Jesus fulfills the Messiah prophecy. Another sign of this coming king is that He will bring peace to the nations (Zech. 9:10), which Jesus also fulfills.]
➢ Our hearts are not to be troubled or afraid. His death does not leave us in fear; instead, it drives out the fear (v. 27).
➢ We may believe (v. 29).
➢ The world may know of the Son’s love for the Father (v. 31).

These words of comfort were not just for the disciples, but for us too. It has been some 2000 years since Jesus ascended to heaven, and we are living in an already-but-not-yet kingdom. Jesus’ death has inaugurated the new covenant and new kingdom. Jesus is our Lord, but we still get discouraged from time to time as we live in a world that is not yet fully redeemed and that shows no sign of submission to the one true lord Jesus. So we find ourselves with the disciples needing to be reminded by Jesus, as he is on his way to the cross, that his leaving is only temporary and is necessary. We find ourselves with the disciples needing to be comforted.

Peace is the result of being in a right relationship with God. If you are looking for peace in your life by simply going to church, walking down an aisle, and giving money, but you have never entered into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ or you are not living in a right relationship with God, you will never have the peace of God. Is the peace of Christ ruling your heart this holy week? What is keeping you from experiencing God's peace?

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Last Instructions: Walk in the Light

2009-04-07T04:39:00.000-07:00

Read John 12: 27-36a
So Jesus said to them, ‘The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you…While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ John 12:35a, 36a

If you knew you were going to die on Friday, what would you tell your spouse, children, parents, and friends? What last words would you leave them? This is the situation in which we find Jesus. He is in a conversation with His disciples giving them His last words. Last words are important because they convey what is most important to the person dying. Therefore, those words are usually best remembered. So Jesus instructs His disciples to walk and believe in the light.

Light is a prominent motif in the gospel of John. In John 1:5, John wrote concerning Jesus, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jesus had said concerning Himself in John 8:12, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Light is used figuratively to represent righteousness and therefore life. Darkness, which is sin or unrighteousness, leads to death; but, righteousness leads to life. Since God is life, Jesus is logically the Light of the world.

For three years, it was easy for the disciples to walk in light because they had been literally walking with the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. But now He urges them to continue to walk in the light, because with His departure walking in light will not be as easy. He does not want, with His leaving, for sin to overtake His disciples. We are all prone to walk in darkness because we are by nature sinful people, but now, through Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection, we can step out of darkness into the light.

Are you walking in the light? What excuses have you given for not walking in the light? Are you using your own salvation as an excuse to walk in darkness? (If so, read Romans 6:15-19.) How does Jesus’ death for you on the cross compel you to continue to walk with Him?

As we think about His last words, let us also remember what Jesus said earlier in His ministry in John 3:19-21. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

The Glorification of the Son of Man

2009-04-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

Text: John 12:23-26
And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.’ John 12:23

Between the time Jesus entered Jerusalem on Sunday to the day He was crucified on Friday, Jesus spent His last remaining days with His disciples explaining to them what was to take place. Up to this point, Jesus’ disciples still did not fully grasp Jesus’ hour (John 12:16). In John 12:23, we enter into a conversation Jesus is having with Andrew and Philip, though the other disciples may have been in hearing range of this conversation. Jesus tells them the hour has come for the Son of Man (the Messiah) to be glorified.

Death on a cross was anything but glorification in the 1st century; it was humiliation, being the cruelest of all deaths, one reserved for slaves. Yet, in the hands of God, the cross became the means of self-glorification. Jesus, though innocent, by offering Himself sacrificially for the atonement of the sins of the world, glorified the Father on the cross as well as Himself.

He explains the result and purpose of His glorification in verse 24 with the example of a seed. By so doing, Jesus communicates that death is necessary for the reproduction of life. He must die so others can have eternal life. Jesus goes on to tell His disciples that this principle has implications for anyone who follows Him.

When Jesus says, whoever loves his life loses it, He is referring to a love of self that is idolatrous and thereby self-destructive. Any love of self that is stronger than love for God is a denial of the lordship of God that naturally results in death. Therefore, Jesus said we must hate our lives in the sense that we deny love of self that makes us lord. By loving God more than we love ourselves, we inherit eternal life. If we love Him more than we love ourselves, we will naturally serve and follow Him (v. 26), and we are promised that in the end our Father will honor us.

How often do we try to serve God in the church without following Him by living in obedience? Would we be willing to follow Christ to the cross? Are you in danger of idolatry by putting your own wants and needs before the call and lordship of Christ? Today, reflect on the glorification of God on a cross.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Read John 12:9-19
“And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it.” John 12:14

After raising Lazarus from the dead, word spread around about Jesus. He not only heals the sick but now he also raises the dead! Through this sign, Jesus was communicating that he has power over death – something that only belongs to God. This sign was also foreshadowing the greatest sign to come - his power over his own death. Thus the raising of Lazarus was the prompting of Jesus’ heroic arrival in Jerusalem as “many Jews were believing in Jesus” (v. 11) on account of Lazarus and as those believing were “continuing to bear witness” (v. 17). So as Jesus came into Jerusalem that Sunday, the people hailed him as a king – the coming Messiah. But note that Jesus refused to enter in on a white stallion but rather on a colt of a donkey, which as John notes, fulfilled the prophecy about him. The greatest significance of Jesus’ “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem was that it inaugurated Jesus’ “hour.” Up until this time, Jesus had told his disciples on numerous occasions that his hour has not yet come (see John 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). This hour was used in reference to Jesus’ death – his glorification on the cross (see John 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). By entering into Jerusalem that Sunday morning he was obediently traveling to the cross so that the hour for which he came would be fulfilled. His humility of riding in on a donkey was consistent with the kind of Messiah that he truly was – one who humbled himself to death on a cross.

This Palm Sunday reflect on Jesus’ humility and singleness of mind and purpose. Though Jesus was hailed as king, he still chose to ride a young donkey. Though people were throwing down palm branches, Jesus had a single focus – the cross. Many of the people who hailed Jesus on Sunday rejected him on Friday because he did not fit into their idea or model of Messiah. Therefore, heed the words of Paul in Philippians 2:3-8:

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Let Us Remember: An Introduction to Holy Week Devotionals

2009-04-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

All throughout Scripture God tells his people to remember what He has done. God gave Noah and his family the sign of a rainbow so that they would remember His faithfulness during the flood. God commenced the celebration of a Passover meal so that Israel would remember God’s faithfulness to them in Egypt. God wanted his people to remember His promises, His law, and His past faithfulness so that the people would not sin and turn away from Him. To remember in Scripture is not a simple memorization of facts, but it is an active recalling to mind and heart the power, promises, and person of God. Whenever Israel did sin and turn away from God, Scripture says that they sinned because they forgot. Judges 3:7 says, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.” 1 Samuel 12:9 says, “But they forgot the LORD their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor.” Psalm 106:13 says, “But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.”

Like Israel, we are commanded to remember lest we sin and turn away from God. We too have a tendency to forget and thereby to turn away from God and to other gods and teachings. This is one reason Holy Week is so important for us as Christians. For Paul tells us that when Jesus broke bread with his disciples the night before his death, he told them to “Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:24-25) Paul then records that Jesus said in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that every time you take the Lord’s Supper we are remembering and proclaiming his death at the cross. May we remember what Christ has done for us lest we like Israel forget and turn away from him.

I will post a devotional every day during Holy Week that I have written; these devotionals will hopefully serve as an aid to help us to remember what Christ has done for us. Beginning with Palm Sunday, these Scripture passages will take us from the time Jesus entered into Jerusalem to the time that he resurrected. We walk with Jesus through the reading and reflecting of these passages so that we will remember what he has taught us concerning himself and what he has done for us, so that our faith will be strengthened, our hope made assured, and our joy be made complete.

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Romans 16:25-27

I Didn't Do It

2009-03-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

What is Christian community? What practical implications are there to being one body?

The book of Ezra is extremely fascinating as it continues the story of God's steadfast love, his preservation of a remnant, and his faithfulness. Embedded in this book, however, is a great example of Christian community. The prophet Ezra returned to Jerusalem shortly after the rebuilding of the temple in order to teach the Law to the exiles. After some time in Jerusalem, some officials approached Ezra and told him that many of the Israelites, including the priests (the worship leaders if you will), had blatantly disobeyed God by intermarrying with foreign women.

[If we harken back to Deuteronomy 7:3-4, we will recall that God had commanded the people to not intermarry BECAUSE "they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods." It is not that God was against his people marrying people of another skin color or race (see Moses for example); God was against marriages that would lead the people away from worshipping the one, true God to false gods.]

What I am noting in this passage today, however, is Ezra's response. Even though he did not sin and it wasn't him who had committed this crime against the Lord, Ezra tore his clothes, pulled his hair, and fasted. These are the outward signs of someone seeking repentance (see King David). Then in his prayer to God, Ezra did not point his finger at them and blame them, instead he said, "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens." (Ez. 9:6) Ezra continues using 3rd personal pronouns in his prayer, thereby taking responsibility in the sin and in the guilt that he did not commit. Ezra didn't say, "Lord, I didn't do it; they did." No, he prayed, "Lord, forgive our sin." For Ezra understood something that we do not understand today - when people in the church sin the whole church becomes under guilt. If one person is in guilt, then the whole community is in guilt. This of course does not mesh with our individualist context and way of understanding things, but it is the mindset of Scripture. Remember what Paul says in Romans 12:5 - "so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." The unity of the body of Christ occurs in Paul's other letters, such as 1 Corinthians. The whole body is affected whether good or bad by every member. When Judah went into exile it was not because every, single person had sinned, but because of the sin of the community, of the whole.

So let me ask you as I have already asked myself. When was the last time you cried out to God for sin that you did not commit instead of condemning the sinner? When was the last time you became broken hearted over the sin of a brother or sister out of love for them and because you knew that all sin impacts the community instead of viewing all sin as just personal? When was the last time you repented on behalf of the community, acknowledging your own guilt before God instead of saying "I didn't do it"? Often times what will happen is someone else's sin will reveal sin in our own lives that we have not seen before. Remember that a repentant church is a powerful church, for when a church acknowledges their sin before God, they become a humble people who deals with sin quickly, and consequently they see the power of God at work to restore, reform, and rebuild.

What happened when Ezra became utterly devastated over the faithlessness of the exiles? "The people wept bitterly" and "all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling." (Ez. 10:1, 9) It took the repentance and brokenness over sin of one man to lead the whole community to repentance.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." 1 Cor. 12:26

A Fair Warning

2009-03-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

The people of Israel more often give us what-not-to-do examples rather than this-is-what-you-should-do examples. One of these examples come from Exodus 32. We are all familiar, maybe too familiar, with the story about the people of Israel making a golden calf. But we may not be too familiar with 12:35-36.

Exodus 12:35-36 says, "The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians."

After 430 years in Egypt, most of the time spent in slavery, God delivered Israel from Egypt, and not only did he deliver them but also gave them the Egyptians' valuables! Therefore, when we skip to Exodus 32, the golden calf story takes on a new dimension. You see, they used the gold jewelry that they most likely received from the Egyptians (though it does not directly say) to make for them gods. They took the very possessions that God had given them and turned them into a god. They went from putting trust in the only God to putting trust into the things which God had given them when they left Egypt.

The warning to us is clear: when it seems like God is taking a long time to answer a prayer, when it seems that the waiting period is going too long, when it seems like things are just getting too bad, when it seems like there is little hope with the economy, do not be tempted to put your trust in the things which God has given you. Do not turn from trusting in the Giver to trusting in the gifts. Beware of forgetting the character of God, the past faithfulness of God, and the sovereignty of God, for the moment that we forget is the moment that we will be most vulnerable to sin. May we heed the example of Israel of what not to do.

The Divine "But"

2009-03-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

How often do we hear the word but used in our lives? Sometimes these buts bear good news, but many times the word but will introduce bad news. The ABC show The Bachelor is a good example of this as each week the bachelor says to a girl, "I really like you, but I think these are feelings of friendship." Unlike the conjunction and, which strings together at least two similar ideas in a sentence, and the conjunction or, which gives you the option between two ideas, the conjunction but puts two opposing ideas in a sentence. This little word is the hinge point at which a sentence changes directions, and usually whatever follows the but will trump what preceded it.

What we find in Genesis 50:15-21 is an example of the divine but. Joseph's brothers were afraid that since their father had died Joseph was going to take revenge on them for selling him into slavery many years prior. So they got together and sent Joseph a message asking for forgiveness. When the message came to Joseph, Joseph wept (which in these verses there is another great message - one of true forgiveness!). After Joseph dried up his tears and his brothers came into his presence, Joseph responded to them with this in 50:19-20 - "you meant evil against me, BUT God meant it for good..." As God stands behind the but, his purposes prevail, the direction of the situation is altered, and evil intentions are trumped by God's good will. Joseph had already said this to his brothers in 45:5-8 - "now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life." So we see at the first level that God is providing for Abraham's descendants' physical needs since God foreknew that there would be famine in the land and that the descendants of Abraham would die without food. At the second level, God is fulfilling his promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants as well as is moving salvation history to Jesus Christ. For you see, had Joseph not come to Egypt, many of Jacob's offspring could have died, Israel's descendants would not have multiplied, and eventually there would be no Passover lamb (which was a foreshadowing of Christ). So what Joseph's brothers had meant for bad, God had already purposed for good. The divine BUT!

Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:8 sum up God's gospel as a divine but, if you will. We were dead in our sin BUT God showed love to us through the death of God the Son on the cross. I love that when God stands behind the but in life he trumps whatever preceded. God can take something that was meant for evil, before it even happened, and turn it around to fulfill his purpose. Those of us who are children of God by faith have all experienced the divine but in our lives at the cross (cf Rom. 5:8). And as children of God we are all guaranteed another divine but - "we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." (1 Cor. 15:51). We will all one day die but death will not have power over us as God will resurrect us. The divine BUT!

As my preaching professor Dr. Smith said many times, "God will put a comma in your life where others have put a period."

What about Leah?

2009-03-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you know the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel so he promised her father Laban to work 7 years in exchange for Rachel to become his wife. At the end of those 7 years Laban tricked Jacob and gave him Rachel's sister, Leah. (How Laban pulled that one over Jacob's eyes is amazing to me!) Shortly after Jacob married Leah, he was given Rachel in marriage but he still had to work another 7 years! So at the end of 14 years Jacob ended up with two wives, one he loved and one he could care less about. I don't know about you but I have always taken away from this story two things: Laban was a bad man to pull such a trick and Rachel was to be pitied. Poor, poor Rachel. Not only did her sister get to marry Jacob first, but she also was barren (which was a terrible thing in the ancient near eastern culture).

However, there is more to this story than I ever grew up thinking. First, though Jacob loved Rachel, God showed love to Leah by opening up her womb (Gen. 29:31). It did not matter how much Jacob loved Rachel, he could not make her pregnant! God shows love to the unloved ones and only He can ultimately create human life. Secondly, I believe it was in God's plan all along that Jacob would marry Leah. If it was up to Jacob then he would have just married Rachel. From a humanistic standpoint, it was Laban who deceived Jacob and who gave Leah to him. But God, who not only had in mind before creation the incarnation of Christ as well as Christ's family treee, had already chosen to carry out through Leah the genealogy of Christ. Judah was Leah's son, not Rachel's. In fact if we were to look closer at Rachel, she was the one who stole her father's gods when this big, disfunctional family left Laban's lot (Gen. 31:19, 32-34). Years down the road we can compare the descendants of the two women. Saul, the first king of Israel who the people chose based on his appearance and who did not follow God with his heart, was from the tribe of Benjamin - Rachel's son. David, on the other hand, who became Israel's greatest king chosen by God despite his appearance and who followed God with his whole heart, was from the tribe of Judah - Leah's son. Though Leah was not perfect by any means (check out the entire story - Gen. 29-31), God chose Leah, the one whom Jacob did not choose, to bear the tribe of Judah.

What does this mean for us? It means that God's ways are higher than our ways. It means that God has a soft heart for the marginalized ones. It means that though we tend to look at the outward beauty (Gen. 29:17-18), God looks at our hearts (1 Sam. 16:7). Most importantly it means that this passage in Scripture is more than just a good, moral story but part of God's salvation-history. Here we have unfolding before our very eyes God's sovereignty over the house of Jacob, establishing through Leah, though unwanted and unloved, the very tribe to which the Messiah, the Savior of Israel, all of Jacob's descendants, and even of Jacob himself, would be born.

"And one of the elders said to me, 'Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered..." (Revelation 5:5)

Love Before Time

2009-03-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

I grew up in the church singing the song, "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so..." It was an easy song to sing and to remember, and it embedded in my little mind and heart that Jesus loves me. Here recently I have begun to ponder on the love of Christ that preceded the foundation of the world. I believe, as John 1:1-4 and Hebrews 1:2 record, that Jesus existed with the Father and the Spirit before anything was made. God, the Trinity, being infinite and all-knowing knew that when He created this world what would happen. He knew that Adam and Eve would sin. He knew that sin would enter into his newly created world and separate mankind from himself. God knew that a sacrificial system would have to be made to bridge the separation. And what baffles me is that the Son knew that creating the world would eventually mean him taking on human flesh (though not losing his deity) and would mean his death. The Son, God, chose to give himself up for us before the foundation of the world, and then "chose us in him before the foundation of the world." (Eph. 1:4) (How COOL is that??? So baffles my finite mind!)

All that to say is that his love is infinite. He chose to love us before he created us although he knew of our sin, he knew we would reject him, and he knew of the cost. "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) The Bible, being a history of God's salvation for us, is focused on the cross. The Old Testament is looking toward the cross and moving us toward the cross because the cross was in God's mind from the very beginning and at the cross is God's greatest love displayed. And what makes it an even more amazing, incredible love is that it was a choice made before Genesis 1:1.

"For the love of Christ controls (or compels) us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." 2 Cor. 5:14-15

Open for Business

2009-02-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me, and even those of you who do not, I recently graduated from Beeson Divinity School with a Master of Divinity and am currently jobless (at least in the full-time with benefits sense). I felt called to full-time ministry at a young age, and through my time in college and seminary I knew God had given me a passion to teach, speak (or preach), and write. In a sense I would say that at this time of my life I am waiting for God to show me what is next - a full-time job, a writing/speaking career, and/or a ministry avenue. Yet, in another sense, life is always characterized by waiting, and I can see this time of my life as an opportunity for new things - reading books I have not been able to read while in school, serving as director of youth for Beeson's Pastor's School, deepening relationships, and yes, even blogging!

It has taken me literally 3 weeks to come up with a title for my blog - a title that would communicate my purpose and goal for blogging and would also capture the attention of others, people like yourself! I debated whether or not I should use the word doctrine in my title but in the end chose it because it is what the Bible uses! (Good reason, huh?) The word in Greek, can be translated doctrine, teaching and instruction, all synonyms of each other, so that the word doctrine is not that scary after all! Therefore, this blog is unique, hopefully, in that it is not about my life but reflections on God as revealed in Scripture. Hopefully, not only will this blog serve as a platform for a future writing and speaking career, but more importantly will encourage and challenge you (if you choose to read it) to adorn the doctrine of God in everything you do! My prayer is that God will be glorified, and if he can use a simple-minded and sinful person like myself, then glory be to God!

I dedicate this first entry and its title to my dad, who while trying to help me come up with a title for my blog, gave me his suggestion "Open for Business." Though I did not choose to use his suggestion, I appreciate his thoughts, love, and encouragement. Check out his blog - abitofmark.blogspot.