Why Church?

A friend of mine posted a question on his blog asking "Why do you go to church?" This is a great question. I would love to hear your thoughts on this too. Here is my response:

I go to church for several reasons. First, Christ died for the church. Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV).

If the main point of Christ’s death was to redeem the church and set her apart for himself, I want to be a part of the church, devoting myself to Christ by devoting myself to His body and His bride.

Second, the church is the primary means through which God is accomplishing His divine mission in the world. Luke writes, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ESV). I want to participate in that mission.

Third, through the church God supports and chastens the believer to become more like Christ. I want to be like Christ; so I seek to actively give and willingly receive admonition and encouragement. Paul writes, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2 ESV). And in Hebrews we read, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:12-14 ESV).

Fourth, I go to church because I am imperfect--a work in progress. I imperfectly remember and strive after God in all arenas of life. Indeed we are all still imperfect and in need of God’s continued sanctification in our lives. I go to church, not because I’m perfect, but because I’m not. I need God’s grace and help. Thankfully he offers this help to us in the hands and feet of His body and bride, the church.

Finally, God is glorious and holy. He is the rightful end of all things and worthy of all praise. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36 ESV). God is deserving of worship for no other reason than His character alone. However, He has graciously accomplished salvation through His Son and by His Spirit in the lives of everyone who places their faith and trust in Christ. I choose to go to church, because it is a congregation that has been called and is devoted to the praise, honor, and glory of God through worship. In the congregation of the church I am able to fulfill my calling to worship my Creator and Redeemer alongside others who share the same calling.

Recognizing Christ’s great love for His bride, God’s purpose and mission for the church, my own need of encouragement to be and become who He has called me to be, as well as the calling of every believer to lovingly encourage others toward the same goal and worship our God, I choose to participate in the Christian church.

Am I Promoting Idolatry?

I found a link to a great post on another blog via a blog (if that makes sense) about the temptation to create your own disciples rather than pointing people to Christ. If you are a pastor, teacher, or church leader of any kind I highly recommend reading it.

The Day They Tried to Recruit Me

Here is an excerpt:

The cult of professor worship is perhaps the most dangerous and reprehensible cult in the theological world. It is no respecter of theological position, afflicting the left just as much as the right. It is no respecter of intellectual ability, as the psychology of leader-follower is predicated more on personality and relational qualities than brainpower. And it is no respecter of souls: nothing so destroys a Christian leader, or his followers, than the mutual flattery involved in the uncritical adulation of a fan-base for a professorial rock star (and I use that term advisedly). Hence, while every instinct in me told me that the offer was a great opportunity to start up Team Trueman on campus, I chose to go against my fallen desires and immediately declined the offer.

The First Entry of My Journal

While I attending college I was inspired to start a journal after reading In the Shadow of the Almighty a book about Jim Elliot (a missionary to South America) that contains many entries from his personal journal. Unfortunately I lost that first journal in Hurricane Katrina. However, I do still have my second journal. Ironically, it's first entry is dated 9:31am, September 11, 2001. I always find it interesting to rewind and re-read old entries and thought I'd share this one with you:

The second tower of the world trade center has just fallen! Both towers were struck by 2 separate commercial planes. About 50,000 people work at the World Trade Center.We just learned that another hijacked plane is en route to Washington as I write! All commercial flights as well as private have been grounded.

[Time?]Another plane crashed into the Pentagon which is now on fire and part of it has collapsed.

[Time?]Another plane has crashed over W. Pennsylvania. Right now my body is numb. My mind keeps wondering if this is not the judgment of God on our country. The affects of this attack will be far reaching. Twenty minutes ago it was reported that money was flowing into the Euro and the Pound.

I'm [now] sitting in chapel. Psalm 46 is of great comfort right now as was the hymn "Crown Him With Many Crowns."

As I wrote these words I thought that tens of thousands of people had just lost their lives. I am so thankful that God in His mercy spared us from the worst. Nonetheless, I am reminded of the loss we did sustain and pray God's peace for the thousands of friends and families that are no doubt remembering and re-living the emotions of that day even as I write.

Tonight I am encouraged by the Scripture and hymn that God used to minister to me that day seven years ago:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalms 46:1-3 ESV)

God is our refuge. What peace there is in knowing Him. Christ our King is seated on His throne and is worthy of all the praise we can give Him regardless of life's circumstances. He has promised to be with us always (Mt 28:20) and given us His Spirit to comfort and to guide (e.g., John 14:16, 26).

Father, thank you for Your providential care for us. Jesus, may we honor you as King in every circumstance and stage of our lives. Spirit, may we seek your guidance as strongly in the good times life as in the bad. O God, have Your way in us today.

Will the real Ocho Cinco Please Stand Up?

As many of my friends will vouch, I have the sports news awareness of someone who lives under a rock. I watch SportCenter once a week if I'm lucky. I play fantasy football because I like the interaction I get with the guys. I catch the scores and check the standings more than I actually watch the games. Nonetheless, as I was checking my fantasy team I noticed that Chad Johnson has now officially become Chad Ocho Cinco. At first I thought this was just a ruse but no...he legally changed his last name to Ocho Cinco.

Here's the article if you want to read it: Click Here

Thanks Mr. Ocho Cinco for reminding us how easily we can lose touch with reality and get wrapped up with ourselves. You're not alone. I readily admit that I'm right there with you. You've helped us all by putting a face and (now) a very visible name to the problem.

Jonathan

1970's Christian Ska Music...(Thankfully) There's Nothing Like It

This is both funny and sad at the same time. Please check out this video.



Disclaimer: By posting this video I in no way endorse its theology. First, Jesus has not taught us how to save our souls; he saved our souls. Second, whatever we might say about salvation, God zapping us is a poor description. Finally sinless perfection is not a possibility in this life (I don't care what Wesleyans say). There is a very good chance that these guys are Canadian (or at least that would explain a lot) :)

Katrina Remembered

Three years ago today Katrina rolled over the gulf coast, devastating everything in her path. Last night K and I were retelling our Katrina story to some new-found friend from church. As we retold the many ways God provided, comforted, encouraged, restored, and even enriched our lives through this "tragedy" I was convicted of how forgetful of God's providence and faithfulness to us I've become. Unfortunately, the further we get away from the experience of God's grace we tend to forget his mighty acts. Deuteronomy 6:10-12 offers a prophetic word for me:

10"And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

As Gustav stares down the gulf coast, I am mindful of God's faithfulness in storms of the past, I am prayerful for His mercy for today and tomorrow, and hopeful that my brothers and sisters in the projected path of this storm will not lose heart. Our God has, is, and ever will be faithful. You are in our thoughts and prayers. If any of you need a place to land for a few days, weeks, etc. please let us know.

In Christ,

Jonathan

Taking Delight in the Word of God

This past Sunday Dr. Ishwaran Mudliar, a professor of OT and Hebrew at SWBTS, preached a sermon entitled "Taking Delight in the Word of God." The text for his sermon was Psalm 119:9-16. I found this message both encouraging and challenging all at the same time.

The sermon should be posted within the next few days at www.redeemeraudio.org. I will not attempt to duplicate the points of the sermon. However, his questions for application are succinct enough to be reproduced here. There are twelve:

1. Are you convinced that the Bible is the Word of God? How do you demonstrate this belief/conviction on a daily basis?

2. What is your view of revelation? Do you believe that man is in need of it or can he figure things out on his own?

3. What is your worldview? Do you look at the world the way God looks at the world; do you love what He loves, hate what He hates, and value what He values?

4. Do you put the Scriptures above other books/magazines/news articles/blogs/etc.? Not merely in ranking but in time spent digging into them?

5. Are you familiar with the basic passages of the Bible? Do you know the 10 commandments, 12 apostles, books of the Bible, love chapter, sermon on the mount, etc.? Can you locate these?

6. Do you have a habit of reading the Bible regularly (esp. cover to cover)? Dr. Mudliar encouraged the congregation to begin systematically reading through the Scriptures.

7. Do you know key passages about salvation so that you could explain it to someone?

8. Do you memorize/meditate on Scripture? Note: Eastern meditation = emptying one's mind of everything. Christian meditation = filling one's mind with the truth of God's word and actively turning it over and over in one's mind (i.e., mental chewing gum). This means thinking about the truths of God throughout the day.

9. Do you have personal and family devotions?

10. Are you over-committed in other areas of life that preclude you spending time in the Word of God?

11. Do you keep high standards for church leaders? They must be an example to the body (able to teach).

12. (a) Do you have a genuine interest in knowing Christ through His word (cf. 1 Pet. 2:2-3)? If not, you should consider whether or not you have ever come to a saving knowledge of Christ? (b) Are we seeking maturity in Christ (cf. Heb. 5:11-14; 2 Pet. 3:18).

If you have made gains in these areas, please share what you've learned. I have not been able to stop thinking about this message all day today. I highly encourage you to listen to this sermon if you get a chance. I pray you have a strong week in the Lord, seeking Him in prayer and in the study of His word.

Looking for His Return,

Jonathan

"To contribute cheerfully and regularly to ... the relief of the poor"

For those of you reading this post whose church publicizes or uses a church covenant, these words may sound familiar. Many baptist churches throughout history have employed church covenants as a means whereby the membership of a particular local body of believers expresses and recommits to walk together in love by the power of the Holy Spirit. My church (Redeemer Church) has adapted with some slight modifications a version of a covenant which originally appeared in J. Newton Brown's Church Manual (1853). To read it click here (see the very bottom of the document entitled "Our Church Covenant").

We often reaffirm this covenant around the Lord's table as a (further) reminder of the fellowship we share in Christ and the responsibilities we share toward one another as a result of this mutual union with Christ (incidentally this is a major function of the Lord's Supper that is sometimes [perhaps often] overlooked). Thus, the focus of the covenant is horizontal (i.e., on the various responsibilities each member has with respect to the corporate body) but this focus is rooted and grounded in the vertical (i.e., in the relationship with and resultant responsibilities one has before God the Father, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit).

Tonight in our care group we discussed in passing the phrase with which this post is entitled ("To contribute cheerfully and regularly to ... the relief of the poor"). This is something that I struggle to understand and fulfill...something I long to understand and fulfill. It is to this end that I write. Thus, this post has two main purposes. First, I want to share some practical reflections that K and I have had regarding this issue. Second, I would love to hear back from the other person who reads this blog as to what he or she has come to understand about this issue.

Without further ado, here is my short list of reflections: five biblical-philosophical and three practical (with some overlap):

Five biblical-philosophical observations:

1. We give because everything we have has been given to us by God. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:16-17 ESV). “And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD'”(Job 1:21 ESV).
   
2. The focus of our ministry to the poor should be upon the helpless, destitute, and outcasts of our society. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, and the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”(James 1:27 ESV). Orphans and widows are quintessential examples of those upon whom we should target our care giving ministries. The able bodied hobos that line our street corners should not be the first thought in our mind when we think about the poor. Surely we must prayerfully witness and (when led by the Spirit) give to these person in wise and discerning ways (i.e., buy them food, not give them money) but they are not the main focus. How much better to aid the struggling single mother or widow or disabled person. We must be on the lookout for these sort of people. They are in desperate need of our help. Without it they will likely turn to unwholesome means of sustenance which will drag them lower and further perpetuate the cycle of poverty in their children.
   
3. Physical inreach within our churches is a pressing need and necessary expression of our discipleship to Christ. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”(John 13:34-35 ESV).
   
4. Physical outreach beyond the fellowship of the church is also a fruit of discipleship. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,* you did it to me’”(Matthew 25:34-40 ESV).
   
5. Giving is as much about attitude as it is about action. “Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”
   (2Corinthians 9:7 ESV). Note the intentionality implied by the phrase "made up his mind." Giving isn't something that finds us it is something in which we must actively engage ourselves.
   

Three practical suggestions:

1. Budget for giving. Set aside percentages of your income, food, time, etc. to give to specific areas of ministry. Remember that giving isn't just about money it's about meeting needs. Since giving is a mandate of Scripture its parameters are broad enough to include all believers rich and poor alike. Whether it's lending a helping hand, sharing canned goods, or writing a check, giving will require intentionality and planning (see #3 below).
   
2. Target your giving. Prayerfully seek to meet the physical needs in your local church, within your local community, and globally by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
• Locally (within the church). Why not set aside a percentage of our monthly income to give to needy couples/individuals in our own congregations? If one answers, "I don't know who the needy members of the congregation are," my suggestion is twofold. First, in the longterm, you need to become more involved in the body life of your church. If you are involved (i.e., getting to know on a personal level) members of your church within the context of a small group needs will surface. Second, in the short term you can talk to your pastor. If your pastor is shepherding the flock he will know of people within the church's fellowship who could really use some help.
• Locally (outside the church). See the note below "Globally."
  
• Globally. A plethora of organizations are available that can meet the needs of others globally. However, as we must always be about fulfilling the Great Commission we must not indiscriminately give our money to just any organization that meets physical needs around the world. An organization to which I recommend giving is Compassion International. It is an explicitly Christian organization that affirms the core doctrines of the faith and seeks to fulfill the Great Commission (to read their mission statement and statement of faith click here). In addition to their own testimony, Compassion has been consistently endorsed by many notable evangelical voices as a faithful and efficient hunger and educational relief arm to underprivileged, third world children. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention will also sponsor hunger and disaster relief funds that missionaries draw from around the world. For more information click here. The main point I am trying to make is that we should give to organizations that truly meet physical needs but that do so with an eye toward faithfully advancing the Gospel.
• Note: While the last point is important, I do not want to reduce relief of the poor outside of the church to a $25 a month check in the mail. We need to be engaging our neighborhoods and communities with the Gospel and meeting practical everyday needs of the poor within those circles too. Admittedly this has always been my weakest area of involvement. I must further qualify this last statement by saying that all of these areas are weak in my life; so take "weakest" to be relative to the weakness of the other two (i.e., inreach and outreach-global).
3. Be joyful, regular, and intentional about your giving. Set goals for giving whatever it is you've set aside to give (i.e., personal time, food, money, etc.). The mandate to give is perpetual and must be a staple of our daily, weekly, monthly activities. If we fail to discipline ourselves in this activity, we won't do it for any sustained length of time.
   

In sum, "contribut[ing] cheerfully and regularly to ... the relief of the poor" is a clear mandate of Scripture. It is part of our Great Commission calling to make disciples and extend the kingdom of God to all nations. As such it isn't something with which we should wrestle in terms of "should I or shouldn't I?" While the specifics will necessarily change with the circumstance in which we find ourselves, giving is one of many disciple activities that should characterize our lifestyles as believers. I covet your prayers as I seek to live out this calling in my own life. Please be assured that you have mine.

In Christ,

Jonathan

P.S.--Please note that this post on "giving to the poor" was written with the assumption that one is already giving his/her tithe to their local church. Supporting this presupposition goes beyond my purposes here. If you have questions about tithing, please let me know and I will be happy to discuss that at a later time.

Acknowledgments: Wes Mills led our discussion on church covenants and many of the things written in this blog were precipitated by the discussion he facilitated. Ben Arbour actually raised the particular focus question for this post and had intriguing thoughts as well. I welcome any additional thoughts or comments you may have about this subject.

London Debriefed

Here are a few highlights from our trip to London for those of you I haven't talked to already:

Day 1 (TUE)--We flew out of DFW that morning and arrived in Chicago where we had a 5 hour layover before our flight to London. Highlight: I finally finished reading book 7 of the Harry Potter series at the airport (awesome conclusion). We had an 8 hour flight to London and arrived there around 9am on Wednesday morning.
Day 2 (WED)--Checked-in to our hotel, toured West Minster Abby, took pictures of famous buildings (e.g., Buckingham Palace, Big Ben/Parliament, Trafalgar Square), and recovered from jet lag. Highlights: (1) We met up with Harry Katz (a member of the youth group at our church in New Orleans) for dinner at a great Italian restaurant near our hotel and walked through Hyde Park. While the first day was filled with many interesting and funs things, catching up with Harry was a big highlight. God is doing some great stuff in his life and it was encouraging to hear about it. (2) Later that night we went for a walk beside the Thames River and took night pictures of Parliament and the Tower Bridge.
Day 3 (THU)--We went to Wesley's Chapel and Bunhill Fields, the manuscripts room at the British Library, and toured the tour of London. Highlights: (1) The Tower of London is England's most famous prison and fortress. The tour guides are both funny and informative. If you are going to tour something in London that costs money, this is the tour I would recommend. (2) Bunhill Fields (Old English for "Bonehill Fields"). This old protestant graveyard is the final resting place for some of my heroes in the faith (i.e., John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, and John Owen). It was a big reminder that death is the end of all men (even those whom we tend to idealize).
Day 4 (FRI)--We visited the Tate Modern (Art) Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, and the British Museum. Afterward we went shopping at Covent Gardens where we ate some amazing cookies (Ben's Cookies). If you go to London you should track down Ben's cookies (very good). Highlight: Seeing the paintings of masters such as Seurat, Renior, Da Vinci, Monet, and Van Gogh was surreal (you might say it left a real "impression" on us :). If you visit London you should definitely take advantage of the museums (even if for no other reason than that they are free!).
Day 5 (SAT)--We headed home. Highlight: sleeping in our own bed.



Miscellaneous Thoughts:

1. Continuity: London is a fun place to visit since it's history is so closely connected to our own country's. The experience is heightened by the fact that you can actually communicate with shop owners and people on the street since you speak the same language (well almost; e.g., Karen ordered "Raaanch" dressing at Subway and it took the guy a little while to figure out what she meant...as the saying goes: you can take the girl out of Louisiana, but you can't take the Louisiana out of the girl :)
   
2. Cultural Diversity: London is a culturally diverse place. Everywhere we went we heard people speaking a different language (i.e., German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, etc.).
   
3. Free stuff: While most everything (esp. food) costs twice as much in London, there are lots of things you can do for free. As I mentioned above there are numerous museums that you can visit for free. You even get a free newspaper when you walk through the subway (aka the "tube"). When you are at a restaurant be sure and order tap water. The waiter may look at you like you're cheap but it's actually very good and...you guessed it...it's free.
   
4. Transportation: The tube is the best way to get around the city. We purchased a three day unlimited pass and felt like it was a bargain. The maps and signs are easy to decipher. Plus as an added bonus you get to hear a guy with a cool accent remind you to "Mind the Gap" every time you get on the train.
5. Weather: The days are much longer there than here in the states since England is so much farther North (sunrise was at 5am and sunset was at 9pm). The weather averaged around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (I still can't make the conversion to Celsius on the fly :). It rained a little for two days of the trip but it didn't stop us from seeing anything nor did we consider it a nuisance.
6. Funny Facts: Instead of "Yield" signs they have "Give Way" signs. Jalapeño peppers are called "chilies." Instead of "Caution" signs you have specialized "Mind the _____" signs. Karen needed a band-aid while we were there but we had trouble finding them until we found out they are called "cushioned plasters." Native food is not that great and in some cases just plain weird (one place is famous for its Cornish hens that are stuffed inside a pig's bladder...when in doubt just order Fish 'n Chips).
   

We feel blessed that God opened the way for us to go. I pray you have been able to get away this summer to recharge and reconnect. I find myself eager for school to begin. If you want to see additional pics, visit my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=166000031

In Christ,

Jonathan

Going to the land of Coldplay

For those of you who don't know K and I will be heading to London for a few days this next week. We have wanted to take a trip to the UK for a few years now and things lined up so that we could do that this summer. Please pray for us as we travel from DFW to Chicago to London (Heathrow) on Tuesday and Saturday of this week. We will be staying at a hotel near Buckingham Palace all three nights we are in London. Tentatively we are planning a day trip to Oxford on Friday to tour the city. Some of the spots we plan to visit while in London are: Westminster Abby, Parliament, the British Museum, the London Tower (and Tower Bridge), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Bunhill Fields (and Wesley's Chapel) and whatever else we can squeeze into the extra long days they enjoy over there during the summer (sunrise happens about 5am and sunset around 9:15pm).

London is 6 hours ahead of central standard time. If you need to reach us the best way will be by e-mailing my work account (jwatson@swbts.edu) (I will be able to use my phone for e-mail but voice calls will cost $0.99/minute...yikes!). For those of you wondering what the weather will be like: today's high was 74 degrees (Fahrenheit) and the low tonight is projected to be 55. We hope to publish lots of pictures on our Facebook pages when we return.

This past weekend we traveled to Little Rock to surprise my mother for her 70th birthday. Thanks to the work of my sister, niece, aunt, the graciousness of Bayou Meto Baptist Church, hard work of many others, and God's grace we were able to surprise her with a large group of people (87) who know and love my mom. She was blown away by the magnitude of the event and the love shown to her by those who came.

I praise the Lord for a godly mother who taught me His word and lived it out before my eyes. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised" (Prov 31:30). God grant us the grace live each day in the righteous fear of You, to love you with all of ourselves, and to look eagerly for the appearing of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

jonathan

Faith's Fruit

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
(Matthew 19:16-22 ESV)

This past week the Spirit has been reminding me that the Christian life is a life of faith. The author of Hebrews tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please [God]" (Heb. 11:6). Not too long ago my pastor preached from Ecclesiastes 11 about faith's response in light of life's uncertainties. From verses 1-6 he demonstrated that faith results in bold and confident living and giving. At care group we looked at Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler. While he had "kept" the law from an early age (cf. Lk 18:21) he still lacked something. As we discussed Jesus' answer the truth became clear to me: the young man had kept the outward forms of the law but Jesus' demand that he sell all his possessions demonstrated the true lack of the young man, i.e., he lacked faith.

While the text does not come right out and make this point for us, I think it is clear when put alongside other passages of Scripture. Apart from faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). If the young man already had faith, this new demand that Christ made of him would have been met with a much different result. We know that Simon and Andrew "left their nets and followed him" and James and John left a family business large enough to have hired servants (Mk 1:16-20). Matthew was a tax collector and Paul was a man of great respect and power. Nonetheless, all of these men and many others left their former lives and trappings when called by their Master to follow him. In short, faith looks like obedience.

Jesus' demand to "sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" was met by sorrow because the young man did not treasure Christ as much as he treasured his possessions. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, "Only the believer is obedient, and only the obedient one believes." Would that God would grant the genuine kind of faith that responds in obedience and joy.

In Christ,

Jonathan

Tomorrow

"Tomorrow is the devil's day, but today is God's. Satan cares not how spiritual your intentions may be, and how holy your resolutions, if only they are fixed for tomorrow."--J. C. Ryle (Thoughts for Young Men; 9)

Procrastination is an old friend. He and I have hung out on many occaisions and waxed eloquent late into the evening about what the next day would bring. "Tomorrow will be amazing. I will be disciplined in the word and in prayer. I will lead my wife by spiritual example. I will accomplish great things at work. etc." Nonetheless, at the end of those conversations I am so tired the only thing I want to do is go to bed. Inevitably the next day dawns, its activities flurry, and before I know it I am back at home sitting on the couch with my old friend procrastination. He is always faithful to tell me that it isn't my fault that I didn't accomplish those things we talked about the night before. Indeed the day was just "hectic," "abnormally busy," and "beyond my control." In one sense he is right; nothing is ultimately in my control. In another sense, however, I have allowed him to excuse my sinful apathy. I have the command of my Lord to take up my cross and follow him and that each day I am to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Failing to act upon these words of truth is inexcusable, no matter how busy the day may have been.

I must not allow procrastination to ease my conscience and the conviction of the Holy Spirit by tricking me into thinking intentions are equal to acts. Motives are extremely important as the Sermon on the Mount teaches us. However, we must remember James' exhortation to be doers of the word and not hearers only (Jm 1:22-25).

When it is all said and done, our life is like a vapor: it comes and goes very quickly (Jm 4:14; cf. Isa 40:6-8). Thus, we must live each day by the grace and providence of God and must not presume that tomorrow will even come (Jm 4:13-17). However, even if death should not overtake us this day, we must not forget that our Lord and Savior has declared that He is coming soon (Rev 22:7,12,20). If we are to pray along with John "Come, Lord Jesus!" we cannot allow ourselves to think in terms of what will be done tomorrow. As J.C. Ryle so aptly puts it, "today is God's [day]."

I pray that I will neglect the late night chats with procrastination about what great things tomorrow holds and humbly act upon the revealed will of God for my life today. Even if the acts of today are not as grand as the ones I can dream up about tomorrow, ultimately it is only the actions of the moment that count.

Let us seek first the kingdom of God today (now) and let tomorrow's activities take care of themselves. If we fail to do this we will lose both today and tomorrow. For today will be lost thinking about tomorrow and tomorrow, when it becomes today, will be lost thinking about its own tomorrow. Indeed, it is as Ryle suggests, "Satan cares not how spiritual your intentions may be, and how holy your resolutions, if only they are fixed for tomorrow." Let us set our eyes upon our Savior and set ourselves about doing His will...today.

jw