Blessed is the man against whom the Lord
counts no iniquity,and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Psalm 32:2
An honest heart is a post from: Ray Ortlund
We cannot deceive God. Twice in the Acts God is called “the Heartknower” (Acts 1:24; 15:8).
But we can deceive ourselves.
Here are four differences between deceit and honesty in our hearts.
One, a deceitful heart doesn’t know its sin because it doesn’t want to know.
But an honest heart is saying, “Bring it on.”
Two, a deceitful heart notices how well a sermon applies to someone else...
But an honest heart is too concerned about itself to judge another..
Three, a deceitful heart, when it isn’t growing, blames its inertia on hardship
or its church or even on God himself. But an honest heart says, “It’s my fault.
I need to get in gear.”
Four, a deceitful heart delays response. It says, “I’ll get around to it, even soon.
But I can’t right now.” An honest heart puts God first. Delayed obedience is a way
of saying, “I’m setting the terms. I am Lord.” But an honest heart says, “Lord,
whatever you want – right now.”
An honest heart says,with the old hymn,
The dearest idol I have known, whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from thy throne and worship only thee.
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2011/01/31/an-honest-heart/
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
How Should Young Ministers Respond To Seasoned Criticism?
There's been some buzz regarding John MacArthur and a comment he made about a book by Darrin Patrick. What a wise and generous hearted posture by Patrick to those coming to his defense by criticizing MacArthur:
"For those of you who have been quick to be critical of Dr. MacArthur, please remember that we all need to be corrected from time to time.....ALL of us who are younger need to give a careful listen to the concerns of seasoned pastors, many of whom have forgotten more than we might ever know."
This is very refreshing since I was personally attacked and accused of being arrogant when I forthrightly stated the obvious to a young,inexperienced, first year seminarian novice.
What was my sin? I "spanked his inner child" when I informed him that after 35+ years of seasoned ministry, 3 church plants, 17 years of teaching at a bible college, earning a master
and a doctorate, he simply wasn't my teacher.
That he thought he could and should be demonstrated he was a "pompous ignoramus".
rgh
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/01/25/darrin-patrick-and-john-macarthur/
http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110121_Radical-Individualism-A-Good-Trait-for-Young-Pastors
"For those of you who have been quick to be critical of Dr. MacArthur, please remember that we all need to be corrected from time to time.....ALL of us who are younger need to give a careful listen to the concerns of seasoned pastors, many of whom have forgotten more than we might ever know."
This is very refreshing since I was personally attacked and accused of being arrogant when I forthrightly stated the obvious to a young,inexperienced, first year seminarian novice.
What was my sin? I "spanked his inner child" when I informed him that after 35+ years of seasoned ministry, 3 church plants, 17 years of teaching at a bible college, earning a master
and a doctorate, he simply wasn't my teacher.
That he thought he could and should be demonstrated he was a "pompous ignoramus".
rgh
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/01/25/darrin-patrick-and-john-macarthur/
http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110121_Radical-Individualism-A-Good-Trait-for-Young-Pastors
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Liturgically Sacramental
These extracts from an article by the Internet Monk explain the significance of liturgy within the sacramental view of the corporate assembly of God's covenant people. As the writer makes clear, it really is a matter of substance over style. Consider clicking on the site and reading the entire article.
rgh
"Most battles over worship in evangelicalism are about personal preferences with regard to style. What kind of music? Can we dress casually? Is the building and “worship space” marked by Christian symbols? To what extent should we use media and technology? Can I sip my latte while attending the service?
Bottom line, however, the nature of the service has changed little in the fundamental approach to its purpose. There may be (a lot more) singing, a praise band instead of organ, piano, and songleader, inclusion of drama, PowerPoint or video clips, and a casually dressed pastor who doesn’t stand behind a pulpit, but the “big event” remains the sermon, the “worship set” continues to prepare people to listen to the preacher, and the message is still designed to prompt a response. Today’s culture has replaced yesterday’s, that’s all. And this has led to conflict that has mainly erupted along generational lines and/or between those who are more “traditional” in their preferences vs. those who want church to be more “relevant.”
At the same time, many people have left revivalist traditions to join liturgical traditions—Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and others whose worship is based on an entirely different foundation.
It’s not that liturgical churches have “forms” whereas non-liturgical churches don’t. It’s not that liturgical churches always use traditional music. It’s not that liturgical churches do exactly the same things week after week whereas free churches are “spontaneous” and change things up all the time. The non-liturgical churches are often just as repetitive in their own patterns. These are all “style” matters, and while there are some generalizations that might be made about stylistic differences between liturgical and non-liturgical churches, this is not the main distinction between the two worlds.
At root, the difference is between a sacramental understanding of how God works, and a non-sacramental view.
This is where I return when I feel unworthy, day after day. I return to the Lord’s supper. It is there that I am accepted. It is there that I am forgiven. It is there that I am declared worthy. It is there where the last will and testament is read, and lo and behold…I am included! It is there that I receive a full share of the inheritance.
We also receive these gifts in the preaching and teaching of His Word, and in the words of Christian encouragement spoken between the brethren.
But the sacraments are something tangible. Something that we can actually see, feel, touch, smell, and taste.
■The liturgical tradition calls the church together for a much different reason. It holds that God’s family needs to live in the Gospel through regular sacramental gatherings. In worship we actually, literally, objectively receive the benefits of Christ’s finished work through Word and Sacrament, are nourished for our ongoing journey, and strengthened to live in new obedience by the Spirit who fills us through the tangible means God has provided."
Liturgy is not a style. It is the way God comes to us in grace.
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/liturgy-is-not-a-style
rgh
"Most battles over worship in evangelicalism are about personal preferences with regard to style. What kind of music? Can we dress casually? Is the building and “worship space” marked by Christian symbols? To what extent should we use media and technology? Can I sip my latte while attending the service?
Bottom line, however, the nature of the service has changed little in the fundamental approach to its purpose. There may be (a lot more) singing, a praise band instead of organ, piano, and songleader, inclusion of drama, PowerPoint or video clips, and a casually dressed pastor who doesn’t stand behind a pulpit, but the “big event” remains the sermon, the “worship set” continues to prepare people to listen to the preacher, and the message is still designed to prompt a response. Today’s culture has replaced yesterday’s, that’s all. And this has led to conflict that has mainly erupted along generational lines and/or between those who are more “traditional” in their preferences vs. those who want church to be more “relevant.”
At the same time, many people have left revivalist traditions to join liturgical traditions—Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and others whose worship is based on an entirely different foundation.
It’s not that liturgical churches have “forms” whereas non-liturgical churches don’t. It’s not that liturgical churches always use traditional music. It’s not that liturgical churches do exactly the same things week after week whereas free churches are “spontaneous” and change things up all the time. The non-liturgical churches are often just as repetitive in their own patterns. These are all “style” matters, and while there are some generalizations that might be made about stylistic differences between liturgical and non-liturgical churches, this is not the main distinction between the two worlds.
At root, the difference is between a sacramental understanding of how God works, and a non-sacramental view.
This is where I return when I feel unworthy, day after day. I return to the Lord’s supper. It is there that I am accepted. It is there that I am forgiven. It is there that I am declared worthy. It is there where the last will and testament is read, and lo and behold…I am included! It is there that I receive a full share of the inheritance.
We also receive these gifts in the preaching and teaching of His Word, and in the words of Christian encouragement spoken between the brethren.
But the sacraments are something tangible. Something that we can actually see, feel, touch, smell, and taste.
■The liturgical tradition calls the church together for a much different reason. It holds that God’s family needs to live in the Gospel through regular sacramental gatherings. In worship we actually, literally, objectively receive the benefits of Christ’s finished work through Word and Sacrament, are nourished for our ongoing journey, and strengthened to live in new obedience by the Spirit who fills us through the tangible means God has provided."
Liturgy is not a style. It is the way God comes to us in grace.
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/liturgy-is-not-a-style
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Retirement or Redeployment?
"The economic crisis of recent years has forced many Americans to rethink and redefine retirement as a matter of necessity. For Christians, this represents an important opportunity. The ideal for Christians should be redeployment, even after employment.
There is so much Kingdom work to be done, and older believers are desperately needed in this great task. There are missionaries to be assisted, ministries to be energized, young couples to be counseled, boys without fathers to be mentored, and wisdom and experience to be shared. The possibilities for Christian redeployment are endless."
Al Mohler
http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/01/06/for-the-sake-of-the-kingdom-redefining-retirement
There is so much Kingdom work to be done, and older believers are desperately needed in this great task. There are missionaries to be assisted, ministries to be energized, young couples to be counseled, boys without fathers to be mentored, and wisdom and experience to be shared. The possibilities for Christian redeployment are endless."
Al Mohler
http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/01/06/for-the-sake-of-the-kingdom-redefining-retirement
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