Recently I heard someone mention that the reason they chose the church they are currently attending is because the children liked it.  Come again?!  Believe it or not, based on the assessment of a high schooler, a middle schooler and a couple of elementary students, a Christian father determined the place where his family would be nurtured and disciplined in the Christian life.  Perhaps nothing so tells of the saddened state of that father’s leadership than that he would allow the least spiritual ones in the home to make the most important spiritual decision based upon the least spiritual factors.  Unless a child can assess the nature of the gospel and its impact upon a church, the family, and his or her own life, the decision of which church to attend is out of his or her hands.

Come on, dad.  In these things children must not lead.  Your family needs your courage, insight, discernment, and leadership.  They want to follow.  Lead!

The worst thing pride does is that it keeps us from hearing that we are prideful.

This past Sunday we had the joy of preaching from Psalm 122, a message entitled Jerusalem, City of God.  At the end of the sermon we sung with new meaning the song, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.” It is an old hymn written by John Newton.  I am sure that most of our younger attendees (and many of our older ones for that matter) were not familiar with the hymn, yet after the sermon we all could understand why John Newton had written it.  One really encouraging word concerning the hymn, however, came from my wife.  She told me that when the hymn was announced she did not recognize it, until we began to sing.  Then, suddenly she recalled us singing this song in our Family Worship time and it began to come back to her.  She began to sing it as if it was a well known, well worn song.

I remember well the first time we tried to sing “Glorious Things…” in family worship.  It was not received well.  No one really knew it and the kids were wondering why we would sing a song we did not know when there are so many we do know.  Yet, I insisted and we fought through it, paying close attention to the words more so than the singing.  It was not the melodious sound, but it was worth it.  On this past Sunday it paid off.  I was reminded that what we do in Family Worship actually enhances what we do in corporate worship.  So don’t be afraid to dust off the old hymnal during family worship and sing some of the old, tried, and true anthems of the faith.   It may not be easy.  Yet, you never know how the Spirit might move and encourage you heart by calling for a hymn you just learned during your family time.

My man Thabiti reminded me (as if I needed reminding) just how rich and encouraging the fellowship of brothers is.  Like-minded friends are a joy and comfort in gospel ministry.  I don’t get to see my brothers enough, but when I do it is rich – rich indeed.  The next time is in Chicago.  Can’t wait for the opportunity to sit at their feet and to create more memories.

We are currently preaching through the Psalms of Ascent (120-134).  It has been a most encouraging, challenging, and even enlightening study.  Most of us have read these Psalms before, and even sung them in various forms.  However, this is the first time I am actually doing a study through them with the aim of teaching and preaching.  I must say, that what I knew before was just service knowledge.  As the Spirit of God is opening up these Psalms to me, I am seeing even more the glory of God in calling His people to worship, and the joy and delight of His people to come.  I am seeing the gospel in seed form as it forms God’s people into vessels fit for worship and God’s presence.

Some of the instruments the Spirit of God is using to enlightening and instruct me are commentaries on Psalms.  I am indeed enjoying reading them and finding much benefit from the insight and exegesis.  Here are the commentaries I am please to consult.  If you are ever doing a study of the Psalms, these are good places to start:

Psalms Volume 3: Psalms 90-150 by John Goldingay (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, Tremper Longman III, editor)

Psalms by Willem VanGemeren (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Tremper Longman III and David E Garland, editors)

The Message of Psalms 73-150 by Michael Wilcock (The Bible Speaks Today, J.A. Motyer, editor)

Psalms, vol 3 by James Montgomery Boice

Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

“Are you willing to change your mind when another person’s case has more merit than yours?  Are you able to hear good advice when it comes from some mouth other than your own and may even contradict your preconceived ideas?  Are you willing to admit “I didn’t think of that” or “I see your point”?  If no one has ever heard you change your mind about something, then you are either a god or you have mistaken yourself for one.”

Taken from Kevin DeYoung’s book, Just Do Something.

The role of the church in the world has always been to speak prophetically to those in civil authority.  This is why it is so important that the church not tangle itself in the politically affairs of this world, seeing that such has the tendency to silence our prophetic voice when our party affiliations are at stake.  Nevertheless, speaking prophetically to national, state, and local authorities is and will be the call of the church.  Here John Piper answers the call and speaks with prophetic clarity to our beloved president.  President Obama is a man worth admiring.  Yet, his blind spots to abortion need to be exposed for the glory of God, the good of this nation, and clear conscience of the church.

I am not sure which is more sad and disturbing:

-  The nonsensical preaching

-  The exploitation by the parents

-  Or the people who love to have it so

Child Preacher:  Show Biz or Salvation?

One of most provocative statements in the Bible is found in Hebrews 3:13:   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. The deceitfulness of sin should cause us to shudder.  Deceit is one of those words that just sounds like what it means.  The word just sounds bad.  And then to top it off, the Bible says that sin is deceitful.

The men of EPC are reading through John Owen, Triumph Over Temptation. In the chapter on The Deceit of Indwelling Sin, Owen writes:

The basis for the efficacy of deceit is its effect upon the mind.  For sin deceives the mind.  When sin attempts to enter into the soul by some other way (such as by the effections), the mind checks and controls it.  But when deceit influences the mind, the chance of sinning multiplies.  The mind is the leading faculty of the soul.  When the mind fixes upon an object or course of action, the will and the affections follow suit.  They are incapable of any other consideration.  Thus, while the entanglement of the affections in sin is often very troublesome, it is the deceit of mind that is always the most dangerous situation because of its role in all other operations of the soul.  The mind’s office is to guide, to direct, to choose , and to lead.

Is there any wonder why the Bible would encourage us to exhort one another “everyday”?  Is there any wonder why the brothers of EPC feel the need to meet together for encouragement and accountability?  If you are in the area on tomorrow morning, we invite you to join us for breakfast, while it is still “today.”

Today one of my high school sporting heroes finally beat cancer.  Wayman Tisdale passed away and knows nothing of cancer anymore.  In fact, his cancer has now become his friend as it helped him on to his Savior and the incomparable fellowship of the church triumphant.  May God comfort his family with the knowledge that Wayman is comforted with the God of all comfort.  And might we all long for the day when sin will be no more and we will have nothing but unhindered communion with the Christ who has redeemed us.  It’s a happy day for Wayman.  Someday it will be for all those in Christ Jesus.

I shared this video clip before.  On the day of his passing into eternal joy, I delight to share it again. See ya soon, Wayman. See ya soon.