Thoroughly Consistent

"Another matter which should be equally clear from this study is that the position of the Reformers in regard to infant baptism was an integral part of their whole theology. It is not as though baptizing very young children was a strange inconsistency which was perpetuated out of habit.  It is not as though here was a place where the Reformers strangely neglected to apply their usual principles of reform...The baptism of infants was a logical corollary of sola gratia, for it clearly demonstrated prevenient grace...Far from being a failure to carry through their reforming principles to their logical conclusions, the Reformers' position on infant baptism was thoroughly consistent with their whole program of reform" (Shaping the Reformed Baptismal Rite, Hughes Oliphant Old, p. 143-144)

Book Review: Think

Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great book for any Christian to work through. Pastor Piper effectively combats both laziness in thinking and pride in thinking. The book pushed me to work harder at thinking as I read and write. His chapter on the connection between faith and thinking was a bit weak. He seemed to be saying that you must be able to think to have faith. Still the book was superb and has already changed the way I study. As usual, Pastor Piper aims for our affections. He wants thinking to be an expression of our love for God and love for men.

View all my reviews

Washing With the Water of the Word

I found the statement below by Charles Hodge to be fascinating for two reasons. First, he thinks Ephesians 5:26 refers to baptism. But second, and perhaps more surprising, is his view of church history. I agree with him on both accounts.

"Commentators, however, almost without exception, understand the expression in the text to refer to baptism.  The great majority of them, with Calvin and the other Reformers,  do not even discuss the question, or seem to admit any other interpretation to be possible.  The same view is taken by all the  modern exegetical writers.  This unanimity of opinion is itself almost decisive.  Nothing short of  a stringent necessity can justify any one in setting forth an interpretation opposed to this common consent of Christians. No such necessity exists.  Baptism is a washing with water.  It is the washing with which Paul's readers as Christians were familiar, and which could not fail to occur to them as the washing intended. Besides, nothing more is here attributed to baptism than is attributed  to it in many passages of the Word of God. Compare particularly Acts 22:16.  There can be little doubt, therefore, that by 'the washing with water' the apostle meant baptism." Charles Hodge Commentary on Ephesians, p. 233. Italics are his.

Take Up and Read

Ladies, what are some questions you should ask before you put on that dress or blouse? Dan Philips had a great post on one question you should ask that you probably don't.

I know you never get irritated. But for those people you know who do, Philip Ryken has good word about how irritability is  a sin.

Toby Sumpter has been preaching through the Ten Commandments. He has reached "you shall not steal."  Here are his sermon notes. His conclusions/applications are worth their weight in gold. Read it and get the balance of obedience and forgiveness that you don't usually get from preachers today.

Evolution continues to snake its way into the Christian Church. Any compromise with evolution is deadly. Christians must not become bored of fighting this battle. Kevin DeYoung does his part to combat theistic evolution here.

Carl Trueman, an OPC pastor, reminds us that the Gospel is insufficient. We need something more. What else do we need?  Well, read his essay and find out.

Finally, Doug Wilson spoke at Indiana University last week on "Sexual by Design."  Here  and here are some videos from the event by students at the university.  Eventually Canon Press will have their own video of the event. Here is Doug Wilson's description of the event. Here is the Secular Alliance of IU's description of and response to the event. I encourage you to read the comments. My hope is that one day we will be able to do similar event here at WVU.

Thoughts on Evangelism

1. Our evangelism needs to be biblical. Here we begin with the obvious.

a. Methods: How is evangelism done in the Bible?  What does the Bible say we are to preach?  In Scripture the means matter. We can’t just say we want to save souls and how we get there is irrelevant. Means do matter, though God is free to work outside those means.
b. Aim: The aim of evangelism must be biblical as well. The aim should be faithfulness to God, glorifying God, and making disciples.

2. Christ’s authority is the objective motivation for evangelism. This authority comes from his life, death upon the cross, but especially from his resurrection from the dead. Here is where a good understanding of biblical eschatology is necessary. I am not referring to pre-mil, or a-mil, or post-mil. I am talking about the belief that Jesus reigns right now.  His authority is absolute. Matthew 28:18. What hope do we have that our evangelism will be effective? Why can you and I pray with confidence? Christ’s rule drives out fear.  Men who shrunk back in fear before the crucifixion went willingly to the gallows after the resurrection.

3. Our own salvation forms the subjective motivation for evangelism.  We have been saved and redeemed. We have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. We have brought out the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light. We are sitting at the Table.  We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  Yet we do not have a heart to see others brought into the same Kingdom. Why?
a. Examples: Gadarene Demoniac (Mark 5:18-20)
b. We must be motivated by a love of Christ and love of our neighbor, not by guilt.
c. Our failure to love our community is a failure to love Christ.
d. Pride is one of the greatest deterrents to evangelism.

4. The lifeblood of evangelism is prayer in faith. (Ephesians 6:19) Here is where your Calvinism meets the real world.  Do you believe that only God can convert men? Then do you pray?  Do you think that if we get the right program, the right man, the right attitude then men will be converted? Do you believe that if we just do this or do that we will save the lost? Oh, what fools we are if we think this way. Prayer must not be the end of our evangelism. But it must be the beginning.

5. We should be training full-time evangelists.  (Ephesians 4:11)

a. By evangelist, I mean a man specifically trained to preach the Gospel to the lost.  I see him as an extension of a local church who evangelizes locally.
b. This is not an abdication of the local church’s job.  It is the local church doing its job. None of say when we send a missionary off to Africa that the members of the sending church have abdicated their role in world missions. We say exactly the opposite. They have fulfilled their role. So it is with a local evangelist.
c. Practical reason 1: Time. Most of us can only witness occasionally. An evangelist can witness daily.
d. Practical Reason 2: Training. An evangelist can be trained in apologetics and in how to preach the word. His skills will be refined by the constant interaction with pagans.
e. That means your money is a key to evangelism. Does this sound materialistic? (See Philippians 4:10-19)

6. Evangelism is about bringing someone into the Church, not just bringing them to Christ.  Evangelism is not about just about conversion. It is about discipleship. Discipleship requires the fellowship of the saints, the preached word, and worship.

Book Review: Desiring the Kingdom

Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation by James K.A. Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the hardest books to give a rating to. The reason is simple: his main thesis is dead on and needs to be digested by numerous Christians and pastors. But some of his details and unanswered questions leave one queasy. I do not often write long reviews, but the book made me think. So here is my lengthy review.

Here are the points in the book I liked.

1. His main thesis, in my words, is that ritual or liturgies shape our desires and our desires cause us to do what we do. Therefore ritual, liturgies, and worship have tremendous influence over our lives. But the influence is subtle. He would argue, and I think rightly, that what we learn in the liturgies of our lives can undo what we learn in a classroom setting. This is why a parent can give a child all the correct doctrine and that child still leaves the righteous path. The parents’ daily liturgies undo their teaching. I agree with this wholeheartedly. He does a great job of showing how the world has competing liturgies. In chapter 3 he lists the mall, entertainment, and the university as secular liturgies that compete with the Church. He then spends a long chapter discussing what a historical Christian worship service means and how it shapes our lives. He argues persuasively that the Christian life is more about formation than information. Here Dr. Smith is at his best. His arguments are persuasive and well written. I really enjoyed his discussion of liturgies and desire, as well as how he illustrated his points. As I read, I thought about our liturgy at church and what we are teaching with it. But I also thought about what I do at home. What am I teaching my children through our various family liturgies? Here is why I gave it four stars. The main point is needed tonic for 21st century Christianity.

2. Dr. Smith is a professor at Calvin College, so his burden is for the university. One of the triumphs of the book is his plea for Christian colleges and universities to be rooted in the local church. He describes the Church as the sanctuary with the university being one of the small rooms connected to the sanctuary. For too long, universities have seen themselves as separate from the church, instead of an extension of it. Smith says, “The task of Christian education needs to be reconnected to the thick practices of the church.” (p. 220)

Running After God

In Psalm 42:1the sons of Korah said that their hearts thirsted for God as a deer thirst for water. This the great desire of any parent for their children. But how do we know if we are succeeding? Paul Tripp gives five ways (Maybe Mr. Tripp thinks the number five is the number of perfection) we can know whether or not our teenagers are pursuing God.

1. There will be an independent life of personal worship and devotion.  This teenager will spend personal time with the Lord.

2. There will be a desire for corporate worship and instruction.

3. A teenager who has a heart for God will also pursue fellowship with the body of Christ. He will want to spend time with others of like mind. He will look for peers who share his faith and his desire to be involved in the Christian community…He will also value the help, prayer, encouragement, experience, insight, and wisdom of the older members of the body of Christ.

4. The teenager who has a heart for God will be relaxed and open in discussions about spiritual things…We are seeking to produce young adults who love the Lord and his Word, who understand that it speaks in some way to every situation of life, and who are hungry to be guided and corrected by it.

5. Teenagers who have a heart for God will approach decision-making from a biblical perspective…We want them to see the Bible as their most important tool in making the critical and practical decisions of life.

Prayers for Easter

Prayer of Praise: Revelation 5:8-14

            Almighty God we lift our voices in thanksgiving and praise for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he was worthy to take the scroll and open it and by his death he has redeemed men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and made us kings and priests. So we rejoice with the many angels and the tens of thousands surrounding the throne and we say, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom. Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. Give us eyes to see our Savior this day, even as John did. And grant us grace to fall before Him as all the creatures of heaven do. This we pray through Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God world without end. Amen!

Prayer for Illumination: Luke 24:13-35

            Lord God, long ago our risen Lord met men on the road to Emmaus. There he opened up the Scriptures and explained to the disciples how Moses and Prophets spoke of Him. O Lord, we need Christ to come to us as he did those men long ago. For we like them are slow of heart to believe all that has been spoken concerning our Lord. We are quick to dismiss that our Lord had to suffer and die and then enter into glory.  As we hear your word give us ears of faith that we might hear the sound of your voice as your word is read and preached. This we pray through Christ our Lord, Amen!

Eucharistic Prayers

Bread: Passover and Exodus

                        Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, it truly, right and good and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give You thanks and magnify Your Holy Name, therefore with the Angels, the Archangels and all the company of heaven we praise You saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Glory be to You, O Lord Most High.

            We praise you O Lord for your great deliverance of our fathers from Egypt. For there you brought the great nation of Egypt to ruin, killing all the firstborn from Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the captive in prison to the beast of the field. Yet your people placed the blood of lamb upon their lintels and doorposts and the Angel of death passed over them. Then You brought your people through the Sea on dry land, but you drowned all Pharaoh’s men in the sea and their bodies washed upon the shore. We praise you for this great redemption. We ask now that as we eat you would strengthen our faith in Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, whose blood delivers us from wrath and whose mighty right hand is making all his enemies his footstool. In Jesus’ Name Amen!

 Wine: The Resurrection

            Blessed are You Lord God, for you sent your only begotten Son into the world that he might die for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He might be buried and that He might rise again on the third day. By His resurrection he was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness. We praise You that he is the firstfruits of our resurrection. We praise You that one day we will put on immortality and incorruption and then shall be brought about that great promise death will be swallowed up in victory. Grant us faith as we drink to long for that resurrection day when we will see Christ and be like him. In His Name we pray, Amen!

Learning to Sing

Last Sunday, based on Ephesians 5:18-20, I exhorted all of you to sing more. I encouraged you to sing with your whole heart to each other and to Christ. This can be rather awkward at first because we are not used to singing. Our culture is one that listens to a lot of songs, but does not sing much. We are those who watch, not those who participate. So how do you get started singing? Here are some suggestions:

1. Begin with worship. Worship is the easiest place to sing loud and with your whole being. There you have many other voices to help you, as well as the piano. You will probably know most of the songs we sing.  Use worship as fuel for the singing fires. Lift up your voices with joy and gladness in worship. You will find that if you throw yourself into singing in worship then you will start singing in other places as well.

2. At home, pick songs you know well and incorporate them into your daily routine. Our communion songs are a good place to start since we sing those for three months. First, pick a time to sing. Maybe it is dinner or family worship or your quiet time. Make it a habit to sing every day during that time. Then pick a song and sing it regularly. Find a regular time and regular song.  As you do this, you will become more comfortable singing.

3. When a song pops in your head sing it, unless it would be really awkward. For example, I often remember songs from worship as I work in the yard or do chores around the house. When I remember them I sing them out loud. Usually I know only one or two verses and am terribly off tune, but that is fine. The aim is to have singing a more regular part of your life. If singing is a sign of being filled with the Spirit, then when a song comes into my head I assume it is from Him and that He wants me to sing it.

4. When you gather with Christian friends sing a psalm or hymn.  It doesn’t have to be anything amazing. You may only know the first verse.  But sing anyway. Sing “A Mighty Fortress” or “Bless Now the Man Who Does Not Walk” or “Holy, Holy, Holy.” You don’t have to sing every time, but sing often with other Christians.  It reminds you of who you are and your unity together.

5. Encourage your children to sing loud.  Too often we tell our kids to quiet down because we think they are singing too loud and they are usually singing off tune. This is especially our tendency with boys. Obviously, we don’t want them screaming, but we do want them loud. Let the children loose so they can sing praises to their Savior.

6. Finally, the men at Christ Church should be known for their singing. It used to be that men sang everywhere. They sang work songs in the fields and bar songs in the tavern and love songs under the window of a woman. Men don’t sing anymore. Oh brothers, we need to find our tongues again. Men of Christ Church, sing loud. Sing with your whole heart. Forget your pride and how you look and how you sound. Raise your voices to God the King and to his Son who shed his blood for you.  Smash down the Devil with Psalms. Revive the downhearted with a hymn about Christ. There will be no true reformation in worship or the home without the men singing.

Redeeming the Culture

Five strategies from Paul Tripp for helping our teenagers interact redemptively with their culture.

1. Prepare: “The first step is to instill in our teenagers a biblical view of life.” He especially encourages family devotions to have practical application not just imparting of knowledge about the Bible.

2. Test: “We teach our teenagers to critique, evaluate, interpret, and analyze the surrounding culture from a biblical perspective.” I would call this cultural exegesis.

3. Identify: “Here we teach our children to recognize common ground…We want teenagers who have learned to identify with their culture—not agreeing with its interpretations and responses, but identifying with its struggle and humbly acknowledging why these responses seem logical to someone who does not  know Christ and his Word.”

4. Decide: “We want to teach our teenagers how to know when they can be redemptive participants in their culture an when they must separate from it…Calmly help your teenagers learn how to think through these decisions.  Require them to be part of the discussion and thinking process. Many parents not only protect their teenagers from the world, but block them out of the decision-making process as well. In doing this, they leave them unprepared for the myriad of decisions they will have to make as adults.”

5. Redeem: “Here we teach our teenagers to take back turf that has been lost to the world by witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ. Our voice in the culture is ordained by God not just to be negative, not just to be always against something. The goal is to declare positively what God had in mind when he designed things in the beginning, to be part of rebuilding the culture his way, and to proclaim that this rebuilding can only be done by people who are living in proper relationship with God through Jesus Christ.”

Don't Be a Henry Gowan

My wife is currently reading through Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit.  We have seen the miniseries a couple of times and found it very satisfying.  As usual though, the book includes quite a bit more about the characters. One of these characters is Mr. Henry Gowan.  He is a man who is disappointed and discontented with life and therefore  drags every good thing down, including Minnie the woman he marries.  Dickens describes Mr. Gowan's character with these cutting words.

"The habit, too, of seeking some sort of recompense in the discontented boast of being disappointed, is a habit fraught with degeneracy.  A certain idle carelessness and recklessness of consistency soon comes of it. To bring deserving things down by setting undeserving things up is one of its perverted delights; and there is no playing fast and loose with the truth, in any game, without growing the worse for it." (p. 497)

As Julie read this quote I began to think of men and women who live in a perpetual state of discontent and disappointment. Whose words and actions express without end their own feeling that God has been unfair to them. Maybe it was their parents who did not give them all they think they deserve. Maybe it was their spouse or children who short changed them.  Maybe it was just life in general. These people make a habit of tearing down good things. They mock what is lovely and pure and righteous. When someone else rejoices or finds something to delight in, they find a way of pulling it down. When someone else is excited about something they find a way to pour cold water on their enthusiasm. They elevate the dirty and ugly and unrighteous.  They drag all deserving things down into their own cesspool of disappointment. They sulk their way through life. 

But as Dickens notes, they are playing fast and loose with truth.  To call the jester a king and the king a jester is not just foolish it is a lie. 

How contrary is Mr. Henry Gowan's attitude compared to the picture of Christ and his people. Read John 13-17 and see Christ's love for those he should have been disappointed in. Read of Paul's many commands to give thanks always. (Ephesians 5:20)  Christians are a people who should rejoice in all things. We are those who have been "surprised by joy" to quote C.S. Lewis.  We are not a people who have been disappointed. We are not a discontent people. But rather a people who have gotten far more than we deserve. 

Take Up and Read

John Piper has some good and strong reflections on last week's mega-millions lottery craze. There were three people had winning tickets. Which means these three people will split $640 million.  Should we have gone out and bought lottery tickets? In West Virginia there were over $3.5 million worth of tickets sold.

Since we live in a university town, this post by Al Mohler on the attempt to kick Christian groups out of Vanderbilt University is eye-opening.  The world does not want to tolerate us. They want to eradicate us. Unfortunately for them, Christ reigns and his people cannot be eradicated. But hey, they get an "A" for effort.

Here is a post by Randy Alcorn's son in law on how the pro-choice crowd is becoming more consistent. No longer are they hiding their real desire. They want their lives easy and they want no consequences for their sins. They want to kill babies with disease.  The reflections in the article are good.  We should expect that as our society sinks into darkness pagans will become more consistent in their lives. Killing babies will not longer be early in the pregnancy or because of rape. It will be for whatever reason we see fit.

How should Christians approach science? Here is a really neat article on James Clerk Maxwell. A man I  have never heard of or never remember hearing of. Maxwell used the Trinity and the idea of unity in diversity to solve some sticky scientific issues. The post is a good reminder that theology and reflection on God and his character actually serve to advance the cause of true science.

Finally, here is a post from Frank Turk about how not to reason with a "Christian" who doesn't believe in the resurrection. His point is simple: We should not allow non-Christians to dictate the boundaries of our discussions. The man who he attacks is a liar, cheat, and is bound for Hell. Why should we listen to him or even   try to rationalize with him?  The post is not easy to read, but worth it if you have the time.

Take Up and Read: Special AV Edition

Douglas Wilson's brother, Gordon Wilson, gives two lectures on setting the record straight: Creation vs. Evolution.

The first one is here.
The second one here.

 A couple of years ago Rich Lusk gave an excellent sermon on Deuteronomy 6 and training our children. You can find it here.  It is the first sermon on the list. I left this message with a renewed desire to honor God with my children.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and Biblical web site for counseling, you cannot do better than ccef.org. There are numerous articles, audio segments, and video segments that address every area of counseling. I know many of you wonder about how a Christian should approach things like psychiatry and drugs for schizophrenia, etc. They address these issues as well as many others. Here is a link to their  resources page.  I have not read nearly all that is here. So do not assume I endorse everything. But I think their general direction is the best I have found.

Finally, here is the video of the question and answer session from the Ligonier's 2012 National Conference. Many godly men are here, giving answers to various questions.

Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior

Paul Tripp gives five signs that our teenagers understand and participate in the spiritual battle. While he is addressing teenagers, the list is a good one for all of us.

1. He will have a heartfelt, internalized fear of God...He does what he does not because someone is watching, or out of fear of the consequences, but ultimately because of a deep, worshipful love and reverence for God.

2. Second to fear of God, but directly related to it is submission to authority...If a person fears God, he will be submissive to the authorities that God has placed in his life.

3. The next quality evident in a person who is engaged in spiritual warfare...is separation from the wicked...If a teenager is serious in his desire to participate in the spiritual struggle, if he is seriously seeking to live a life pleasing to the Lord, and if he is living in a willing submission to authorities in his life, then he is going to want to spend his time with people who share his values.

4. It is impossible to participate in the spiritual struggle if you do not have the ability to think through your faith and apply it to the situations of life. What a teenager needs, if he is going to live a God-honoring life, is a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures that allows him to apply its commands, principles, and perspectives to the many different situations that arise in everyday life.

5. The final piece of this goal of focusing on the spiritual struggle is biblical self-awareness...We want to be used of God to produce teens who can regularly examine themselves in the perfect mirror of the Word of God and who can humbly accept what is revealed there.

God's Abiding Glory is That He Hears Prayer

O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. (Psalm 65:2, ESV)  This verse gives God the title of "The One Who Hears prayer."  Here is Calvin's comment on this verse.

"The title here given to God carries with it a truth of great importance, that the answer of our prayers is secured by the fact, that in rejecting them he would in a sense deny his own nature.  The Psalmist does not say, that God has heard prayer in this or that instance, but gives him the name hearer of prayer, as what constitutes an abiding part of his glory, so that he might as soon deny himself as shut his ear to our petitions.  Could we only impress this upon our minds, that it is something peculiar to God and inseparable from him, to hear prayer, it would inspire us with unfailing confidence. The power of helping us he can never want, so that nothing can stand in the way of a successful issue [result] of our supplications."

Why Children Leave Home Early and Unprepared

"I have counseled many teenagers and their parents, it has become very clear to me that few teenagers leave because of the rules. No, they leave because of the relationship. They leave because the relationship with their parents has gotten so bad, so angry, so confrontational, so adversarial that they cannot stand to live under the same roof with them.  Sadly, this happens frequently in the homes of believers." (Paul Tripp,  Age of Opportunity.)

Preparation for the Lord's Day: Part II

Last week I posted some ways to get ready for worship during the week. But what do you do if everything goes awry?

What to do if I have had a bad week?

            All of us, no matter how well we have prepared, can have a bad week or a bad Sunday morning. What do you do when the train jumps the tracks?

1.      First, ask yourself if this is a sin problem. Did you prepare as you ought to have? Were you lazy throughout the week and it caught up with you? Did you fail to discipline the children Monday through Saturday, but then tried to get them in line on Sunday morning? Did you stay up until 1 am Saturday night watching movies? It is a sin to be lazy in our preparation to enter God’s house. If you have been lazy, repent, turn to Christ and trust in him to forgive your sins. Then enter God’s house knowing that you are forgiven.  After worship, evaluate practical ways to be more diligent in your preparation.

2.      However, perhaps the week went awry, not from sin, but because of God’s Providence. God is not obligated to honor our preparations. You may have prepared like a Boy Scout, but God decided he had something else. Maybe a child was sick all night Saturday and you got no sleep. Or a pipe busted or a car broke down or a friend needed help late Saturday night. These things do happen. When God thwarts your preparations it is because he wants to teach you to depend upon him. When this happens maintain your joy, compensate where you can (have frozen pizzas on hand for Sunday lunch), and enter God’s house knowing that he is in control. Trust that he is good and brought this into your life because he loves you.  Then ask what he wants you to learn from this.

Looking Back

            One final note. When Sunday is over, evaluate how it went.  What could you change to come in more prepared? Husbands are you helping out as much as you can to get your family ready in body and soul?  Wives, did you decide your work week ended on Friday when your husband got off? Children, did you help mom and Dad enter God’s house with joy? Singles, did you spend Saturday night selfishly or looking with gladness to ascending to the throne of God? Did you respond to unexpected challenges and obstacles with grace and trust in God?  Did you prepare for the Lord’s Day with joy? Or were a grim taskmaster as you got ready? 

It is our great privilege to come before God each Sunday with his people. We cannot expect him to bless sloppiness. Nor can we expect him to be glorified if we are lazy in our preparation. We are coming before the King of Kings.  Let us prepare with discipline and zeal for that great honor. 

Book Review: 1776

1776 by David McCullough
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A truly wonderful book by a master historian and storyteller. McCullough takes us through one of the defining years in American history. But he does it not from Philadelphia, but from Boston, New York City and ultimately Trenton, NJ. We do not sit in the rooms while the men compose the Declaration of Independence, but we sit with soldiers while they try and fail to defend cities against the superior British Army. McCullough does a wonderful job of building tension throughout the book. Like any good historian he tells you just enough to know that there is lot more to tell. He is balanced, praising and condemning British and Americans alike. He puts some myths to rest, such as the Hessians being drunk on the night Washington crossed the Delaware. But with other legends he notes there is probably a kernel of truth in them. It is my first McCullough book, but will not be my last.

The book is mainly about George Washington. I found it very encouraging. Washington endured defeat after defeat in 1776. He made mistake after mistake, mistakes which led to the death and imprisonment of thousands of soldiers. In August of 1776 he had around 20,000 men. By November he had around 7,000 and had lost three major battles. His army was a motley crew of misfits. Most had no military training. The prospects for the Americans and for Washington were as grim as possible in the middle of December 1776. Yet Washington learned from his mistakes and persevered. With the crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 the course of the war was changed.

I often feel like Washington in 1776. Mistake after mistake and defeat after defeat can cause discouragement. But if his cause was great, mine is greater. How can I lose heart? The book was a great spur to persevere and learn from my mistakes.



View all my reviews

Sermon Notes: Ephesians 5:15-21

Exegesis

Watch out how you walk/live. The word Paul uses here means to be exact. To walk strictly by the rule.   Let us note that Paul expects us to take our walk seriously. One of the great disasters of our age is how flippantly important things are treated. We spend hours on football and minutes on God’s Word. We spend hours on how we dress, but minutes on the shape of our hearts.  Ladies how much attention to give to clothing this morning compared to how much time you spent preparing for worship? The important things are rarely talked about and the unimportant things dominate our time. Paul is telling us that we must think about how we live. We must be careful how we walk. We are like men in a new country where dangers await us around every corner.  But instead we joke along the road. We are to be serious about our Christian life.  This does not mean we are to be sour about our Christian life.  It does not mean we are to live introspective lives.  A serious joy is what we are aiming at.

Some of you are like that character in the horror movies who makes a wrong turn and refuses to turn back. You are looking at the screen screaming at the person to turn back, but they don’t. They keep going and the end is bloody. Some of you need to stop and evaluate.

We must stop at points in our lives and evaluate whether or not we are on the right path or not.  Our life is filled with things, movies, phone calls, emails, internet, etc. When is the last time you sat and thought about your life for several hours?  When is the last time you paused long enough to evaluate your walk with Christ?  Are your priorities right? How do you know? What is most important to you? Does your life reflect your priorities? How much prayer is spent on your walk with Christ?

            Imagine a man trying to get to Denver, CO, but never looking at map or never stopping to evaluate where he is at.  Some of you are like this.  You are trying to get there, but you haven’t looked a map in years.  That is probably because you are scared about how far off course you are.

            Take an hour or two each week and then try to take at least one day a year to evaluate your walk with Christ.  Spend time in prayer and extra time in the Word. Men do this with your wife if you can.

            Pray specifically that the Lord would show you where you have gotten off the road.

            Paul gives us three specific ways we can be careful how we walk. In each of these there is a contrast between the way of the world and the way a Christian is supposed to live.

A Man Who Walks Carefully will Redeem Every Moment

            Do not be unwise, but be wise by redeeming the time. It would seem that redeeming the time here means making the most use of what time you have. Not wasting opportunities on foolishness.  An unwise man is someone who wastes the chances he is given. How do you redeem the time?  Redeeming the time means to make the most of every opportunity to do good.  How many of us will end our days having done nothing of significance?  You will be dead sooner rather than later. What will be left of you? What impact will you have had on those around you?

Psalm 90:12-Lord teach us to number our days that we might have a heart of wisdom.

J. Edwards: Resolved: Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

Satan does not care if we lead lives of debauchery. He doesn’t care if you spend your nights at strip clubs or spend your days watching soap operas.  He only cares that you doing nothing of significance.  Oh, the wasted time by Christians. Oh the lost hours!  Why do we squander so much of our lives?

Do you have a list of important things to do? Do you even know what is important?

Do you know what your sins are and are you fighting them with specific weapons?

Do you look for opportunities to do good?

Women, do you know what you want to get done when you wake up? Does the day drive you or you drive it?

The internet is a terrible waste of time for most of us.

           

Danger: God wants me to do something spectacular. We must be biblical here. Israel feasted three times a year for a week at a time. Was this a waste?   The woman poured hundreds of dollars of perfume on Jesus’ feet.  Was this a waste?  In a few verses Paul is going to tell us to work hard at our jobs.  Is this a waste? God tells us to rest one day out of seven. Is this a waste? Redeeming the time is to be defined biblically. Sometimes that means we eat and drink with one another. Sometimes that means I get up at 1 am to help my sick child. Sometimes that means I stop to help a co-worker change their tire or load their trunk. Sometimes redeeming the time is getting to bed early.

Legalist-always pushing for more.

Lazy man-Happy to leave things as they are.