Convicted to Do More

I thought this was a great post by Bro. Austin Gardner, pastor of Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA. I hope you take the time to visit his blog. I know you will be blessed and inspired to do more for Jesus

Churches Influenced by the World

” The church has lost her testimony. She has no longer anything to say to the world. The once robust shout of assurance has faded away to an apologetic whisper. She who one time went out to declare now goes out to inquire. Her dogmatic declaration has become a respectful suggestion, a word of religious advice, given with the understanding that it is after all only an opinion and not meant to sound bigoted.

Not only has the church nothing to say to the world but the tables have actually been turned and the ministers of Christ are now going to the world for light. They sit at Adam’s feet for instruction and clear their message with the wise and the prudent before they dare deliver it. But the certainty that comes from seeing and the assurance that springs from hearing—where are they?” –from God Tells the Man Who Cares (p.35-36) by A. W. Tozer.

This quote is probably more relevant now than when it was actually given by Bro. Tozer.  The warnings of Paul to Timothy about apostates in the Church and the warnings of Christ to the Church of Laodicea in The Revelation could be placed next to the religion section of any newspaper in America and one can see that the world has truly become an influence on the Church.

Can You Say It and Mean It?

Tragedy was associated with the writing of the words of the famous gospel hymn , “It is Well With My Soul,” and followed closely the composing of the music. H.G. Spafford wrote the poem in the mid-Atlantic over the exact spot where his four children had drowned a few days before. His wife and children were sailing to France on the “Ville du Havre,” one of the largest ships afloat. It was rammed by an English iron sailing vessel and sank to the bottom of the ocean within two hours, killing 226 people. Mrs. Spafford lived, but the four children were killed. She sent her husband a telegram with the words “All is lost.”

Just weeks before this tragic drowning, Spafford had lost everything he owned in the great Chicago fire. And now, if not tested enough, he lost all of his beloved children. As soon as it could be arranged he sailed to Europe to join his wife.

On the way, December 1872, the Captain of his ship pointed out to him the spot where the tragedy had occurred. Here in the dark of night, with a heart heavy with grief and pain, but surging with faith and hope, Spafford wrote these words:
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul!
Philip Paul Bliss, great song leader and composer, wrote the music for this hymn in November, 1876. Two weeks after it had been written, Bliss and his wife were killed in a tragic train crash in Ashtabula, Ohio. It was said by witnesses that Bliss could have escaped, but chose to die by the side of his wife, who was caught in the flaming wreckage.

Can you say it is well with my soul?

Regardless of the SITUATION:

“When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, ‘It is well, It is will with my soul’.”
Regardless of SATAN:
“Tho Satan should buffet, tho trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul.”
Regardless of my SIN:
“My sin — O the bliss of this glorious tho’t! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.”

Every Day In America

Every day in America…
6 children commit suicide.
13 children are homicide victims.
5,753 children are arrested.
34 children die from accidents.
1,329 babies are born to teenage mothers.
367 children are arrested for drug abuse.
17,297 public school children are suspended. – (statistics from Children’s Defense Fund)

Some sobering and startling statistics.  Are we doing all we can to get the Gospel to the younger generation?  If we are to follow our Lord and His example, then we must reach the children of America and around the world.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
(Mar 10:13-16)

He Is Risen!!!

Joh 20:1-16  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher.  (2)  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him.  (3)  Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher.  (4)  So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher.  (5)  And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.  (6)  Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie,  (7)  And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.  (8)  Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw, and believed.  (9)  For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.  (10)  Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.  (11)  But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher,  (12)  And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  (13)  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.  (14)  And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.  (15)  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.  (16)  Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

A Call To Prayer

We live in days of abounding religious profession. There are more places of public worship than there ever was before. There are more people attending them than there ever was before. And yet in spite of all this public religion, I believe there is a vast neglect of private prayer. It is one of those private transcripts between God and our souls which no eye sees, and therefore one which people are tempted to pass over and leave undone.

I believe that hundreds of thousands never utter a word of prayer at all. They eat. They drink. They sleep. They rise. They go forth to their work. They return to their homes. They breathe God’s air. They travel on God’s earth. They enjoy God’s mercies. They have dying bodies. They have judgment and eternity before them. But they never speak to God. They live like the animals that perish. They behave like creatures without souls. They have not one word to say to Him in whose hand are their life and breath, and all things, and from whose mouth they must one day receive their everlasting sentence. How dreadful this seems; but if the secrets of people, were daily known, how common.

The above quote was written by J.C. Ryle over 100 years ago, and it is, I believe, more true today than ever before. I hope that it will encourage us to pray more and pray harder for God’s Will to be accomplished. After all isn’t that the ultimate aim of prayer, to make God’s Will a reality in our lives here on Earth.

Quotes To Take Note Of

Recreation to a minister must be as whetting is with the mower—that is, to be used only so far as is necessary for his work. May a physician in plague-time take any more relaxation or recreation than is necessary for his life, when so many are expecting his help in a case of life and death? Will you stand by and see sinners gasping under the pangs of death, and say: “God doth not require me to make myself a drudge to save them?” Is this the voice of ministerial or Christian compassion or rather of sensual laziness and diabolical cruelty.—Richard Baxter

Misemployment of time is injurious to the mind. In illness I have looked back with self-reproach on days spent in y study; I was wading through history and poetry and monthly journals, but I was in my study! Another man’s trifling is notorious to all observers, but what am I doing? Nothing, perhaps, that has reference to the spiritual good of my congregation. Be much in retirement and prayer. Study the honor and glory of your Master.—Richard Cecil

Why Plant Churches In America?

1. Jesus Christ Commands It – “Go Ye . . .”
2. The Population Growth Begs for It
3. Our Disintegrating Society Clamors for It
4. Cultic Growth Will Replace It
5. Closing and Shrinking Churches Require it
6. Ineffective Existing Churches Cry for It
7. Compromising Churches Demand It
8. New Church Effectiveness Energizes It
9. World Missions Will Be Supplied by It

What We Must Do?
1. Cry Out to the Lord for Revival
2. Pastors Must Lead Their Own Churches Toward Evangelism
3. Revived and Evangelistic Churches Must Be Involved in Planting Churches
4. Churches and Individuals Must Financially Support Church Planting

Top Reasons To Home School Your Children

1. Studies show that home-schooled children average between the 80th and 90th percentile, regardless of the socio-economic background, or educational level of the parents.
2.  Great student teacher ratio.
3.  Very good communication between the student, teacher and parents.
4.  The student can’t lie about their homework.
5.  With a class size of one, they can’t copy anybody else’s work.
6.  The curriculum is in perfect agreement with the values of the parents.
7.  The children will not bring bad habits home from school.
8.  The pace of learning will be geared to the ability of each child, not the lowest common denominator.
9.  You don’t have to fix lunch in the morning.
10.  Children will be better adjusted socially if they don’t learn social skills from the street gangs.
11.  Without peer pressure, they learn to think for themselves, not just parrot what the “group wants to hear”.
12.  Every educator agrees that parental involvement is the key to success in a child’s education. How could one be more involved?
13. Your child will never be “just a number” in the classroom. 

A Great Post

I read this post and wanted to share it with you. It is on the blog Slice of Laodicea authored by Ingrid Schlueter. I thought it was a great post, so relevant to today.

Wanted: An Old-fashioned Church

To Whom it May Concern:

I’m looking for a good Christian church. I don’t want to sing songs off a wall, the same five notes, over and over and over and over again while I am lightheaded from standing so long. There’s a record of the hymns of God’s people that spans 2000 years. Why are we so arrogant as to think we don’t need those wonderful songs any longer? Have we gone through more suffering, more affliction, more pain for Jesus than those who wrote these enduring hymns? Does a semi-secular song writer in Nashville with a multi-million dollar music contract have more to say to us about God and the Christian life than the 17th-century hymn writer who lost four children and his wife during the 30 years War?

I don’t want to have my eardrums bashed in by the three kids in the “worship band” who can’t be bothered to bathe, shave, dress or comb their hair on Sunday morning. If it’s really all about the God that Scripture describes as ineffably holy, shouldn’t that be reflected in attitude and dress for those who serve in church music?

I don’t want a vampy “praise and worship” leader who is flaunting her wares at every male within view as she does her worship moves on “stage”. If we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, as Scripture tells us, than what’s all the flesh about? Can we no longer discern the difference?

I don’t want to see people in beach attire with their backsides peeping out of their shorts because they think that God isn’t worth their best efforts at dressing. “God doesn’t care about clothes, only man”, they say. But the real reason is that it’s just plain easier to cruise into church in jeans or whatever is still lying on the floor from the night before. Dressing up for worship of the Lord would cost them something, however little, and they don’t want to pay it.

I also don’t want to see all the variations on lovers’ back rubs where Chuck and Sue take turns massaging each other’s neck and shoulders during the sermon so everyone behind them is completely distracted. Behavior affects other people. Are Christians so self-absorbed that they never think about the people behind them trying to hear the message?

I don’t want to hear announcements during “worship” about the youth group pizza blast and laser tag event next Tuesday night, the need for grills for the upcoming church fun fest or jokes about how Bill burned the wieners last summer at the church picnic. Why can this not be put at the end after our “worship” is completed?

I don’t want Christian karaoke for “special music”. Screeching females trying to imitate their favorite pop stars belong at the local bar, not a house of prayer.

Let me tell you what I am looking for in corporate worship of believers.

I’m looking for a spirit of reverence among God’s people, a sense that we have come to join in with the company of angels, archangels, and the church triumphant who gather before God’s throne in that never ending heavenly worship.

I’m looking for a service that is founded upon and completely focused on God and His Word. I want to begin the worship with an entrance Psalm, to be reminded that in worship we enter heaven’s gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. I want to hear the name of God invoked at the beginning, opening the worship in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, without which Spirit, we worship in vain.

I need to confess my sins, receive the comforting assurance that God has forgiven me, and I want to corporately confess my faith with my fellow believers. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our LORD…

I need to sing of God’s holiness, His attributes and His greatness through the hymns of the faith that have been handed down through the ages from the pens and the lips of those who have gone before us. Why? Because God is truly “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise, in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes”. Because God is “Holy, Holy Holy,” our Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Because it is right and fitting that our souls should praise the King of Heaven. He is worthy of all our praise because He is “Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor”. To discard this canon of music of Christ’s church down through time is to turn our backs on our family in the faith. In 21st Century America, we truly do not know better than they.

I need to hear the Scriptures read out—as much of it as possible. Three Scripture lessons are hardly enough. How often has a passage of Scripture read out spoken to my heart about something? Why is Scripture so often limited to the text of a message, if it’s there at all now? The Old Testament Lesson. The New Testament Lesson. The Gospel Lesson. I need all the lessons that God’s holy Word can provide.

I need to hear the Scriptures preached from a man of God, who is a man of prayer and personal holiness and who takes seriously his office of under-shepherd. Why do I want preaching? Because faith comes by hearing, the Bible says, and hearing by God’s Word. I need conviction of the Holy Spirit in my own heart and life. I want to be reminded who God is and my duty before Him. I don’t want a pastor who spews vulgarities and crude talk to show how “real” he is, or who feeds on Hollywood so that the only thing that comes out of his mouth is foolishness in his pathetic attempts at cultural relevance. God’s Word is eternally relevant. I can tell where the pastor gets his life food from. It always, always shows. Any pastor who is not a man of the Word and of prayer is no pastor at all.

I want a pastor who prays for his sheep, who understands that we are in a spiritual battle, and that Satan hates us and will do anything he can to try to take our faith from us. I want elders who lead by example with their families. No family is ever perfect. That’s why we need the forgiveness of our Savior daily. But elders should be leading lives that are Christ-honoring in their marriages and in their leadership and training of their children. When the children of an elder are worldly and carnal and disrespectful, it is plain that they are not keeping their homes in order. This kind of leadership no church needs because how will the members learn how to run their own homes and families if no godly example is in view? We are sheep. We need leaders.

I want a time of serious prayer in church, seeking God for His help and wisdom in these dark times, for the needs of the congregation and for the witness of the fellowship in the community. As we kneel, we’re reminded of our utter helplessness without the Lord.

I want a benediction at the end of the worship, where the pastor tells us to go in peace, because we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, have been forgiven for our sins, and have the joyful assurance that God is with us and will take care of us.

This kind of old-fashioned church might meet in a rented room, a home, a gymnasium, a new, modern building, a vine-covered, old brick traditional church, a little white frame building or anywhere else. It is not the location that matters, it is the content and focus of the worship, and the heart of the leaders of the church.

Outside of the corporate worship, I want a church that believes in evangelism and outreach. Doctrinal clubs that sit smugly complacent are actually mausoleums. Who wants to worship in a tomb? There is a world out there that needs the message of the Gospel. It is our responsibility to take it to them, and churches should facilitate and train members for this critical mission. Truly saved believers have a burning heart to share it with others. I want to be part of a church that has this burning heart. I want to be part of a church where the young people are not just going on mission trips because they get to have fun in cool places, but because they get to share with those who have never heard the truth that Jesus saves. Social work is fine, but the Gospel message of Jesus must be heard loud and clear in the midst of it.

If you know of such a church in my area, would you please contact me at the earliest convenience. I would be grateful.

Sincerely,

A Christian

There are many who crave the kind of church I have described in my letter. They are weary of the things that go on in churches today where the careless, thoughtless and vacuous man-centered services leave them empty and longing for real worship and real food. For those who have nothing resembling this in their area, pray whether God might ask you to begin such a fellowship. Reverence, God-centeredness, Scripture reading, prayer, Psalms, hymns, a message from the Word—these things can be done even in your living room with like-minded fellow believers.

To the many Disney-fied/emerging church refugees, you may need to consider this if you have exhausted other possibilities. Perhaps the church comes full circle today. What began in the homes of believers 2,000 years ago may return there as the corrupt institutional churches and denominations grow ever worse. May the Lord lead us all to worship Him in reverence and awe, in spirit and in Truth. He is worthy of all our praise, now and through eternal ages. Praise the Lord.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

–Revelation 5:11-14