The Reason for the Gospel

There are so many people that think that the gospel was meant to form social clubs, religious practices, and many other such things. However, none of them are true. The gospel is not for these worldly and foolish trivialities. The gospel frees our souls from the grip of sin. We are born in sin, and as David says we were conceived in it. So many times people have expressed their desire to form their own gospel, or to create their own version of the real gospel. They twist and turn it until it has no semblance of the truth that it originated from.

Our church bodies and congregations are in place to help us grow in our faith and to hear the gospel preached. They aren't supposed to provide the community with a free coffee cafe or donut shop. They aren't supposed to create a worldly rock concert to draw people in. The church is the place where the gospel is to be shared and heard.

Many people would ask, "what exactly is the gospel?" The answer to that question is very simple, the gospel is the message of salvation for those whom Jesus Christ redeemed on the cross who will believe in His death and resurrection for the redemption of their souls from death and destruction. This is the gospel, that a man would lay down His life for the salvation of all who believe.

Jesus did not establish the church to have earthly rituals that resemble everything that the world does in worshipping idols, we are to stand out amongst those who claim to worship something. Our message has life and hope, Jesus is not in the grave. He has risen and will return for His bride.

The gospel is the tool that God uses to quicken a person's heart as the Holy Spirit begins to open their eyes tho the truth of God. May we share it boldly and with confidence.

Growth in the Uncertain

    So many people view change as a bad thing. They think that everything should always remain the same so that they can feel comfortable and understand what their role is and should be. While many times I fall into this group, I also understand that change can be an opportunity to grow and to learn. God doesn't present our lives with new situations and difficulties just to watch us squirm. He places situations and difficulties in our lives to help us to grow and to become more like Him.

    Over the past two months, so much has happened in my life. My daughter was born at the end of January, easily one of the greatest days of my life. She is so precious and sweet. My son has begun to learn what it means to be a big brother and to care for his sister, which he does with great vigor and joy. To see his face light up when asked to help care for her is one of greatest joys that a parent can experience. I released my first book, which I published on my own. It was a fun experience and I hope that it is a blessing for those who read it. (If you would like more information on it, please go to the 5 Solas tab at the top of this page.) I was offered and accepted a new job in Boston, and therefore will be moving from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts in the next couple of weeks. This is all while we are in the midst of figuring out how to sell our house and what to do with all of our stuff in the mean time.

    God continually keeps reminding me that He is in control and as long as we rely on Him and trust Him, that He will care for all of our needs, just as He has promised. I hear so many people that are scared and worried about taking a leap of faith to go in a new direction for their life. They are worried about money and worldly concerns. However, Jesus told us that our Heavenly Father cares for us more than the birds of the air. Therefore, we should trust Him to provide for us and not worry about what is going to happen and how all of the details are going to work out. Now, I am not saying that we shouldn't do our parts to plan what we can, but there are times when we must rest in His grace and mercy in order to glorify Him.

    Does it scare me a little bit that I am leaving my house and job here in PA for an unknown experience in Boston? Sure it does, and I think that is natural. However, it is how I react to this situation that will determine how I experience it. If I were to freak out and stress about everything that could go wrong or that I do not know about, then how would that glorify my Father? It wouldn't. Therefore, I am resigned that no matter what comes my way, I am going to remain open to what the Lord has planned for me and my family. He will provide for our needs, just as He has done my entire life. He will care for us in ways that many people will never understand. He has provided an opportunity to live near our family, which if you have read my blog for any amount of time I am sure you would understand is extremely important to me. For, I believe that through the dynamics of the family we are shown the most glorious and wonderful examples of God's love for His children.

    I would ask for prayer. Prayer that I would remain strong in my resolve to glorify God through all things. To trust Him no matter the circumstances. To worship Him in every situation that I may face. To understand that I am alive by the power and will of God, and therefore the things that I need to live will be provided for me until the day He calls me home.

New Life

   My daughter, Aisling Joy, was born last week on the 27th. It has been an absolute joy being able to meet her, hold her, and see her amazingly beautiful face! God has blessed me in so many ways that I cannot even comprehend His grace and mercy. She has been very loved since arriving last week. Her big brother greets her with many kisses throughout the day and tries desperately to make sure that she is happy, even at the cost of giving her his own stuffed animals, cause who wouldn't want a stuffed to comfort them? It is precious to see the care and joy that a little boy has for his sister, just because of who she is, his sister.

   New life has always been amazing to me, but there is nothing that compares to seeing your own child for the very first time. It makes you wonder about so many different things. It also causes you to be able to begin to understand the depths of God's love. To be adopted as His children is truly special and we can begin to understand this when we see our own children and feel the emotions that flood through our bodies. 

   I pray that God would draw my daughter unto His side in a way that only He can do. It would be an amazing joy to see her come to know and love Him as I do. When God draws someone unto His side, there isn't anything that can keep them from Him. My prayer is always that my children, still seems weird to have that be plural there, would be drawn by Christ, even dragged if needed.

   I know that this post is much shorter than most of my posts, but I have been busy recently with my new little one and with working on my coming book. I am getting excited to release it in just over a month. I pray that God will use it in many ways for His glory alone. 

Coming Soon

    It has been a while since I last posted, so I figured it was time to post again. Over the last few months some very exciting things have been happening. All four siblings that were in the process of being placed in my parents home have no been placed there. They will all start to be in the process of being adopted. What joyful and wonderful mercies God has shown to these children recently and to my family. My parents are still working on expanding their home so that they more adequately live with all of the wonderful children that they now have.

    My wife and I are expecting our second child any day now and cannot wait to meet her! Our son is very ready to meet his little sister. Each and every day he holds discussions with us about "baby". I cannot wait to see his reaction to the little bundle of joy that we are expecting. It amazes me with how many intricacies there are in children. They seem to proclaim truths about God without even opening their mouths. God surely creates us wonderfully!
   
    I have also been working on a book that I am hoping to release as an e-book in March and later in print. Pre-order for the e-book is available here. I have always enjoyed writing, as shown by the numerous and sometimes lengthy blog posts here. So sometime last year I thought to myself, why not try a book? So I began writing about an issue that has been deeply important to me and I believe should be to all Christians. I have entitled my work God's Design for Men and Women. It is an attempt to work through some of the issues surrounding gender and our roles as Christians within those confines. It has been a lot of work, but I hope that it will be used by God to bless those who choose to read it. If so, then every minute put into working on it will have been thoroughly worth it.

    I look forward to hearing feedback and engaging in discussions with those who do happen to read it. I pray that God would take away any man centered sections of my book and cause only His truth to shine forth for those who read it. The other day I was driving home from work and there was the most beautiful coloring in the sky. It was reflecting off of the still waters of the river that I was driving next to and caused my heart to soar with delight at the beautiful creation that God has given us. It made me want to proclaim His truths to anyone who would listen even more than usual. So, I hope that is what this book does. I hope that it shines forth God and His majesty alone. I want only to reflect God towards those who are seeking His face.

    Stay tuned for more!!

Suffering for Christ

      There are so many places around the world that people suffer daily for their faith and belief that Jesus is the Christ and Ruler of all. People are killed, fired from their jobs, disowned by their families, and thrown into prison. These are just a few of the many ways that Christians around the world are forced to live and are used to display the glory of God in a way that most Americans have never experienced. This however, is going to and has already begun to change. The church in the USA needs to wake up and realize that the ways that God is planning to use them is about to change dramatically from the ways in which they are accustomed.

     No longer is it the "cool" thing to do to claim that you are a Christian. If you proclaim the truth of Christianity you will be frowned upon and asked to be quiet. You will be asked to step down from your positions at work, to change your beliefs, and to keep your thoughts to yourself. This is something that Christians must realize and draw a line in the sand.

    Truth does not change just because a culture has changed. Just because someone tells you to think a different way or to live a different way does not mean that that is what God has called you to do. For those Christians who have never experienced persecution, run to the scriptures. This is the only place where you can find solace and comfort in a time such as this. For those Christians who have experienced persecution before, stand strong in the faith. Lead by example and show those who follow what it truly means to give all for the cause of Christ. Just as the apostle Paul suffered and persevered, so also are we to suffer and look to Christ for our strength and courage.

    Sin cannot win, it cannot conquer and it has already been defeated. Jesus bought our righteousness before the foundation of the earth and thereby defeated death, sin and the grave. This was manifest through His work on the cross for the salvation of those whom He chose for His glory before the world began.

    Stand strong brothers and sisters. We do not fight alone and we do not serve a feeble God. We serve a mighty and wonderful God who has already won the battle. Though our flesh may be destroyed we will not. Suffering is coming and everyone who bears the name of Christ will experience it. It is not something to be feared, but rather something to expect to be used to shine forth more beauty and grace so that others may see and come to know the saving faith of our Lord.

Holiday Musings

   There have been so many thoughts going through my head recently. Ranging from people's holiday decorations, people's perspectives on the world, the salvation of God's elect, and all the way to what it means to love and be loved. I could go on all day about these points, but I would like to just touch on each briefly in order to give a place for others to explore them as well.

   First holiday decorations. I love decorating for Christmas, it gives me a chance to think about the many ways that my Lord has been gracious to me and has blessed me. However, there are so many people that don't understand anything about what it means to be saved by the grace of God. They put up lights of every color and design, some of them even putting up Christian themed lights without any clue or desire to understand what they mean and stand for. Let us use decorations to encourage, bless, and strengthen those we come in contact with.

   Second, people are supposed to be "nicer" around the holidays. I have found this to be ludicrous. A person doesn't actually change for a certain time of the year. They are who they are all the time. They may attempt to act a certain way to be perceived by those around them as being a certain way, but if they aren't that way all year round, then that is not who they really are. There are so many people that don't even enjoy the holidays. Instead of enjoying their family and making memories together, they stress about gifts, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and decorating. Instead of worshiping the King of kings, they worry about how they look, are perceived, and whether or not they will offend someone. They think that if they can just do something right, it will bless someone else. This just isn't true, God blesses people, no matter what you do.

   Third, this is the time of year that we most hear about the birth of our Savior and His plan for salvation. So many people take His plan and distort it into something that is hideously ugly and man centered. They tell those around them that they have the power over salvation and that they can control their own destiny. Someone recently asked how I could believe that God had already either condemned or elected for salvation every single human being ever. How I could believe that since I have children. The answer is simple. Do I believe that God is on His throne and is in control of my life and the life's of everyone else? Yes, I do. Do I believe that He does everything for His glory? Yes. Do I believe that He loves me in such a way that He does all things for my good? Yes. Then I must trust Him to redeem those whom He has providentially chosen before the foundation of the world. If God isn't the one who controls the salvation of people, then man does and that scares me. For man has never been able to do anything good, so what makes some people think that man would make good executioners of their own salvation? It is extreme folly to believe that God sits in heaven wringing His hands hoping that people choose Him over themselves. God knocks down the door to our heart and completely sacks every part of it, leaving nothing left. If God does not save fully, He does not save. I believe that God has chosen everyone before the foundation of the world which gives me comfort to know that neither age, smarts, or physical handicaps can keep any of my children from the grace of God, because there is nothing that they can do to receive it.

   Fourth, I have been completely and utterly amazed by the beauty in Shane & Shane's song "So I Can Love". It seems to me to be one of the best presentations of the gospel and how we are to live it out that I have ever heard in song. In the song they proclaim that if we have breath in our lungs and blood in our veins, there must be a reason that we are alive. So many people think that there are so many reasons that they are alive. To care for family, to work, to teach, to give. However, in their song Shane & Shane make a profound statement. That the only reason we are alive is to love. At first listen this may sound odd and even overly simple to many people, leaving something to be desired. However, I want people to dig deeper. If we are alive to love what does it mean to love? The first thing that we should think of is that scripture tells us that God is love. Ok, so we have two things then. We are to love, but loving someone means that we bring God to them or show them God. If we are to God (love) others, shouldn't this mean that no matter the consequences or the cost, we show them what it means to be loved? For those who are apart from God have never experienced love.

Who Are You??

    Over the past several days I have heard some of the most two sided discussions about the Syrian crisis and it's refugees. On the one hand you have people proclaiming that we need to protect ourselves and that it isn't safe to bring over these refugees. The other side says that we shouldn't just let them in, because there is a vetting process so that takes care of how they come to the USA. I would like to point out several things within this discussion and several key issues when trying to understand it's proponents.

   First is the question of who we are. Not who we are as Americans, for that is merely the place where we reside. But who we are as people. God created us in such a way as to be able to have unique differences in our personalities, skin color, height, and so on. However, there is one thing that rings true for every single person that God has created. That is the simple fact that He has created them.

    So our first response should be that we are God's creations and that those of us who proclaim a saving knowledge of God should know this more than anyone. Secondly, we must then ask; what is the difference between these Syrians and myself? Some may answer and say that they are evil, terrorists, and hate Americans. While this may be true of some of them, could this not have been said about you before Christ's light broke into your heart? You may not have hated Americans or been a terrorist in the sense that you attempted to kill other human beings, but the truth of the matter is that you were a terrorist and you were evil. The only difference was that your evil and terror were aimed at a Holy God rather than mere man.

   Who are we as Christians to even begin to say that we know the reason for what goes on in the world. However, I think that this article by David Crabb lends a beautiful picture to one reason why it could be happening. In his article Crabb mentions the idea that maybe God is bringing all of these Syrians to our country is so that God's will for their salvation might be brought to fruition. What an amazing thought that this is! It fits directly with what scripture tells us, that others can mean things for evil and yet God uses them for the good of His people. What if in order to reach those whom He has elected and chosen He is bringing them directly to us?!
 
   So many Americans want to live in fear and concern about their own safety and they forget Who actually keeps them safe. It isn't the government, law enforcement, or weapons. It is God Almighty who keeps us safe in our beds at night, as we work, as we travel, as we pretend to make our own security decisions. Without God's blessing, none of those things would work. They would all fall apart and fail to do what we have designed them to.

   My question then is this. Are you a Christian that believes in a sovereign God who controls all things and cares for those who He has called unto Himself? Are you frightened of mere man and the damage that he may cause or do you rest that your God is in control of your safety? Are you worried that your selfish desires and wants may be taken away? Are you concerned first and foremost about the spreading of the gospel to the lost and dying? Are you too proud and arrogant to stand for those who cannot defend themselves? Are you willing, as Christians throughout the ages have done, to lay down your life for the gospel? Are you willing to place your trust in the only One who can truly protect you and your family? Who are you truly?

   Being a Christian isn't easy, and yet God calls us to be holy for He is Holy. Please join me in praying for the salvation of those seeking refuge and searching for some comfort in their time of need.