Quivers of Arrows

Recently I've been pondering family and what that means to me. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that on this earth (outside of our ministry and gospel sharing to others) it should be the most important thing for Christians. Now, many people might think that I am referring to the closeness of a family or the fact that they share the same DNA. But this isn't why family is the most important thing. While having those relationships that enable you to know a person for their entire lives is part of it. The real reason that family is so important is because it is meant to be a picture of Christ's love and relationship towards His children.

What does an earthly family have to do with a heavenly one? That is a question that I have heard asked many times. Our earthly families are meant to demonstrate certain things about God to us. However, most of the time we pervert and destroy any resemblance that they might have of the Father's love for His children. Instead of demonstrating unconditional love to one another, we hold grudges and bemoan our situations. Instead of directing our homes as Christ directs His bride, we allow chaos and strife to reign supreme.

There are many ways that we destroy the picture that God has designed in order to point to Himself. Yet, there are times that the picture and structure He has designed comes to full light and breaks beautifully upon the eyes of all who see it. The times when a child is running, falls headlong and smashes into the ground, and their parent rushes to lift them up and comfort them. The times that a child disregards what they know they are supposed to do and their parent disciplines them in a way that instructs and guides them to know and understand that their actions have consequences. The times when a spouse is overcome with love and treats their spouse to something special, just because. The times when a sibling offers to share their toys with their little brother or sister, just because they know how much they enjoy playing with it.

The New Testament is laden with images about the family and it's relationship to the church and to God. However, most of the time we either ignore them or just pretend that they don't matter that much. The images that God lays out in Ephesians of how each part of the family is to treat the other is beautiful and yet can only be understood when we look at it in the light of what God has done for His children and His relationship with them. God's love for His elect is deeper than any love between husband and wife, siblings, or child and parent. Yet, without these relationships, we cannot know what Paul means when he writes about Christ's love for His bride/body.

Therefore, the more Christlike men are when they lead their homes, the more Christlike their families and churches will become. The more that a husband and wife realize that their children reflect their own relationships with God, the more they understand how sinful they are and how utterly dependent they are for His grace and mercy to carry them. Just as a child falls and bruises a part of their body, we fall many times as God's children. He doesn't leave us in the dirt to lick our wounds, but raises us up, showing us where we went wrong and lovingly guides us forward.

Without parents, there wouldn't be children. Without children we would never see a majestic part of the picture that family represents. May we rejoice that we have been given families. May we grow to to understand the importance of seeing our families as mirrors for the world to see the reflection of God in.

A Bird's Song

I am always filled with joy by the little things in life. It is these things that can cause us to see God in new and more beautiful ways than we ever have before. Whether it is something we have seen before and just now have noticed it's beauty, or whether it is something new and grand. God's creation is truly beautiful.

As I was walking to work today, about 20 minutes in total, I couldn't help at marveling at the beauty of what surrounded me. The sun had just come up, the sky still lit with brilliant colors that seemed to be commanding the earth to arise from it's slumber, glistening through the trees wet with the nights dewy frost. It warmed not only my skin, but also my soul knowing that the sun represents the light and glory of the Son. Birds were chirping everywhere, as if there was a diet of worms being offered and consumed by all (500th anniversary of the reformation shout out!). And there was actually a warmth to the breeze, unlike the blistering wind that seemed to attack us over the weekend.

God seemed to be calling to me and to everyone who would listen to wake up, to realize that our faith means something. As we approach October, there will be many references made to the Reformation amongst Christian circles. However, how many of us actually still believe in the principles that started it all? Are we willing to rise as they did, standing only upon Scripture no matter the cost? Will we join with Jonathan Edwards in bringing a great awakening to our country? It was because of the Reformers that Jonathan Edwards had a foundation upon which to stand. Can we not follow suit and preach the Scriptures in grace by faith in Jesus for His glory alone?

We must rise to the occasion. We have seen 500 years of decay and rot within our culture and many times sadly within our churches since the Reformation began. There have been great and glorious victories in the church, but there has also been a turning away from truth and the foundation of believing in the Bible as the sole authority on life and godliness. Instead, many have turned to popular opinion and look for applause.

Let us return to our roots as Christians. Let us believe what Jesus and the apostles taught throughout the New Testament. Let us examine the beliefs that we hold and why we hold them. Let us forsake earthy reconciliation for that which satisfies the soul and lasts for eternity. Let us join with creation in singing that our God reigns upon His throne. That He commands the earth to arise each and every day with new beauties. Let us rise with creation in joining their song and let us eat at the table of Martin Luther by standing upon Scripture alone.

God is Good

It has been a few months since I last posted, during which time exciting things have been happening. My wife and I found out that we were expecting our third child coming this spring. I published my second book, "Truth or Fiction" on Reformation Day (October 31st). I had a third knee surgery just last week. And my wife and I are in the process of getting a house to call our own. It has been a crazy past few months, and yet every single thing that has happened has caused me to see and experience God in new and more beautiful ways.

First, the joy of learning about new life entering the world is truly amazing. To know that God has blessed me with another child is both wonderful and humbling. I am humbled that God has placed a child into my care to teach and train up in the ways of the Lord. I am amazed that God chooses to use me to carry truth to new people each and every day, including my children. Children truly are a gift from God, bringing both joy and training to a parent. My children are full of such joy and cause my heart to soar with their laughter and giggles. They also cause me to see just how far I have to go in becoming more like Christ when I lose my patience or fail them in any way.

My second book is out, and I am very excited about it. It has been a long time in the making and I am very happy to see all of my hard work come to fruition. I pray that the Lord would use it to bless many people and open the eyes of many others. It was released on October 31st because I wanted to follow along with the theme of that day among protestants. Many do not know or remember the significance of that day, but the Protestant Reformation still is causing ripples today and should be remembered for the truth that the men and women who were a part of it stood for.

My third knee surgery went well. I am already walking around. God was very good to me and allowed the surgery to go smoothly and be the least intrusive that it could be. His mercies are new each and every day.

Lastly, the home that we are in the process of getting is such a blessing. We have been blessed beyond measure to be able to stay with my family while we looked for a home that we could afford. God, in His abundant wisdom, caused this to take longer than we would have liked. Yet, He has provided us with a home that we should be able to stay in as long as we would like, which is truly a blessing with our growing family.

I can't wait to see what the next few months hold and hope to post again soon. If I don't get one out for a few months, may the Lord bless you during these holiday seasons and bring the light of truth to shine through you as we come to celebrate His blessings and the birth of His Son!

Be Holy, For He is Holy

I have been reading a book by Andrew Murray entitled: ‘Holy in Christ: Thoughts on the Calling of God’s Children to be Holy as He is Holy’ (which I would highly recommend). While I was reading today riding the train in to work, I was struck by something that Murray said. He said that while we, Christians, can search for holiness, and very well we should, that those who are often the most holy are those who do not think about it. At first I was puzzled by what he could mean, but as I continued to read I came to better understand his statement and the meaning behind it. He states that while we should strive to be holy here on earth, it should not be our goal. He says that even though we are called to be holy as Christ is holy, it is not holiness that we must seek. Rather, we should seek Christ, first and foremost.

Holiness is not developed and cultivated by a desire to be holy in and of itself. It is developed through an insatiable desire to become more like Christ, to fill oneself with nothing but the Holy Spirit. Murray says, “As you hear the command, Be holy, as I am holy, let faith claim the promise, and answer, I will be holy, O Most Holy God! if Thou, the Holy One wilt dwell with me.” It is only through our sanctification that we become holy, or more Christ-like. It is because Jesus is the God-Man that He is able to save us and provide for us a path to holiness. If He were only a man He could only save Himself, however, since He is the God-Man He is able to save to the utmost.

Murray, in discussing holiness, reflects on those who are humble and the ways that their humbleness is caused and affected by Jesus’ holiness. He says, 

“The humble find the Holy One. Just when the consciousness of sin and weakness, and the discovery of how much of self there is, makes you fear that you can never be holy, the Holy One gives Himself. Not as you look at self, and seek to know whether now you are contrite and humble enough – no, but when no longer looking at self, because you have given up all hope of seeing anything in it but sin, you look up to the Holy One, you will see how His promise is your only hope. It is in faith that the Holy One is revealed to the contrite soul. Faith is ever the opposite of what we see and feel; it looks to God alone. And it believes that in its deepest consciousness of unholiness, and its fear that it never can be holy, God, the Holy One, who makes holy, is near as Redeemer and Saviour. And it is content to be low, in the consciousness of unworthiness and emptiness, and yet to rejoice in the assurance that God Himself does take possession and revive the heart of the contrite one. Happy the soul who is willing at once to learn the lesson that, all along, it is going to be the simultaneous experience of weakness and power, of emptiness and filling, of deep, real humiliation, and the as real and most wonderful indwelling of the Holy One.”

The idea that we must be holy is not a suggestion from Scripture. It is a command. However, there is nothing that we can do to be holy in and of ourselves. We must be changed and filled with something completely foreign to our own selves; otherwise we would never become holy. In discussing the way that God is holy, Murray says this, 

“Holy, the Father, God above us, High and Lifted up, whom no man hath seen or can see, whose Holiness none dare approach, but who doth Himself in His Holiness draw nigh to make holy. Holy, the Son, God with us, revealing Divine Holiness in human life, maintaining it amid the suffering of death for us, and preparing a holy life and nature for His people. Holy, the Spirit, God in us, the Power of Holiness within us, reaching out to and embracing Christ, and transforming our inner life into the union and communion of Him in whom we are holy.”

Therefore, let us strive to be holy as God is holy, yet without human strength. Let us lean upon the mercies of our Savior as the Father pours out the Spirit in and through us. It is only through searching for Jesus that we will become holy, for we have nothing to bring to the table in order to partake of any holiness or to become such in our own standing.

The Soveriegnty of God's Decree

Recently I have seen and heard many posts and comments from people stating that they believe that it is possible to be neither a Calvinist nor an Arminianist in their doctrinal beliefs about salvation and justification. My first response is disbelief, quickly followed by sadness. Disbelief that someone that is trying to claim to believe in the God of the Bible is so easily persuaded that a doctrinal stance is not necessary. Sad that this proclamation, or lack thereof, is so readily accepted by the masses and hailed as wise and deeply thought out. It is neither wise, nor deeply thought out. It is foolish to think that you do not believe in one or the other of these two doctrinal stances. Frankly, you have to believe in one or the other if you call yourself a Christian. One is born out of a small view of God and the other out of a great, or large, view of God. 

Calvinists believe that God is Sovereign and has ordained all things to be and upholds them by the power of His Word. They believe that God died only for the elect and therefore His work on the cross is perfect and complete. There is no necessary atonement needed for those whom God has called other than the one that Jesus has already made. They believe that because Christ's work is perfect and complete, no one holds the power over salvation, that power remains in the hands of God. They believe that God must first break the sinners heart and give them repentance through salvific faith before they would ever turn to Him. Salvation is in God's hands alone.

Arminians believe that God died for every single human being to ever live. They try to claim the sovereignty of God, but leave Him weak and unable to complete the goal that He set out to do through Jesus, His Son, because He lacks the ability to save sinners without their permission. They believe that all sins have been paid for except for the sin of unbelief, thereby merely stating that they believe no one's sins have been paid for. They believe that God only knows who will be saved because He knows all things, not because He has decreed them to be. Salvation is to be shared, or at least they would claim, by both Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and man's choice to follow His voice. If men are left to choose, why would they ever do so? If they were asked to leave their sin, why would they? Mankind enjoys their sin and despises anyone who tells them that it is wrong, including God, and this is something that the Arminianist would never agree to, for they would claim that men are mostly good.

These are the two positions that so many people refuse to acknowledge. They want to claim that they hold to neither position, and yet, if they hold to neither position, what exactly do they hold to in regards to salvation? Do they believe Jesus' work on the cross did anything? Do they believe that there is another way to salvation other than through Jesus? Or, is it merely a lack of gumption, a refusal to attest to one viewpoint for fear of mortal man's opinion?

These are the two places that Christians find themselves. One cannot be a half Calvinist or half Arminianist, it is impossible. For to be one or the other mandates that you cannot believe what the other teaches and believes. You cannot be a two point Calvinist as some would say, for there is no such thing. The very meaning of Calvinist is to believe a certain set of doctrines and biblical statements. A person may believe one thing and be struggling with changing their beliefs about a topic, but you cannot believe two opposing views to be true at the same time.

Lastly, I would like to mention the simple fact that God's decrees are final. Scripture says that God chose us, the elect, in Him before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4-10) How could He do so, before we were even created, and yet not be able to actually carry out this choosing? I am attesting to the Calvinistic viewpoint. Not because I think that the man Calvin is so much holier or wiser than others and should be followed, but because I agree with C.H. Spurgeon, that to preach the doctrines called Calvinism is to preach the gospel. 

Therefore, I challenge anyone who claims to hold to neither one viewpoint or the other to examine themselves to see what they truly believe. Because I guarantee that when push comes to shove, they believe either one view or the other about God. They will either see Him for just and merciful towards sinners who don't deserve salvation or they will see Him as a pleading old man, begging to be let into their sinful heart so that He can save them. I am thankful that God has opened my eyes to see Him as the sovereign King of the universe, perfectly God and perfectly able to save those whom He has chosen unto Himself.

I pray that those who read this post, though extremely brief in dealing with the topic of man's salvation and the sovereign glory of God, will have their eyes opened to the beauty of the doctrines of grace as well as to be refreshed and renewed in their belief of them if already held dear. May the truth of God bring forth a fire in the spirits of those who claim to be His children.

The Limitation of the Truth

I am saddened this morning to see the news that last week Russia passed new laws regulating the manners and situations by which my brothers and sisters can share the Gospel of our Lord. Those that know me, know that I lived for almost two years in Russia. I lived among the people and grew to love them deeply. This news saddens me deeply, knowing that a situation that was already difficult to deal with due to the pressure of the Orthodox Church has gotten even more difficult.

During my time in Russia, I spent many a Saturday out with my friends sharing the Gospel and handing out Bibles. It would seem that these times are now at an end for believers in Russia that do not share the view that the Orthodox Church is the only church. My heart aches knowing that many of those that I lived among could be arrested for simply sharing the Gospel with their neighbors and co-workers. This is an attempt by those who hate God to limit His reach among the people of Russia.

While this places new and harsh restraints on Christians in Russia, it also shows just how much their country has forsaken God in every way and what we as a nation (America) have to look forward to if the Church continues to remain silent on issues of justice and truth. The people of Russia are hungry for real truth to be brought to them, many having clung to what they remembered before communism and fearing that they would never worship the God of the Universe in public again. That ban was lifted for a time, but it would appear that time is coming to a close.

This should serve as a warning to all of those "Christians" who wish to stand by ignoring God's word while millions of children are killed and the very institution of marriage, designed by God, is destroyed. Our brothers and sisters in Russia are being persecuted and oppressed. This same persecution will soon be coming to America because in general the American church has failed to stand upon truth and justice. It has been tossed by the wind, floating whichever way the majority of public opinion desires.

Let us pray for those in Russia that God will give them a boldness that resembles that of Peter in the book of Acts. May we never be afraid of what man can do to our earthly bodies. Let us pray that the people of Russia will be blessed with the hearing of God's Word proclaimed among those believers who choose to defy the decrees of men and may we weep and mourn with and for those who will undoubtedly pay for their defiance with much sorrow and distress. There will be those who lose their jobs, money, homes, and even lives for their defiance of this new decree and sadly most of the world will never hear about their sacrifice for the Gospel.

May God be merciful to us and bless those who give freely the only hope and life that has the power to save, Jesus.

The Reach of the Gospel

Over the past year I have felt led more and more to help provide a space for Christians to share their voices with the world. It is through this desire that I have begun to work on creating a publishing company for Christians to be able to publish books, articles, or whatever they would like. I know that my desire to share the gospel, in my own words with others, cannot be the only one out there, there has to be other believers who want to do the same thing right? So, I began building a website and thinking about the different pieces that I wanted to include in 5 Solas Publishing (the name that I have chosen to use). 5 Solas comes from the solas used during and after the protestant reformation to describe the Christian's faith. The five solas are: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), Solus Christus (Christ Alone), Sola Fide (Faith Alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God Alone).

My desire for 5 Solas Publishing was to provide a space for authors desiring to publish books. There are a couple new books that are in the works from two different authors. I wanted to give space to those who wanted to share their story with others. Stories that include pain and suffering and the many ways that God heals and mends while at the same time growing and stretching His children. I wanted to provide a place that people could turn to in order to find resources that would help them in their walk with Christ. But most of all, I wanted to create something that would bring glory to God alone.

I am not sure how God will use 5 Solas Publishing, and I may never know the extent of the reach that it has. If it reaches even one person for Jesus and gives them the tools that they need to grow as a Christian, then it will have accomplished its purpose. I am so excited to see what God has planned, both for 5 Solas and for myself, moving forward.

I am eagerly anticipating the release of several articles written by a variety of people from all sorts of different backgrounds about God's mercy, abundant grace, sustaining love, and powerful salvation. I hope that these stories will touch many lives and resonate with many issues and situations that other Christians find themselves in. I look forward to the feedback they will receive and can't wait to see what other stories of hope and joy arise from these stories being shared with others.

Please stay tuned for more information to come. And check out the new website for 5 Solas Publishing, updates will be ongoing!!