08.15.08
Pastor ~ Be Encouraged
I have a confession. I’m a salesman. Yes, I know, I know. Now, what I sell is going to remain a secret, but it’s something that I am really having a great time doing and the company that I work for is awesome. A real diamond in the rough, so too speak, in the world of companies that are in business to sell a product.
A portion of my business is going into churches to secure their business with the product that I sell; and I have too admit. I rarely if ever, leave feeling as if I have spent time with those who rejoice in being called out of the world into the kingdom of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Most time, I left feeling as if I was in a funeral home, viewing a dead body. So, today, I made it a mission to take the focus off myself, and to direct my energy and excitement to the pastor.
Today, I walked into a Baptist Church and instead of seeking out the manager of that building; went straight for the pastor to ask him one question,”Man of God. What are you preaching about this weekend?” With a surprised studder, I got the answer, “Uh…I’m undecided, but I think that I’ll preach on…” In which I with much anticipation, waited to hear the good news.
Without going into much detail in this format, I left extremley edified, and so did the pastor. We sat and talked for about 35 minutes on why it is important to preach the gospel and feed the sheep the word of God so that, they can stand up in this world with the rod iron of truth. Im-movable and unshaken. This particular pastor when I arrived, was undecided on what too preach (on Friday I mind you), and when the meeting was over, he was smiling ear to ear and ready to preach on the new birth in Christ.
As I was leaving I encouraged him to, “Preach the word in and out of season. And feed the sheep.”
I wonder how many pastors lack encouragement and admonishment from those whom they are shepherding? What if what many of these men need is to be reminded of what their calling is and how massive a responsibility it is to perform this task of sheep tending. I’m reminded of what Martin LLoyd Jones once said concerning the pastor…
“The most important thing you (speaking to his congregation) are doing right now and will ever be doing in this place, is listening to the word of God. And I standing here will one day have all my words come back to me when I stand in front of Him whom I must give an account. What a terrible and awful thing it is to be standing here.”
Do you Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher, nursery worker, janitor, musician, librarian, youth worker, and coffee maker, think the same thing. That it is truley a humbling thing, to be speaking such wonderful words of that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Be encouraged and remain strong.
07.28.08
A night of edificaton
My wife and I host a care group in our home the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month for our church Omaha Bible, South Campus. We are currently going through Galatians, studying God’s defense of Justification only being completed in His Son Jesus Christ. At the time of this writing, Paul was bringing the wood so to speak, to the Galatian church, which seemed to be capitulating on this precious doctrine from those Judiazers who were adding conditions to Paul’s teaching.
What a perfect study for all Christians. To sit and muse together on what Christ did to secure absolute justification for all time, for those who believe in Him, His life, death, and Resurrection.
At the end of our time of Study, Starbucks and Sweets, one of the women in the group, obviously by divine rejoicing, declared that we needed to “sit and sing hymns!” To which we all agreed.
So, my awesome wife sat at the piano and grabbed the trusty, “The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration.” After it was all said and done, we ended about 3 hrs later than normal. How great is that! I was reminded of the new church in the Acts. Where their desires were now divinely engaged to serve each other and consider all that Jesus Christ had done for them by His completed work on the cross.
This week I would challenge you to look up some old hymns and be encouraged as well. One that I found extremely encouraging was, “Take My Life and Let It Be.”
Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee; Take my voice and let me sing, Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee; Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold.
Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in endless praise; Take my intellect and use every power as Thou salt choose.
Take my will and make it Thing, It shall be no longer mine; Take my heart, it is Thane own, It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store; Take myself and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.
07.20.08
Top 5 Commentaries on The Gospel of John
Ligonier ministries recently posted their top 5 commentaries on The Gospel of John. For those of you who are looking for authors who are true to the inerrant and supremacy of the scripture, these are ones to look at adding to your study.
1. D.A. Carson — The Gospel According to John (Pillar New Testament Commentary, 1990).
To date, the Pillar New Testament Commentaries have been consistently excellent. They are all thorough and readable, a rare combination in commentaries. I believe the consistent excellency of the series is largely due to the fact that D.A. Carson is the general editor. His own contribution on the Gospel of John set the bar very high for the other contributors. This commentary shows Carson’s usual exegetical care and insight. It is an example of conservative evangelical scholarship at its best. Very highly recommended to any who want to understand better the Gospel of John.
2. Craig S. Keener — The Gospel of John: A Commentary (2003).
Craig Keener’s massive two-volume commentary is an impressive achievement. As with his commentary on Matthew, Keener’s focus is on setting John within his first century context. He does so admirably. The commentary is so exhaustively researched that its footnotes are a virtual reference work. Keener also includes an extensive bibliography (over 150 pages). Those who are doing in-depth study of John cannot afford to be without this outstanding work.
3. Leon Morris — The Gospel According to John (New International Commentary on the New Testament, 1995).
Originally published in 1971, Leon Morris’s commentary on the Gospel of John quickly became a standard of conservative evangelical scholarship on the book. In 1995, a completely revised and updated edition was published bringing the classic work up to date. Morris’s work may have been overshadowed by more recent commentaries, but it remains one of the best and should be consulted.
4. Herman Ridderbos — The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary (1997).
Reformed readers of this blog will recognize Ridderbos from his works on the theology of Paul and the kingdom of God. His theological commentary on John was originally published in Dutch in two volumes (1987, 1992). The English translation was first published in 1997. Ridderbos’s commentary, as the subtitle suggests, focuses on the theological issues raised by John in his Gospel, in particular the identity of Jesus, the “Son of Man” and “Son of God.” This is a valuable and insightful commentary.
5. Andreas J. Kostenberger — John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 2004).
Standing in the tradition of Carson and Morris, Kostenberger has provided a fine conservative and evangelical commentary on the Gospel of John. This is a solid, thorough, and practical work that will be of benefit to students and pastors.
Runners Up: There are a large number of other commentaries on the Gospel of John that are worth consulting. Among them are those by Gerald Borchert (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), William Hendriksen, and Ben Witherington. If it were less critical about the historicity of certain events in John, I would have placed the commentary by Andrew T. Lincoln among my top five. In spite of the unnecessarily critical stance, if read with care and discernment, Lincoln’s commentary is a very helpful work. Two other more technical commentaries that can also be valuable if read with discernment are those by C.K. Barrett and George R. Beasley-Murray. Less technical, but still somewhat critical is the commentary by Jerome H. Neyrey.
Some helpful evangelical commentaries written at a less technical level are those by Colin Kruse, F.F. Bruce, James M. Boice, and Mark Johnston.
In addition to some of the above, preachers may want to consult the commentaries by Gary M. Burge, Bruce Milne, Rodney A. Whitacre, Gordon Keddie (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), R. Kent Hughes, Robert H. Mounce, and J. Ramsey Michaels.
Seminary students doing in-depth scholarly work on the Gospel of John will frequently encounter the works of Raymond Brown (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), Rudolph Schnackenburg, and Ernst Haenchen (Vol. 1, Vol. 2) in footnotes and bibliographies. These commentaries are highly technical and critical and should be used with great care.
OBC High School Retreat
One great benefit of being active in ministry is the opportunity to serve the church. We not only are employing our gifts that glorify our common Lord and Savior, but also we are having fun doing it. This years high school retreat was in a small farm town outside of Aurora, Nebraska. The camp was outfitted to look like an old west town, but with the conveniences of the 21st century. Unfortunately the ticks didn’t get the message that we were showing up; so I bathed in scented outdoor insect repellent.
Many times you find youth ministries so geared on “events,” that the teaching gets lost in the excitement of the game itineraries. How refreshing it is to be able to go to an event that centers it purpose on teaching God’s word. This year the focus was on fighting spiritual battles, like the lusts of the flesh; to include sexual behavior, gluttony, and attitude. All which traget your soul as written in 2 Peter 2:11.
I also had the opportunity to get to know better the leaders of the Main Campus of Omaha Bible Church.
Pictured with me in Mike Padilla. One of the leaders who share the Jr and Sr high responsibilities with me here at our South Campus.
07.09.08
Man of God! Speak every word!
Jeremiah 26: 2
The book of Jeremiah is far becoming one of the best books in the Old Testament that I have ever read. Do you want a surgical examination of the heart. Read Jeremiah. How about a good definition of Apostasy? Read Jeremiah. Oh, here’s one, God’s faithfulness in the midst of tumult and turmoil? Read Jeremiah.
And one of my favorites, how about…what does the Lord think when we are commisioned to speak His word? Does He care about the words that are coming out of our mouths (a little rush hr lingo)? Ask Jeremiah!
Thus says the Lord, “Stand in the court of the Lords house, and speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not omit a word!” ~ Jeremiah 26: 2
Sometimes we can place ourselves in the shoes of Jeremiah and think that the Lord knowing that men are easily timid, easily hushed, and easily persuaded by the crowds to tone down the message of God. It might offend people are upset their own view of God. No one wants to step on those landmines. I for one have been in a position that I knew I should speak up and lovingly proclaim God’s message to them, and tragically I have scummed to the flesh, watering down God’s word to make it more palatable. Shame on me.
Jeremiah had a strict command concerning how he was to present God’s word to this rebellious nation. 
Speak all the words that I have commanded you to speak, and don’t omit, or take out, anything, not even one word! That I’m sure gave Jeremiah the right heart attitude going into the “lions den” so to speak. He was to go and give a very unpopular message to a very rebellious people. There were others claiming to speak on the Lords behalf. And their message was comforting and positive. These “prophets” were readily and with great enthusiasm, listen to and sought after. In the end, we see God’s judgement on them as they were burned alive and ran through with swords for speaking falsely on behalf of God.
- Why do we want to take care of the words that we speak when we speak from God’s word? Ultimately we give God glory in doing this.
We don’t change it, or water it down, so that it will be better received. We omit nothing. Verse 3 of Ch 26 says that after the giving of this word, maybe, quite possibly…
Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way…
Isn’t that one of the greatest motivations for keeping God’s word pure? That He would be glorified in the turning (repenting) of the sinner, to ask Him to have mercy on them and that they would seek Him with their own heart? This is why we speak, this is why we labor.
