My last day at work was Friday the 28th. It was a long day. I worked double shifts to reach a final workweek of just over 38 hours. I will leave with a good last check. I was finally able to get ahold of the human resources people in Chicago and in Dallas. I found out it's still possible to transfer to Chicago. That's surely a blessing. So I filled out the form and got that set in motion. My store manager actually gets to evaluate me and it has to hit the desk of the district manager as well. I'm glad to have that going.
Over the weekend I did some more shopping. My budget for clothes is now exausted and I think I have what I wanted to get. I was able to pick up 7 shirts at thrift stores for a total of about $40. I got a new pair of khaki's and some nicer shoes. I never thought I'd buy brown shoes, but there's a first for everything I suppose. My dad got me socks and underwear for Christmas. I picked up a couple pairs of longjohns for that cold winter weather. I also wasn't sure at first what kind of coat I should buy. My dad recommended a big parka. Someone at church suggested a Navy Peacoat. The peacoat has an interesting style to it and it's 100% wool to keep warm. I did some shopping and found a peacoat for just over $80, which is apparently good for coats these days... wow. Burlington wanted $120 for one. I feel kinda British when I wear it, but I like the style. If I had more time, I wanted to go to a nearby large military surplus store and maybe get a longer coat... possibly German, but oh well. I won't be able to clutter my bags with coats.
Sunday morning I went to open my church and turn the heaters on bright and early at 6:30am then headed off to my old church to say goodbye to the people there. I suppose I'll never stop being sentimental. I've been thinking about my high school reunion lately. It's years away and I'm already wondering who would be there.
I finally finished studying through the book of Romans with MacArthur's commentaries for the year. It's been good and I've learned a lot more in a more focused study than if I were just straight reading. this allowed me to branch off and study certain things within Romans as I was lead. However, I've chosen to return to the One Year Bible for the coming year. I'm finding that my discipline has been wavering this year and that shouldn't affect my morning devotions as it has. So this will help to get back on a better schedule and block of time.
The Jehovah's Witnesses returned Saturday. I asked them about the possible correlation between Rev. 1:8 and 1:17-18. Their immediate response was that Jesus was not saying He is God. The pre-supposition was hard at work. I just calmly said I wasn't debating whether or not He was God, I just wanted their thoughts on the passage. I'm finding this approach to be quite effective. They said they were doing a study of Revelation and invited me to it tomorrow. I asked them for a copy of their study guide. It's not always that you have the opportunity to know what they believe about some things in such detail. When the time comes and I teach Revelation, I should be able to make some good comments. It's really cool this way, because I get to plant seeds of truth that show their own contradiction and yet appear interested, while gaining materials that will help me equip believers more about the cult.
For Christmas my friend bought me Walter Martin's book, Kingdom of The Cults. The teacher has been discussing them in Sunday School at church. I've enjoyed helping him and hearing from him as we share what we've learned about the cults and how to witness to them with the high school students. I can tell they are benefiting from the study. I've also been listening to Walter Martin on audio at www.blueletterbible.com. The JW's don't know I'm leaving for Chicago in less than 3 weeks. As God gives the courage, I am preparing to implement one of Martin's suggestions the last time I see them. Please pray with me that they show up on the final weekend before I leave.
Left on the To-Do list before Jan. 10th: 1. Find medical records and get shots necessary for school, have the doctor mail the forms. 2. Sell my car or at least find someone committed to buying it. 3. Pack and decide what goes and what stays. 4. Move my room into a room in my grandpa's house in my new room. 5. Wash all the clothes I'm taking. And maybe more...
Well... Happy New Years!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
This, This, is Christ the King...
I'm so thankful. Christians celebrate a kind of second thanksgiving as CHRISTmas is here. We are thankful for the birth of the blessed Savior, truly the King of Kings. We are thankful for God becoming man. May we proclaim this, rest in this, and remember this, allowing the appreciation of God's mercy in Christ to make impact with our souls afresh each year. I may have said this already, but this is one of the first years in a long time that I enjoyed the Christmas music regardless of the time it played. I remember last year as I was saddened by my family's celebration of the birth of a man they reject, yet not celebrating it. This year I rejoice in Him and am reminded to pray for my family. He receives all the glory. The moment I begin to think that my growth is by fleshly discipline, I'm reminded of grace. May God be glorified in your life and mine. We need not worry what others think of us or what they say, for we have a Savior who was born, died, was risen, and lives still. I hear a song playing recently by a group named Addison Road. I can't find the name of the song or give the lyrics, but I do remember that it expresses exactly how I think we should travel life.
I'm thankful and content this year. God has provided for me to go to Bible college. In fact I have even more than expected. God is good and deserves the only glory. I was looking for the title of my car recently as I prepare to try and sell it and I found $500. I was reminded that my dad said I should keep some money at home in case something came up. I forgot it was even there. What a wonderful Christmas this is! Things left to do before leaving: Get 2 shots (maybe more), try to contact and arrange things with my job down there, sell car, pick up a few more winter-ready items, pack, and move the rest of my things next door. This is my last week at work. I pray that I don't slack off for that reason. This will be a subtle temptation.
I ended this past semester with 2 B's, although one looked like it shoulda been an A-...? I'm waiting for reply from the prof. I haven't been downtown in 2 weeks due to finals and the weather. I can't wait to go back before I leave. My flight departs January 10th. I held my goodbye party this past Wednesday. Old friends, new friends, and true friends showed up. Some were a good surprise even. We watched videos, had some snacks, had some laughs... it was a good night.
The other day I was looking at a container of yogurt that expired Jan. 14th. It occurred to me that I would be out of the state and living away from everyone I know and care for before that container of yogurt expired. I can be so sentimental. Often I toss around the thoughts of where, why, and how God has brought me where He has. A year ago I didn't know I'd be taking steps I am now taking. I didn't know God would open the specific doors He has opened at this time. I didn't know all that has happened would happen. ...Such large changes in life. I didn't know. I've learned that I think God is most glorified exactly when we don't know. He is most glorified when we get a glimpse of His plan as our plan is frustrated, look up, and realize who's really in charge. I've been able to smile more in those times and rest assured that He has used it for His good anyway. I don't know where man's responsibility and God's sovereignty meet, but I still lift my hands high and sing praises in my heart for the things He has done.
May our steps always be taken in light of "not my will, but Yours be done."
I'm thankful and content this year. God has provided for me to go to Bible college. In fact I have even more than expected. God is good and deserves the only glory. I was looking for the title of my car recently as I prepare to try and sell it and I found $500. I was reminded that my dad said I should keep some money at home in case something came up. I forgot it was even there. What a wonderful Christmas this is! Things left to do before leaving: Get 2 shots (maybe more), try to contact and arrange things with my job down there, sell car, pick up a few more winter-ready items, pack, and move the rest of my things next door. This is my last week at work. I pray that I don't slack off for that reason. This will be a subtle temptation.
I ended this past semester with 2 B's, although one looked like it shoulda been an A-...? I'm waiting for reply from the prof. I haven't been downtown in 2 weeks due to finals and the weather. I can't wait to go back before I leave. My flight departs January 10th. I held my goodbye party this past Wednesday. Old friends, new friends, and true friends showed up. Some were a good surprise even. We watched videos, had some snacks, had some laughs... it was a good night.
The other day I was looking at a container of yogurt that expired Jan. 14th. It occurred to me that I would be out of the state and living away from everyone I know and care for before that container of yogurt expired. I can be so sentimental. Often I toss around the thoughts of where, why, and how God has brought me where He has. A year ago I didn't know I'd be taking steps I am now taking. I didn't know God would open the specific doors He has opened at this time. I didn't know all that has happened would happen. ...Such large changes in life. I didn't know. I've learned that I think God is most glorified exactly when we don't know. He is most glorified when we get a glimpse of His plan as our plan is frustrated, look up, and realize who's really in charge. I've been able to smile more in those times and rest assured that He has used it for His good anyway. I don't know where man's responsibility and God's sovereignty meet, but I still lift my hands high and sing praises in my heart for the things He has done.
May our steps always be taken in light of "not my will, but Yours be done."
Monday, December 10, 2007
A Big Change
So I got into Moody for the Spring...
I knew God would be more glorified if I had less of a financial cushion to rely upon when I got there. Please continue praying for my faith in Him to provide. My dad said it will be tight in the beginning with all the changes and things he will still have to do after the death of my grandfather. After a year at Moody, scholarships open up to me. This will also mean that has to be a good year for grades. I called the school and they'll be sending a more detailed packet this week with more information. I also called the store I'd be working at to get more info from them. Apparently the pay rate is such that an average clerk position like myself would top out at what my manager here in Texas is making right now. That's good to know.
I have a lot to do in the coming weeks. My current list is as follows: Sell my car, Move my stuff into grandpa's house so dad doesn't have to, finish working out transfer stuff with my job, arrange financial stuff and anything else once I get the packet, buy a plane ticket, change banks, and figure out what I'm taking and what I'm leaving. Oh... and study for finals. :)
I knew God would be more glorified if I had less of a financial cushion to rely upon when I got there. Please continue praying for my faith in Him to provide. My dad said it will be tight in the beginning with all the changes and things he will still have to do after the death of my grandfather. After a year at Moody, scholarships open up to me. This will also mean that has to be a good year for grades. I called the school and they'll be sending a more detailed packet this week with more information. I also called the store I'd be working at to get more info from them. Apparently the pay rate is such that an average clerk position like myself would top out at what my manager here in Texas is making right now. That's good to know.
I have a lot to do in the coming weeks. My current list is as follows: Sell my car, Move my stuff into grandpa's house so dad doesn't have to, finish working out transfer stuff with my job, arrange financial stuff and anything else once I get the packet, buy a plane ticket, change banks, and figure out what I'm taking and what I'm leaving. Oh... and study for finals. :)
Friday, December 7, 2007
Updates and Rambling
Today and tomorrow is the re-grand opening of my store at work. This week I've ended with just over 42 hours. My manager will likely hit 65 before it's all over. It's been a tough week. I probably spoke too much at times and kept my mouth shut when I should have spoken up at other times. There were just "too many chiefs and not enough indians" in that place. Either way, after tomorrow it will all be over and I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful that I've almost fully recovered from the cold that began this week.
Today was supposed to be the day Moody called back with a housing answer, yet I got no call. I'll call them Monday morning. Through that and this past week, I feel at peace still. I rest with God. I have a final next week... may I rest with Him then as well. I've asked for less hours at work because of it.
I'm not sure what else to talk about. I can only say I have what seems to be an inexpressable desire to praise God and lift Him up at this time. I can echo with Jeremy Camp... "Give Me Jesus." I can "sing alleluia" with Jennifer Knapp. I can only wonder and marvel at what God has for me in the coming months. Where will I be? I ponder... if He keeps me here, I can save more money and if He takes me to Chicago, it will be more of a test of faith. I only hope that whatever course I'm placed upon, that I may make my life a prayer to Him.
My mind occasionally still wonders where I will be in 4 years or so. I look at the lives of those I once loved moving on and I smile at times shared... good and bad. I smile at the things that God brings us to grow us, mold us, shape us, mature us, test us, and refine the wandering hearts of His children. I can appreciate subtle sanctification. I can appreciate the fact that sometimes... for some of us... the only way to learn how to make good decisions is to have made bad ones. What else can we do but recognize we're precious and beloved, yet still pieces on His chessboard. I'm ok with that, because if I were King... my kingdom would have forsaken me long ago.
I am nothing before Him. I am small. I am but a servant. I pray that I will never forget this. I want to be His hands. I want to be His feet. I must go where He sends me.
Today was supposed to be the day Moody called back with a housing answer, yet I got no call. I'll call them Monday morning. Through that and this past week, I feel at peace still. I rest with God. I have a final next week... may I rest with Him then as well. I've asked for less hours at work because of it.
I'm not sure what else to talk about. I can only say I have what seems to be an inexpressable desire to praise God and lift Him up at this time. I can echo with Jeremy Camp... "Give Me Jesus." I can "sing alleluia" with Jennifer Knapp. I can only wonder and marvel at what God has for me in the coming months. Where will I be? I ponder... if He keeps me here, I can save more money and if He takes me to Chicago, it will be more of a test of faith. I only hope that whatever course I'm placed upon, that I may make my life a prayer to Him.
My mind occasionally still wonders where I will be in 4 years or so. I look at the lives of those I once loved moving on and I smile at times shared... good and bad. I smile at the things that God brings us to grow us, mold us, shape us, mature us, test us, and refine the wandering hearts of His children. I can appreciate subtle sanctification. I can appreciate the fact that sometimes... for some of us... the only way to learn how to make good decisions is to have made bad ones. What else can we do but recognize we're precious and beloved, yet still pieces on His chessboard. I'm ok with that, because if I were King... my kingdom would have forsaken me long ago.
I am nothing before Him. I am small. I am but a servant. I pray that I will never forget this. I want to be His hands. I want to be His feet. I must go where He sends me.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Goodbye to My Grandfather
This past Wednesday just after 4pm, my grandfather passed away at the hospital. I expected that it would come any time. My dad wasn't ready for it but he handled it well. As far as I knew, my grandpa was not saved. Of course the final determination of that is between he and God. I don't know what happened in his heart at the hospital there in those last few moments. It would be nice to see him in heaven. I only continue to pray and you may pray with me that God uses this to remind my family and especially my father of their own mortality that they may be drawn to Christ in surrendered faith. My grandpa asked not to have a funeral, but only that his ashes were mixed with those of his wife.
My grandpa had lived quite a life... in the military, was in at least one major war, and started a thriving family business that is still run by his three sons today. He believed strongly in saving money from his earnings and I won't forget that. Once he found a wallet and drove it to the owners' home to return it to him. The owner was about to give him money in return. He stopped him and said, 'just do the same thing for the next person whose wallet you find (paraphrased)."
It's kinda difficult coming here nextdoor to use the computer as I do each day seeing all of his things almost still exactly in place as he left them as if he were returning. I hope to set aside some time in the coming weeks to clean the house a bit. We have a lot to do as a family in the months to come. We will eventually move into his home (as it is payed for) and sell our home. We'll also likely be selling two of our vehicles. Is anyone in need of a car?
This will be a unique Christmas for sure.
Moody should also be calling me this coming Friday with an update on housing. You can pray about that if you desire.
The Jehovah's Witnesses didn't return today. I'll have to remain ready to speak with them when they do return. Please pray that I have continued opportunities to share the truth of Scripture with them and get them thinking.
My grandpa had lived quite a life... in the military, was in at least one major war, and started a thriving family business that is still run by his three sons today. He believed strongly in saving money from his earnings and I won't forget that. Once he found a wallet and drove it to the owners' home to return it to him. The owner was about to give him money in return. He stopped him and said, 'just do the same thing for the next person whose wallet you find (paraphrased)."
It's kinda difficult coming here nextdoor to use the computer as I do each day seeing all of his things almost still exactly in place as he left them as if he were returning. I hope to set aside some time in the coming weeks to clean the house a bit. We have a lot to do as a family in the months to come. We will eventually move into his home (as it is payed for) and sell our home. We'll also likely be selling two of our vehicles. Is anyone in need of a car?
This will be a unique Christmas for sure.
Moody should also be calling me this coming Friday with an update on housing. You can pray about that if you desire.
The Jehovah's Witnesses didn't return today. I'll have to remain ready to speak with them when they do return. Please pray that I have continued opportunities to share the truth of Scripture with them and get them thinking.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Mood Ring, oh Mood Ring...
For the men out there...
A zealous but somewhat humorous thought entered my mind at work today. I wanted to ask a random female employee the question: "So when the book comes out, may I have a copy?" "What book," they would ask? The book that explains the hows and whys of the actions and decision making in the mind of a woman. I suppose a reasonable response would be that either it would be too large to carry or that the editions would change so often that publishers couldn't keep up.
I say all that not to slam women, but simply to be transparent from a man's perspective... at least how it seems. Often I wonder how almost every time a woman I know makes a major or semi-major decision in life... it leaves my head spinning in confusion. This often without resolution or any significant amount of understanding even months down the road... even if things revert to the way they were before. It's as if there's this secret, hidden, protected, stashed away, double-bolted, nebulous, mysterious, power cell inside the mind of a woman that only opens its vortex just enough to produce a thought and then it closes... never to be investigated or analyzed again... sometimes even by its owner.
I ask myself all the questions... what guides this phenomenon? Did God create them this way so as to always keep us on our toes and in suspense? Does this change as they get older... or do they just learn how to curb it better and men of their age learn more patience? The questions all seem to lead back to the beginning of the maze.
I'm reminded of Reliant K's song "Mood Ring." "...mood ring oh mood ring please tell me will you bring the key... to unlock this mystery.... of girls and their emotions, play it back in slow motion so I may understand the complex infrastructure known as the female mind..."
Usually when this is expressed to a mature woman they laugh in what I think might be a mischieveous joy and delight in the mystery they bring to us. A much deeper question is... do we like it? Yes and no. Through it all I rest in the knowledge that God knew and still knows what He's doing. I almost shudder to think what life would be like if it were easier. It's like how our government was put together... think of the outcome if we didn't have the checks and balances we have..? Either way, the best answer is to rest in the Lord and know that if He made the woman for the man... He made a perfect creation as a suitable "helper." May we always consider the great wisdom and prayerful interest begged by these truths above all our internal ponderings...
"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels."
-Proverbs 31:10
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."
-Proverbs 31:30
A zealous but somewhat humorous thought entered my mind at work today. I wanted to ask a random female employee the question: "So when the book comes out, may I have a copy?" "What book," they would ask? The book that explains the hows and whys of the actions and decision making in the mind of a woman. I suppose a reasonable response would be that either it would be too large to carry or that the editions would change so often that publishers couldn't keep up.
I say all that not to slam women, but simply to be transparent from a man's perspective... at least how it seems. Often I wonder how almost every time a woman I know makes a major or semi-major decision in life... it leaves my head spinning in confusion. This often without resolution or any significant amount of understanding even months down the road... even if things revert to the way they were before. It's as if there's this secret, hidden, protected, stashed away, double-bolted, nebulous, mysterious, power cell inside the mind of a woman that only opens its vortex just enough to produce a thought and then it closes... never to be investigated or analyzed again... sometimes even by its owner.
I ask myself all the questions... what guides this phenomenon? Did God create them this way so as to always keep us on our toes and in suspense? Does this change as they get older... or do they just learn how to curb it better and men of their age learn more patience? The questions all seem to lead back to the beginning of the maze.
I'm reminded of Reliant K's song "Mood Ring." "...mood ring oh mood ring please tell me will you bring the key... to unlock this mystery.... of girls and their emotions, play it back in slow motion so I may understand the complex infrastructure known as the female mind..."
Usually when this is expressed to a mature woman they laugh in what I think might be a mischieveous joy and delight in the mystery they bring to us. A much deeper question is... do we like it? Yes and no. Through it all I rest in the knowledge that God knew and still knows what He's doing. I almost shudder to think what life would be like if it were easier. It's like how our government was put together... think of the outcome if we didn't have the checks and balances we have..? Either way, the best answer is to rest in the Lord and know that if He made the woman for the man... He made a perfect creation as a suitable "helper." May we always consider the great wisdom and prayerful interest begged by these truths above all our internal ponderings...
"An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels."
-Proverbs 31:10
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised."
-Proverbs 31:30
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
A Moody Answer
A lot has happened in the last week. The remodel at work is going well. I think the floors are all done and nice looking with that hard wood look. In not time, we'll have new tables and our Organic section. It's tough enough to run the thing as it is. Hopefully sales go up so we can hire some more help soon.
I got my letter in from Moody. I came home to find the letter opened and sitting on my doorknob. My dad opened it because he "had an investment in it too." I pulled out the letter to see that it was short. That usually means an "I'm sorry." They said I'm the student they want, but their space is limited. I've been put on the waiting list. They didn't tell me where I am on the waiting list or how big it is, just that they would call December 7th with a status on housing. Realistically, I think they could call anywhere from that time to early January. So now we're onto the next date to wait for. I'll continue delighting myself in Him, praying, and seeking His will.
Last Sunday the pastor handed me a letter as well. The letter asked me to be a Deacon. I was surprised to say the least. When there was talk of appointing leadership... the thought crossed my mind, but I quickly assumed that I was too new for something like that. I began to pray that night and the more I thought through it and prayed about it, there seemed to be overwhelming confirmation. I still have much to learn in the areas of pastoral care and humility, but it seems God has given this opportunity for a reason. Have I come to a place in my walk where I can do this witht he right spirit and motive? As I thought through that question, I remembered that by definition.. it's a lowly servant's role. That was a humbling thought in itself. May God keep me humble in the months to come as I continue to seek God.
Last Saturday we had the CSM evangelism weekend. Johnny and Christina were the only ones that came of the group to whom I spoke, but that was 1 more than we usually have. Christina sang for us as we handed out tracts, we had some good conversations, and the gospel was preached. I notice that since we've had amplification, I'm more conversational when I "preach." It's kinda difficult to call it preaching. It sounds more like when I'm teaching. Near the end of the conversation, a guy stopped who was VERY philosophical. SO much so that he broke down everything that I said to the point that the discussion got somewhat tiresome. He even named a philosopher he followed, while I can't remember it. That convo was interrupted by a girl I went to college with named Ashley who was an Atheist. She had 2 friends with her and they asked about the good person test. I was able to share with them. She unintentionally brought them to hear the gospel. I didn't know Atheist missionaries existed until that night.
Jerome the JW also came back out. Sopeaking of JW's, I had some come to my door last Saturday morning as well. I took them through an illustration that showed they had no assurance of eternity with God. They ultimately didn't have an asnwer. I gave them my email and they said they might be back next weekend. I'm gonna try and read some of their literature tomorrow to have somethign to further discuss. I was kinda nervous in our discussion, because I totally didn't expect them and somehow it was harder because they weren't on "my turf" downtown. For some reason I get uneasy around cults though because I worry that I don't know enough about them to discuss things with them. Please pray for a clear head if they return and that God would use what was said for His glory.
Travis and I also went witnessing today at the UNT campus. We got a pretty good crowd and had many questions asked. When the first guy came up to ask questions, I nearly froze. He seemed to only wanna stir up the crowd though. I can take people when they're wildly angry, but it gets more difficult when I try to think through the thorough questions people ask. I eventually got his email to answer one of his questions. He turned out to be very Hindu in his thinking. He said he was a Christian and then "began to think." He actually pinched a peice of grass, held it to my face, and said it was god. I asked if he could worship it and he said yes.
One guy even had canonicity questions and for some reason almost all the information left my brain when he asked!!! Maybe I should restrict questions to email only unless I'm totally confident in asnwering them. For now though I need to get some reading done for class...
I got my letter in from Moody. I came home to find the letter opened and sitting on my doorknob. My dad opened it because he "had an investment in it too." I pulled out the letter to see that it was short. That usually means an "I'm sorry." They said I'm the student they want, but their space is limited. I've been put on the waiting list. They didn't tell me where I am on the waiting list or how big it is, just that they would call December 7th with a status on housing. Realistically, I think they could call anywhere from that time to early January. So now we're onto the next date to wait for. I'll continue delighting myself in Him, praying, and seeking His will.
Last Sunday the pastor handed me a letter as well. The letter asked me to be a Deacon. I was surprised to say the least. When there was talk of appointing leadership... the thought crossed my mind, but I quickly assumed that I was too new for something like that. I began to pray that night and the more I thought through it and prayed about it, there seemed to be overwhelming confirmation. I still have much to learn in the areas of pastoral care and humility, but it seems God has given this opportunity for a reason. Have I come to a place in my walk where I can do this witht he right spirit and motive? As I thought through that question, I remembered that by definition.. it's a lowly servant's role. That was a humbling thought in itself. May God keep me humble in the months to come as I continue to seek God.
Last Saturday we had the CSM evangelism weekend. Johnny and Christina were the only ones that came of the group to whom I spoke, but that was 1 more than we usually have. Christina sang for us as we handed out tracts, we had some good conversations, and the gospel was preached. I notice that since we've had amplification, I'm more conversational when I "preach." It's kinda difficult to call it preaching. It sounds more like when I'm teaching. Near the end of the conversation, a guy stopped who was VERY philosophical. SO much so that he broke down everything that I said to the point that the discussion got somewhat tiresome. He even named a philosopher he followed, while I can't remember it. That convo was interrupted by a girl I went to college with named Ashley who was an Atheist. She had 2 friends with her and they asked about the good person test. I was able to share with them. She unintentionally brought them to hear the gospel. I didn't know Atheist missionaries existed until that night.
Jerome the JW also came back out. Sopeaking of JW's, I had some come to my door last Saturday morning as well. I took them through an illustration that showed they had no assurance of eternity with God. They ultimately didn't have an asnwer. I gave them my email and they said they might be back next weekend. I'm gonna try and read some of their literature tomorrow to have somethign to further discuss. I was kinda nervous in our discussion, because I totally didn't expect them and somehow it was harder because they weren't on "my turf" downtown. For some reason I get uneasy around cults though because I worry that I don't know enough about them to discuss things with them. Please pray for a clear head if they return and that God would use what was said for His glory.
Travis and I also went witnessing today at the UNT campus. We got a pretty good crowd and had many questions asked. When the first guy came up to ask questions, I nearly froze. He seemed to only wanna stir up the crowd though. I can take people when they're wildly angry, but it gets more difficult when I try to think through the thorough questions people ask. I eventually got his email to answer one of his questions. He turned out to be very Hindu in his thinking. He said he was a Christian and then "began to think." He actually pinched a peice of grass, held it to my face, and said it was god. I asked if he could worship it and he said yes.
One guy even had canonicity questions and for some reason almost all the information left my brain when he asked!!! Maybe I should restrict questions to email only unless I'm totally confident in asnwering them. For now though I need to get some reading done for class...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
The Dynamic Nature of God's Word
Sir William Ramsay (1851-1939) was a brilliant classical scholar, archaeologist, and Oxford professor who traveled to the Middle East for the purpose of proving the New Testament to be unreliable. With a New Testament in hand, he walked the terrain and engaged in extensive exploration among the antiquities of Asia Minor. He was surprised to find from on-site observation that the New Testament is geographically and historically accurate. This led to his conversion to Christianity. Returning to Britain, he became professor of New Testament at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
C.T. Studd was a nineteenth-century British missionary to the jungles of interior Africa. He preached to headhunters and cannibals. Many tribes were converted, and their glowing testimonies have been written down. Aflame with zeal for Christ, it is obvious that the gospel wrought an extremely radical change in their lives: In ceasing their killing and eating of neighboring tribes, these converts began to dispatch their own missionaires to evangelize them. Because the New Testament is divinely inspired, the power of God works through the gospel, turning sinners into saints and the most defiled into the holiest.
Lee Strobel was a confident Atheist and employee of the Chicago Tribune. His wife became a Christian. This motivated him to set out on a journey and study the major world religions. He flew to various leaders' locations and had lengthy discussions. His quest resulted in the trust in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior and a slew of books sharing his journey and giving Biblical truth for the thinking mind. (The Case For Christ, The Case For Faith, The Case For a Creator, The Case For Easter, etc.)
C.T. Studd was a nineteenth-century British missionary to the jungles of interior Africa. He preached to headhunters and cannibals. Many tribes were converted, and their glowing testimonies have been written down. Aflame with zeal for Christ, it is obvious that the gospel wrought an extremely radical change in their lives: In ceasing their killing and eating of neighboring tribes, these converts began to dispatch their own missionaires to evangelize them. Because the New Testament is divinely inspired, the power of God works through the gospel, turning sinners into saints and the most defiled into the holiest.
Lee Strobel was a confident Atheist and employee of the Chicago Tribune. His wife became a Christian. This motivated him to set out on a journey and study the major world religions. He flew to various leaders' locations and had lengthy discussions. His quest resulted in the trust in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior and a slew of books sharing his journey and giving Biblical truth for the thinking mind. (The Case For Christ, The Case For Faith, The Case For a Creator, The Case For Easter, etc.)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Midterm review (Old Testament)
Here are some things I've learned as I review for my Midterm in the Bible Intro class. You'd think intro means basic, but I've learned SOOOO much and while it is basic on one level... I wish I'd have learned these things earlier in my walk. Remember these are only pieces of information from the 8 lessons I'm studying. I just chose things that stood out to me or are just cool to know. Many times we learn by teaching so here you are...
Our duties in regard to the Bible:
1. Know it
2. Obey it
3. Disseminate it (spread it)
The word that means Testament, hence OT and NT can also and may be more accurately translated as "Covenant."
How did we get our Bible? Revelation: God gave it, Inspiration: Man received it, Illumination: Man continues to study and understand it (focus on understand)
The Greek word for "God-breathed" is Theopneustos. The "Word of God" is exactly that.
10 Ways God communicated in the OT: Dreams, Visions, Audibly, a Whirlwind, the Tabernacle, Types/Anti-types, Law, Burning Bush, Catastrophes, Still small vioce, a Donkey
Oral Communication is 1. Vulnerable to error 2. Vulnerable to forgetfulness
Written Communication is 1. Precise 2. Durable 3. Objective 4. Easy to disseminate
History of writing: Pictograms, Logograms, Phonograms, Alphabet... materials: stone, clay tablets, waxed wooden tablets, papyrus, parchment, potsherd (broken pottery pieces - commonly used for grocery lists)... tools: chisel, stylus, pen, penknife, ink, ink horn, sponge, pumice stone >>> Writing was def. available in the time of Moses for him to have written the first 5 books of the Bible (The Law).
The OT period of the Judges can be described by the verse quoted saying, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
2 Types of Covenants: Syntheke: Bilateral covenant where 2 parties particiapte and have input... Diatheke: Unilateral covenant where 1 party draws it up and the other accepts or denies. The OT is a Diatheke from God. He makes the rules :)
The Hebrews language is at least as old as 1500 BC due to evidence of the Gezer Calendar, Moabite Stone, Samaritan Ostraca, and Siloam Tunnel Inscription. While the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek... Greek is the most precise of these languages.
The OT is divided into 4-5 categories... LAW: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deut., HISTORY, POETRY: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs/Solomon, MAJOR PROPHETS: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekial, Daniel, and MINOR PROPHETS. If you memorize the ones I did mention and use good judgment when asked... you'll have no prob with the rest.
The OT is called the Tanak by modern Jews because T for Torah, N for Nebiim (Prophets), K for Ketubim (Writings) are their divisions. This = TaNaK
According the Jewish historian Josephus, the Hebrew Bible is divided into only 22 books. It's condensed (for ex. 12 prophets are made into a book called The Twelve and 1 and 2 Kings are combined)
The OT is "Plenary" or fully inspired (2 Tim. 3:16). Inspiration extends to all of Scripture, not parts of it. That being said, the Bible does record (not teach) lies told my Satan and others. These things are obviously not true statements and given as historical record. Also, it is the writings of the Bible that are inspired, not the writers. This is why we say it is inerrant in the original documents (Autographa). Manuscripts (copies) only have derived inspiration and must be studied and compared to give the most accurate translation that we can use today.
Theories of inspiration: Orthodox - ALL of the Bible is fully inspired, Liberal - The Bible CONTAINS God's Word, Neo-Orthodox - As it is meaning FOR YOU, it becomes God's Word
The OT alone has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical literature combined. The NT has 5 times that of the Old. The Bible is still the world's bestseller. The Bible was written in different literary genres, had about 40 different authors with different attitudes when writing, covered a period of about 1500 years, and yet it all holds firm in unity.
The word "canon" originated from the word "stalk/reed." It evolved to mean "rod, rule, or measuring rod." Canonicity is not men deciding which books would go into the Bible as if human beings were in charge of it. Canonicity is when men recognized what God already inspired. It originated with God, not men.
5 Criteria for canonicity of Bible books: Prophetic? Authoritative? Authentic? Dynamic? Recognized?
Last book of OT written 400 BC, OT canon closed 300 BC. We are no longer to add anything to the OT.
3 extra-biblical sets of Jewish writings: the Lost Books, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha. Lost books are not "lost" because they should have been included, but rather because they are written to give the appearance that they belonged. Apocrypha literally means "hidden." Pseudepigrapha literally means "false writing." Some of these books are good for historical purposes and some use them for devotional material and funerals. The Catholic Church includes the Apocrypha in their Bibles.
The Septuagint was the first translation of the OT in history. It was translated from Hebrew into Greek. This happened 250 BC.
Transmission is the process of handing down the biblical text to other people.
Textual Criticism is studying the manuscript copies to discover the original wording when the original documents are lost.
There are about 1300 manuscripts for the Ot and 5300 for the NT.
And... done!
Our duties in regard to the Bible:
1. Know it
2. Obey it
3. Disseminate it (spread it)
The word that means Testament, hence OT and NT can also and may be more accurately translated as "Covenant."
How did we get our Bible? Revelation: God gave it, Inspiration: Man received it, Illumination: Man continues to study and understand it (focus on understand)
The Greek word for "God-breathed" is Theopneustos. The "Word of God" is exactly that.
10 Ways God communicated in the OT: Dreams, Visions, Audibly, a Whirlwind, the Tabernacle, Types/Anti-types, Law, Burning Bush, Catastrophes, Still small vioce, a Donkey
Oral Communication is 1. Vulnerable to error 2. Vulnerable to forgetfulness
Written Communication is 1. Precise 2. Durable 3. Objective 4. Easy to disseminate
History of writing: Pictograms, Logograms, Phonograms, Alphabet... materials: stone, clay tablets, waxed wooden tablets, papyrus, parchment, potsherd (broken pottery pieces - commonly used for grocery lists)... tools: chisel, stylus, pen, penknife, ink, ink horn, sponge, pumice stone >>> Writing was def. available in the time of Moses for him to have written the first 5 books of the Bible (The Law).
The OT period of the Judges can be described by the verse quoted saying, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
2 Types of Covenants: Syntheke: Bilateral covenant where 2 parties particiapte and have input... Diatheke: Unilateral covenant where 1 party draws it up and the other accepts or denies. The OT is a Diatheke from God. He makes the rules :)
The Hebrews language is at least as old as 1500 BC due to evidence of the Gezer Calendar, Moabite Stone, Samaritan Ostraca, and Siloam Tunnel Inscription. While the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek... Greek is the most precise of these languages.
The OT is divided into 4-5 categories... LAW: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deut., HISTORY, POETRY: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs/Solomon, MAJOR PROPHETS: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekial, Daniel, and MINOR PROPHETS. If you memorize the ones I did mention and use good judgment when asked... you'll have no prob with the rest.
The OT is called the Tanak by modern Jews because T for Torah, N for Nebiim (Prophets), K for Ketubim (Writings) are their divisions. This = TaNaK
According the Jewish historian Josephus, the Hebrew Bible is divided into only 22 books. It's condensed (for ex. 12 prophets are made into a book called The Twelve and 1 and 2 Kings are combined)
The OT is "Plenary" or fully inspired (2 Tim. 3:16). Inspiration extends to all of Scripture, not parts of it. That being said, the Bible does record (not teach) lies told my Satan and others. These things are obviously not true statements and given as historical record. Also, it is the writings of the Bible that are inspired, not the writers. This is why we say it is inerrant in the original documents (Autographa). Manuscripts (copies) only have derived inspiration and must be studied and compared to give the most accurate translation that we can use today.
Theories of inspiration: Orthodox - ALL of the Bible is fully inspired, Liberal - The Bible CONTAINS God's Word, Neo-Orthodox - As it is meaning FOR YOU, it becomes God's Word
The OT alone has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical literature combined. The NT has 5 times that of the Old. The Bible is still the world's bestseller. The Bible was written in different literary genres, had about 40 different authors with different attitudes when writing, covered a period of about 1500 years, and yet it all holds firm in unity.
The word "canon" originated from the word "stalk/reed." It evolved to mean "rod, rule, or measuring rod." Canonicity is not men deciding which books would go into the Bible as if human beings were in charge of it. Canonicity is when men recognized what God already inspired. It originated with God, not men.
5 Criteria for canonicity of Bible books: Prophetic? Authoritative? Authentic? Dynamic? Recognized?
Last book of OT written 400 BC, OT canon closed 300 BC. We are no longer to add anything to the OT.
3 extra-biblical sets of Jewish writings: the Lost Books, Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha. Lost books are not "lost" because they should have been included, but rather because they are written to give the appearance that they belonged. Apocrypha literally means "hidden." Pseudepigrapha literally means "false writing." Some of these books are good for historical purposes and some use them for devotional material and funerals. The Catholic Church includes the Apocrypha in their Bibles.
The Septuagint was the first translation of the OT in history. It was translated from Hebrew into Greek. This happened 250 BC.
Transmission is the process of handing down the biblical text to other people.
Textual Criticism is studying the manuscript copies to discover the original wording when the original documents are lost.
There are about 1300 manuscripts for the Ot and 5300 for the NT.
And... done!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
As The Hour Glass Turns...
I got a good grade on my Midterm in the Discipleship class last week. I haven't even begun studying for the upcoming one this Monday. I've had a lot of thoughts running through my brain lately and I felt I needed to pause my studying to write and pour it out. I've been doing a lot of reflecting... where has God brought me? what has God taught me? When have I sought Him? Where will He bring me? I've been struggling with a number of things recently... lustful thoughts and haunting memories, bodyache from work (I feel like I'm 50 or something), and even a bit of "Lord, when will I meet my wife?" Blues. I spoke at a CSM meeting yesterday. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't highly annoyed (internally anyway) at having the schedule change some. Maybe there's something observable to this sanctification thing afterall. As I saw new faces it struck me that God used me to play a part in a ministry that looks like it will continue to survive. I'm blessed to have ministered to people... whether I was a good or at times a bad example. Hopefully they've learned something from my service.
We're a week away from Moody sending out acceptance letters. Every time someone says Chicago or asks about it, an excitement chill runs through me. It's exciting in many ways, but may His will be done in that and all things of life. Because I'm so sentimental... if I'm accepted, I'm considering having a goodbye dinner or something. It wouldn't be for people to say goodbye to me (while they sure could), but for me to say bye to them. I'm still wrestling with whether or not there's pride in throwing a party because I'm leaving...? IF... I'm leaving.
Construction is coming along well at work. Things are taking shape and the mgr. and I seem to be maintaining it and catching up. I heard the other store in the same situation looks terrible by comparison. Our Store Director said she felt good knowing we we had our department looking better under similar conditions than our partners down the street. I guess that's good considering how slow I think I've been. It's taken a toll on my body though. yesterday I felt so exhausted and thoroughly drained. I ended up having to stop studying so i could go to bed and save strength to come in at 5am today.
Morgan and I seem to be on speaking terms again. It looks like she's feeling better about a friendship. It's comforting for me because it's felt like a Matthew 5:23-24 situation for months. It's not pleasant being out of fellowship with a believer when you can see no overriding reason there should be a wall. Without the fruit of the Lord's patience, I am certain bitterness would have grown its weeds tall in my heart and mind. I can confidently say I hold no bad feelings and continue to submit my occasional requests to God that He further sanctifies Morgan's steps, protects her, and prepares her for the husband He has in mind. Though all this is wonderful and I praise God for it, it might have created an adverse effect on me. While this is a joyous probation of reconciliation, it has reminded me that I still do not know whom the Lord will have for me to take as a wife. Every now and then I pray for her, whomever she is. I've focusing so much on my studies I've had little time to be stirred by "who will I marry?"
It's not a question I'm planning on or possibly prepared to seek an answer for in the near future and the surely Lord knows what He's doing... that alone is enough for me lay any burden of this at His feet. I pray that it passes soon. I have too much to be concerned with at the moment.
We're a week away from Moody sending out acceptance letters. Every time someone says Chicago or asks about it, an excitement chill runs through me. It's exciting in many ways, but may His will be done in that and all things of life. Because I'm so sentimental... if I'm accepted, I'm considering having a goodbye dinner or something. It wouldn't be for people to say goodbye to me (while they sure could), but for me to say bye to them. I'm still wrestling with whether or not there's pride in throwing a party because I'm leaving...? IF... I'm leaving.
Construction is coming along well at work. Things are taking shape and the mgr. and I seem to be maintaining it and catching up. I heard the other store in the same situation looks terrible by comparison. Our Store Director said she felt good knowing we we had our department looking better under similar conditions than our partners down the street. I guess that's good considering how slow I think I've been. It's taken a toll on my body though. yesterday I felt so exhausted and thoroughly drained. I ended up having to stop studying so i could go to bed and save strength to come in at 5am today.
Morgan and I seem to be on speaking terms again. It looks like she's feeling better about a friendship. It's comforting for me because it's felt like a Matthew 5:23-24 situation for months. It's not pleasant being out of fellowship with a believer when you can see no overriding reason there should be a wall. Without the fruit of the Lord's patience, I am certain bitterness would have grown its weeds tall in my heart and mind. I can confidently say I hold no bad feelings and continue to submit my occasional requests to God that He further sanctifies Morgan's steps, protects her, and prepares her for the husband He has in mind. Though all this is wonderful and I praise God for it, it might have created an adverse effect on me. While this is a joyous probation of reconciliation, it has reminded me that I still do not know whom the Lord will have for me to take as a wife. Every now and then I pray for her, whomever she is. I've focusing so much on my studies I've had little time to be stirred by "who will I marry?"
It's not a question I'm planning on or possibly prepared to seek an answer for in the near future and the surely Lord knows what He's doing... that alone is enough for me lay any burden of this at His feet. I pray that it passes soon. I have too much to be concerned with at the moment.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls were found between 1947 and 1956 when a young Arab shepherd boy was searching for a lost goat. He threw a rock into a cave only to hear the sound
of breaking pottery. Ancient manuscripts were found in that vase, leading to an excavation that
would carry this discovery. Among other manuscripts (hymns and some pseudopigrapha) were found many
OT and some NT manuscripts that are dated around 200 BC. These were some of earliest found of their time and they validated the AD 900 manuscripts that we used for our Bible of the time. It was a joyful discovery
for evangelical Christianity!
It may also interest you to know that we have over 1,300 manuscripts that helped to construct the OT we use today and over 5,300 for the NT, yet some secular works that are read often in public schools across America have only 3 manuscripts and those are accepted as truth (or at least reliable) over the Holy Bible. The sad truth of it all is that even though this is irrefutable evidence for the thinking mind, it's not enough to penetrate the hearts of a fallen humanity. Only God's gospel used by God's Spirit can rescue the souls of men and women.
So I've been noticing trouble in the area of personal discipline in my life and it bothers me quite a bit. I remember the days when I would pop right out of bed when the alarm clock went off and couldn't understand those people who hit the snooze button 2-4 times. Now I've become one of them, although I'm getting better I suppose. More than that though, I used to be so much more disciplined in many areas of life.
I'm wondering if this whole grace perspective thing is unbalanced in me somehow.
Anyway, no news from Moody yet. I'm still in prayer regularly about it. I've pretty well decided that if I'm accepted and just put on the waiting list that I won't take online classes next semester so I can just work my butt off to save money instead. I would regroup and see where I was at at the end of next semester. It doesn't make
sense to spend over $600 and have to work less (therefore save less) when, if I do get in at some
point, I'll be able to take almost as many classes as I want for free. The challenge is paying for
room and board, so I think my efforts should focused there. Although I could take 1 class...?
We almost have an entire other family living with us now (a mom and 2 teens). I've witnessed to the son and plan on witnessing to the others in the near future. While it's nice to have ministry opportunities at home, it's also challenging. I'm wondering if my dad may be being taken advantage of as well. There
of breaking pottery. Ancient manuscripts were found in that vase, leading to an excavation that
would carry this discovery. Among other manuscripts (hymns and some pseudopigrapha) were found many
OT and some NT manuscripts that are dated around 200 BC. These were some of earliest found of their time and they validated the AD 900 manuscripts that we used for our Bible of the time. It was a joyful discovery
for evangelical Christianity!
It may also interest you to know that we have over 1,300 manuscripts that helped to construct the OT we use today and over 5,300 for the NT, yet some secular works that are read often in public schools across America have only 3 manuscripts and those are accepted as truth (or at least reliable) over the Holy Bible. The sad truth of it all is that even though this is irrefutable evidence for the thinking mind, it's not enough to penetrate the hearts of a fallen humanity. Only God's gospel used by God's Spirit can rescue the souls of men and women.
So I've been noticing trouble in the area of personal discipline in my life and it bothers me quite a bit. I remember the days when I would pop right out of bed when the alarm clock went off and couldn't understand those people who hit the snooze button 2-4 times. Now I've become one of them, although I'm getting better I suppose. More than that though, I used to be so much more disciplined in many areas of life.
I'm wondering if this whole grace perspective thing is unbalanced in me somehow.
Anyway, no news from Moody yet. I'm still in prayer regularly about it. I've pretty well decided that if I'm accepted and just put on the waiting list that I won't take online classes next semester so I can just work my butt off to save money instead. I would regroup and see where I was at at the end of next semester. It doesn't make
sense to spend over $600 and have to work less (therefore save less) when, if I do get in at some
point, I'll be able to take almost as many classes as I want for free. The challenge is paying for
room and board, so I think my efforts should focused there. Although I could take 1 class...?
We almost have an entire other family living with us now (a mom and 2 teens). I've witnessed to the son and plan on witnessing to the others in the near future. While it's nice to have ministry opportunities at home, it's also challenging. I'm wondering if my dad may be being taken advantage of as well. There
seems to be all kinds of reasons why no one in the family can work and it's been at least a couple months
now. It's nice to have someone to help cooking and doing household things so I can focus on school and
my dad can have a break, but even that is slowing down.
It's taking some faith to pray and trust God for His provision and I don't wanna "ultimately" trust Him. I want to thoroughly and practically trust Him on
every level. The other day they were interviewing a guy that may be an Asst. Produce Mgr. somewhere.
I don't know if it's at my store or not. If it is, I found myself wondering... what will happen if I'm not accepted?
Also with the family living at my house, will my dad be able to help support me if I'm in Chicago? Then I
remember how big God really is.
Evangelism has been going well. I may have mentioned travis bought a sound system. Please pray God provides for him financially on that. It wasn't cheap and he has a decent sized family. I also picked up some free resources on witnessing to Mormons and JW's. I got a tract booklet from Mount Zion that's better than the one I have now on the Trinity. It just lists many of the verses for support. While some of them are repeated and not direct... it should prove to be a good resource.
There's probably more, but this blog posting thing is SO annoying right now!
Prayer...
-Moody: acceptance for Spring and provision
-Discipline this week and next in classes. I have a Midterm this week and Csm has asked me to do 2 Evangelism training sessions. Both will require double timing on my normal studying.
-Witnessing courage and easy open doors w/those in my home
-Discipline overall in life
-Mental struggles and temptation
IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO FIX MY PROBLEM OF THE WORDS RUNNING
OFF THE PAGE... PLEASE HELP! i DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIX IT...
now. It's nice to have someone to help cooking and doing household things so I can focus on school and
my dad can have a break, but even that is slowing down.
It's taking some faith to pray and trust God for His provision and I don't wanna "ultimately" trust Him. I want to thoroughly and practically trust Him on
every level. The other day they were interviewing a guy that may be an Asst. Produce Mgr. somewhere.
I don't know if it's at my store or not. If it is, I found myself wondering... what will happen if I'm not accepted?
Also with the family living at my house, will my dad be able to help support me if I'm in Chicago? Then I
remember how big God really is.
Evangelism has been going well. I may have mentioned travis bought a sound system. Please pray God provides for him financially on that. It wasn't cheap and he has a decent sized family. I also picked up some free resources on witnessing to Mormons and JW's. I got a tract booklet from Mount Zion that's better than the one I have now on the Trinity. It just lists many of the verses for support. While some of them are repeated and not direct... it should prove to be a good resource.
There's probably more, but this blog posting thing is SO annoying right now!
Prayer...
-Moody: acceptance for Spring and provision
-Discipline this week and next in classes. I have a Midterm this week and Csm has asked me to do 2 Evangelism training sessions. Both will require double timing on my normal studying.
-Witnessing courage and easy open doors w/those in my home
-Discipline overall in life
-Mental struggles and temptation
IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO FIX MY PROBLEM OF THE WORDS RUNNING
OFF THE PAGE... PLEASE HELP! i DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIX IT...
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Moody, Work, and Witnessing
I may or may not have mentioned it, but I got my first check from someone to help w/college. God is good. The last reference was received last Thursday morning... 4 days before the deadline of Oct. 1st. It's time to pray. Also, I'm finding it difficult to study and memorize for school at the moment. I spent about 2 hours studying for a 10 question quiz and still missed 2 questions! It was rather frustrating. As I studied, I noticed that some of the support verses for certain things either weren't direct or didn't seemingly have a lot to do with statement next to them. It also gave a huge list of references to memorize with certain contexts. I was studying how the Bible is supported through Archeological findings and documentation as well as through prophecy. These are interesting topics, but something told me there were probably better examples than the ones given. Remember... I had to memorize the references, not the verses themselves. Johnny tried to quiz me on them and it was so much that I would forget after 10 minutes of quizzing! Is it even worth studying that much? Maybe it was just the references...
The small group with the men from church seems to be going alright. There are already some disagreements on politics. In a way it's good to know they are real people and we have real differences.
Work is getting more and more stressful, while I probably haven't seen the peak of it yet. Yesterday I stayed an hour over just to get the basics done. Sales have been so unpredictable lately that the manager and I face a hit and miss when we order. Sunday was so busy unpredictably that the tables were blown when I came in. I had to take a break from normal stuff to fill up big empty holes. Then came the meeting that lasted for over an hour long. This Thursday there will be another meeting and the Produce Merchandiser said he'll be sitting in on it. He likes things to be done earlier than we ever get them done so I'll likely go in earlier and leave earlier that day. Hopefully that'll be possible. If God decides to send me to Moody, I'll be so grateful because I likely won't have the amount the responsibility and headache at work that I have now.
This past weekend was an awesome weekend for street preaching, while I'm always reminded of what Travis and I tell eachother quite often... every night is a good night. It's not good because we got a good response from the hearers, it's not necessarily a good night because we had a lot of "good" conversations, but it's always a good night because the biblical gospel is sent out. Last weekend Travis was spending time with his son for his son's birthday and I ended up with prayer and my Bible. It's actually been awhile since I was alone out there (in a human sense anyway) and I kinda enjoyed it. I had a conversation with a group of youth and a young couple (but they might have been brother and sister). I also had a skeptic Agnostic "debate" me. He said believing in God was like believing in a Pink dragon. I reasoned with him with logic for a bit and began taking him through the law. It's been a while since I've had someone justify themselves to the degree he did with each commandment. It's amazing the degree depravity runs. He even broke in his own logic and said he had the authority to do so. May God use His law to penetrate the man's heart. As he left, his Lutheran friend shook my hand.
There was PLENTY of encouragement that night as well. I was surprised really. Numerous people shook my hand as they walked by, a teen who used to attend a church near mine was encouraged, a couple gave me a few dollars, and a woman and her daughter said it was a very biblical message and they appreciated it (they were from Michigan and loved Moody), and another woman stopped and seemed to be inspired. It's interesting how God sovereignly brings others to encourage and be encouraged with or without my preaching partner.
Well, time to do some morning study before I hit the homework...
The small group with the men from church seems to be going alright. There are already some disagreements on politics. In a way it's good to know they are real people and we have real differences.
Work is getting more and more stressful, while I probably haven't seen the peak of it yet. Yesterday I stayed an hour over just to get the basics done. Sales have been so unpredictable lately that the manager and I face a hit and miss when we order. Sunday was so busy unpredictably that the tables were blown when I came in. I had to take a break from normal stuff to fill up big empty holes. Then came the meeting that lasted for over an hour long. This Thursday there will be another meeting and the Produce Merchandiser said he'll be sitting in on it. He likes things to be done earlier than we ever get them done so I'll likely go in earlier and leave earlier that day. Hopefully that'll be possible. If God decides to send me to Moody, I'll be so grateful because I likely won't have the amount the responsibility and headache at work that I have now.
This past weekend was an awesome weekend for street preaching, while I'm always reminded of what Travis and I tell eachother quite often... every night is a good night. It's not good because we got a good response from the hearers, it's not necessarily a good night because we had a lot of "good" conversations, but it's always a good night because the biblical gospel is sent out. Last weekend Travis was spending time with his son for his son's birthday and I ended up with prayer and my Bible. It's actually been awhile since I was alone out there (in a human sense anyway) and I kinda enjoyed it. I had a conversation with a group of youth and a young couple (but they might have been brother and sister). I also had a skeptic Agnostic "debate" me. He said believing in God was like believing in a Pink dragon. I reasoned with him with logic for a bit and began taking him through the law. It's been a while since I've had someone justify themselves to the degree he did with each commandment. It's amazing the degree depravity runs. He even broke in his own logic and said he had the authority to do so. May God use His law to penetrate the man's heart. As he left, his Lutheran friend shook my hand.
There was PLENTY of encouragement that night as well. I was surprised really. Numerous people shook my hand as they walked by, a teen who used to attend a church near mine was encouraged, a couple gave me a few dollars, and a woman and her daughter said it was a very biblical message and they appreciated it (they were from Michigan and loved Moody), and another woman stopped and seemed to be inspired. It's interesting how God sovereignly brings others to encourage and be encouraged with or without my preaching partner.
Well, time to do some morning study before I hit the homework...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Prayer and a hymn portion for you...
Construction began Sunday on the store for our remodel. It's already starting to look torn up. As the time draws nearer and nearer for the possibility of Moody, I begin to see the onset of the "I'm quitting syndrome." While I'm not quitting, I would only be transferring and while I still have yet to hear from the school... I still see this phenomenon in effect. Sometimes when people know they're quitting or leaving a job, a kind of laziness comes over a person and I really hate it. Currently I can't tell if it's all in my head (many things are) or if it's true. When I try to work harder to combat this, I only get worn out though...?
Today I picked up my studies in Romans again. I realize that if I take the side-road and study spiritual gifts, I'll be studying them forever because the amount of time I usually have in the mornings is so limited that I can't usually go as deep as I'd like. Maybe I'll write a paper on them someday and have to hammer it all out. I still have some notes I can refer back to and know where I left off. Anyway, this computer is running slow and I have to restart it so here are some prayer requests if you are so inclined.. it at least tells you what I'm praying for on a personal level...
-Am I lazy at work? I don't want to be the statistic of those who do a poor job as they're leaving.
-Acceptance to Moody
-Financial provision to get into Moody and maintain 3 1/2 years there to finish.
Here are some lines from a hymn that warmed my heart as I read it from John MacArthur's commentary today. It's by A. B. Simpson...
Today I picked up my studies in Romans again. I realize that if I take the side-road and study spiritual gifts, I'll be studying them forever because the amount of time I usually have in the mornings is so limited that I can't usually go as deep as I'd like. Maybe I'll write a paper on them someday and have to hammer it all out. I still have some notes I can refer back to and know where I left off. Anyway, this computer is running slow and I have to restart it so here are some prayer requests if you are so inclined.. it at least tells you what I'm praying for on a personal level...
-Am I lazy at work? I don't want to be the statistic of those who do a poor job as they're leaving.
-Acceptance to Moody
-Financial provision to get into Moody and maintain 3 1/2 years there to finish.
Here are some lines from a hymn that warmed my heart as I read it from John MacArthur's commentary today. It's by A. B. Simpson...
Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord.
Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted,
Now the Giver alone.
Once I sought healing,
Now Himself alone.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A "Moody" Report
***Did you know that Muslims are beginning to evangelize in America? Apparently it's common in other places already... like Europe. TV and radio commercials are now playing that encourage you to look into Islam and quoting the lighter passages of the Quran only to replace "Allah" with the American "God." Are you sharing YOUR faith?
The Quran was a book written by ONE man over a 23 year period in his life. The Holy Bible was written by about 40 different authors over a period of about 1500 years! Woe to us if we do not preach the gospel!
--- Moody Bible Institute ---
What a wonderful trip Johnny and I had! I could spend all night writing about it, but bedtime has to come sometime...
Our stand-by flights got us 1st Class seating both ways (new experience for me). I'm so thankful to Jacquelin for her help with our flights. We got there Thursday afternoon and left Saturday afternoon. Two very awesome guys hosted us in their room while we stayed and another guy even helped out, which I'll soon explain. We rode the subway train, which was a new experience also and walked quite a bit down there too. It's a walking state for the most part. Before we even checked in at Admissions, we had a homeless guy ask us for money. Johnny and I were skeptical because he seemed a bit drunk. Out of the 3 times we were approached by the homeless community, we bought them food twice.
Hannah in Admissions was awesome and very gracious to us. One of the things that stood out to me the most is the brotherhood nature of the guys in the dorm and the environment surrounding that. Our dorm was not big enough to fit 4 guys in it, so one of the guys offered to give up his bed for Johnny and he slept ona cot somewhere else. Another guy a few rooms down gave up his bed for me and he slept in a recliner someone else had. One thing we noticed pretty quick was that the people there are REAL people... there isn't some kind of facade of holy conservativism among the dorms. At least there wasn't in ours. the guys acted like guys for sure. The lounge had an eaten bowl of salsa and chip crumbles on the table, an empty bottle of Snapple on the floor, an old chair with holes in the cushion, and an organ with broken keys. The guys on a higher floor moved a desk out of their room, put it in the lounge, and put turntables on it. The guys stayed up late in theological (and more) discussions, the community bathrooms had everyone's toiletries in little baskets out in the open... it was awesome.
Thursday we mostly just got to know the guys, went out for Chicago pizza, and met with the Asst. Mgr. of the grocery store I'd be transferring to if I got in up there. It's about a 10-15 min. walk from the campus. He asked how long I'd be there and said (with a chuckle) he could put me on the schedule the following day! That Produce dept. is HUGE.
Friday we had our tour, and presentation with other prospective students. The others were all high school students with their parents. We got to sit in on a class, attend a chapel worship service, and have free lunch. I chose to go to Winfred Neely's class on Evangelistic Messages. Apparently he's the head of the Biblical Exposition are of emphasis so I thought I'd say hi to him. It was an enjoyable class. Afterward, we visited the bookstore. There is a Lifeway connected to Moody and downstairs is where you buy textbooks and Moody related items. Johnny and I together spent over $160 on clothes and gifts to take home as a memory of our trip.
Thursday I did my best to get info on the student outreach group that goes outside for street ministry. Moody is located so that you could almost literally walk outside the door and start preaching there in downtown. I joined their group Friday night of about 20-30 students, had a 30 minute time of prayer, and we walked to the busiest area of downtown. They use all Way of The Master tracts, but the presentation is a different message and style. They use paint as a visual aid and a black light. There was even a professor that preached the gospel there in the streets. That was SO encouraging! Tim, the current leader even let me preach at the end! It was so cold out there that by the time we got back my nose was red and my hands were freezing. I could certainly tell the difference when we arrived back in Texas. I won't get to wear my hoody for at least another month or so here!
We had breakfast with one of our roommates and headed out Saturday morning. We already were making friendships and I now have a few more facebook friends because of it. I found out it costs $10,000 a year to stay in the dorms with a meal plan. That's 4 times what I thought it was. Please pray that God makes provision if I'm accepted, as I believe He will. My father is very skeptical and concerned about helping to pay for everything. I'll be doing what I can in the next few months to save as much as I can. I'm sorry I don't have photos for you... they're on facebook. I can't figure out how to put them on here though....?
The Quran was a book written by ONE man over a 23 year period in his life. The Holy Bible was written by about 40 different authors over a period of about 1500 years! Woe to us if we do not preach the gospel!
--- Moody Bible Institute ---
What a wonderful trip Johnny and I had! I could spend all night writing about it, but bedtime has to come sometime...
Our stand-by flights got us 1st Class seating both ways (new experience for me). I'm so thankful to Jacquelin for her help with our flights. We got there Thursday afternoon and left Saturday afternoon. Two very awesome guys hosted us in their room while we stayed and another guy even helped out, which I'll soon explain. We rode the subway train, which was a new experience also and walked quite a bit down there too. It's a walking state for the most part. Before we even checked in at Admissions, we had a homeless guy ask us for money. Johnny and I were skeptical because he seemed a bit drunk. Out of the 3 times we were approached by the homeless community, we bought them food twice.
Hannah in Admissions was awesome and very gracious to us. One of the things that stood out to me the most is the brotherhood nature of the guys in the dorm and the environment surrounding that. Our dorm was not big enough to fit 4 guys in it, so one of the guys offered to give up his bed for Johnny and he slept ona cot somewhere else. Another guy a few rooms down gave up his bed for me and he slept in a recliner someone else had. One thing we noticed pretty quick was that the people there are REAL people... there isn't some kind of facade of holy conservativism among the dorms. At least there wasn't in ours. the guys acted like guys for sure. The lounge had an eaten bowl of salsa and chip crumbles on the table, an empty bottle of Snapple on the floor, an old chair with holes in the cushion, and an organ with broken keys. The guys on a higher floor moved a desk out of their room, put it in the lounge, and put turntables on it. The guys stayed up late in theological (and more) discussions, the community bathrooms had everyone's toiletries in little baskets out in the open... it was awesome.
Thursday we mostly just got to know the guys, went out for Chicago pizza, and met with the Asst. Mgr. of the grocery store I'd be transferring to if I got in up there. It's about a 10-15 min. walk from the campus. He asked how long I'd be there and said (with a chuckle) he could put me on the schedule the following day! That Produce dept. is HUGE.
Friday we had our tour, and presentation with other prospective students. The others were all high school students with their parents. We got to sit in on a class, attend a chapel worship service, and have free lunch. I chose to go to Winfred Neely's class on Evangelistic Messages. Apparently he's the head of the Biblical Exposition are of emphasis so I thought I'd say hi to him. It was an enjoyable class. Afterward, we visited the bookstore. There is a Lifeway connected to Moody and downstairs is where you buy textbooks and Moody related items. Johnny and I together spent over $160 on clothes and gifts to take home as a memory of our trip.
Thursday I did my best to get info on the student outreach group that goes outside for street ministry. Moody is located so that you could almost literally walk outside the door and start preaching there in downtown. I joined their group Friday night of about 20-30 students, had a 30 minute time of prayer, and we walked to the busiest area of downtown. They use all Way of The Master tracts, but the presentation is a different message and style. They use paint as a visual aid and a black light. There was even a professor that preached the gospel there in the streets. That was SO encouraging! Tim, the current leader even let me preach at the end! It was so cold out there that by the time we got back my nose was red and my hands were freezing. I could certainly tell the difference when we arrived back in Texas. I won't get to wear my hoody for at least another month or so here!
We had breakfast with one of our roommates and headed out Saturday morning. We already were making friendships and I now have a few more facebook friends because of it. I found out it costs $10,000 a year to stay in the dorms with a meal plan. That's 4 times what I thought it was. Please pray that God makes provision if I'm accepted, as I believe He will. My father is very skeptical and concerned about helping to pay for everything. I'll be doing what I can in the next few months to save as much as I can. I'm sorry I don't have photos for you... they're on facebook. I can't figure out how to put them on here though....?
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Visiting Chicago
Well, classes are going alright. I barely finished a quiz the other night and slid through. I'm still getting a feel for the workload. I estimate that if I had 2 whole days off in a row with nowhere to go, I could finish that week's classwork all in those 2 days. That really helps in time allocation.
Johnny and I are planning a trip to visit Moody in Chicago in exactly a week from today. This has taken quite a bit to set up. I'll be buying the plane tickets tonight or tomorrow. I helped the manager do the schedule for next week and I'll be working 30 hours in 3 days! I had to bargain and work about 12-13 hours this Monday. I'll be there from open to close with a 2-3 hour lunch in the middle. That will give me time to relax and do homework. I think I'll go rest at the Starbucks in the same parking lot. I'll be pushing it next week to get my studying and schoolwork done.
Good news though... apparently I got Employee of the Month for August! they gave me a $25 gift card. Someone gave me the idea to use it to buy another gift card for a store I preferred, so I did. I think I'll use it to buy the Hawk Nelson CDs I've been thinking about.
So, did you know the word "alphabet" comes from the first 2 letters in the Greek alphabet? They are "alpha" and "beta."
Johnny and I are planning a trip to visit Moody in Chicago in exactly a week from today. This has taken quite a bit to set up. I'll be buying the plane tickets tonight or tomorrow. I helped the manager do the schedule for next week and I'll be working 30 hours in 3 days! I had to bargain and work about 12-13 hours this Monday. I'll be there from open to close with a 2-3 hour lunch in the middle. That will give me time to relax and do homework. I think I'll go rest at the Starbucks in the same parking lot. I'll be pushing it next week to get my studying and schoolwork done.
Good news though... apparently I got Employee of the Month for August! they gave me a $25 gift card. Someone gave me the idea to use it to buy another gift card for a store I preferred, so I did. I think I'll use it to buy the Hawk Nelson CDs I've been thinking about.
So, did you know the word "alphabet" comes from the first 2 letters in the Greek alphabet? They are "alpha" and "beta."
Friday, August 31, 2007
Keith Green and "Children Who Believe"
Oh and I think I forgot to mention (forgive me if I did) that last weekend while witnessing, a guy who joins us sometimes tells me my voice sounds like Keith Green. I never knew who he was referring to. He ended up giving me a CD he bought with Keith Green's (a musician apparently) greatest hits and a DVD documentary about him. Apparently he's a former hippie who got saved and started singing for Christ in the 70's. He and his family ended up using a good portion of their money from playing shows to buy or rent up a whole neighborhood nearly for those who had nowhere to live or were down and out. It became a kind of outreach center where they did Bible devotions and had cookouts and stuff. He died in a plane crash in the 80's. His music has been a blessing to me in the past week for sure. Here's a link to one of his songs...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0nUizWjaFM
Also, have you ever wondered about Titus 1:6...?
"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient."
While there is a whole debate around the first part of the verse, my focus is on the second part. there is a debate about whether or not this is saying that to be qualified to be an Elder, a man's children must be saved first. My pastor (John watson) taught a short series on leadership a while back and I was encouraged by the support he gave on a particular view of this verse. Before that Sunday night, I taught a survey of Titus in the college ministry I was part of and spoke briefly on this verse. I just looked at it logically and didn't put nearly the study that my pastor and those he cites have. I asked him for his sermon notes and I wanted to pass them on to you...
"Children who Believe" in Titus 1:6
Pastors who have a high view of God’s Word take seriously the elder qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
Unfortunately, not all of these qualifications are easy to understand.
For example, in Titus 1:6b, the apostle Paul writes that elders must have tekna pista, which means either "children who believe" (NASB) or "faithful children" (NKJV), depending on how it is translated.
The disagreement concerns the adjective pistos and whether it should be rendered "believing" or "faithful."
In the end, the bottom line is this:
Is the requirement of Titus 1:6b that the children possess saving faith ("believing") or that they are obedient to their father ("faithful")?
· View 1— Meaning: believing, trusting; Translation: "children who believe [in Christ]"
· View 2— Meaning: faithful, trustworthy; Translation: "children who are faithful [to their father]"
When the adjective pistos is used in the New Testament to describe people rather than God, it means "believing" 12 times and "faithful" 36 times, so both possibilities are well attested.
In addition, we find that Paul uses pistos in both ways in the Pastoral Epistles: it clearly means "believing" in 1 Timothy 6:2 and "faithful" in 2 Timothy 2:2.
Therefore, either nuance of meaning is a distinct possibility in Titus 1:6.
For this reason, we must look to the context to determine which nuance is more likely Paul’s intended meaning.
In doing so, I would like to suggest five reasons why pistos should be translated "faithful" or "obedient" in Titus 1:6 rather than "believing" or "who believe."
First, the qualifying phrase "not accused of dissipation or rebellion" in Titus 1:6 emphasizes behavior and seems to explain or expand on what it means for children to be pistos (Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 289).
In fact, there seems to be something of a pattern in Titus in which Paul states a generic, positive attribute, which is then followed by two or more specific, negative attributes which further explain the positive attribute by stating what it is not (Banker, A Semantic and Structural Analysis of Titus, 36).
This pattern can be seen in Titus 1:13-14 and Titus 2:3.
In Titus 1:13-14, Paul refers to being "sound in faith" (the one generic, positive attribute), which he further explains as "not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men" (the two specific, negative attributes).
In Titus 2:3, he refers to being "reverent in their behavior" (the one, generic positive attribute), which he further explains with the words "not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine" (the two specific, negative attributes).
If Titus 1:6 follows this same pattern, the idea would be that an elder must have "children who are pistos" (the one, generic positive attribute) in that they are "not accused of dissipation or rebellion" (the two specific, negative attributes).
Because the terms "dissipation" (wild living) and "rebellion" (disobedience) are more logically opposite of what it means to be "faithful" than what it means to be "believing," it would seem that "faithful" is the better translation (Barrick, "Titus 1:6").
Second, the parallel requirement in 1 Timothy 3:4 refers to an elder "keeping his children under control with all dignity."
As George Knight states, "In both cases the overseer is evaluated on the basis of his control of his children and their conduct" (Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 290):
· Titus 1:6b: "having children who are faithful, not accused of dissipation or rebellion"
· 1 Timothy 3:4: "He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity"
In other words, the emphasis in both passages is on the behavior of the children, not on whether or not they possess saving faith.
Third, if pistos means "believing" in Titus 1:6, it is difficult to explain the absence of this qualification ("having children who believe") from Paul’s list in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
Was this a requirement in Crete but not in Ephesus?
As Andreas Kostenberger writes, "In the larger context of the teaching of the Pastoral Epistles, it would be unusual if the author had two separate standards, a more lenient one in 1 Tim. 3:4 (obedient) and a more stringent one in Titus 1:6 (believing)" (Kostenberger, "Children of Elders: What are the Requirements?").
At least one commentator has responded to this by stating that Christianity was established more firmly in Ephesus at the time than in Crete, and therefore Paul did not think it necessary to include this requirement in 1 Timothy 3 (White, "The Epistle to Titus," 187).
Fourth, the translation "faithful" seems to be more consistent with the context, for every other qualification in Titus 1:5-9 involves an issue of the elder’s personal responsibility before God.
According to this passage, an elder has a responsibility to be a one-woman man, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, and self controlled.
But is he responsible before God to make sure his children are regenerate?
Put another way, it makes good sense that an elder is to be "above reproach" in these other areas of life, but how exactly is he to be above reproach in the area of making sure his children possess saving faith?
As Justin Taylor writes, "Requiring that his children have genuine saving faith is to require personal responsibility for the salvation of another, something I don’t see taught in Scripture" (Taylor, "Unbelief in an Elder’s Children").
First Timothy 3:4-5 indicates that the father’s faithfulness in the home is a testing ground for how faithful he will be in managing the flock at large.
Two fathers could be equally faithful in their parenting, and yet one might have a son who believes and the other a son who does not.
In this case, the second father would be disqualified even though he was no less faithful and capable than the first father.
According to Bill Barrick, parents do not have the ability to save their children or to guarantee their salvation.
There is, it is true, a certain amount of accountability in how a child is raised (cf. Prov 22:6).
However, nowhere does Scripture indicate that a father can determine the faith of his child.
Each person is individually and personally responsible for his or her acceptance or rejection of the Gospel.
Parents are not the Holy Spirit.
Godly, obedient, consistently faithful pastors leading their homes with the highest spiritual wisdom, character, and deeds can experience a child who does no believe in the Gospel.
Sometimes a child will not believe until much later in life.
Is that man to be excluded from eldership because of that? (Barrick, "Titus 1:6")
At the same time, it has been argued in response that God will be sure to save the children of those men He desires to serve as elders in the church.
If so, it seems that this would be the lone requirement in the lists of Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 which reflects God’s sovereign choice of a given man rather than that man’s character and ministry qualifications.
This only serves to strengthen the argument that the meaning "faithful" is more consistent with the context.
Fifth, according to Barrick, when the adjective pistos is used to modify a noun (as it does in Titus 1:6), it always carries the meaning "faithful" or "trustworthy/credible."
In contrast, when the adjective is independent and functions as a substantive, it means "believing one" or "believer" (Barrick, "Titus 1:6").
Therefore, the meaning "faithful" in Titus 1:6 would be more consistent with the use of the word elsewhere in the New Testament.
Against this view, it has been argued that every time pistos is translated "faithful" in the New Testament, it refers to believers who are faithful, and never unbelievers.
Therefore, it is said, pistos must refer to children who believe regardless of the precise way it is translated.
In response, the fact that pistos is not used elsewhere in the New Testament in reference to unbelievers does not mean that the adjective cannot be used in reference to unbelievers (which is what this argument needs to show in order to be compelling).
To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing inherent in the word itself that precludes it from being used to describe an unbeliever.
Used in this way, it would describe an unbeliever who, though unregenerate, is faithful and obedient to the one in authority over him (e.g., the soldiers described in Matthew 8:9).
The view that pistos means "believing" raises some practical difficulties as well.
For example, if a man has a two-year-old daughter who has not repented of her sins and believed in Christ, is that man unqualified to serve as an elder?
Most interpreters who say that pistos means "believing" in Titus 1:6 would answer No, but on what basis?
If pistos means "believing," wouldn’t a child who has not exercised saving faith disqualify the father (since "believing" does mean "believing")?
Some would respond by saying that only an unbelieving child who has reached the age of accountability would disqualify the father.
Aside from the fact that Titus 1:6 says nothing about such an age, what exactly is that age?
Many believers give testimony to having believed at a very young age—even as young as five—so is five the age of accountability?
If not, why wouldn’t it be, since children seem capable of believing at such an early age?
In addition, it seems possible that identifying an age as the cutoff might establish something of a high-pressured countdown for an elder whose unbelieving child is approaching that age (i.e., "If my child doesn’t profess Christ by this March, I’ll need to step down from serving as an elder!").
These difficulties are only compounded by the fact that so many children profess faith but do not truly possess it.
It is often difficult to know for certain whether or not a child—especially one raised in a Christian home—is truly regenerate.
In many cases, elders would be deemed qualified because their children seem to be saved even though they are not regenerate.
On the other hand, it is much easier to observe whether or not a child is obedient to his or her father.
These kinds of practical considerations, of course, are secondary to the exegetical ones discussed above, but they are worthy of our consideration.
Overall, then, it seems to me that Paul’s intention in Titus 1:6 is to communicate not that an elder’s children must be saved for him to serve as an elder, but rather that his children must be faithful and obedient to their father, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
Indeed, as Barrick notes, a believing child is far better dispositioned to be obedient and submissive to the authority of his parents than an unbelieving child—and in this way the two views may end up overlapping to a great extent—but saving faith per se is no more in view in Titus 1:6 than it is in 1 Timothy 3:4 (Barrick, "Titus 1:6").
Titus 1:6
Q: I am working through the Titus 1:6 issue (children who believe or faithful children). What support is there in this passage or elsewhere in Scripture for one view over the other? Do you have any good sources you could recommend for my own research/study?
A: One of the issues in this verse is whether it applies to only those children still under the authority of the home or whether it equally applies to those adult children who are outside the home. You'll note that John MacArthur (see the note on Titus 1:6 in the MacArthur Study Bible) distinguishes Titus 1:6 and 1 Timothy 3:4 by indicating that the former looks at older children while the latter focuses on young children in the home. It would seem preferable to see both passages identifying the same requisite rather than two different qualifications. If both are significant enough to include in the list of qualifications for elders, why is only one each listed in the two lists? The term translated "dissipation" in Titus 1:6 (NASB) certainly does appear to refer to older offspring, but that may be all that either passage intends. One could argue that "faithful" is a better translation because it is more logically the opposite of what is involved in "dissipation" than "believing" would be.The wording of Titus 1:6 is unique in that it uses the verb echo ("have" or "possess") in a phrase that is literally "children having faithfulness" or "children having faith." To the English Christian ear the latter translation sounds most familiar, so one is tempted to go with the sense that the children are to be "believers." However, the phraseology could equally well mean "keeping faith" or "staying loyal" or "maintaining obedience." The key exegetical issue is the meaning of pistos. Does it mean "believing," "faithful," or "obedient"? From the lexicons it is quite clear that the latter two are frequent occurrences in the Pauline epistles. Just look at the 17 uses of this adjective in the pastoral epistles alone: "faithful" (1 Tim 1:12; 3:11; 2 Tim 2:2, 13; Titus 1:6 [although some argue for "believing"]), "credible/trustworthy" (1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 1:9; 3:8), and "believing" (1 Tim 4:3, 10, 12 [which could equally be "faithful"]; 5:16; 6:2 [2x--but, the second time could be "faithful"]). In my mind, however, the parallelism of 1 Timothy 3:4 is the strongest argument for "faithful" or "loyal" as the meaning of pistos in Titus 1:6.The careful exegete must note, also, that when pistos modifies a noun like "children" (as in Titus 1:6) it is always "faithful" or "trustworthy/credible." When it is independent (an adjective employed as a substantive) it means "believing one" or "believer." Note this detail in 1 Timothy 4:3, 10, 12. Translating pistos as "faithful (to parents)" does not indicate whether the child is a believer. Obviously, a believing child is far better dispositioned to be obedient and submissive to parental authority than an unbelieving child, but salvation is no more in view than it is in 1 Timothy 3:4.Let's take another approach in attempting to understand Titus 1:6. Theologically (by which I mean the totality of the teachings of Scripture), parents do not have the ability to save their children or to guarantee their salvation. There is, it is true, a certain amount of accountability in how a child is raised (cf. Prov 22:6). However, nowhere does Scripture indicate that a father can determine the faith of his child. Each person is individually and personally responsible for his or her acceptance or rejection of the Gospel. Parents are not the Holy Spirit. Godly, obedient, consistently faithful pastors leading their homes with the highest spiritual wisdom, character, and deeds can experience a child who does not believe in the Gospel. Sometimes a child will not believe until much later in life. Is that man to be excluded from pastoring because of that? What about the pastor whose children make professions of faith and live their lives in submission to their parents in a model home, but one of those children later in life throws it away and becomes a profligate prodigal? Do we then strip that individual's father of his eldership and pastorate in his fortieth year of faithful and consistent service in the Word of God? If we insist that Titus 1:6 specifies that an elder or pastor must have believing children to be in office or to retain his office, we will end up throwing a godly elder out of office. And what would be the real reason?--because he is not God and cannot guarantee the salvation of every one of his children.Unfortunately, very few exegetical commentaries deal with the intricacies of Titus 1:6. Most just give their opinion without offering any technical support. The commentary with the fullest treatment of this verse is John MacArthur, Jr., Titus, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996). A commentary I would highly recommend on just about every verse except Titus 1:6 is Homer A. Kent, The Pastoral Epistles (Chicago: Moody Press, 1969; Winona Lake, Ind.: BMH Books, 1982). This volume is one every pastor should have on his shelf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0nUizWjaFM
Also, have you ever wondered about Titus 1:6...?
"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient."
While there is a whole debate around the first part of the verse, my focus is on the second part. there is a debate about whether or not this is saying that to be qualified to be an Elder, a man's children must be saved first. My pastor (John watson) taught a short series on leadership a while back and I was encouraged by the support he gave on a particular view of this verse. Before that Sunday night, I taught a survey of Titus in the college ministry I was part of and spoke briefly on this verse. I just looked at it logically and didn't put nearly the study that my pastor and those he cites have. I asked him for his sermon notes and I wanted to pass them on to you...
"Children who Believe" in Titus 1:6
Pastors who have a high view of God’s Word take seriously the elder qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
Unfortunately, not all of these qualifications are easy to understand.
For example, in Titus 1:6b, the apostle Paul writes that elders must have tekna pista, which means either "children who believe" (NASB) or "faithful children" (NKJV), depending on how it is translated.
The disagreement concerns the adjective pistos and whether it should be rendered "believing" or "faithful."
In the end, the bottom line is this:
Is the requirement of Titus 1:6b that the children possess saving faith ("believing") or that they are obedient to their father ("faithful")?
· View 1— Meaning: believing, trusting; Translation: "children who believe [in Christ]"
· View 2— Meaning: faithful, trustworthy; Translation: "children who are faithful [to their father]"
When the adjective pistos is used in the New Testament to describe people rather than God, it means "believing" 12 times and "faithful" 36 times, so both possibilities are well attested.
In addition, we find that Paul uses pistos in both ways in the Pastoral Epistles: it clearly means "believing" in 1 Timothy 6:2 and "faithful" in 2 Timothy 2:2.
Therefore, either nuance of meaning is a distinct possibility in Titus 1:6.
For this reason, we must look to the context to determine which nuance is more likely Paul’s intended meaning.
In doing so, I would like to suggest five reasons why pistos should be translated "faithful" or "obedient" in Titus 1:6 rather than "believing" or "who believe."
First, the qualifying phrase "not accused of dissipation or rebellion" in Titus 1:6 emphasizes behavior and seems to explain or expand on what it means for children to be pistos (Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 289).
In fact, there seems to be something of a pattern in Titus in which Paul states a generic, positive attribute, which is then followed by two or more specific, negative attributes which further explain the positive attribute by stating what it is not (Banker, A Semantic and Structural Analysis of Titus, 36).
This pattern can be seen in Titus 1:13-14 and Titus 2:3.
In Titus 1:13-14, Paul refers to being "sound in faith" (the one generic, positive attribute), which he further explains as "not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men" (the two specific, negative attributes).
In Titus 2:3, he refers to being "reverent in their behavior" (the one, generic positive attribute), which he further explains with the words "not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine" (the two specific, negative attributes).
If Titus 1:6 follows this same pattern, the idea would be that an elder must have "children who are pistos" (the one, generic positive attribute) in that they are "not accused of dissipation or rebellion" (the two specific, negative attributes).
Because the terms "dissipation" (wild living) and "rebellion" (disobedience) are more logically opposite of what it means to be "faithful" than what it means to be "believing," it would seem that "faithful" is the better translation (Barrick, "Titus 1:6").
Second, the parallel requirement in 1 Timothy 3:4 refers to an elder "keeping his children under control with all dignity."
As George Knight states, "In both cases the overseer is evaluated on the basis of his control of his children and their conduct" (Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 290):
· Titus 1:6b: "having children who are faithful, not accused of dissipation or rebellion"
· 1 Timothy 3:4: "He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity"
In other words, the emphasis in both passages is on the behavior of the children, not on whether or not they possess saving faith.
Third, if pistos means "believing" in Titus 1:6, it is difficult to explain the absence of this qualification ("having children who believe") from Paul’s list in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
Was this a requirement in Crete but not in Ephesus?
As Andreas Kostenberger writes, "In the larger context of the teaching of the Pastoral Epistles, it would be unusual if the author had two separate standards, a more lenient one in 1 Tim. 3:4 (obedient) and a more stringent one in Titus 1:6 (believing)" (Kostenberger, "Children of Elders: What are the Requirements?").
At least one commentator has responded to this by stating that Christianity was established more firmly in Ephesus at the time than in Crete, and therefore Paul did not think it necessary to include this requirement in 1 Timothy 3 (White, "The Epistle to Titus," 187).
Fourth, the translation "faithful" seems to be more consistent with the context, for every other qualification in Titus 1:5-9 involves an issue of the elder’s personal responsibility before God.
According to this passage, an elder has a responsibility to be a one-woman man, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, and self controlled.
But is he responsible before God to make sure his children are regenerate?
Put another way, it makes good sense that an elder is to be "above reproach" in these other areas of life, but how exactly is he to be above reproach in the area of making sure his children possess saving faith?
As Justin Taylor writes, "Requiring that his children have genuine saving faith is to require personal responsibility for the salvation of another, something I don’t see taught in Scripture" (Taylor, "Unbelief in an Elder’s Children").
First Timothy 3:4-5 indicates that the father’s faithfulness in the home is a testing ground for how faithful he will be in managing the flock at large.
Two fathers could be equally faithful in their parenting, and yet one might have a son who believes and the other a son who does not.
In this case, the second father would be disqualified even though he was no less faithful and capable than the first father.
According to Bill Barrick, parents do not have the ability to save their children or to guarantee their salvation.
There is, it is true, a certain amount of accountability in how a child is raised (cf. Prov 22:6).
However, nowhere does Scripture indicate that a father can determine the faith of his child.
Each person is individually and personally responsible for his or her acceptance or rejection of the Gospel.
Parents are not the Holy Spirit.
Godly, obedient, consistently faithful pastors leading their homes with the highest spiritual wisdom, character, and deeds can experience a child who does no believe in the Gospel.
Sometimes a child will not believe until much later in life.
Is that man to be excluded from eldership because of that? (Barrick, "Titus 1:6")
At the same time, it has been argued in response that God will be sure to save the children of those men He desires to serve as elders in the church.
If so, it seems that this would be the lone requirement in the lists of Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 which reflects God’s sovereign choice of a given man rather than that man’s character and ministry qualifications.
This only serves to strengthen the argument that the meaning "faithful" is more consistent with the context.
Fifth, according to Barrick, when the adjective pistos is used to modify a noun (as it does in Titus 1:6), it always carries the meaning "faithful" or "trustworthy/credible."
In contrast, when the adjective is independent and functions as a substantive, it means "believing one" or "believer" (Barrick, "Titus 1:6").
Therefore, the meaning "faithful" in Titus 1:6 would be more consistent with the use of the word elsewhere in the New Testament.
Against this view, it has been argued that every time pistos is translated "faithful" in the New Testament, it refers to believers who are faithful, and never unbelievers.
Therefore, it is said, pistos must refer to children who believe regardless of the precise way it is translated.
In response, the fact that pistos is not used elsewhere in the New Testament in reference to unbelievers does not mean that the adjective cannot be used in reference to unbelievers (which is what this argument needs to show in order to be compelling).
To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing inherent in the word itself that precludes it from being used to describe an unbeliever.
Used in this way, it would describe an unbeliever who, though unregenerate, is faithful and obedient to the one in authority over him (e.g., the soldiers described in Matthew 8:9).
The view that pistos means "believing" raises some practical difficulties as well.
For example, if a man has a two-year-old daughter who has not repented of her sins and believed in Christ, is that man unqualified to serve as an elder?
Most interpreters who say that pistos means "believing" in Titus 1:6 would answer No, but on what basis?
If pistos means "believing," wouldn’t a child who has not exercised saving faith disqualify the father (since "believing" does mean "believing")?
Some would respond by saying that only an unbelieving child who has reached the age of accountability would disqualify the father.
Aside from the fact that Titus 1:6 says nothing about such an age, what exactly is that age?
Many believers give testimony to having believed at a very young age—even as young as five—so is five the age of accountability?
If not, why wouldn’t it be, since children seem capable of believing at such an early age?
In addition, it seems possible that identifying an age as the cutoff might establish something of a high-pressured countdown for an elder whose unbelieving child is approaching that age (i.e., "If my child doesn’t profess Christ by this March, I’ll need to step down from serving as an elder!").
These difficulties are only compounded by the fact that so many children profess faith but do not truly possess it.
It is often difficult to know for certain whether or not a child—especially one raised in a Christian home—is truly regenerate.
In many cases, elders would be deemed qualified because their children seem to be saved even though they are not regenerate.
On the other hand, it is much easier to observe whether or not a child is obedient to his or her father.
These kinds of practical considerations, of course, are secondary to the exegetical ones discussed above, but they are worthy of our consideration.
Overall, then, it seems to me that Paul’s intention in Titus 1:6 is to communicate not that an elder’s children must be saved for him to serve as an elder, but rather that his children must be faithful and obedient to their father, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
Indeed, as Barrick notes, a believing child is far better dispositioned to be obedient and submissive to the authority of his parents than an unbelieving child—and in this way the two views may end up overlapping to a great extent—but saving faith per se is no more in view in Titus 1:6 than it is in 1 Timothy 3:4 (Barrick, "Titus 1:6").
Titus 1:6
Q: I am working through the Titus 1:6 issue (children who believe or faithful children). What support is there in this passage or elsewhere in Scripture for one view over the other? Do you have any good sources you could recommend for my own research/study?
A: One of the issues in this verse is whether it applies to only those children still under the authority of the home or whether it equally applies to those adult children who are outside the home. You'll note that John MacArthur (see the note on Titus 1:6 in the MacArthur Study Bible) distinguishes Titus 1:6 and 1 Timothy 3:4 by indicating that the former looks at older children while the latter focuses on young children in the home. It would seem preferable to see both passages identifying the same requisite rather than two different qualifications. If both are significant enough to include in the list of qualifications for elders, why is only one each listed in the two lists? The term translated "dissipation" in Titus 1:6 (NASB) certainly does appear to refer to older offspring, but that may be all that either passage intends. One could argue that "faithful" is a better translation because it is more logically the opposite of what is involved in "dissipation" than "believing" would be.The wording of Titus 1:6 is unique in that it uses the verb echo ("have" or "possess") in a phrase that is literally "children having faithfulness" or "children having faith." To the English Christian ear the latter translation sounds most familiar, so one is tempted to go with the sense that the children are to be "believers." However, the phraseology could equally well mean "keeping faith" or "staying loyal" or "maintaining obedience." The key exegetical issue is the meaning of pistos. Does it mean "believing," "faithful," or "obedient"? From the lexicons it is quite clear that the latter two are frequent occurrences in the Pauline epistles. Just look at the 17 uses of this adjective in the pastoral epistles alone: "faithful" (1 Tim 1:12; 3:11; 2 Tim 2:2, 13; Titus 1:6 [although some argue for "believing"]), "credible/trustworthy" (1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 1:9; 3:8), and "believing" (1 Tim 4:3, 10, 12 [which could equally be "faithful"]; 5:16; 6:2 [2x--but, the second time could be "faithful"]). In my mind, however, the parallelism of 1 Timothy 3:4 is the strongest argument for "faithful" or "loyal" as the meaning of pistos in Titus 1:6.The careful exegete must note, also, that when pistos modifies a noun like "children" (as in Titus 1:6) it is always "faithful" or "trustworthy/credible." When it is independent (an adjective employed as a substantive) it means "believing one" or "believer." Note this detail in 1 Timothy 4:3, 10, 12. Translating pistos as "faithful (to parents)" does not indicate whether the child is a believer. Obviously, a believing child is far better dispositioned to be obedient and submissive to parental authority than an unbelieving child, but salvation is no more in view than it is in 1 Timothy 3:4.Let's take another approach in attempting to understand Titus 1:6. Theologically (by which I mean the totality of the teachings of Scripture), parents do not have the ability to save their children or to guarantee their salvation. There is, it is true, a certain amount of accountability in how a child is raised (cf. Prov 22:6). However, nowhere does Scripture indicate that a father can determine the faith of his child. Each person is individually and personally responsible for his or her acceptance or rejection of the Gospel. Parents are not the Holy Spirit. Godly, obedient, consistently faithful pastors leading their homes with the highest spiritual wisdom, character, and deeds can experience a child who does not believe in the Gospel. Sometimes a child will not believe until much later in life. Is that man to be excluded from pastoring because of that? What about the pastor whose children make professions of faith and live their lives in submission to their parents in a model home, but one of those children later in life throws it away and becomes a profligate prodigal? Do we then strip that individual's father of his eldership and pastorate in his fortieth year of faithful and consistent service in the Word of God? If we insist that Titus 1:6 specifies that an elder or pastor must have believing children to be in office or to retain his office, we will end up throwing a godly elder out of office. And what would be the real reason?--because he is not God and cannot guarantee the salvation of every one of his children.Unfortunately, very few exegetical commentaries deal with the intricacies of Titus 1:6. Most just give their opinion without offering any technical support. The commentary with the fullest treatment of this verse is John MacArthur, Jr., Titus, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996). A commentary I would highly recommend on just about every verse except Titus 1:6 is Homer A. Kent, The Pastoral Epistles (Chicago: Moody Press, 1969; Winona Lake, Ind.: BMH Books, 1982). This volume is one every pastor should have on his shelf.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Back To School!
I started the semester off and I'm excited. I'm only takiong 2 classes and as I survey the workload, I wish I'd have taken one more. I'm already finished with this week's work for one of my classes and it's due Monday night! It turns out the Spiritual Life and Community class is really a class on Discipleship. I'm required to lead a 12 week small group teaching the principles I learn in the class. For the past couple months I've been led to look more into discipleship because of all the witnessing I'm doing. There are those around me that I believe God is drawing and I want to be prepared to take it to the next level. I'm glad to have this class! My other one looks like it'll be pretty good too for a Bible Intro class. It will go over concepts like how the Bible was brought together/canonicity, and things like that. This class will also help if I meet people while witnessing who have sincere questions on the topic.
We got a manager now in my department! I'm excited that I can rest a bit easier now. He seems like a nice guy. I think he will be quite efficient and one who challenges his employees to work harder. That's such a good thing. Maybe I will find a better balance. Since I've come back to Produce, I notice that I seem not to work as hard as I used to remember working. It could just be my perception. However, when I work harder I notice that I'm hit with a wave of exhaustion about an hour after making it home. Maybe this manager will help push me to get to where I need to be.
I also found out that my dad's new girlfriend, her son, and their dog are now permenant residents in our home. That means more ministry opportunities for me. Her son is 16 and is attending the same high school I graduated from. Now I know I can't walk around the house wearing whatever I want to anymore!
Prayer:
-I'm planning a trip to Moody in Chicago on Sept. 13-15th. Please pray for inexpensive travel accommodations, plans following through, safety, and a pleasant experience.
-I called them yesterday and they have not received the female reference form. Please pray as I make that happen and that God would bless it.
-Witnessing to my new residents
We got a manager now in my department! I'm excited that I can rest a bit easier now. He seems like a nice guy. I think he will be quite efficient and one who challenges his employees to work harder. That's such a good thing. Maybe I will find a better balance. Since I've come back to Produce, I notice that I seem not to work as hard as I used to remember working. It could just be my perception. However, when I work harder I notice that I'm hit with a wave of exhaustion about an hour after making it home. Maybe this manager will help push me to get to where I need to be.
I also found out that my dad's new girlfriend, her son, and their dog are now permenant residents in our home. That means more ministry opportunities for me. Her son is 16 and is attending the same high school I graduated from. Now I know I can't walk around the house wearing whatever I want to anymore!
Prayer:
-I'm planning a trip to Moody in Chicago on Sept. 13-15th. Please pray for inexpensive travel accommodations, plans following through, safety, and a pleasant experience.
-I called them yesterday and they have not received the female reference form. Please pray as I make that happen and that God would bless it.
-Witnessing to my new residents
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Updates, Witnessing, and My Subtle Idolatry
In church this morning we sang the hymn by Robert Lowry titled, "Nothing But The Blood of Jesus." In all the recent encounters I and those I know have had with The Church of Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons lately... this song was such a faithful reminder of the purity of our Lord's gospel. Here's a link to it: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/n/b/nbtblood.htm
For those who believe baptism has a part in salvation, the opening lines of this hymn resonate soundly in Scripture... "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." It's a beautiful song. Water can never wash away your sin, no matter how holy it may seem.
Good news at work... we got a Produce manager! Things should smooth out now. I also saved back all the money spent on classes for the coming semester and more! Praise God for His provision. I was even able to do a little shopping this weekend. This means everything I will save over this semester will be gravvvvvy that goes toward Spring! I'll be calling Moody Tuesday or Wednesday for a status update on my application for Spring. At work Friday there was a noise coming underneath the wet rack where all the vegetables are sitting in most stores (with the thing that sprays them with water to keep them fresh). The guy had to cut up the black matting to get to the problem. After he did that, I knew it wouldn't be sensible to leave it cut open, so I had to do half of the job we've needed to do for a while now. I took all the produce off that side, removed the plastic layers and the metal small rack portions, cleaned it out, put new black matting on, and the produce back on. It took about 2 and a half hours. I still ended the week with under 40 hours.
This weekend I decided to drag myself downtown for Friday and Saturday night. I wanted to take advantage of the Friday night opportunity before school began again. I'm glad I did and I soon regained the energy I needed for the night. We had a good group. Pastor Ted brought his youth group and about 5 other guys came out. I ended up preaching for about 45 minutes straight without thinking. I'm thankful the Lord shined through and gave me the passion to preach the gospel without nearly the amount of distractions I've had lately in mind. I had 2 first time experiences this weekend in evangelism... 1. Friday night after giving a group of guys tracts, one of them mooned us. 2. Saturday night an older Spanish gentleman was encouraged by the preaching and asked me if he could give me a break! The guy preached the Bible 3-4 times that night! We'd never met him before! His name was Willy. I praise God for brothers in Christ! I tried to add the photo I took of him in this post, but I'm new to Blogger so we'll see what happens.
Please pray for Kenneth who we also spoke with Friday night. He believed he was a Christian, but did not believe in hell or that "the Bible is the Word of God." He walked away with a gospel message and hopefully God makes the seed we planted grow inside of him. He was very willing to talk and very kind in his tone. I gave him my email. Saturday we had a good group come out as well... lots of preaching. I also got to see Domenic again. It's been months since I last saw him. We had a doctrinal disagreement a long time ago and it's been hit and miss ever since. He seemed happy to see us.
What I really wanted to talk about in this post is the full reality of something God's been teaching me over the last few years. As part of my testimony I would always share the quote from one of Joshua Harris' books. H e said he was "in love with being in love." That perfectly described me before I was saved. Infatuation was my obsession. Through my experiences in relationships after salvation, it's been quite a struggle still. This morning the pastor spoke about Idolatry. He preached from Exodus 32 and the story about the golden calf. It was a fitting picture of idolatry. As time passed it was as if it were standing still for me.
I was brought to the depth my own idolatry. Why is it that I say women and relationships are my Achille's heel? Why is it that near the end of my last relationship I more and more often found myself overanalyzing, fumbling words, missing the mark, falling down, falling into obligation, etc.? Why is it that my stress and neck pain have been so strong? It's because I hadn't grasped the magnitude of just how bad this idolatry was. God surely taught me and continues to teach me in His good timing and sanctification that I must trust only in Him and place no security in human beings... no matter how much I care for them. No relationship outside of biblical marriage has any gaurantees. I told my best friend that there were times I asked myself, "What Would ______ Do?" and "What Would ______ Think?" only to insert her name. It had no place in those blanks. Near the end of the sermon, I was nearly in tears. I held them until I got out on the road. She was the only person I made eye contact with as I left. I left quickly this morning too.
I've learned so much lately. God can pull out the rug from underneath you faster than you can blink. I pray that I never make another woman or relationship into a golden calf and may whoever she is be patient with me in this endeavor.
I praise God for his perfect sanctification!
Prayer:
-Kenneth (above)
-Application in the magnitude of what God has helped me to see in my life
For those who believe baptism has a part in salvation, the opening lines of this hymn resonate soundly in Scripture... "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." It's a beautiful song. Water can never wash away your sin, no matter how holy it may seem.
Good news at work... we got a Produce manager! Things should smooth out now. I also saved back all the money spent on classes for the coming semester and more! Praise God for His provision. I was even able to do a little shopping this weekend. This means everything I will save over this semester will be gravvvvvy that goes toward Spring! I'll be calling Moody Tuesday or Wednesday for a status update on my application for Spring. At work Friday there was a noise coming underneath the wet rack where all the vegetables are sitting in most stores (with the thing that sprays them with water to keep them fresh). The guy had to cut up the black matting to get to the problem. After he did that, I knew it wouldn't be sensible to leave it cut open, so I had to do half of the job we've needed to do for a while now. I took all the produce off that side, removed the plastic layers and the metal small rack portions, cleaned it out, put new black matting on, and the produce back on. It took about 2 and a half hours. I still ended the week with under 40 hours.
This weekend I decided to drag myself downtown for Friday and Saturday night. I wanted to take advantage of the Friday night opportunity before school began again. I'm glad I did and I soon regained the energy I needed for the night. We had a good group. Pastor Ted brought his youth group and about 5 other guys came out. I ended up preaching for about 45 minutes straight without thinking. I'm thankful the Lord shined through and gave me the passion to preach the gospel without nearly the amount of distractions I've had lately in mind. I had 2 first time experiences this weekend in evangelism... 1. Friday night after giving a group of guys tracts, one of them mooned us. 2. Saturday night an older Spanish gentleman was encouraged by the preaching and asked me if he could give me a break! The guy preached the Bible 3-4 times that night! We'd never met him before! His name was Willy. I praise God for brothers in Christ! I tried to add the photo I took of him in this post, but I'm new to Blogger so we'll see what happens.
Please pray for Kenneth who we also spoke with Friday night. He believed he was a Christian, but did not believe in hell or that "the Bible is the Word of God." He walked away with a gospel message and hopefully God makes the seed we planted grow inside of him. He was very willing to talk and very kind in his tone. I gave him my email. Saturday we had a good group come out as well... lots of preaching. I also got to see Domenic again. It's been months since I last saw him. We had a doctrinal disagreement a long time ago and it's been hit and miss ever since. He seemed happy to see us.
What I really wanted to talk about in this post is the full reality of something God's been teaching me over the last few years. As part of my testimony I would always share the quote from one of Joshua Harris' books. H e said he was "in love with being in love." That perfectly described me before I was saved. Infatuation was my obsession. Through my experiences in relationships after salvation, it's been quite a struggle still. This morning the pastor spoke about Idolatry. He preached from Exodus 32 and the story about the golden calf. It was a fitting picture of idolatry. As time passed it was as if it were standing still for me.
I was brought to the depth my own idolatry. Why is it that I say women and relationships are my Achille's heel? Why is it that near the end of my last relationship I more and more often found myself overanalyzing, fumbling words, missing the mark, falling down, falling into obligation, etc.? Why is it that my stress and neck pain have been so strong? It's because I hadn't grasped the magnitude of just how bad this idolatry was. God surely taught me and continues to teach me in His good timing and sanctification that I must trust only in Him and place no security in human beings... no matter how much I care for them. No relationship outside of biblical marriage has any gaurantees. I told my best friend that there were times I asked myself, "What Would ______ Do?" and "What Would ______ Think?" only to insert her name. It had no place in those blanks. Near the end of the sermon, I was nearly in tears. I held them until I got out on the road. She was the only person I made eye contact with as I left. I left quickly this morning too.
I've learned so much lately. God can pull out the rug from underneath you faster than you can blink. I pray that I never make another woman or relationship into a golden calf and may whoever she is be patient with me in this endeavor.
I praise God for his perfect sanctification!
Prayer:
-Kenneth (above)
-Application in the magnitude of what God has helped me to see in my life
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Feeling a slight draft...
Tonight at work I was lifting a case of bananas.... We are supposed to squat and bend knees as we lift to save our back. I lifted the case and heard a rrriiiiiiiiip. I tore a gaping hole in the bottom end of my work pants! I tied another apron around the back for the remainder of the night. On the way home I had to stop in at Wal-Mart to buy more pants and pick up a few other items. I walked up to the register only to realize that I didn't take my wallet with me to work when I left this afternoon! Because I work at 5am tomorrow, I had little choice but to come home, change, and head back up there. What a night!
Things have been going alright lately. I decided not to commit to the church puppet evangelism team. I can't guarantee I'd be able to make meetigns and rehearsals once school starts. I've been doing a refresher study in the spiritual gifts in the mornings as I'm able, otherwise I just read a Psalm or another chapter elsewhere for my devotion. It's interesting how much ambiguity I'm finding in how Bible teachers interpret the gifts. Some suggest that we only have one gift, others that we can have many gifts, and still others that the gifts manifest themselves at different times in different ways. Some say the gift of prophecy is no longer for us, others say it was replaced by the gift of teaching, many say it includes foretelling and AND forthtelling and today takes the form of preaching. Very interesting.
I also had a very encouraging meeting with my accountability partner last night from like 7-11pm. he really does challenge my reasoning, thoughts, and opinions. I'm so thankful he isn't just a "'yes' man" that agrees with everything I say. That wouldn't be accountability. He brought some interesting perspectives for me to consider. I greatly appreciate his influence in my life.
School begins the 28th and I'm excited. These entry-level classes will really help tie up any loose ends of the foundations of my biblical knowledge and growth.
Prayer:
-A sound mind, clarity, and courage in all relevant areas of life lately
-A co-worker I've been witnessing to
-That God would speak through my co-laborer and I as we try for the first time to preach downtown during lunch hour this Thursday from 11am-12noon
-favor with Moody as the time to call them for an application status and planning to visit is quickly approaching
Things have been going alright lately. I decided not to commit to the church puppet evangelism team. I can't guarantee I'd be able to make meetigns and rehearsals once school starts. I've been doing a refresher study in the spiritual gifts in the mornings as I'm able, otherwise I just read a Psalm or another chapter elsewhere for my devotion. It's interesting how much ambiguity I'm finding in how Bible teachers interpret the gifts. Some suggest that we only have one gift, others that we can have many gifts, and still others that the gifts manifest themselves at different times in different ways. Some say the gift of prophecy is no longer for us, others say it was replaced by the gift of teaching, many say it includes foretelling and AND forthtelling and today takes the form of preaching. Very interesting.
I also had a very encouraging meeting with my accountability partner last night from like 7-11pm. he really does challenge my reasoning, thoughts, and opinions. I'm so thankful he isn't just a "'yes' man" that agrees with everything I say. That wouldn't be accountability. He brought some interesting perspectives for me to consider. I greatly appreciate his influence in my life.
School begins the 28th and I'm excited. These entry-level classes will really help tie up any loose ends of the foundations of my biblical knowledge and growth.
Prayer:
-A sound mind, clarity, and courage in all relevant areas of life lately
-A co-worker I've been witnessing to
-That God would speak through my co-laborer and I as we try for the first time to preach downtown during lunch hour this Thursday from 11am-12noon
-favor with Moody as the time to call them for an application status and planning to visit is quickly approaching
Friday, August 10, 2007
At the Carnival!
The work meeting went alright. It was mostly about how many hours and new employees each manager will get. I didn't benefit a whole lot other than just being in the loop. I thought the meeting would be about the visible changes to the store as well. I expected slides or something. Afterward I visited a nearby store I knew was a Lifestyle one already. It was apparently the first one. I checked out their produce department and most things had like a double spread on the product as if they sold double. The Asst. Grocery mgr. said they did about $1 million in sales their opening week. Construction begins September 23rd. Things will be interesting to say the least. Hopefully most of their construction happens overnight... ?
It was SO hot today. I'm debating whether or not to go to carnival tomorrow morning that work is providing. it's in some park in Fort Worth I think. We'll see. I'm already up late right now.
Went witnessing at a local carnival tonight. One of the police officers was a Christian, the people who owned the property were just concerned about the content of my tracts. They wanted to know what I was giving out... I suppose to make sure it wasn't porn or something. Talked with a few teens and an older couple. The man asked a lot skeptic questions that I didn't have time to answer. I was able to take him through the law, judgment, righteousness, and hell... he wasn't concerned about his eternity and then they walked into the carnival.
While I was so fearful, God will use every bit of it for His glory. Between Jacky and I we gave out about 100 tracts or more!
It was SO hot today. I'm debating whether or not to go to carnival tomorrow morning that work is providing. it's in some park in Fort Worth I think. We'll see. I'm already up late right now.
Went witnessing at a local carnival tonight. One of the police officers was a Christian, the people who owned the property were just concerned about the content of my tracts. They wanted to know what I was giving out... I suppose to make sure it wasn't porn or something. Talked with a few teens and an older couple. The man asked a lot skeptic questions that I didn't have time to answer. I was able to take him through the law, judgment, righteousness, and hell... he wasn't concerned about his eternity and then they walked into the carnival.
While I was so fearful, God will use every bit of it for His glory. Between Jacky and I we gave out about 100 tracts or more!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Baptist Wednesdays
My church is not currently holding Wednesday night Bible Study and in fact is planning to change the dynamic of Wednesday nights in the Fall. I'm still thinking about what I will do with my schedule... work on the free Wednesday nights or visit another church for Wednesday service only?
I've currently decided to visit a small Baptist church on Wednesday nights near the former home of a woman I was courting. I gave the pastor a copy of Hell's Best Kept Secret over a year ago. As with many Baptist churches, they are zealous and evangelistic. This is why I go. It's encouraging. The preaching is topical and only goes so deep, but the passion for the lost is deeper than many I've met. The atmosphere actually reminds me of my old church in other ways (although they just might be Independent Baptist). The funny phenomenon is that I am picking up on the little theological differences now more easily. I need to keep a spirit of grace and patience so as to not join the "word police" and critique everything that's said (verbally OR mentally). I'm so thankful to God and select people He placed in my life to encourage and convict me in my speech. I was reading through Proverbs not long ago in the mornings and it's interesting how often they speak of our words, mouths, tongue, speech, lips, etc. God knows how powerful words are on both ends of the spectrum. In sanctification, He teaches me this on a more practical level. Here's a good lesson I've learned through some pain, heartache, reaping, and sowing... just shut up! That's today's lesson.
Work is going alright, except somehow we went from a -2% in sales to a -13%. It seems I can't win. There were some factors involved that contributed, but that's nuts! Well, hopefully we'll balance out soon. Tomorrow I get to be in the manager's meeting on the remodeling coming to our store. We're becoming a "Lifestyle" store. It will look quite snazzy, we'll carry more, we'll have more employees, and sales go up. I'm somewhat excited about the meeting and to see the changes.
I'm also finishing up a booklet full of written sermons on the topic of marriage from preachers in the 17 and 1800's. It's pretty good. I find it interesting that they use the term "religion" as a synonym for Christianity, unlike today's Christian culture that likes to say, "not a religion, a relationship." The Bible uses "religion" a few times in a positive sense as well... at least in the NIV. I'm not saying one way is better than the other, but it's interesting to note as you read further back into Christian history. My goal is to finish that and move on to the next batch of literature from www.mountzion.org.
Recent prayer items:
-Grandpa is in the hospital for breathing issues, not saved, 72 yrs. old
-What role should I play in the church puppet evangelism ministry? They're looking for a leader...?
-Work: The physical drain and burdens of mgmt. responsibility
-Application to Moody for Spring
I've currently decided to visit a small Baptist church on Wednesday nights near the former home of a woman I was courting. I gave the pastor a copy of Hell's Best Kept Secret over a year ago. As with many Baptist churches, they are zealous and evangelistic. This is why I go. It's encouraging. The preaching is topical and only goes so deep, but the passion for the lost is deeper than many I've met. The atmosphere actually reminds me of my old church in other ways (although they just might be Independent Baptist). The funny phenomenon is that I am picking up on the little theological differences now more easily. I need to keep a spirit of grace and patience so as to not join the "word police" and critique everything that's said (verbally OR mentally). I'm so thankful to God and select people He placed in my life to encourage and convict me in my speech. I was reading through Proverbs not long ago in the mornings and it's interesting how often they speak of our words, mouths, tongue, speech, lips, etc. God knows how powerful words are on both ends of the spectrum. In sanctification, He teaches me this on a more practical level. Here's a good lesson I've learned through some pain, heartache, reaping, and sowing... just shut up! That's today's lesson.
Work is going alright, except somehow we went from a -2% in sales to a -13%. It seems I can't win. There were some factors involved that contributed, but that's nuts! Well, hopefully we'll balance out soon. Tomorrow I get to be in the manager's meeting on the remodeling coming to our store. We're becoming a "Lifestyle" store. It will look quite snazzy, we'll carry more, we'll have more employees, and sales go up. I'm somewhat excited about the meeting and to see the changes.
I'm also finishing up a booklet full of written sermons on the topic of marriage from preachers in the 17 and 1800's. It's pretty good. I find it interesting that they use the term "religion" as a synonym for Christianity, unlike today's Christian culture that likes to say, "not a religion, a relationship." The Bible uses "religion" a few times in a positive sense as well... at least in the NIV. I'm not saying one way is better than the other, but it's interesting to note as you read further back into Christian history. My goal is to finish that and move on to the next batch of literature from www.mountzion.org.
Recent prayer items:
-Grandpa is in the hospital for breathing issues, not saved, 72 yrs. old
-What role should I play in the church puppet evangelism ministry? They're looking for a leader...?
-Work: The physical drain and burdens of mgmt. responsibility
-Application to Moody for Spring
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Witnessing To Witnesses... and the rest of life.
Friday was a tiring day at work and I planned on going to a pool party that night. I went, while I was dragging around and content to just sit on the couch with the A/C for about an hour (I got there really early because the time was changed and I didn't know). It was alright since I hadn't been in a swimming pool in over a year. I'm also kinda inclined to stay away from water parks and pools due to the stumble factor. Swimsuits don't have to be skimpy to catch the eye. There was some mild trouble with that, but it wasn't for the same reason. I enjoyed getting out and hanging out, but a few things I wasn't prepared for... lol. I assumed it would be a party of believers, when it was mostly not. That makes things awkward when you pray over the food for "a good time of fellowship."
I also wasn't prepared for something else. Typically when it comes to parties (of any kind) and if they are small with the right characteristics... an interesting phenomenon develops. When single people get together, some of them may tend to size up their potential compatibility with those of the opposite sex in the group and they will either choose to gravitate toward the one they are more attracted to or the ONLY candidate they are attracted to. At this party, I was 1 of 2 guys among 5 girls. In this case it was an old friend of person (whom I knew) that was hosting the party. She had an affinity or a pull to me and those eyes that were kinda waiting for you to show a sign of flirtation. Because I am not interested in pursuing a relationship, this made for an awkward evening. I began asking myself how I would act in my past or maybe even now if I was interested in someone and it all fit perfectly. She may have been physically attractive, but if you've made up your mind about something... at that time at least... it can prove to be a tough situation. I was thankful when I had to head home.
It was the mgr.'s last day of work yesterday and he called in, so I was called in. I expected it and it gave me more hours... which is always good! :) It was a good day overall too. It appears by the end of this month I will have saved back all the money I am spending on tuition for the Fall semester before it even starts! If I'm accepted to Moody for the Spring, this will give room for the funds to visit the school in September as I'd like to. It's also possible for me to transfer to a grocery store within the Safeway company right down the road from Moody. I called the manager there and gave him a time frame. It would be cool to have a secure job in place when I got there... even if I wanted to look for another one. So that's exciting!
I also wanted to talk about last night. Because Jon Speed felt like preaching longer, we were there until like 10pm. I was surprised to see that I was fully awake in church this morning without being sleepy in the least. It could be due to being so burnt out from working. I played dead under the sheet while Jon preached for 45 minutes! It was so humid I almost passed out. I'm thankful Travis came by to ask if I was alright. When we traded places and as I got up, I was dizzy. I hadn't even noticed it! I would have nodded right off to sleep without thinking twice.... untila group of medical personnel woke me up! But I gained my bearings and began handing out tracts. Jon got a good crowd though. That's why he kept going.
Before he got there, Travis and I had a long discussion with a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses. I can't do a full analysis of our discussion and what happened because I'd be writing all night, but a few points I can make that you may find helpful in your evangelistic efforts are as follows...
1. I brought up what I've found to be the #1 biblical support of the deity of Christ. This is the first time I've heard an argument against it. I mentioned it earlier in the blog, but if you compare Revelation 1:8 with 1:17-19, it's clearly a connection in context with Jehovah and Jesus Christ. You have to do some leaps to get another interpretation. Jesus died and rose again so the latter passage in chapter 1 is referring to Him. The connection comes in the simple parallel of "Alpha and Omega" with "First and Last." Alpha is the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter. God is saying He is the beginning and the end of all things. He is over all things. This describes His awesomeness and His character. It is a clear connection and only 9-10 verses apart.
They told me it simply means Jesus was the "firstborn of all creation." They believe Jesus was the first created being. This is why I love Hermeneutics!! Context is SO important! Our presuppositions are crucial as well.
2. I also quoted John 8:58, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." I've heard the argument that this also means Jesus was the firstborn of all creation, but that wouldn't be consistent with all else that He's said, done, and claimed and how those things made the religious leaders so angry. They wanted to STONE HIM because of these words. Strangely... that wasn't the argument I heard last night though. They said Jesus was using "I am" the common way we do today. We know God specifically identified Himself as I AM to Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). This is an obvious parallel and makes sense as to why they would want to stone Him immediately after that! If it is like we use it today, would it offend any stranger if I made the same statement (even substituting Abraham for another name) enough for them to want to kill me? Surely not! They would think I was crazy. We don't talk like that today.
3. They also believe Jesus is a mighty god, but not almighty God. Questions... Is there only one true God? OK, is Jesus a true God or a false god? Also, if He is just another "god," are Jehovah's Witnesses polytheistic?
Overall it was an awesome night of ministry. Travis and I were itching to stay later but we both had commitments to get home for. While the 2 JW's could explain themselves rather well, I'm thankful we have the sound confidence in the Word of God in context! Praise Him for the power of His Word and pray for those two gentlemen. May God use the tracts they took to show them their need for the Savior, Messiah, and God Himself... Jesus Christ.
I also wasn't prepared for something else. Typically when it comes to parties (of any kind) and if they are small with the right characteristics... an interesting phenomenon develops. When single people get together, some of them may tend to size up their potential compatibility with those of the opposite sex in the group and they will either choose to gravitate toward the one they are more attracted to or the ONLY candidate they are attracted to. At this party, I was 1 of 2 guys among 5 girls. In this case it was an old friend of person (whom I knew) that was hosting the party. She had an affinity or a pull to me and those eyes that were kinda waiting for you to show a sign of flirtation. Because I am not interested in pursuing a relationship, this made for an awkward evening. I began asking myself how I would act in my past or maybe even now if I was interested in someone and it all fit perfectly. She may have been physically attractive, but if you've made up your mind about something... at that time at least... it can prove to be a tough situation. I was thankful when I had to head home.
It was the mgr.'s last day of work yesterday and he called in, so I was called in. I expected it and it gave me more hours... which is always good! :) It was a good day overall too. It appears by the end of this month I will have saved back all the money I am spending on tuition for the Fall semester before it even starts! If I'm accepted to Moody for the Spring, this will give room for the funds to visit the school in September as I'd like to. It's also possible for me to transfer to a grocery store within the Safeway company right down the road from Moody. I called the manager there and gave him a time frame. It would be cool to have a secure job in place when I got there... even if I wanted to look for another one. So that's exciting!
I also wanted to talk about last night. Because Jon Speed felt like preaching longer, we were there until like 10pm. I was surprised to see that I was fully awake in church this morning without being sleepy in the least. It could be due to being so burnt out from working. I played dead under the sheet while Jon preached for 45 minutes! It was so humid I almost passed out. I'm thankful Travis came by to ask if I was alright. When we traded places and as I got up, I was dizzy. I hadn't even noticed it! I would have nodded right off to sleep without thinking twice.... untila group of medical personnel woke me up! But I gained my bearings and began handing out tracts. Jon got a good crowd though. That's why he kept going.
Before he got there, Travis and I had a long discussion with a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses. I can't do a full analysis of our discussion and what happened because I'd be writing all night, but a few points I can make that you may find helpful in your evangelistic efforts are as follows...
1. I brought up what I've found to be the #1 biblical support of the deity of Christ. This is the first time I've heard an argument against it. I mentioned it earlier in the blog, but if you compare Revelation 1:8 with 1:17-19, it's clearly a connection in context with Jehovah and Jesus Christ. You have to do some leaps to get another interpretation. Jesus died and rose again so the latter passage in chapter 1 is referring to Him. The connection comes in the simple parallel of "Alpha and Omega" with "First and Last." Alpha is the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter. God is saying He is the beginning and the end of all things. He is over all things. This describes His awesomeness and His character. It is a clear connection and only 9-10 verses apart.
They told me it simply means Jesus was the "firstborn of all creation." They believe Jesus was the first created being. This is why I love Hermeneutics!! Context is SO important! Our presuppositions are crucial as well.
2. I also quoted John 8:58, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." I've heard the argument that this also means Jesus was the firstborn of all creation, but that wouldn't be consistent with all else that He's said, done, and claimed and how those things made the religious leaders so angry. They wanted to STONE HIM because of these words. Strangely... that wasn't the argument I heard last night though. They said Jesus was using "I am" the common way we do today. We know God specifically identified Himself as I AM to Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). This is an obvious parallel and makes sense as to why they would want to stone Him immediately after that! If it is like we use it today, would it offend any stranger if I made the same statement (even substituting Abraham for another name) enough for them to want to kill me? Surely not! They would think I was crazy. We don't talk like that today.
3. They also believe Jesus is a mighty god, but not almighty God. Questions... Is there only one true God? OK, is Jesus a true God or a false god? Also, if He is just another "god," are Jehovah's Witnesses polytheistic?
Overall it was an awesome night of ministry. Travis and I were itching to stay later but we both had commitments to get home for. While the 2 JW's could explain themselves rather well, I'm thankful we have the sound confidence in the Word of God in context! Praise Him for the power of His Word and pray for those two gentlemen. May God use the tracts they took to show them their need for the Savior, Messiah, and God Himself... Jesus Christ.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Church Membership, Work, and God's Sovereignty in the "Why" of the World
I'm excited to say I'm officially a member of my church (csbible.org). This past Sunday afternoon I sat down with the Elders and we went through my testimony. They asked who Jesus Christ was to me and how someone is saved. I answered their questions to satisfaction, while I suppose I could have been more reverent in the conversation. I feel like I've known them for so long already, I suppose this conversation was under different grounds though in a way.
I was anticipating the managers meeting today at work. The Produce department a few weeks ago was -12 in target sales. The week while the manager was out for a death in the family and I worked most of it while trying to practice "Just-in-time-ordering," we went to -9 in sales. This past week when I worked every day and was happily able to control the ordering, we raised to a -2 in sales. It seems I've found a very important part of how to control shrink (product that doesn't sell, goes out of date, or ends up in the trash somehow). I love being efficient!
This morning I came in to find about 2 days worth of product on the truck (4 pallets of produce). I was discouraged and didn't get much done. As the day passed, I noticed that much of it was needed. It seems the major reason it was so much was all the salads ordered. A few other little things got on my nerves coupled with my mind running in different directions and it made for a somewhat depressing day. I apologized to the closer because I know I could have done more, working as long as I did. I even had to stay over to just get the bare minimum of my shift done. I left wondering what got into me. I only began to speed up as I forced myself to it right before leaving. Hmm... maybe tomorrow will be better. I do enjoy closing when I'm not the one opening the next day. It gives me a goal to work hard to make the next person's day easier. Somehow it's no fun when you're making you're own day easier... or less fun, rather.
My manager put in his 2 weeks notice recently. Apparently, it's more like a 1 week notice from what I'm seeing. I had 3 managers ask/suggest that I take his place or at least apply for the Assistant position. I've been offered that position more than once by multiple people. Even the head of Human Resources came in today and spoke with me about it (she wasn't just there for me of course). Fortunately, I can only give them so many hours, certain days, and I've got school to pursue so I wouldn't be a fitting candidate for manager.
On lunch I overheard a discussion among some of the managers and other employees. They were talking about local car wrecks where people die young and those situations that beg the question, "Where is God?" They talked of how one of them asked a preacher and when he didn't give an answer they thought, "aren't you supposed to 'have His ear'?" You might have heard of the idea or expression. When they were finished, I approached the Floral manager and told her the answers to their questions were simple ones. Whenever we ask a question in the spirit of, "Why did God take my 71 year old grandmother? She never hurt anyone" (you can add whatever age you want), it seems unfair somehow doesn't it?
The answer is simply that the same God who took that life is the one who gave you the enjoyment of that person for as many years as they DID live. If He is the author of life, then He can also be the one to take it away. We weren't asked to be born. Why should we be asked when to die? Why not simply trust the God that is already so much bigger and smarter than any of us? His reasons need not be known, for He is soveriegn and holds all things in His hands.
From another angle, God is infintely gracious and infinitely merciful as to even give us our next breath... which we do not deserve. He's given us all that we DO have. For those who have children, they are a gift from God. For those who have a wife (or husband), they are a gift from God. Scripture even tells us this explicitly. With all the gifts God has given us, why do we question Him in what He chooses to take? Why not ask instead, "God why are you so unfair as to give me food to eat, a bed to sleep in, a beautiful baby girl, a faithful wife, a running vehicle, an honest means of income, the internet, a machine that toasts my bread?"
I'm constantly encouraged by the modern Christian song that says near the end, "He gives and takes way. He gives and takes away. So blessed be His name!" We praise Him whether He gives OR takes away. Oh how my heart breaks for the unregenerate who do not grasp this! ...even those who are saved.
I told the manager God has given us all we need in the Bible in response to another question she had. I left her my business card with a gospel message on the back. Her name is Pam. We should be praying for her. She seemed satisfied with my answers.
I was anticipating the managers meeting today at work. The Produce department a few weeks ago was -12 in target sales. The week while the manager was out for a death in the family and I worked most of it while trying to practice "Just-in-time-ordering," we went to -9 in sales. This past week when I worked every day and was happily able to control the ordering, we raised to a -2 in sales. It seems I've found a very important part of how to control shrink (product that doesn't sell, goes out of date, or ends up in the trash somehow). I love being efficient!
This morning I came in to find about 2 days worth of product on the truck (4 pallets of produce). I was discouraged and didn't get much done. As the day passed, I noticed that much of it was needed. It seems the major reason it was so much was all the salads ordered. A few other little things got on my nerves coupled with my mind running in different directions and it made for a somewhat depressing day. I apologized to the closer because I know I could have done more, working as long as I did. I even had to stay over to just get the bare minimum of my shift done. I left wondering what got into me. I only began to speed up as I forced myself to it right before leaving. Hmm... maybe tomorrow will be better. I do enjoy closing when I'm not the one opening the next day. It gives me a goal to work hard to make the next person's day easier. Somehow it's no fun when you're making you're own day easier... or less fun, rather.
My manager put in his 2 weeks notice recently. Apparently, it's more like a 1 week notice from what I'm seeing. I had 3 managers ask/suggest that I take his place or at least apply for the Assistant position. I've been offered that position more than once by multiple people. Even the head of Human Resources came in today and spoke with me about it (she wasn't just there for me of course). Fortunately, I can only give them so many hours, certain days, and I've got school to pursue so I wouldn't be a fitting candidate for manager.
On lunch I overheard a discussion among some of the managers and other employees. They were talking about local car wrecks where people die young and those situations that beg the question, "Where is God?" They talked of how one of them asked a preacher and when he didn't give an answer they thought, "aren't you supposed to 'have His ear'?" You might have heard of the idea or expression. When they were finished, I approached the Floral manager and told her the answers to their questions were simple ones. Whenever we ask a question in the spirit of, "Why did God take my 71 year old grandmother? She never hurt anyone" (you can add whatever age you want), it seems unfair somehow doesn't it?
The answer is simply that the same God who took that life is the one who gave you the enjoyment of that person for as many years as they DID live. If He is the author of life, then He can also be the one to take it away. We weren't asked to be born. Why should we be asked when to die? Why not simply trust the God that is already so much bigger and smarter than any of us? His reasons need not be known, for He is soveriegn and holds all things in His hands.
From another angle, God is infintely gracious and infinitely merciful as to even give us our next breath... which we do not deserve. He's given us all that we DO have. For those who have children, they are a gift from God. For those who have a wife (or husband), they are a gift from God. Scripture even tells us this explicitly. With all the gifts God has given us, why do we question Him in what He chooses to take? Why not ask instead, "God why are you so unfair as to give me food to eat, a bed to sleep in, a beautiful baby girl, a faithful wife, a running vehicle, an honest means of income, the internet, a machine that toasts my bread?"
I'm constantly encouraged by the modern Christian song that says near the end, "He gives and takes way. He gives and takes away. So blessed be His name!" We praise Him whether He gives OR takes away. Oh how my heart breaks for the unregenerate who do not grasp this! ...even those who are saved.
I told the manager God has given us all we need in the Bible in response to another question she had. I left her my business card with a gospel message on the back. Her name is Pam. We should be praying for her. She seemed satisfied with my answers.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Made it through...
Well the work week is over and I might be able to rest a bit easier with the weight taken off the shoulders. However, yesterday and today weren't so bad. It seems I got things to where they ran rather smoothly. I'm going to miss that. I'm kinda excited to see what sales numbers vs loss numbers come out to be for this past week. I'll find out at the meeting Monday. I'm gonna prayerfully make a few suggestions to the manager about a few things if the numbers turn out alright.
I should get the final grade for Hermeneutics this weekend. Before the last grade, I think I currently have an 82. It looks like I'll make a 100 for the last grade too. It's pretty exciting stuff!
I've been trying to relax over the summer. Usually when trying to read, I nodd off because I stay up so late the night before. I should really get to bed earlier. I'll be able to go to a few events, carnivals, and parties with friends. I'm so glad for the free time. One of the events I went to was the CSM Movie Night tonight. Google Maps failed me and took me all the way over to TCU (about 30-40 min. out of the way). We watched Hangman's Curse.
It was an alright film although I wished it was a bit more openly Christian and that Christian family values were practiced. But hey, what can ya get for a Christian movie... most of them are usually used as an "outreach tool."
Hmm... is that all I have to say? That's unusual... or am I just holding back? Bum, bum, buuuuuum.
I should get the final grade for Hermeneutics this weekend. Before the last grade, I think I currently have an 82. It looks like I'll make a 100 for the last grade too. It's pretty exciting stuff!
I've been trying to relax over the summer. Usually when trying to read, I nodd off because I stay up so late the night before. I should really get to bed earlier. I'll be able to go to a few events, carnivals, and parties with friends. I'm so glad for the free time. One of the events I went to was the CSM Movie Night tonight. Google Maps failed me and took me all the way over to TCU (about 30-40 min. out of the way). We watched Hangman's Curse.
It was an alright film although I wished it was a bit more openly Christian and that Christian family values were practiced. But hey, what can ya get for a Christian movie... most of them are usually used as an "outreach tool."
Hmm... is that all I have to say? That's unusual... or am I just holding back? Bum, bum, buuuuuum.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Work, Ministry, and Half Priced Books...
Well, let's try this again. Started writing the other day and accidentally had everything erased ...not very encouraging.
So I've been enjoying my little break... but is it a break? Yesterday I had the day off. It will be the only day off I'll see in a week. My manager is taking vacation for the next 6 days and I'm working every day until he returns. Somehow that still comes out to only 34 hours. I'm waiting for the work clothes to finish being washed and dried and I'll hit the sheets for the night. We bargained for me to come in tomorrow (Sunday) and work from 3am-7am to do the essentials only so I can make it to church. In the past I would have been so legalistic about working on Sunday. I'm not a 1st day Adventist though. On the bright side, this will give me an opportunity and a challenge to run the bulk of the department for a week. We'll see what happens...
Friday was a pretty relaxing day though. I finished Ray's book, How To Win Souls and Influence People. I'm now starting on the booklet about being judgmental. So far it has given some VERY helpful reminders. It's called something like "Judging: The Danger of Playing God" By Peacemaker Ministries. I think they're either affiliated with or supporting/supported by Randy Alcorn.
While I was too worn out from working Thursday night and unable to go downtown Friday. I did run some errands early in the day. When I got home my legs hurt SO bad that it was like after running a mile when you haven't run in a long time. I can still feel it even today! Friday I had to buy a new car battery. I predict the transmission will go out next. I practically have a new car it seems, but I'm beginning to hear the brakes squeek some so it may be time for new brake pads in the near future.
I was also told Half-Priced Books had a good Greek Grammar book for cheap, so I went to pick that up... and somehow ended up spending almost $30. I bought a small stack of $1 children's Bible movies (I like picking up that stuff for my future family and whatnot), MacArthur's commentary on Matthew 24-28, and also a Nelson's Dictionary of Christianity. I wanted a few more things but had to restrain myself!
In other news, I got an 87 on my Hermeneutics final! I still dunno if that's good or bad. It seems I'm doomed to be a B student unless I study so intensely that I spend nearly every hour of every day 2 weeks in advance studying for a test. Made a 94 in Biology once doing that. It's kinda like that point where it's hard to get over a a certain "hump" in weight loss. You have to go way overboard to reach close to your goal.... I suppose I haven't found that balance. Prayerfully, we'll do better next semester. I've registered already and will be taking "Bible Introduction" and "Spiritual Life and Community." I even bought the books already! Exciting stuff! Still no word on if I'm accepted to the on-campus program in the Spring.It wouldn't be fun to just take online classes forever. I can barely afford that and the classes that are transferrable will soon run out!
I did wanna talk about witnessing tonight as well. Travis had to leave early so I stayed a bit longer. There was a group from 1st Baptist Church of Colleyville there downtown with one of the Prayer Station booths GNN used. They were witnessing and using tracts and all that. It was pretty cool! Another guy who used to come out brought some kids from his youth group. As I left, they were talking with a guy. I spoke with Kyle, a former Athiest turned Agnostic. He was surely a thinker and had some good rebuttals to my questions. I'd never had someone say they could take the $50 million to buy eye transplants! He was pretty smart! But he said he wasn't concerned about his apparent eternal destiny so I left him with the law, his conscience, a handshake, and a gospel tract. Please pray for him.
Another awesome thing was that I finally met Trish from WOTM Radio. She came out and her group was witnessing with us! She gave me her phone line and show segment times in case I knew of anyone who wanted to talk about their beliefs on the air. She also told of a Bible study her husband leads in their home on Friday nights.
Well, I guess that's all for now! Have a wonderful day, night, or whenever you read this!
So I've been enjoying my little break... but is it a break? Yesterday I had the day off. It will be the only day off I'll see in a week. My manager is taking vacation for the next 6 days and I'm working every day until he returns. Somehow that still comes out to only 34 hours. I'm waiting for the work clothes to finish being washed and dried and I'll hit the sheets for the night. We bargained for me to come in tomorrow (Sunday) and work from 3am-7am to do the essentials only so I can make it to church. In the past I would have been so legalistic about working on Sunday. I'm not a 1st day Adventist though. On the bright side, this will give me an opportunity and a challenge to run the bulk of the department for a week. We'll see what happens...
Friday was a pretty relaxing day though. I finished Ray's book, How To Win Souls and Influence People. I'm now starting on the booklet about being judgmental. So far it has given some VERY helpful reminders. It's called something like "Judging: The Danger of Playing God" By Peacemaker Ministries. I think they're either affiliated with or supporting/supported by Randy Alcorn.
While I was too worn out from working Thursday night and unable to go downtown Friday. I did run some errands early in the day. When I got home my legs hurt SO bad that it was like after running a mile when you haven't run in a long time. I can still feel it even today! Friday I had to buy a new car battery. I predict the transmission will go out next. I practically have a new car it seems, but I'm beginning to hear the brakes squeek some so it may be time for new brake pads in the near future.
I was also told Half-Priced Books had a good Greek Grammar book for cheap, so I went to pick that up... and somehow ended up spending almost $30. I bought a small stack of $1 children's Bible movies (I like picking up that stuff for my future family and whatnot), MacArthur's commentary on Matthew 24-28, and also a Nelson's Dictionary of Christianity. I wanted a few more things but had to restrain myself!
In other news, I got an 87 on my Hermeneutics final! I still dunno if that's good or bad. It seems I'm doomed to be a B student unless I study so intensely that I spend nearly every hour of every day 2 weeks in advance studying for a test. Made a 94 in Biology once doing that. It's kinda like that point where it's hard to get over a a certain "hump" in weight loss. You have to go way overboard to reach close to your goal.... I suppose I haven't found that balance. Prayerfully, we'll do better next semester. I've registered already and will be taking "Bible Introduction" and "Spiritual Life and Community." I even bought the books already! Exciting stuff! Still no word on if I'm accepted to the on-campus program in the Spring.It wouldn't be fun to just take online classes forever. I can barely afford that and the classes that are transferrable will soon run out!
I did wanna talk about witnessing tonight as well. Travis had to leave early so I stayed a bit longer. There was a group from 1st Baptist Church of Colleyville there downtown with one of the Prayer Station booths GNN used. They were witnessing and using tracts and all that. It was pretty cool! Another guy who used to come out brought some kids from his youth group. As I left, they were talking with a guy. I spoke with Kyle, a former Athiest turned Agnostic. He was surely a thinker and had some good rebuttals to my questions. I'd never had someone say they could take the $50 million to buy eye transplants! He was pretty smart! But he said he wasn't concerned about his apparent eternal destiny so I left him with the law, his conscience, a handshake, and a gospel tract. Please pray for him.
Another awesome thing was that I finally met Trish from WOTM Radio. She came out and her group was witnessing with us! She gave me her phone line and show segment times in case I knew of anyone who wanted to talk about their beliefs on the air. She also told of a Bible study her husband leads in their home on Friday nights.
Well, I guess that's all for now! Have a wonderful day, night, or whenever you read this!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Stresstastic!
I just finished registering for classes for the Fall. I'll be taking "Bible Introduction" and "Spiritual Life and Community." I have yet to get the final grades for my paper, the exam, and the class as a whole. I'm hoping for good grades. I did well on the heavier weighted questions of the exam, but some of the smaller ones and the short answer essays may have got me. Hopefully next semester my study habits will be more driven and focused and I will have better memory recall. May God be with me! I really do want to pursue excellence in my grades. I also don't want to let my schoolwork push aside the friendships I hold dear... and even those that are casual for that matter. I must continue to pray that God will bring peace, humility, discipline, and balance to all life is bringing. I've cancelled more than one weekend of street ministry during the summer already.
I have been able to print out all the lessons from class and put them in a binder for later use. I know Tyndale Theological Seminary did that and I think it's a good idea. This way next time I have to study a passage I can just go back and reread the principles for it. I have much of the information and work I've done uploaded to the Facebook files if anyone is interested.
Work has been quite the handful since I moved to Produce. I'm acting in nearly all respects as Assistant Mgr. and my legs, neck, and patience are sure feeling it. Since working at Tom Thumb, it may be safe to say this the most stressed I've ever been. The demands get higher and higher, the employees are few, and the work never ends. I was considering just going home last week one day. However, I'm determined to not let the job stress me out. My name tag doesn't say Clark Kent and there's only so much us humans can do. Is it normal to be worrying about work while you're in bed late at night trying to fall asleep?
This has really been a time that has tested my limits and helped me to examine my character in light of my faith. How much DO I lean on the Father? How much DO I acknowledge Him? More than once I've opened my mouth when I shouldn't have and more than once I've kept it shut. It will only become more difficult too as we will soon be remodeling and corporate will be in the store all the time hovering over us. Sigh...
I'm working 40 hours for the next month to save money while I'm out of class. I agreed to work a few Saturday mornings for the Mgr. so he could spend time with his family on the weekend. He said he's trying to take a vacation too. He's calling to reserve a replacement so he can do that soon while I'm out of school.
Also, it appears I will need a new car battery. I prophesy that the Transmission is the next thing to go out... lol.
I'm thankful though that I should be able to finally finish reading Ray Comfort's "How To Win Souls and Influence People" that I started last semester. That will be a goal during this short break. Hold me to it! I've enjoyed the encouragement the book is loaded with. That's always a good thing.
Here is something awesome from my class. I heard it was inspired by John MacArthur's book, "Rediscovering Expository Preaching." If you ever need to prepare a Bible study lesson, I highly recommend these 11 C's...
1. Consecrate. Consecrate your study time to God in prayer. Unfortunately, there is not necessarily
direct communication between the author—text—reader. If we are somehow closed to what God wants
to communicate to us (often times, even this fact is not clear to us), there might be certain boundaries
that will keep us from truly understanding His Word. Make sure that you seek to avoid sin and are right with God before proceeding in your study. Adjust your attitude so that you are willing to be submissive
to His will even before knowing what it may be in the context of the passage you are studying.
2. Contemplate. Contemplate the needs and interests of your audience, as well as the type of sermon
you may be expected to give. What is the occasion to which you have been invited? Are you preaching
at a Sunday morning service, a rescue mission, a youth activity, a missions banquet, a college chapel
service, a funeral, or a holiday celebration? Some may claim that this step is misplaced. Shouldn't you
choose your text before considering your audience? On a practical level, you must consider the needs of
your audience as well as the occasion, so you will choose a passage that will not tempt you to make
leaps in your application. This is not only practical, but it is also biblical. When you examine the New
Testament epistles, you will discover that these were all "occasional" literature.
3. Choose. Choose a text. This may simply be the next paragraph or literary unit in the text if you are
preaching through a book of the Bible. It may mean finding a key passage that deals adequately with a
subject you must address (e.g., Rev. 21—what heaven is like; Rom. 11—God's plan for Israel; 1 Cor.
15—the resurrection of our bodies; etc.).
4. Context. Read the passage and read or review the book in which it is found in order to grasp the big
picture or overall context. This and subsequent steps have been thoroughly covered in previous lessons.
5. Centralize. Find the central idea or main point of the passage. This is what you should preach (the
Kerygma... the big picture/big idea). Simply put, everyone who reads this passage should conclude that
this is what the sermon was about. This central idea can be found by noting commands in the text,
repetitions, or qualities about the people mentioned. Note: This is where a sermon list may begin. You
may list any obvious applications, topics, doctrines, or life truths that you see in the text. This is what
many would call the observation step in Bible study. However, you are not finding all the applications or
doctrinal truths yet; you are just jotting down the obvious things in order to get them down on paper and
not lose a good thought.
6. Classify. Classify each idea in the passage as a main or subordinate thought. When the main idea is
presented, find the subordinate points that support that main idea. These subordinate points often have
certain indicators or clues that give them away. Participles, infinitives, prepositional phrases, and
subordinate verbs may tell how a command is to be obeyed; they may tell when one is to take a certain
action;they may tell for what reason a fact is true; they may tell to whom a situation applies. These will
be helpful later in the construction of an expository outline.
7. Consider. Consider any significant words in the text. List any key terms, doctrinal words, fierce
language, figures of speech, or unique vocabulary. Narrow down this list to a workable size of the most
important words. Do a mini-word study on these key words. Here is where the original language
research comes in. Read through your Greek or Hebrew texts to find important wordings. It may be
helpful at this point to note any significant cross-references that teach the same truth yet offer more
insight.
8. Construct. Construct an expository outline of the text. In fact, it is best to construct several good
outlines of the same text, thinking of several ways to state each point. Be sure to get your outline from
the structure of the text, not from your preconceived ideas about the text.
9. Consult. Consult various commentaries. After the third step, some pastors choose to pull all their
relevant commentaries off their shelves and set them on their desk. At this point, begin to write any
significant thought, unique way of saying something, powerful quote, or interesting fact on a sheet of
paper, and list each source in the side column.
10. Compose. Compose relevant illustrations. Illustrations are used for several purposes. They may
clarify what something means in the text, convince people of the relevancy of your message, give
current examples, contain an emotional appeal, or compel people to apply what they are learning.
11. Conclusion & Introduction. Write out your conclusion and introduction—in that order. Only after
you have determined what it is that you are preaching about can you adequately narrow down a
conclusion. Then, once you know where you want to leave people (i.e., the conclusion), you can figure
out how to get them there (i.e., the introduction). While this is the last step, it is certainly not the least
important. Similar to an airplane ride, it's the take-off and the landing that matters. If there happens to be
a little turbulence in the ride, it's okay. Most passengers would forgive and forget the rest if the take-off
and landing is otherwise smooth.
I have been able to print out all the lessons from class and put them in a binder for later use. I know Tyndale Theological Seminary did that and I think it's a good idea. This way next time I have to study a passage I can just go back and reread the principles for it. I have much of the information and work I've done uploaded to the Facebook files if anyone is interested.
Work has been quite the handful since I moved to Produce. I'm acting in nearly all respects as Assistant Mgr. and my legs, neck, and patience are sure feeling it. Since working at Tom Thumb, it may be safe to say this the most stressed I've ever been. The demands get higher and higher, the employees are few, and the work never ends. I was considering just going home last week one day. However, I'm determined to not let the job stress me out. My name tag doesn't say Clark Kent and there's only so much us humans can do. Is it normal to be worrying about work while you're in bed late at night trying to fall asleep?
This has really been a time that has tested my limits and helped me to examine my character in light of my faith. How much DO I lean on the Father? How much DO I acknowledge Him? More than once I've opened my mouth when I shouldn't have and more than once I've kept it shut. It will only become more difficult too as we will soon be remodeling and corporate will be in the store all the time hovering over us. Sigh...
I'm working 40 hours for the next month to save money while I'm out of class. I agreed to work a few Saturday mornings for the Mgr. so he could spend time with his family on the weekend. He said he's trying to take a vacation too. He's calling to reserve a replacement so he can do that soon while I'm out of school.
Also, it appears I will need a new car battery. I prophesy that the Transmission is the next thing to go out... lol.
I'm thankful though that I should be able to finally finish reading Ray Comfort's "How To Win Souls and Influence People" that I started last semester. That will be a goal during this short break. Hold me to it! I've enjoyed the encouragement the book is loaded with. That's always a good thing.
Here is something awesome from my class. I heard it was inspired by John MacArthur's book, "Rediscovering Expository Preaching." If you ever need to prepare a Bible study lesson, I highly recommend these 11 C's...
1. Consecrate. Consecrate your study time to God in prayer. Unfortunately, there is not necessarily
direct communication between the author—text—reader. If we are somehow closed to what God wants
to communicate to us (often times, even this fact is not clear to us), there might be certain boundaries
that will keep us from truly understanding His Word. Make sure that you seek to avoid sin and are right with God before proceeding in your study. Adjust your attitude so that you are willing to be submissive
to His will even before knowing what it may be in the context of the passage you are studying.
2. Contemplate. Contemplate the needs and interests of your audience, as well as the type of sermon
you may be expected to give. What is the occasion to which you have been invited? Are you preaching
at a Sunday morning service, a rescue mission, a youth activity, a missions banquet, a college chapel
service, a funeral, or a holiday celebration? Some may claim that this step is misplaced. Shouldn't you
choose your text before considering your audience? On a practical level, you must consider the needs of
your audience as well as the occasion, so you will choose a passage that will not tempt you to make
leaps in your application. This is not only practical, but it is also biblical. When you examine the New
Testament epistles, you will discover that these were all "occasional" literature.
3. Choose. Choose a text. This may simply be the next paragraph or literary unit in the text if you are
preaching through a book of the Bible. It may mean finding a key passage that deals adequately with a
subject you must address (e.g., Rev. 21—what heaven is like; Rom. 11—God's plan for Israel; 1 Cor.
15—the resurrection of our bodies; etc.).
4. Context. Read the passage and read or review the book in which it is found in order to grasp the big
picture or overall context. This and subsequent steps have been thoroughly covered in previous lessons.
5. Centralize. Find the central idea or main point of the passage. This is what you should preach (the
Kerygma... the big picture/big idea). Simply put, everyone who reads this passage should conclude that
this is what the sermon was about. This central idea can be found by noting commands in the text,
repetitions, or qualities about the people mentioned. Note: This is where a sermon list may begin. You
may list any obvious applications, topics, doctrines, or life truths that you see in the text. This is what
many would call the observation step in Bible study. However, you are not finding all the applications or
doctrinal truths yet; you are just jotting down the obvious things in order to get them down on paper and
not lose a good thought.
6. Classify. Classify each idea in the passage as a main or subordinate thought. When the main idea is
presented, find the subordinate points that support that main idea. These subordinate points often have
certain indicators or clues that give them away. Participles, infinitives, prepositional phrases, and
subordinate verbs may tell how a command is to be obeyed; they may tell when one is to take a certain
action;they may tell for what reason a fact is true; they may tell to whom a situation applies. These will
be helpful later in the construction of an expository outline.
7. Consider. Consider any significant words in the text. List any key terms, doctrinal words, fierce
language, figures of speech, or unique vocabulary. Narrow down this list to a workable size of the most
important words. Do a mini-word study on these key words. Here is where the original language
research comes in. Read through your Greek or Hebrew texts to find important wordings. It may be
helpful at this point to note any significant cross-references that teach the same truth yet offer more
insight.
8. Construct. Construct an expository outline of the text. In fact, it is best to construct several good
outlines of the same text, thinking of several ways to state each point. Be sure to get your outline from
the structure of the text, not from your preconceived ideas about the text.
9. Consult. Consult various commentaries. After the third step, some pastors choose to pull all their
relevant commentaries off their shelves and set them on their desk. At this point, begin to write any
significant thought, unique way of saying something, powerful quote, or interesting fact on a sheet of
paper, and list each source in the side column.
10. Compose. Compose relevant illustrations. Illustrations are used for several purposes. They may
clarify what something means in the text, convince people of the relevancy of your message, give
current examples, contain an emotional appeal, or compel people to apply what they are learning.
11. Conclusion & Introduction. Write out your conclusion and introduction—in that order. Only after
you have determined what it is that you are preaching about can you adequately narrow down a
conclusion. Then, once you know where you want to leave people (i.e., the conclusion), you can figure
out how to get them there (i.e., the introduction). While this is the last step, it is certainly not the least
important. Similar to an airplane ride, it's the take-off and the landing that matters. If there happens to be
a little turbulence in the ride, it's okay. Most passengers would forgive and forget the rest if the take-off
and landing is otherwise smooth.
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