Archive for March, 2010
Men’s Breakfast: 3/27/10
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Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes
The next Men’s Breakfast for the Men’s Ministry of High Pointe Baptist Church will be this coming Saturday March 27th at 7am. Several men will present content from the book Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes.
All men are welcome!
More information on Men’s Breakfasts.
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How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting
Posted by: | CommentsI’m just starting to dig into William Farley’s Gospel-Powered Parenting
Farley argues that parents can substitute many things for the gospel: techniques, therapy, and even . . . religion (50-51). In their place, he proposes seven ways the gospel affects parents (46-48). The gospel . . .
- Teaches Christian parents to fear God.
- Motivates parents to lead by example.
- Centers families in their male servant leaders.
- Teaches and motivates parents to discipline their children.
- Motivates parents to teach their children.
- Motivates parents to lavish their children with love and affection.
- Is the solution for inadequate parents.
True Identity
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1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7)
I’m struck by just how much Paul in introducing himself in the book of Romans, in the traditional way of greeting and introduction of the times, goes completely out of his way to minimize himself, to draw attention away from himself and instead towards the Living God. The spotlight is on the Lord and not on Paul. The Apostle Paul was very clear on where his identity came from, what his mission was, who he was and “whose he was”. Filter this passage through who, what, where, when, why and how and you pretty much have all the answers!
All the answers point to God.
Speaking specifically about verse 1, John Piper puts it like this (emphasis mine):
“In all three phrases the crucial thing is not who Paul is, but whose Paul is. And this will, in the end, be what makes your life significant or not – not who you are, but whose you are.”
So, Paul was:
1. a servant of Christ Jesus
2. called to be an apostle
3. set apart for the gospel of God
What a glorious identity Paul had! And although we know that the foundation was laid once for all by the apostles and prophets, what a glorious identity we have! We are servants of Christ, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ and we’ve been set apart to live out and share the Gospel of God.
Questions I’m asking myself:
1. Am I embracing, walking in, living out, proclaiming with my life, the fact that I am a servant of Christ?
2. Does my life testify, in word and in deed, whose I am?
3. Will I attempt to address #1 and #2 in my own strength? Or will I pursue the Lord, petition Him, seek Him sincerely and ask Him to change me through His Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit?
4. Will “works” consume me or will I desire God Himself? Will “doing the right things” be my concern or will knowing the right person, and increasing in that knowledge be my aim?
5. Will I be self-centered (living for/by myself, as if I am “my own”) or will I be God-centered, living as a servant of Christ, because I am in fact, not my own?
Praise be to God for His steadfast love and faithfulness as he deals mercifully with us as we fight sin to live out our true identity.
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Are OT Histories or Specific Prophetic Oracles Applicable to the Lives of Believers Today?
Posted by: Site Admin | Comments (0)Dr. David Powlison, in an interview concerning Reading the Bible for Personal Application, answers the question “What would be your answer to someone who said that passages like the Old Testament histories or specific prophetic oracles have no application to the lives of believers today?” I appreciated his answer.
” You don’t understand how the Old Testament works, though you do grasp a partial truth. You rightly see, for example, that Obadiah is fulfilled. Edom bit the dust. Case closed. But Obadiah was timely in the 580s B.C. exactly because he brought wide and deep truths to bear in his historical moment. God, whose words and actions Obadiah proclaims, speaks and acts in continuity to all that precedes this prophet and all that follows. The great reversals of God’s redemptions and judgments find expression throughout Scripture. Obadiah, like the rest of the Old Testament, points to and reveals Christ in the character, promises, and real-time workings of the Lord. The New Testament explicitly says that the Old makes us wise unto salvation, is given for our encouragement, reveals Jesus.
Obadiah is never going to be as significant as Romans or Luke for our doctrine, life, and ministry… but it’s no waste of time to read it once a year and to ponder what the Lord here reveals of himself and his ways. In fact, the seeds of Romans and Luke can be seen in Obadiah (e.g., mercy, judgment on evil, deliverance from enemies, the great reversal, the kingdom of God…). In the course of a long preaching ministry, you will benefit your hearers if you preach a time or two from Obadiah. It will help them to understand such connections, and will help their Bible come to life. Seeing such things actually brightens our understanding of Romans and Luke, and sharpens our love for God.”
Read the rest of the interview at the Westminster Bookstore Blog.