Quotable

"Peace is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of God during trouble."

I am not certain where I found this quotation. However, I know that it is true. I have experienced the truth of it just this week. God is good, all the time. As far as I know, He is still on the throne!

My Girls

Our Thanksgiving trip to WV was great. There were many highlights. Of course we ate great food and visited with some old friends. I watched football on TV and attended a high school playoff game (St. Albans Red Dragons going to the WV state championship game!!). But one of the best things of all was getting to spend time with family. The picture above is of my three daughters. The oldest lives in WV and we only see her occasionally, busy college student you know. I love my girls. I am so blessed!

Thankfulness

My "brood" is preparing to travel to West Virginia for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will be a great time to relax and visit with family and friends. Of course we will eat and watch football.

I am hoping we will take time to reflect on the blessings of this life as well as the wonderful grace we have experienced in Christ. We are thankful that God has so graciously provided for us, both materially and spiritually. Let's be honest, we deserve very little and by and large we are not as thankful as we ought to be, in proportion to the amount of our blessings. So, it is right to set aside time to express our thankfulness to our all compassionate God.

Here's a question: Can atheists and agnostics really celebrate Thanksgiving? I'm sure there will be many, who deny the existence of God, that will gather around a table tomorrow. To whom will they direct their thanks? Will they thank themselves for providing all they have? Will they thank "Mother Nature?" They have a real challenge there don't they?

We have a God who has provided so many blessings. For this we ought to express our thankfulness to Him. By the way, one day a year is not nearly enough.

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

Quotable Baxter - For Pastors

"In the name of God, brethren, labour to awaken your own hearts, before you go to the pulpit, that you may be fit to awaken the hearts of sinners. Remember they must be awakened or damned, and that a sleepy preacher will hardly awaken drowsy sinners." Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor

Nothing like a little Baxter to challenge you heading into the weekend!

[the picture is not Baxter's pulpit, I just thought it was kind of cool]

Forgiveness

Recently while doing some sermon prep I was rereading portions of Discipled Warriors by Dr. Chuck Lawless. In the chapter on fellowship, "Discipled Warriors Encouraging One Another," I discovered some helpful information on forgiveness (pg. 181). Since nearly all of us will experience hurt and disappointment at the hands of others during our lifetime, this information is worth sharing. It is really a series of self-questions that you may use to determine if you need to forgive someone who has hurt you.

1. Do I dwell on the pain? If so, focus on God's forgiveness of your sins (Luke 7:40-50).

2. Do I avoid dealing with the issues? If you do, in an appropriate setting, admit anger. Bringing it into the light weakens the Enemy's hold (John 8:32).

3. Do I want the offender to hurt before I forgive? If the answer is yes, determine to forgive, even if you do not feel like it. Ask God for the heart of Jesus (Luke 23:34) and Stephen (Acts 7:60).

4. Do I have physical 'symptoms' when I think about the pain? If so, ask God to give you His incomprehensible peace (Phil. 4:7).

Finally, and maybe the most telling for many of us:

5. Can I rejoice if God blesses the one who hurt me? If you can't, pray for the person (Mt. 5:44).

The premise of the book is that our churches have become weak in many areas and therefore vulnerable to the attacks of the Enemy. We are in a spiritual battle and must be equipped and ready for battle. In the issue of forgiveness, there are many church members who harbor grudges and ill feelings about others in the Body of Christ. There is simply no way those individuals will grow and be spiritually successful if they can not forgive. Furthermore, the church as a whole will suffer as a result of these internal battles.

One of the first verses I memorized in Sunday school as a child was Eph. 4:32 which challenges us: "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

Freedom is Not Free

A day late, I was working yesterday.

Answer: Rich Rodriguez

Question: Who was the only guy yelling more than I was during the WVU-Louisville game last night?

I suppose a win is a win, but it was ugly. Penalties, poor tackling and fumbles all over the field. No gloating from this Mountaineer fan. It sure would have been tough to face the congregation on Sunday if the 'Eers didn't win. I had to endure that last season. This is shaping up to be a pretty fierce rivalry. I'm afraid the basketball version may not turn out so well for the Blue & Gold.

Biblical Counseling

This post on Taylor's blog is very insightful. If you haven't seen the "Stop It!" video you will have a chance to watch it and read comments from Dr. David Powlison.

The video is hilarious. Please take no offense. I am not laughing at folks with real problems. I find humor in Newhart's portrayal of a counselor.

There is much debate among Christians about counseling. Should it be done solely using the Bible? Do pastors dare incorporate anything from secular psychological research as they seek to counsel and do "soul care?" Is there a middle ground? There is a full range of opinions among Christian scholars on all of these questions.

Dr. Eric Johnson, who was one of my professors at SBTS, has written a new book entitled "Foundations for Soul Care: A Christian Psychology Proposal." This book will certainly add valuable insight to this discussion.

Here's what I know for certain: There are a lot of folks in our churches that are broken and hurting and they need godly counsel. Every pastor will be challenged to provide counsel, support and encouragement for these people. Simply giving them a pat answer loaded with Scripture may not be sufficient in every case. Of course the Bible is our primary guide for all things, but it is not a counseling text book. The church must be proactive in the area of soul care or our folks will seek answers someplace else.

Introspection

I read several blogs. But, the ones listed on my blog roll are of course my "standards." Today I was struck by a thread that seemed to run through two of these blogs. Read Ian's page and Thad's page and see if you detect a similar theme. Maybe it's just my weird way of thinking, who knows?

While these two posts are not identical, I believe they both speak to our need for introspection. I'm not talking about merely self examination. (Navel gazing?) I am of course taking about looking at our life over against the fixed standard of the gospel and Christ.

Nearly always when I do this I am brought to a place of humility. And I find myself marveling all the more at the boundless grace of God experienced by me a wretched sinner. Try a little introspection today. Compare yourself with the "ideal" and see how you stack up.

Update: See what Mr. Spurgeon had to say today. Good stuff.

The Golden Compass

The marketing blitz for the upcoming film The Golden Compass has begun. I will not be providing an endorsement for the movie here. In fact I will recommend that if you choose to lay down your hard earned cash to see this movie that you do so with careful discernment and as much knowledge as possible.

The movie is based on a book by Philip Pullman. The book is the first among a trilogy by this author. While the movie may be well made and provide entertainment, the author is a committed atheist. He certainly is welcome to believe what he will. And, he is not in the closet about his beliefs. However, Christians ought to be concerned about two things. 1) Putting money in the pocket of someone who is clearly anti-God and anti-Christ. 2) Exposing your children (or yourselves) to a message that denies absolute truth and places man at the center of the universe. You can read for yourself some of his notions here.

Apparently the movie is a toned down version of the book in that some of the anti-Christian themes have been removed. The idea, no doubt, is that once folks see the movie many will naturally want to read the entire trilogy. Watch for these books to be readily available just in time for Christmas. No Ivy League marketing degree needed to figure that one out.

This sort of anti-religious ideology and philosophy is not shocking or surprising. Our culture is replete with it. As Christians we must be aware of the traps and schemes that are being tossed about. We ought to be able to talk about them and guard against them. I suppose it would be fine for a Christian to view this film or read the books if you wished to see the opposing view as a way to argue against it. The problem is, most average church members are not discerning enough to separate the good from the bad. This reminds me, Tim Challies has a new book coming out on the issue of spiritual discernment.

There will be a natural comparison with this movie and Narnia. The theme and the genre are apparently similar. I have only seen the trailer. But, Pullman is not a fan of C. S. Lewis at all. In fact, Pullman has said, "I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with deep and bitter passion, with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling away..."

If you are looking for a good movie to see during the holidays I'm certain there will be several to choose from. Again, I commend to you Phil Boatwright who will provide you with movie reviews from a Christian perspective. Be aware however, The Golden Compass may lead you away from your intended course.