The Family that Worships Together
11 years ago
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Confidence in Christ through Surrender
What an explosive passage in Philippians 1 following with verse 6 and through 11. Paul assures the Philipian church that he is convinced that God will continue to bring the church into maturity in Him.
It is God who began the work in them and respectively, us, at the day of repentance and it is God through Christ who will prove Himself faithful.
This is God's end of the deal. We are not the ones to mold ourselves into Christ's likeness but it is Him who does this miraculous work. Our end of the deal is simply this: Surrender.
When we obediently surrender our lives to Him, He is loosed in our lives to mature us and to mold us and even at times, to break us as He sees fit. To a non-believer who has not experienced the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, this will sound insane and perhaps make no logical sense whatsoever, but to the child of the Father who is submitted to the will of God and has experienced His hand upon their lives, the mystery has become reality.
In the victories, storms and tragedies of our lives our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ stands firm, filling us with the fruit of righteousness to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1: 11)
-John
It is God who began the work in them and respectively, us, at the day of repentance and it is God through Christ who will prove Himself faithful.
This is God's end of the deal. We are not the ones to mold ourselves into Christ's likeness but it is Him who does this miraculous work. Our end of the deal is simply this: Surrender.
When we obediently surrender our lives to Him, He is loosed in our lives to mature us and to mold us and even at times, to break us as He sees fit. To a non-believer who has not experienced the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, this will sound insane and perhaps make no logical sense whatsoever, but to the child of the Father who is submitted to the will of God and has experienced His hand upon their lives, the mystery has become reality.
In the victories, storms and tragedies of our lives our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ stands firm, filling us with the fruit of righteousness to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1: 11)
-John
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Part-One of a Series called “First-Choice Worship: Preferences”
Good Questions
What is revival? What is this idea of renewal? Are these concepts that are more rightly founded in the attempts of man to appease God or are they indeed the moving of the Holy Spirit of God to regenerate or rejuvenate our hearts to a place of freshness in our relationship to Him? My pastor has frequently mentioned from the pulpit that we should always ask good questions in order to get good answers. These are Good questions; where do we get good answers?
Do you want to know how to get God to pay attention to you? Peruse the shelves of the religious section of any typical bookstore or for that matter any Christian bookstore and you will see a surplus of “how-to” and “how-come” books enlightening us to the means and techniques of bringing the Holy Spirit down on our lives, ministries or plans. If reading a book is not your style, then click and listen to a podcast and you’re off and running again tackling the giants and keeping at bay, monsters that lurk ready to pounce. Well, isn’t that true? Is this not where many of us begin? I have to confess my first point of contact is all too often GOOGLE®.
Okay, I am convinced God uses media of all kinds to reveal to us some of the insights and mysteries of His Word; He does this through men and women authors and teachers, whom as servants, have poured through His Word and have shared with you and me what the Holy Spirit has revealed to them much the way a pastor does from the pulpit. I am equally assured that God has inspired a great deal of these works to His Glory and our benefit. But where do these books and podcasts, and sermons lie in our arsenal of defense? Is this a backdoor approach to the throne of God? What does God’s desire?
Likewise, we can maintain that whatever method we choose to serve and worship God should be satisfactory as long as it is from the heart: Classic, modern, time-tested, cutting-edge, old, new, traditional, high-tech- what really makes God smile? Another good question.
Respectfully, allow me to jog your memory back to a sermon-series our pastor preached well over a year ago: Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” I am redolent of verse 12 earlier in that same chapter: And finally in the eleventh chapter, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” “…And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6
Bill Gaither asserts in his gospel song: “Where could I go but to the Lord? " Clearly our first line of defense is God Himself. We can access God in our time of need through the doorway by which He Himself has provided to us: His Word – The Bible! We approach His throne boldly because our confidence is in what Christ has done to allow that access. The more we discover who He is the more we realize it’s not what we’ve done.
So begs this question, as long as we get to God, who cares when and how we get there in the first place? Indeed we serve a God of second and many times multiple chances. He is patient and long suffering in a way we just do not grasp. Yet we also serve a God who has so much more He can and will do in and through us once we surrender to Him. So here is a really good question: “When will we surrender?” “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”. Isaiah 41:10.
-John Martinez
What is revival? What is this idea of renewal? Are these concepts that are more rightly founded in the attempts of man to appease God or are they indeed the moving of the Holy Spirit of God to regenerate or rejuvenate our hearts to a place of freshness in our relationship to Him? My pastor has frequently mentioned from the pulpit that we should always ask good questions in order to get good answers. These are Good questions; where do we get good answers?
Do you want to know how to get God to pay attention to you? Peruse the shelves of the religious section of any typical bookstore or for that matter any Christian bookstore and you will see a surplus of “how-to” and “how-come” books enlightening us to the means and techniques of bringing the Holy Spirit down on our lives, ministries or plans. If reading a book is not your style, then click and listen to a podcast and you’re off and running again tackling the giants and keeping at bay, monsters that lurk ready to pounce. Well, isn’t that true? Is this not where many of us begin? I have to confess my first point of contact is all too often GOOGLE®.
Okay, I am convinced God uses media of all kinds to reveal to us some of the insights and mysteries of His Word; He does this through men and women authors and teachers, whom as servants, have poured through His Word and have shared with you and me what the Holy Spirit has revealed to them much the way a pastor does from the pulpit. I am equally assured that God has inspired a great deal of these works to His Glory and our benefit. But where do these books and podcasts, and sermons lie in our arsenal of defense? Is this a backdoor approach to the throne of God? What does God’s desire?
Likewise, we can maintain that whatever method we choose to serve and worship God should be satisfactory as long as it is from the heart: Classic, modern, time-tested, cutting-edge, old, new, traditional, high-tech- what really makes God smile? Another good question.
Respectfully, allow me to jog your memory back to a sermon-series our pastor preached well over a year ago: Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” I am redolent of verse 12 earlier in that same chapter: And finally in the eleventh chapter, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” “…And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6
Bill Gaither asserts in his gospel song: “Where could I go but to the Lord? " Clearly our first line of defense is God Himself. We can access God in our time of need through the doorway by which He Himself has provided to us: His Word – The Bible! We approach His throne boldly because our confidence is in what Christ has done to allow that access. The more we discover who He is the more we realize it’s not what we’ve done.
So begs this question, as long as we get to God, who cares when and how we get there in the first place? Indeed we serve a God of second and many times multiple chances. He is patient and long suffering in a way we just do not grasp. Yet we also serve a God who has so much more He can and will do in and through us once we surrender to Him. So here is a really good question: “When will we surrender?” “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”. Isaiah 41:10.
-John Martinez
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What's your Opinion?
I recently read this article by a man named Clint Brown; Are you willing to share your opinion?
Thanks.
-John
One thing that dominates the thinking of most of our brethren today is the drive for church growth. Many books have been written over the past few years in an effort to "enlighten" us on how to increase the numbers in our congregations. The books give insight into the social circumstances and felt-needs of the people around us and set forth methods of evangelism that promise to "bring in the big numbers." They tell us that in order for our churches to grow we must have such things as: (1) a preacher who has a dynamic personality and who is a "motivator," (2) a dynamic, inspirational song leader, (3) a warm, tolerant, accepting, "no questions asked" environment, and so on.
I'm sure these "church growth experts" have spent many hours researching the attitudes and aims of the people around us, but I have a question: Where do these "experts" get the idea that we should seek the increase of the church anyway? "The Bible," you say. That's right! So you mean that God gives us the obligation to seek the growth of His kingdom, but fails to instruct us in how that is to be accomplished? The truth is, the only way to fulfill this duty is by the ways God has set out in His word. So how do the findings of the "church growth experts" compare with God's view of church growth?
We are to be gospel centered, not entertainment centered. When we seek to accommodate the "felt needs" of people, the first thing to go out the window is the pure gospel. We are to meet the real needs of the people, not their felt needs and the true gospel is the only cure (Rom. 1:16; Jn. 8:32). People today seek entertainment centered religion in order to satisfy their carnal appetites. They look for churches that offer sporting and recreational activities with a "fun" environment for the kids. They go "church hunting" rather than "truth hunting" and wind up hearing a weak message from the pulpit that doesn't meet their greatest need – the salvation of the soul. Meeting the "felt needs" of the people may increase our attendance role but it certainly won't fill the Lamb's Book of Life.
We are to be Christ centered, not self-centered. At the heart of the "church growth" fallacy is a deeper problem. When we bypass the instructions of God in order to increase our number, we are seeking our own glory, not God's. If we truly love Him we will keep His commandments (Jn. 14:21). This involves preaching the Word and not accommodating the "itching ears" of the society around us (II Tim. 4:2-5). A so-called "no questions asked" environment is not in the best interest of the lost soul, nor the glory of Christ.
We are to be quality centered, not quantity centered. There's certainly nothing wrong with a concern for the numerical growth of the church. However, the Bible teaches that our emphasis should center on quality, while God takes care of the quantity (I Cor. 3:5-6). Paul and Apollos were merely ministers of the truth while God gave the numerical increase. They certainly didn't stress the need to be "dynamic or inspirational motivators" in their ministries as our present "experts" stress. Rather, Paul taught the exact opposite. His preaching was not with excellence of speech or persuasive words of human wisdom (I Cor. 2:1-4). That kind of method was a mark of the false teachers (Col. 2:4, 8, 23). The only way to truly increase quantitatively is to preach qualitatively.
We would do well to consider what God's word says concerning "church growth." Instead of placing such emphasis in the wisdom of men, we should let God "give the increase" (I Cor. 3:6).
Thanks.
-John
One thing that dominates the thinking of most of our brethren today is the drive for church growth. Many books have been written over the past few years in an effort to "enlighten" us on how to increase the numbers in our congregations. The books give insight into the social circumstances and felt-needs of the people around us and set forth methods of evangelism that promise to "bring in the big numbers." They tell us that in order for our churches to grow we must have such things as: (1) a preacher who has a dynamic personality and who is a "motivator," (2) a dynamic, inspirational song leader, (3) a warm, tolerant, accepting, "no questions asked" environment, and so on.
I'm sure these "church growth experts" have spent many hours researching the attitudes and aims of the people around us, but I have a question: Where do these "experts" get the idea that we should seek the increase of the church anyway? "The Bible," you say. That's right! So you mean that God gives us the obligation to seek the growth of His kingdom, but fails to instruct us in how that is to be accomplished? The truth is, the only way to fulfill this duty is by the ways God has set out in His word. So how do the findings of the "church growth experts" compare with God's view of church growth?
We are to be gospel centered, not entertainment centered. When we seek to accommodate the "felt needs" of people, the first thing to go out the window is the pure gospel. We are to meet the real needs of the people, not their felt needs and the true gospel is the only cure (Rom. 1:16; Jn. 8:32). People today seek entertainment centered religion in order to satisfy their carnal appetites. They look for churches that offer sporting and recreational activities with a "fun" environment for the kids. They go "church hunting" rather than "truth hunting" and wind up hearing a weak message from the pulpit that doesn't meet their greatest need – the salvation of the soul. Meeting the "felt needs" of the people may increase our attendance role but it certainly won't fill the Lamb's Book of Life.
We are to be Christ centered, not self-centered. At the heart of the "church growth" fallacy is a deeper problem. When we bypass the instructions of God in order to increase our number, we are seeking our own glory, not God's. If we truly love Him we will keep His commandments (Jn. 14:21). This involves preaching the Word and not accommodating the "itching ears" of the society around us (II Tim. 4:2-5). A so-called "no questions asked" environment is not in the best interest of the lost soul, nor the glory of Christ.
We are to be quality centered, not quantity centered. There's certainly nothing wrong with a concern for the numerical growth of the church. However, the Bible teaches that our emphasis should center on quality, while God takes care of the quantity (I Cor. 3:5-6). Paul and Apollos were merely ministers of the truth while God gave the numerical increase. They certainly didn't stress the need to be "dynamic or inspirational motivators" in their ministries as our present "experts" stress. Rather, Paul taught the exact opposite. His preaching was not with excellence of speech or persuasive words of human wisdom (I Cor. 2:1-4). That kind of method was a mark of the false teachers (Col. 2:4, 8, 23). The only way to truly increase quantitatively is to preach qualitatively.
We would do well to consider what God's word says concerning "church growth." Instead of placing such emphasis in the wisdom of men, we should let God "give the increase" (I Cor. 3:6).
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