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Month: July 2014

To Die Is Gain When To Live is Christ

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 16, 2014

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For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

These words of Paul in Philippians 1:21 are well known. Being just four words in greek, they sum up Paul’s singular pursuit of Christ. Gordon Fee writes:

“Christ”–crucified, exalted Lord, present by the Spirit, coming king; “Christ,” the one who as God “emptied himself” and as man “humbled himself”–to death on the cross–whom God has now given the name above all names (Phil. 2:6-11); “Christ,” the one for whom Paul has gladly “suffered the loss of all things” in order to “gain” him and “know” him, both is resurrection power and participation in his sufferings (3:7-11); “Christ,” the name that sums up for Paul the whole range of his new relationship with God: personal devotion, commitment, service, the gospel, ministry, communion, inspiration, everything.

For Paul, to live is in pursuit of Christ, but to die is to finally gain what he has been living for. Paul does not have a death wish, but being in prison, he understands that his life in the flesh is uncertain. He could die at the hands of the Romans. But Paul would be okay with this because he understands that death is “profit.” For Paul, “death is a glorious possession of Christ” (see Kent Hughes book on Philippians).

But death is only a gain when Christ is what we treasure. Otherwise death is a great loss. Hughes writes that according to the tabloids and celebrity magazines, “for to me to live is” to fornicate, to accumulate, to dine well. Or on a more prosaic level, “for to me to live is” to golf, to work, to garden, to travel, to watch TV, to ski–to shop ’til I drop. Of course if this be our life, then death is the loss of everything. 

When Christ is our pursuit in life, then the end of our life does not disappoint. Death is not a loss, but the gaining of Christ. Remember, Jesus plus nothing equals everything! On the other hand, everything minus Jesus equals nothing.

To die is gain only when for us, to live is Christ!

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Wave Upon Wave Of Grace

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 15, 2014

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O Lord God,

Teach me to know that grace precedes,
accompanies, and follows my salvation,
that it sustains the redeemed soul,
that not one link of its chain can ever break.

From Calvary’s cross wave upon wave of grace
reaches me,
deals with my sin,
washes me clean,
renews my heart,
strengthens my will,
draws out my affection,
kindles a flame in my soul,
rules throughout my inner man,
consecrates my every thought, word, work,
teaches me thy immeasurable love.

How great are my privileges in Christ Jesus!

Without him I stand far off, a stranger, an outcast;
in him I draw near and touch his kingly sceptre.

Without him I dare not lift up my guilty eyes;
in him I gaze upon my Father-God and Friend.

Without him I hide my lips in trembling shame;
in him I open my mouth in petition and praise.

Without him all is wrath and consuming fire;
in him all is love, and the repose of my soul.

With him is gaping hell below me, and eternal anguish;
in him its gates are barred to me by his precious blood.

Without him darkness spreads its horrors in front;
in him an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon.

Without him darkness spreads its horrors in front;
in him an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon.

Without him all within me is terror and dismay,
in him every accusation is charmed into joy and peace.

Without him all things external call for my condemnation;
in him they minister to my comfort, and are to be enjoyed with thanksgiving.

Praise be to thee for grace,
and for the unspeakable gift of Jesus.

from The Valley of Vision

 

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Are You Governed By God’s Word?

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 14, 2014

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Do we have lives that are governed by God’s Word? Or are our lives being mastered by the culture around us? Are we being transformed by the renewing of our minds? Or are we being conformed into the ways of a confused world?

Something is molding and shaping us. And it is either the truth found in God’s Word or the sinful world around us. There is no middle way.

The Psalmist writes:

Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
(Psalm 119:36-37)

The Psalmist knew of his need of the Word of God. It was God’s Word that brought blessing (119:1), purity (119:9), delight (119:24), comfort (119:50), wisdom (119:98); direction (119:105), life (119:144), and deliverance (119:153).

And yet although he knew of his dependency on God’s Word, he also understood that his heart was at times prone to wander towards “worthless things.” Therefore, he prayed that God would “turn his eyes” and “incline his heart” to that which was true and eternal.

The Psalmist did not want the pursuit of empty pleasures to obscure the ultimate treasure found in the understanding and obedience to God’s Word. He wanted to remain under the influence of the Word of God.

With so many messages coming our way through media and advertising, it is vital that we place God’s Word in front of us each day. We need to develop a plan to hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate upon God’s Word.

Why? Jerry Bridges says it best in his book The Discipline of Grace:

One thing we can be sure of: If we do not actively seek to come under the influence of God’s Word, we will come under the influence of sinful society around us. The impact of our culture with its heavy emphasis on materialism, living for one’s self, and instant gratification is simply too strong and pervasive for us not to be influenced by it.

Once again, there is no such thing as a neutral stance on the continuum of influence. We are being drawn more and more under the transforming influence of Scripture, or we are being progressively drawn into the web of an ungodly society around us. 

Discipline yourself therefore, by God’s grace, to daily expose yourself to God’s Word. Read of His mercy! Read of His holiness! Read of His love for you found in your salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ!

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good (1Peter 2:2-3).

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 10, 2014

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Blaise Pascal On A New Study Showing Men Who Rather Experience Electrical Shock Than Be Alone With Their Thoughts
The Washington Post recently summarized a recent study published in Science showing a sad but not surprising result: men would rather experience an electrical shock than to be along with his own thoughts.

How Churches Became Cruise Ships – Just as modern cruise ships have redefined the passenger shipping, today’s megachurches have redefined our understanding of ministry. And like the cruise industry, megachurches have flourished.

Forsaken Faith – Thoughts on why an astounding number of college students are abandoning their faith in Christ.

The Great Commission Means Sharing Christ’s Story, Not Yours
We interpret The Great Commission’s “Go make disciples” as “Go tell your story.” They are not the same thing.

8 Questions To Boost Your Productivity – Spend some time reflecting on these (it may take a day or two), and remember to be honest with yourself.

Evangelism At Ease – Sweaty hands and a gnawing in the stomach. Nervous thoughts that can’t sort themselves out fast enough. The all too cognitive sense that the words coming out are forced, a formula you’d rather memorize than fumble through.

Ragamuffin Official Trailer – A must-see movie about Rich Mullins and the scandalous grace of God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF7qbCTFja0

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The Gravity Of Our Sin

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 9, 2014

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The gravity of our sin must be weighed in light of the glorious holiness of God.

Let’s say you are wearing a free t-shirt and I walk up to you and squirt mustard all over your shirt. You would no doubt be a bit disgruntled. But let’s say you are wearing a new expensive dress shirt. What if I squirt mustard on that shirt?

Most likely, you would be more upset with me because of my ruining your expensive shirt than the free one. Why? Because the dress shirt was worth more than the free one. Though I committed the same act, they are viewed differently because of the value of the shirts.

Consider the words of George Smeaton, a 19th century theologian:

The guilt of the offense is proportional to the greatness, the moral excellence, and the glory of Him against whom the offense is committed, and how made us for loyal obedience to Himself. Nothing else, therefore, comes into consideration in estimating the enormity of sin but the infinite majesty, glory and claims of Him agains whom we sin. (quoted in The Transforming Power of The Gospel by Jerry Brides)

The reason our sin is so hideous is because it is against the purest being in all of the universe. Our sin is enormous because it is against the one who is preeminent.

The greatness of our sin therefore, should now cause us to marvel even more at the cross. Forgiveness from God should no longer be viewed as a small thing, but that which a holy God enacted as he took the enormity of our sin upon Himself.

Charles H. Gabriel said it best when he wrote…

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

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The Hardest Place To Pray In The World

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 8, 2014

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American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray. We are so busy that when we slow down to pray, we find it uncomfortable. We prize accomplishments, production. But prayer is nothing but talking to God. It feels useless, as if we are wasting time. Every bone in our bodeis screams, “Get to work.”

When we aren’t working, we are used to being entertained. Television, the Internet, video games, and cell phones make free time as busy as work. When we do slow down, we slip into a stupor. Exhausted by the pace of life, we veg out in front of a screen or with earplugs.

Even our church services can have that same restless energy. There is little space to be still before God. We want our money’s worth, so something should always be happening. We are uncomfortable with silence.

One of the subtlest hindrances to prayer is probably the most pervasive. In the broader culture and in our churches, we prize intellect, competency, and wealth. Because we can do life without God, praying seems nice but unnecessary. Money can do what prayer does, and it quicker and less time-consuming. Our trust in ourselves and in our talents makes us structurally independent of God. As a result, exhortations to pray don’t stick. 

-Paul Miller, A Praying Life, p. 15-16.

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Have We Forgotten How To Pray?

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 7, 2014

We have learned to organize, build institutions, publish books, insert ourselves into the media, develop evangelistic strategies, and administer discipleship programs, but we have forgotten how to pray.

Are we better at organizing than agonizing? Better at administering than interceding? Better at fellowship than fasting? Better at entertainment than worship? Better at theological articulation that spiritual adoration? Better–God help us!–at preaching than at praying?

-D.A. Carson,  A Call To Spiritual Reformation

These are some pretty tough words by Dr. Carson. I know they are not meant to be an indictment on every believer or every church, but nonetheless, they should halt us in our tracks and cause us to reflect on whether or not we really are people of prayer.

I know we know to pray. But many times our understanding of knowing to do something does not necessarily translate into action. I have personally made more commitments to have a more vital prayer life than anyone I know.

So what do we do? As I began thinking about the need for believers and churches to continue strong in prayer, I came up with a few thoughts that might be of some help and encouragement.

1. We don’t pray to get God to love us!

Our times of prayer are about getting in touch with how much God loves us rather than times of earning his love. We approach the throne of God because the Father chose Christ “to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).  We don’t approach a God who is angry with us!!!

2. We must plan to pray.

When each day are you going to set aside a few minutes to pray? You must have a time and stick to it. Let nothing interrupt this time if at all possible. I know this can be a tough thing to do, but it is critical that you MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO PRAY and that you KEEP THAT APPOINTMENT.

3. Know what to pray.

Do you have a prayer list or notebook? Are you praying for family, nonbelievers, etc…? You might consider praying through Scripture or allowing it to guide you as your pray. For example, as you read the command to “love your enemies,” pray for strength to do so.

4. Pray continually.

As you go throughout the day, make it a habit to pray for various people that come across your path or mind. Pray as you drive or walk from place to place.

5. Find a prayer partner.

When you find a partner to pray with weekly, it will not only encourage you, but also strengthen your commitment and desire to pray.

6. Don’t worry about being a  “spiritual giant.”

So many times, especially for those who start afresh in praying, we worry that we don’t pray for hours like those of Martin Luther or George Mueller. Personally, I don’t think the goal in prayer should be about a length of time, but about communing with God. So don’t beat yourself up about only spending 10 or 20 minutes in prayer.

7. Read some good books on prayer.

Two good books are A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller and It Happens After Prayer by H.B. Charles Jr.

8. Most importantly, you learn to pray by praying.

All the things mentioned above, though helpful, are not meant to be rules. J.I. Packer writes: The only rules are, stay within biblical guidelines and within those guidelines, as John Chapman puts it, “pray as you can and don’t try to pray as you can’t” (quoted from A Call To Spiritual Reformation).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Around The Web

Published by Jeff Kennon on July 3, 2014

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Why Younger Evangelicals May Feel Uneasy In A Patriotic Church Service – In my experience, I find that many younger evangelicals are turned off by ”God and country” type services. And many younger evangelical leaders in established churches find themselves in a quandary whenever July 4 rolls around.

The Danger of Coasting – I see in my own life a tendency to coast—to coast in my relationships, to coast in my pursuit of godliness, to coast in my pursuit of God himself.

How Jesus Loves, How We Change – Jesus loves life, grace and holiness into us; he loves us into covenant, loves us into heaven.

When We Best Learn The Bible –  Sound Bible study is rooted in a celebration of delayed gratification. Gaining Bible literacy requires allowing our study to have a cumulative effect — across weeks, months, years — so that the interrelation of one part of Scripture to another reveals itself slowly and gracefully, like a dust cloth slipping inch by inch from the face of a masterpiece.

Where Have All The Cultists Gone? – The first symptom we might expect of genuine American secularization would be the disappearance of cults, and a precipitous decline in activism and enthusiasm on the spiritual fringe, which is exactly what has taken place over the past two decades. … Perhaps secularization really is looming.

33 Under 33 – Meet the millennials. They are 33 and younger. They are all on Twitter. And they are bringing innovation to the wide-ranging work of the kingdom. Behold, they are doing a new thing.

What Is Hell?

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