I was reflecting on the top 5 people I would like to spend a day with (not counting Jesus, of course). Here is my list:
1) Adoniram Judson
2) Amy Carmichael
3) William Carey
4) Lottie Moon
5) Hudson Taylor
Those are my top 5, what are yours?
Month: September 2012
Confession and Repentance – pt 2
As we saw yesterday, confession is taking our repentance and allowing the church to hold us accountable so we do not continue in the same pattern of sin. So often, we forget that we have been saved into the body of Christ. Our actions, both good and bad, reflect on Christ and on the church. What we do in our personal lives is everyone else’s business.
When a person confesses their shortcomings, burdens and sins – the church is then empowered to help them and share their burden as Scripture commands. People aren’t simply to acknowledge another’s confession and say, “I’ll pray for you.” They are to act. For example, if a person was to confess not reading and studying Scripture, another brother or sister should immediately offer to spend time with them weekly in studying the Scripture together. Or, if a person was to confess they had a drinking problem, another brother who has had victory over that sin would offer to counsel, support, hold them accountable. In this way we fulfill the law of Christ.
Confession leads the church into actually living the shared life. In a later post I will answer some common objections but I leave you with this today – does your church practice a healthy discipline of confession? Why not?
Confession and Repentance – pt 1
One of the best definitions of confession I have run across was written by Dr. Richard Krejcir. He writes the following: “Repentance is before God; confession is before God, then having others hold us accountable to our faith. The distinction between confession and repentance is that confession is taking our repentance and telling someone besides God (of course you have to go to Him first and foremost!) to hold us accountable.”
This is an area of Christian discipline I find to be lacking in most people’s lives, and in the life of a church as well. Tomorrow I will continue to develop thoughts on the discipline of confession.
September Newsletter
The latest happenings this month at Ta Ethne
Hymn Devotions Day 14 – Holy, Holy, Holy!
DAY 14 – HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
What a magnificent, majestic song to sing in praise to God! Yes, all the saints do adore Him, the God of our Salvation. When we stand before the throne we will cast down our crowns at His feet, acknowledging that He and He alone is worthy of any honor. The great angels and other heavenly creatures also will bow in reverence, honor and awe before our great God.
We cannot see Him now. To witness His holy glory would destroy us. Our sinful bodies are simply not capable of withstanding His perfect presence. One day, we will have a new body and be cleansed from all sin but for now, He is hidden from our sight. Now, we see as through a glass darkly, but then we will see clearly.
At the coming of the Lord Jesus, when this present heaven and earth pass away and everything is made new, only those who belong to the Lord will inhabit the universe. All His works will praise His name. All will give Him the glory He deserves.
Every time I sing this song, I am swept up in emotion as I reflect on how wonderful and amazing God is. I sing this with all my heart and mind, praying that He takes joy in my offering to Him. Early in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon, late in the evening, all are appropriate times to ring out praise to our most holy God.
Most high and holy God, I offer to You everything I have. Nothing I am or will be is in any way a worthy gift to such a magnificent God, but all I have I give to You. You alone are worthy of praise and glory and majesty. I bow before Your glorious throne.
HOLY, HOLY HOLY by Reginald Heber
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee
Who wert and art and evermore shall be
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love and purity
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Hymn Devotions Day 13 – Amazing Grace
DAY 13 – AMAZING GRACE
I find it ironic that almost everyone sings a version of Amazing Grace. Just perusing music sites, it seems every star has released a version of this song at one time or another, even though most of those people have never experienced God’s saving grace.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.
To fear God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of His just punishment for sin. When I reflected on John 3:17-18, it made John 3:16 come alive. I was already condemned and facing eternal punishment.
And grace my fears relieved.
God’s grace, given to me when I turned my life over to His Son’s Lordship, granted to me eternal life. There is now no condemnation for I am safely in the family of God. So precious, that grace given the hour, the very second I first believed.
Upon hearing the call of God, our Shepherd, here in this world, we will experience His reality face to face in the next. His word, His promises, secures our hope for an eternity with Him in heaven.
Unless a person has experienced God’s saving grace, they really have no idea what this song is about. Far from just being a good hymn, it hammers home to us that our only hope is to be found in Christ alone.
Lord, Your grace is totally amazing. That You could extend grace and mercy to us just completely overwhelms me. You, the perfect, holy Creator of the Universe, extending grace to one such as myself, selfish, arrogant, sinful is simply … amazing.
Thank you for saving me by Your grace and extending to me the faith necessary to believe.
AMAZING GRACE by John Newton
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
Yea when this flesh and heart shall fail
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil
A life of joy and peace
The world shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun refuse to shine
But God who called me here below
Shall be forever mine
When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun
Simply. Church.
So tired of playing the church game. You know what I mean. Everyone smiles and says they are doing fine. I know better. As their pastor, I see who is hurting. This one is crippled by fear. Another is a worry wart. This guy is losing his job and his wife is scared they may lose their home. This lady is battling cancer, again. This couple desperately wants children but cannot. Another couple is concerned about their rebellious child. Still a third is separated and aren’t sure they want to reconcile.
Beginning today, our church is redoing our services. We have one simple rule – no masks. Honesty is to reign. Trust will be rebuilt. Hope restored. No fluff. No Oprah rah-rah. Simply. Church. Where we come together to worship God and lift up each other. We will spend time in confession, testimony and the Word. We will plead with God to remake our lives, our family, our church. We will ask for the Spirit’s power to cleanse and empower us to live godly lives. Because, Christ bids us to come just as we are and He loves us enough not to leave us there.
Simply. Church. I wonder why we ever got away from that.
ta ethne 