The Power of the Key

Recently, Pastor Sean led our ministry through the Pilgrim's Progress.  I was less than enthusiastic at first, but came to realize the value of John Bunyan's finest work.  My thoughts have been drifting to Christian and Hopeful's stay at Doubting Castle.  After being captured by Giant Despair, they were imprisoned, mercilessly beaten, tempted to suicide, and threatened with death.  Having encouraged his prisoners to kill themselves, Giant Despair returns to find them alive and resistant to his suggestion.  He then shows them the skeletal remains of previous victims, exits the dungeon in a fit of rage, and vows to return at sunrise and finish what he had started.  During the evening, Christian and Hopeful discussed their options, facing certain death.  Finally, about midnight, they began to pray.  In fact, they prayed almost until morning!  At this time Christian remembers the "key of promise" he had in his pocket.  Their means of escape lie hidden on his person the entire time!  Had he only remembered the "key of promise" sooner, they could have escaped Doubting Castle, forgoing the tortures of their nefarious captor.  The key unlocked the door to the dungeon, as well as any and every door needing opened on their way to freedom.  Oh how Christian abused himself over his forgetfulness.

The message is unmistakably clear.  As Christians we possess the promises of God which release us from doubt and despair to experience the joyous freedom of the Pilgrim life!  Yet two forms of unbelief hinder our use of these promises:  Prayerlessness and forgetfulness.  More to come.....

The Able Word

God is the original heart surgeon. He alone can do surgery that no one else can do -- He can make a dead heart alive! His primary tool is His Word. James describes God's Word as

"...the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)

James could not make it more obvious that we are not our own source of truth! Truth comes from outside us. Seeking answers from within, from our own heart, is the epitome of foolishness because man's heart is shackled in sin. Even once unfettered our hearts tend to drift toward sin. Is it any wonder, then, that faithfulness to God's Word, that is, the daily pursuit of Christ in His Word, is so difficult? In his commentary on James 1:21, John Calvin writes,

"It (the phrase 'which is able to save') is then a sharp goad to chastise our idleness, when he says that the word which we are wont to hear so negligently, is the means of our salvation...for James speaks of the word which by faith penetrates into the hearts of men..." (p. 296)

Regarding our desire for the Word of God, Peter writes,

"...like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation..." (1 Peter 2:2)

The Word of God is His primary instrument for making us like Christ. This very knowledge should motivate us to pursue Him, knowing His Word. It will not penetrate into our hearts if it doesn't grace our eyes! Sadly, many of us would rather sleep or be entertained. When will we learn that the dirty cisterns of self-indulgence will NEVER satisfy? Surely Proverbs 6:9-11 applies not only to the physical world, but also to the realm of the spiritual:

"How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest" -- your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man." (Proverbs 6:9-11)

Surely our spiritual sloth has swayed us to sleep! Awake, O Sleeper! Take hold of the Sword of the Spirit and know The Sovereign who died to perfect you, His wayward bride! Let not the business of this world, nor its tiresome trappings, nor its mesmerizing entertainment breed spiritual slackness!

In order to assist your longing for the pure milk of God's Word, please listen to the following message by Steve Lawson entitled, Blessed Purity, from the 2009 Resolved Conference.

A Decent Proposal

I had the unspeakable privilege of witnessing a proposal unlike any other, save one. A young man in our church asked a young woman in our church to spend the rest of her life with him! While most people might consider the proposal a private moment, this young man chose to share it with some friends. The young lady was surprised and overjoyed!

The two had known each other for over a decade, waiting for God to unfold His plan. The road and driveway were lined with candles, casting an intimate ambiance on the evening. As she slowly navigated the driveway, her mind was submerged in wonder and awe. She curiously exited her vehicle in utter amazement. Petals peppered the gravel drive as she cautiously perambulated toward him. He waited patiently in a petal-outlined heart, excitement coursing through his veins, beckoning her to join him. She stood before him as he knelt, proclaiming his love, asking for her hand in marriage! The proposal was eighteen months in the making, forever etched in their (and our) hearts and minds. In order to complete this significant milestone, the timeless classic “I Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Lovewagon filled the evening air.

While this proposal was amazing, it pales in comparison to God’s proposal to His elect. This young lady loves this young man, but as unbelieving sinners, we hate God, the result of being dead in our sins. In His glorious mercy He changed our hearts so that we could, and would, love Him! Loving God is the result of being made alive in Christ.

What a change! He reversed our disposition toward Him, and His disposition towards us, one hundred and eighty degrees! We did not look within ourselves or to any external source outside of the Triune God. God imputed the wrath and punishment we had earned to His Perfect Son, the second Person of the Trinity. God Himself suffered and died for our sins so that we could be His Bride!

God’s proposal to us is our salvation. Unlike human marriage propositions, His include the means necessary to say ‘yes’. When He asks us to be His Bride forever, He gives us the ability to answer - faith. Our faith in Christ, given to us by God, is the ‘yes’ of the bride-to-be.

With the proposal completed, the engagement has begun. No engagement is complete without signifying the commitment. Our tradition is a diamond engagement ring. But God gives us His Holy Spirit; that is, He gives us Himself! He is the guarantee of our eternal union with Him. The Holy Spirit is our engagement ring! If He gives us Himself as a down payment, imagine what heaven will be like!

During our engagement, we eagerly await the Wedding Day! When that day comes, we will be ready to be united with the Bridegroom. But currently, we are not ready. We are in need of perfecting. The Lord has left us here, giving us trials for the purpose of perfecting us. He has not left us alone. He has given us His Spirit, the One who completes us through trials. Once perfected, we will be ready to meet Him! When we do, He will ensure that His Bride is eternally united with Him!

What a beautiful story! In eternity past The Eternal God purposed to create a perfect Bride for His Perfect Son. When His creation rebelled, He acted to atone for the sin of the Bride. The Bridegroom sacrificed His life for His Bride. Emulating His example, Christian men are to sacrifice their lives for their bride and family. This is the very promise God made to us at salvation. It is the promise this young man made to his soon-to-be-bride.

Dominion Taking

Now this is what I call taking dominion! You can read more here.

Baby Pictures

There has been some debate as to who Phoebe Elizabeth resembles. Any ideas?

Hannah Grace

From TruThseeker

Benjamin Martin

From TruThseeker

Phoebe Elizabeth

From Phoebe Elizabeth

Well, one thing is for certain, there is some resemblance between these two:

From TruThseeker

Both have cool glasses! Phoebe reminds me of the fly. She would definitely be my daughter; but that is another story.

De Ja Vu

We recently had a new birth in our family. Phoebe Elizabeth was born on February 13, 2009. Being 20 days early, we were concerned about a variety of complications. Monday's doctor's appointment seemed promising. Her weight was down but she was figuring out how to nurse. Wednesday's appointment resulted in a a slightly different ending. Phoebe's jaundice level was at 24. The high range is between 20 and 30. In extreme cases, high jaundice levels can lead to brain damage, but Phoebe's condition was caught in plenty of time. However, she was dehydrated so the nurses had problems inserting the IV. Consequently, they had to insert the IV in her scalp. It kind of looks like a tierra from this angle. She is quite the trooper! Normally, when bilirubin levels are as high as Phoebe's, lethargy is prominent. However, my daughter was quite vocal when poked and prodded. In fact, when I first came into her room, one woman was holding down one hand while another man was holding her legs! I was excited to see such spirit in my young one! Of course, that could mean that she is going to be a very spirited and angry young lady. However, I would rather try to steer a running horse than try to motivate a dead one.
While the IV in the scalp looks horrible, it really is not that bad. The nurse simply added a lot of tape to ensure my little fighter would not pull it out. Phoebe barely made a peep when the nurse stuck her.

Our family is no stranger to the NICU. Benjamin's first two weeks of life were spent with wires and tubes and fluorescent lights. You can relive his progress on one of my first blogs. It was actually encouraging to reread that blog, thinking of all of the work the Lord has done in our family. Ben was fighting for his life that first weekend. Christ Jesus was gracious to give him more than simply those first two weeks. I still remember the first time Bek was able to hold and feed him. Now my little sword-fighting, car-loving man is three and a half! What a gift from God! Hannah had a much easier beginning and is just as much of a blessing! I have enjoyed rehashing some of the memories via the plethora of pictures we have stored.

Finally Finished!

While I was at the 09SR, my wife called to tell me something important. She said that something had arrived in the mail. To my excitement it was the fruition of close to sixteen years of work. Now you might be thinking that sixteen years of study would produce a doctorate. However, such is not the case! While I had originally planned to finish my civil engineering degree in about five years, The Lord had other plans! After driving me to my knees with a mist of undisciplined poverty, He demonstrated my total lack of understanding. Education, ironically, played an instrumental role helping me recognize my need for Jesus Christ! To make a long story short, one enlistment, a family, and two children later, The Lord God has blessed me with a Bachelor's of Science in Business with an emphasis in Management and Leadership! As you can see, this is no normal B.S. My B.S. has emphasis! After finishing the sixteen year plan, it should emphasize something. As I take dominion over the specific area of responsibility The Lord has given, it is comforting to know He will use this B.S. for His glory!

Regardless of the degree, we are all just beggars seeking grace. My personal trek through academia has served to explicitly illustrate this truth. All of the supposed wisdom of man can do nothing to change the heart. God alone can make the spiritually dead alive! He does so for the glory of His Name! May His Name be praised forever!