Kevin Swanson of Generations Radio interviewed me recently about my book Unpacking Forgiveness. You can listen here.
I thought a couple of his questions (especially towards the end were some of the best I have been asked.
Monthly Archive for September, 2010
Page 2 of 5
In this post I give a summary of the Gospel. Or, here I link to some thoughts from Trevin Wax.
Steven Altrogge recently provided a very concise way to determine if you understand the Gospel. It will take you about 5 minutes to consider. Read it here.
Christians are willing to publically profess faith in Christ. I wonder if the “Bricks” would look through the below pictures. And, if you see one of the young people from our church family – - pray for him or her, and let our young people know that you are thankful for their stand for Christ.
Christ said in Matthew 10:32-33,
"So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.(Mt 10:32-33)."
Few things excite me more as a pastor, then to see our young people willing to arrive early at school, and to be seen singing, reading Scripture together, and praying, when their peers comes to school.
It is especially encouraging to see junior high boys willing to lead and take a stand for Christ. Amid all the chaos of the age, young men being prepared for leadership is so encouraging.
Watch a slideshow of more pictures below.
It is ironic that many listen to worship music that they obtained illegally.
Tim Challies:
Despite the clarity of the law, many people continue to ignore it. This is true both within the church and without. A Barna report (link) from 2004 showed that only 1 in 10 Christian teenagers believe that music piracy is morally wrong. This varied very little from the percentage of non-Christian teenagers who believe the same. I don’t think a lot has changed over the past 6 years except that more and more adults are now equally ambiguous about piracy. After all, everyone’s doing it, and when everyone does something, it is easy to think that we can do it too.
As Bob says, “Christians have a higher standard than ‘everyone’s doing it.’ Romans 13:1, Deut. 5:19, and Eph. 4:28 come to mind. While file sharing, copying CD’s for friends, and downloading music illegally is easy and attractive, it’s still wrong, despite our rationalizations.” I have been amazed in talking to friends, and young people in particular, just how little they care for copyright laws. Excuses abound: “Everyone is doing it. The music companies don’t really care. The artists say they don’t care if we download their music.” I am even more amazed when I hear young people talk about pirating Christian music (I recently spoke to a young man who had pretty well the complete Sovereign Grace music collection but it was all illegally copied). I’ve even spoken to people who laugh, saying, “You don’t want to lend me your music. I’ll just copy it.” Long before I stopped buying CDs (I now buy almost all of my music online) I stopped loaning those CDs to other people.
Sometimes it sounds very spiritual to say, “I read my Bible without consulting any other opinions.” In fact, it is unbiblical. Justin Taylor gives some quotes explaining why. Click here to read them.
If you are struggling to stop thinking about a wound – - if you are on the mental gerbil wheel – - then reading a book on forgiveness is probably not the best way to escape the turmoil. Rather, through the below suggestions enlarge your thinking about what Christ will do in the future.
On Friday, I posted that a biblical strategy to escape the mental turmoil of past wounds is to cultivate a vivid picture of the final redemptive work of Christ. (See here).
Below are some practical suggestions for cultivating a vivid picture of the final redemptive work of Christ. Notice that this list is NOT so much about reading books about forgiveness – - though there may be some good ones out there! Reading about forgiveness may only cause you to think about the wound more. Rather, absorb your mind with what Christ will do in the future!
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Memorize Scripture about what Christ will do upon his return. Rather, than choosing verses that apply to the wrong someone did to you, memorize Revelation 21 or Revelation 22. (For help with memorization, see here). Repeat to remember, and repeat to meditate. Or, memorize 2 Cor 4:16-18 or Matthew 5:1-12. Notice that the beatitudes talk in large part about what will happen in the future.
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Think creatively about what it will be like when Christ returns. Decide where you and your Christian loved ones will meet. My family is going to meet at the 5th tree on the right side of the river as we face the throne! How can you lead your family in vividly contemplating glory?
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Carefully read Jonathan Edward sermon, “The Excellency of Christ.” Reading this sermon is hard work. But, it’s worth the effort. This paragraph alone will make your heart sing.
When the saints get to heaven, they shall not merely see Christ, and have to do with him as subjects and servants with a glorious and gracious Lord and Sovereign, but Christ will entertain them as friends and brethren. This we may learn from the manner of Christ’s conversing with his disciples here on earth: though he was their Sovereign Lord, and did not refuse, but required, their supreme respect and adoration, yet he did not treat them as earthly sovereigns are wont to do their subjects. He did not keep them at an aweful distance, but all along conversed with them with the most friendly familiarity, as a father amongst a company of children, yea, as with brethren. So he did with the twelve, and so he did with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He told his disciples, that he did not call them servants, but friends, and we read of one of them that leaned on his bosom: and doubtless he will not treat his disciples with less freedom and endearment in heaven. He will not keep them at a greater distance for his being in a state of exaltation; but he will rather take them into a state of exaltation with him. This will be the improvement Christ will make of his own glory, to make his beloved friends partakers with him, to glorify them in his glory, as he says to his Father, John 17:22, 23. “And the glory which thou hast given me, have I given them, that they may be one, even as we are one I in them” etc. We are to consider, that though Christ is greatly exalted, yet he is exalted, not as a private person for himself only, but as his people’s head; he is exalted in their name, and upon their account, as the first fruits, and as representing the whole harvest. He is not exalted that he may be at a greater distance from them, but that they may be exalted with him.
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Listen to the right music. Sing with all your heart about the return of Christ. Some of you can surely suggest some great worship songs about the return of Christ.
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Read either, Mike Wittmer’s book, Heaven Is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God
or Randy Alcorn’s, Heaven
Even though I’ve previously posted this, a fair amount of flying in recent months necessitates that it be posted again.
I know – - I’m not real contemporary – - but, if I could have Steve Green sing today in our church, this song would be a perfect fit.
A sermon I gave today near Washington D.C. outlines a strategy for how people can have victory over the mental turmoil that comes from being deeply wounded.
Today (D.V.) I preached at the National Peacemakers Conference. The question I sought to address is how we can experience mental victory over the emotional turmoil that comes of being deeply wounded. (I also wrote about this in Unpacking Forgiveness).
The theological basics of forgiveness are straight-forward. We are called to forgive others as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). Living this out is often a different matter. Often we find that even when we have resolved to follow the example of Christ, it is not easy to jump off the mental gerbil wheel in which we run as fast as we can mentally without making any progress.
Most can remember a time when it was hard to stop thinking about a way they were wounded.
The central point of my sermon from Psalm 73 was that one strategy for emotional victory is to, “Cultivate a vivid picture of the final redemptive (eschatological) work of Christ.” Rather, than being absorbed in analysis of how we were hurt, we ought to occupy our minds with what the Bible teaches about the return of Christ.
I developed this point from Psalm 73. There, the Psalmist admits that when he tried to understand injustice in his own strength, he was worn out (Psalm 73:16). He was only able to experience victory over mental turmoil by understanding the final destiny of evil people (Psalm 73:16-17) and focused on the blessed hope of ultimately being received into glory (Psalm 73:24).
So, if you say to me, “I want to forgive someone, but I just can’t stop thinking about it.” Based on the teaching of Scripture, I would tell you, “Cultivate a vivid picture of the future work of Christ.”
You might say in turn – - “Well, how will this help? Why will that make any difference?” It will help in at least 3 ways.
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In cultivating a vivid picture of the final redemptive work of Christ you will be assured of justice. It is in picturing the final work of Christ that the Psalmist understands that justice will be served in God’s timing. This is a continuing theme throughout all of Scripture. We need not fret because of evildoers. God will see that it is set right (Psalm 37:1-2).
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In cultivating a vivid picture of the final redemptive work of Christ you will be motivated to be merciful. Scripture warns that those unwilling to follow God’s gracious example should fear for their souls (Matthew 18:21-35. Blessed are the merciful (Matthew 5:7). It is the peacemakers that will be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
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In cultivating a vivid picture of the final redemptive work of Christ your mind and heart will be enthralled with the beauty of God’s plan of redemption. Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far surpasses whatever trials we may face now. As Jonathan Edwards encouraged, if the disciples had access to our Lord during his first advent, how much more will we on the New Earth.
None of us can think our way through the twisted thorns of our painful pasts. We only find that our own thoughts pierce us again and again. It’s only as we focus on Christ – - particularly on what he will do when he returns that we will be so absorbed in the beauty of being in his presence on the New Earth that we will stop thinking about our wounds.
On Monday, I plan to post some very specific suggestions for how we can stop thinking about how we have been wounded. For now, reading through Psalm 73 (and also Psalm 37) is a good place to begin.
