A Reforming Dad

Should a Husband be a Stay at Home Dad?

2008-11-27T20:42:00.001-05:00

That's My King

2008-07-27T23:25:00.001-04:00

I've got to get this thing going again.

2008-07-15T08:33:00.000-04:00

What a crazy summer.

The Children of Caesar

2008-05-01T21:52:00.000-04:00

I Don't Want to Be Bad

2008-04-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

The other night, Nolan(6) and Gideon(4), were making quite the rucus in their room. They had been warned numerous times to settle down. As I walked into the room for probably the third time to correct them, I began to talk with Gideon, telling him that he was behaving badly. Well, I'm not one to worry about ruining my kids self esteem. Instead I worry about their soul being damned to hell. So, I decided to speak more theologically to my boys. I told Gideon that he was bad. Gideon wasn't too happy about this, but Nolan was extremely disturbed. Nolan decided to come to his brother's defense..."No, Giddy! You're not bad, you're good!". Well, at this point I was all the more determined to really do my best to speak to my boy's hearts. I shifted to up to Nolan on the top bunk. "Yes, Nolan, Gideon is bad and so are you!", I told him. I said this all in a calm manner. Now, Gideon shifted his concern from Gideon to himself. "Nooooo!!" he wailed. I quietly explained to him that the way he was diliberately disobeying his parents, that I was very concerned for his heart. I told him that because he couldn't obey, that I had no other possible conclusion other than he was bad. This tore at his little heart. "I know" he cried. Then, he said the words that gave my heart a reason to rejoice...."I don't want to be bad". What a moment. Tears began to fill my own eyes. I gently told him that if he didn't want to be bad, then he was going to have to ask God to help him. And so we did. Then I did the same thing with Gideon, although I'm not sure his heart was affected in the same way. My heart now rejoices because this is the first time I've seen our Nolan with an aggravation toward his sin. Please pray that God will continue to draw him and bring him into His kingdom.
Now, some of you out there, may think I'm a terrible parent because I told my kid that he was bad. I feel like I would not have been a good parent if I had not told my kid about the true condition of his heart. I want our children to really understand their heart's condition. I don't want my children to make some half hearted confession of faith or to say some prayer just because that's what they are supposed to do. I want my kids to feel desperate. I want them to have a sense of God's wrath and anger toward their sin. I want them to fully see there need for a savior. This, is what I'm hoping is beginning to happen with Nolan.

I'm a divorcee and I have three more boys...(A Testimony)

2008-04-20T14:45:00.000-04:00

Some of you who know me, but don't know me well, who read this blog, may have to pick yourself off the floor now. Yes, I have told you the truth. This is a fact about myself that I don't easily share. My pride is at stake. However, I'm realizing that by hiding this fact from my casual friends, I'm not just protecting myself, I'm hiding the fact of the great saving and sanctifying power of my Savior.
You see, this life event played a major role in showing me the greatness of my sin, and in turn the greatness of my Savior. For so long, I lived a "good guy" life. I grew up in the church. I never did alcohol or cigarettes. I didn't try drugs. I didn't sleep around. I made good grades. I didn't truly see my need for a savior. However, I wouldn't have said that because I knew that was the wrong thing to say. But that was the only reason why. I won't go into all the details except to say that there was much sin leading up to and proceeding my marriage breakup. So much "big" sin in fact, that I question whether my profession of Christ at sever years old was genuine. Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter. That is because I know now without a doubt that I am saved. You see, God used all the sin I had immersed myself in to show me my sinful heart and to show me my need for Him. So, in some way, I am thankful for the Lord leading me through those days, because without them, I never would have seen my dark heart. For me, it took big sins for me to see my need for a big Savior. Yet at the same time, I wish I would have done so many things differntly and that I would have been humble enough to see my sin without having to sin so big. This era in my life still causes many difficulties and heartaches. However, we have a sovereingn God who works together all things for good, and I trust God, that Daniel, Jacob and Joseph will also see the greatness of their savior despite the frailty of their dad.

T4G thoughts

2008-04-20T14:36:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to say much except how wonderful it was to spend a couple of days just hearing, thinking and talking about the gospel. There is so much that could be said, but still three days out, I'm still trying to catch my breath. I've downloaded all of the sermons and will be listening to them again this week.

I'm at T4G

2008-04-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

I'm at the T4G conference. It's awesome.

What is the World to Me

2008-04-01T08:29:00.000-04:00

by George M. Pfefferkorn.

I visited this church this past Sunday. And they sang a hymn that I had never heard before. The tune had been re-written by this guy. The words are incredible and new tune for it was really good too.

What is the world to me,
With all its vaunted pleasure
When Thou, and Thou alone,
Lord Jesus, art my Treasure!
Thou only, dearest Lord,
My soul’s Delight shalt be;
Thou art my Peace, my Rest—
What is the world to me?

The world is like a cloud
And like a vapor fleeting,
A shadow that declines,
Swift to its end retreating.
My Jesus doth abide,
Though all things fade and flee;
My everlasting Rock—
What is the world to me?

The world seeks to be praised
And honored by the mighty,
Yet never once reflects
That they are frail and flighty.
But what I truly prize
Above all things is He,
My Jesus, He alone—
What is the world to me?

The world seeks after wealth
And all that Mammon offers,
Yet never is content
Though gold should fill it coffers.
I have a higher good,
Content with it I’ll be:
My Jesus is my Wealth—
What is the world to me?

The world is sorely grieved
Whenever it is slighted
Or when its hollow fame
And honor have been blighted.
Christ, Thy reproach I bear
Long as it pleaseth Thee;
I’m honored by my Lord—
What is the world to me?

The world with wanton pride
Exalts its sinful pleasures
And for them foolishly
Gives up the heavenly treasures.
Let others love the world
With all its vanity;
I love the Lord, my God—
What is the world to me?

The world abideth not;
Lo, like a flash ’twill vanish;
With all it gorgeous pomp
Pale death it cannot banish;
Its riches pass away,
And all its joys must flee;
But Jesus doth abide—
What is the world to me?

What is the world to me?
My Jesus is my Treasure,
My Life, my Health, my Wealth,
My Friend, my Love, my Pleasure,
My Joy, my Crown, my All,
My Bliss eternally.
Once more, then, I declare—
What is the world to me?

Walking with God by John Eldridge

2008-03-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, Tim Challies reviewed the new John Eldridge book "Walking with God". I know quite a few men that have been quite enthralled with his other writings. Personally, I think the guys is dangerous. Much of his past writing has strongly insinuated that God doesn't know the future (open theism). I'm sure most of you reading this, have either read some of his other books or know someone who has. This new book though, seems to have gone from just some pretty lousy theology to downright craziness. You can read Tim Challies review here. By the way, if you want some really good laughs, read some of the comments people have posted to his review.

Reading the Easter Story from the Jesus Storybook Bible

2008-03-23T23:12:00.001-04:00

If you don't have thisbook, you must get it. Even if you don't have kids. Today, at lunch, we read the story of Jesus' death and Ressurection from this book. At several points, my voiced shook as I read through it. What a glorious Easter Sunday we had today.

Between Two Worlds: Why (Many) Europeans Refuse to Reproduce

2008-03-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Between Two Worlds: Why (Many) Europeans Refuse to Reproduce

A Song for Sunday...Come Christians Join to Sing

2008-03-09T16:42:00.000-04:00

read what Bob Kauflin says about this song here

Lessons and Praises from My Trip to Mexico

2008-03-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, God blessed me with a quick mission trip to Mexico. I am so thankful that the Lord has bestowed this blessing on me. I would just like to share a few things that I've learned from this trip. First of all, I have a new found appreciation for full time missionaries. Though some may call what I did a "short term mission trip", I really thought of it more as just a non-glamorous vacation that included little rest and not-so great sleeping, bathing or bathroom facilities...much like my hiking trips. I was so happy to meet Steve and Robin Henry in the small village of La Poza, missonaries there now for two years. I also briefly met a single man, Chris Berger, who shares the gospel in the small fishing village of Media Luna. I was also very thankful for Chris's plush bathroom we lovingingly called "casa blanca". I learned that to live in one of these villages must at least start out being very lonely. Also, Mexican culture has a lot of temptations especially dangerous for men. I never really got to speak to Chris, but he's in my prayers. I pray that God will protect his heart and mind from the alluring temptations around him.
I also learned a few things about myself. I struggle with the sin of "fear of man". I'm so protective of myself. I'm scared of what others think of me. I noticed this very early on the trip. The very night we arived, as we were setting up our tents, I could hear several young people laughing from a distance. How crazy is this: I assumed that they were laughing at me with my headlamp on my head. They may have never seen that before, and it may have looked strange to them. Who knows what they were laughing at, but I had a twinge of self-consciousness. This sin seems to be something that is so difficult for me to shake. My actions and behavior quite often stems from what others think of me. I'm slow to share my faith with others because I don't want them to think I'm a nut. I hide my shameful history from my friends, because I want them to think well of me. All of this is a mockery to my Jesus who saved me. By being so fearful of what people think of me, it tells other's that I'm a much better guy than I am. Why am I so afraid to let my frailty show? I know that if I were to confess my weaknesses and sins, that I could also show the greatness of my Savior. Lord, help me to not be fearful of men.
Another thing I learned this weekend as I have on a few other occasions in the past is how satisfying it is to be around like minded believers. Did we all agree 100% on every single issue? Probably not, but where there was disageement, there was understanding or a desire to understand, and those issues were extremely minute. We did all agree on how we each were saved by God's sovereign grace and quite often we relished in our salvations. We also used our understanding of our salvation in how we shared our faith with those we met. This was absolutely refreshing and such a breath of fresh air. Three of the fellows, Rick, Michael and Irian, I had never met before, but I now feel like we have been friends for years. Isn't it great when that happens?
So, now what happens. I can't get the place out of my mind. I love being home with my family, and even while I was there attempting to minister, I really was excited about getting home with my family. I have to go back though. I have no idea where this new passion of mine is going to mean for the future. For now, we'll just take it one trip at a time and see where the Lord leads. Like Aaron, I'm a dreamer. I have so many ideas for our little village of Centenario. But none of this will happen overnight. I'm already looking forward to seeing my new friends again for a few days in June and I hope to take my brother with me (although I'm not sure I'll be able to get him back home, because he will love this place). Please pray that the seeds that we've planted will bring about a great harvest and most of all, that He will be glorified!

Prom Praise

2008-02-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

This was held at Royal Albert Hall in London. It's coming back this April. Anyone want to go to London? I absolutely love this.

Vote for the 2008 Desiring God Conference topic!

2008-02-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

Opinion Polls & Market Research

A Song for Sunday...Oh to See the Dawn

2008-02-10T23:02:00.000-05:00

By Stuard Townend
We've sang this the last couple years at the Desiring God conference. I love it. The last couple of verses are extremely powerful.

18-1.

2008-02-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

All is right in the world now. That's all I'll say.

Thoughts on Super Bowl XLII

2008-02-02T19:42:00.000-05:00

by C.J. Mahaney

This is an absolutely excellent post on C.J. Mahaney's new blog concerning tomorrow's Super Bowl. Included are some excellent tips for viewing the game:

We’ve come to the third and final question in our series of most common questions I’m asked. The first question was “What books on the cross of Christ have affected you the most?” The second, “As a charismatic/continuationist, what books would you recommend on the person and work of the Holy Spirit?”

Finally, we arrive at the third:

“C.J., how do you know so much about sports?”

Okay, I admit this is not a question I get often (maybe never). But I know that my friends secretly harbor this question deep in their hearts. And I know my friends also admire my athletic abilities (but that will need to wait for another post).

Because of my vast knowledge of sports, this blog has an obligation to publish a public service announcement to prepare blog readers for the impending Super Bowl.

O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D

First, let me make clear the Super Bowl is the most overrated sporting event in the history of all sports dating back to the very first Olympics. The NFL thinks so highly of itself, the Super Bowl is assigned Roman numerals.

Read the rest here.

You Know How that Happens, Don't You?

2008-01-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

A while back, my wife and I announced that were are expecting our fifth child. With each of the last 3 pregancies, I've had numerous people ask me, "You know how that happens, don't you?" This question is all meant in fun, but if you get to the root of it, it sounds as if the questioner is wondering if we should be having another baby. I'm sure my friends don't mean it that way, but the question appears ask "why aren't you preventing this?", as if having a child is some sort of curse. For me, this will be my eighth child (3 from a previous marriage), so of course some of my well meaning friends think I'm nuts. To many of us men who have been affected by the world's mentality, children are a curse. I plan on posting more of this some other day.
So, for now, I'm trying to come up with a good witty reply to those who ask me that dreaded question, "You you how that happens, don't you?". Here are my replies:
10. Yeah, I know how...shame on me!
9. I know what you mean! My life is just going to be ruined!
8. You mean I could have prevented this?
7. I remember some lesson in my 9th grade health class had something to do with it.
6. No, my parents never had "that talk" with me.
5. Yes, but those things make me itch.
4. Yeah, I know how, but my wife doesn't.
3. Are you going to tell me?
2. How what happens?
1. Yes, I do know, and it is a lot of fun!

A Song for Sunday....Grace Unmeasured

2008-01-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

by Bob Kauflin
This is the song that I read the words to at my Grandfather's memorial service. It can be found on this cd.

Verse 1
Grace unmeasured, vast and free
That knew me from eternity
That called me out before my birth
To bring You glory on this earth
Grace amazing, pure and deep
That saw me in my misery
That took my curse and owned my blame
So I could bear Your righteous name

Chorus

Grace paid for my sinsAnd brought me to life
Grace clothes me with powerTo do what is right
Grace will lead me to heavenWhere I’ll see Your face
And never cease To thank You for Your grace

Verse 2
Grace abounding, strong and true
That makes me long to be like You
That turns me from my selfish pride
To love the cross on which You died
Grace unending all my days
You’ll give me strength to run this race
And when my years on earth are through
The praise will all belong to You

The Sovereignty of God

2008-01-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

John Piper....Never, Never, Never

2008-01-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

A Song for Sunday....From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable

2008-01-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

by Stuart Townend

A few months ago, I purchased Stuart Townend's CD entitlted The Best of Stuart Townend Live. It is incredible and has only been out of my CD player a few times. You can buy it here.
This is one of my favorite songs on the cd.

From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable

From the squalor of a borrowed stable
By the Spirit and a virgin's faith;
To the anguish and the shame of scandal
Came the Saviour of the human race!
But the skies were filled with the praise of heaven,
Shepherds listen as the angels tell
Of the Gift of God come down to man
At the dawning of Immanuel.

King of heaven now the Friend of sinners,
Humble servant in the Father's hands,
Filled with power and the Holy Spirit,
Filled with mercy for the broken man.
Yes, He walked my road and He felt my pain,
Joys and sorrows that I know so well;
Yet His righteous steps give me hope again -
I will follow my Immanuel!

Through the kisses of a friend's betrayal,
He was lifted on a cruel cross;
He was punished for a world's transgressions,
He was suffering to save the lost.
He fights for breath, He fights for me,
Loosing sinners from the claims of hell;
And with a shout our souls are free -
Death defeated by Immanuel!

Now He's standing in the place of honour,
Crowned with glory on the highest throne,
Interceding for His own belovèd
Till His Father calls to bring them home!
Then the skies will part as the trumpet sounds
Hope of heaven or the fear of hell;
But the Bride will run to her Lover's arms,
Giving glory to Immanuel!

The Necessity and Danger of Apologetics

2008-01-17T07:50:00.000-05:00

For practical purposes, in this discussion, I'm going to define Apologetics as the verbal defense of the Christian faith. I understand that in a much broader sense, the way we live our life is a way of showing that God is who he said he is and is an apologetic, but in this discussion, I want to discuss the verbal aspect of communicating the gospel, since the spoken Word is vital in new believers coming to faith.
Last night, I heard a kind professor point out that many of his students can't defend their Christian faith to him, and they often call their pastors to come and go after him. I believe one of the biggest problems in the church today is a lack of desire to be able to defend our faith. I remember many years ago, being in a small group setting where someone said, "in sharing our faith, we don't need to worry about knowing the answers, we just need to show them Jesus". Although, I can appreciate the spirit in what this person said, I believe that many in the church are just down right lazy in believing that if they just live their life properly, then people will come to Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 says:

always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Does that mean that a believer will have an answer to every single question that an unbeliever might throw at them? Of course not. However, I believe that that many if not most believers don't love God's word enough to feel the need to study and defend it. To many, that job is for the seminarians and academics. This is sad and more pastors and churches need to be urging their people to study and search out answers to the tough questions.
Now, for most of you reading my blog (I know who you are!), up until this point, I'm assuming that you are agreeing with me. I'm probably preaching to the choir. However, let me now talk about what may offend you. I believe to those of us who think apologetics is important, we need to be careful to not give it too much importance. Apologetics can easily become a form of idolatry. There are three ways I think this Idolatry can manifest itself.
One way I've seen apologetics idolatry manifest itself is that the apologist actually starts to believe that a persons salvation is contingent upon logic. It seems that quite often the apologist begins to believe that if his argument is good enough, then the unbeliever will get saved. This is not meant to downplay the importance of logic, but we need to remember that logic is primarily an instrument of the mind. I do affirm that part of the sanctification process is a renewal of the mind (Romans 12:1), however the key to salvation is receiving a new heart and we need to remember that God is the only one who can grant a new heart. I've seen plenty of unbelievers that have no issues with our message, and it even makes logical sense to them, however, their hearts still remain unchanged. They understand who God is and what Christ has done, yet they don't value God. They need a heart change. And this is where I think we need to be very careful. Yes, we need to be ready with answers, but we also need to fall on our knees and plead with the Lord to change the hard heart. Instead, the apologist often spends his too much of his time looking for a logical answer and for a way to convince the unbeliever. We need to realize that we are only an instrument, and yes we need to be prepared, but it is God alone that wins a man to Himself.
Another way that apologetics idolatry manifests itself is that it becomes an academic endeavor rather than an endeavor to bring glory to God. To the unbeliever, our apologetic efforts often (or should I say "usually"?), appear to be an attempt to show how smart we are and how stupid the atheist is. And I would also say, that is probably usually the goal of the atheist debating the Christian. In participating in apologetic debate, we need to be careful to make sure that our motives are to bring glory to God, and not to win an argument. There just seems to be such a fine line there. To the Christian apologist, his motives may truly be to bring glory to God, but despite his best efforts, it can appear to the unbelievers that he is just trying to make his opponent look foolish (even though his opponent probably is!). Too often though, the Christian apologist becomes too focused on winning the debate rather than his words and attitude bringing glory to God. If our apologetic endeavors have any motivation rooted in winning the debate, then it is idolatry. May our debate be filled with grace and may our loved for lost people be evident in our speech.
Finally, too often a witty apologetic is trusted more than our prayers. None of us would say that, but our actions speak louder. The wise apologist, would spend an equal time praying for the Lord to change hardened hearts as he would studying to come up with good answers. We need to be praying for lost souls.
Some of you reading this, may be attending or participating in an upcoming debate at our local university. I plead with each of you, that we begin to pray now for the lost souls who will be attending. Let us pray that the words spoken by our side, be words used of the Lord to change the hardend hearts. Let us pray that our words will be full of grace. Let us resolve that no one in attendance leave, believing that we are trying to win an argument but rather let them leave saying "Their God is marvelous!". Let our apologetic efforts not become a form of idolatry and let us repent of ways that it has become idolatrous.

You’re In The Fight of “Their” Lives

2008-01-16T14:18:00.000-05:00

My good friend, Reggie, has an excellent article that is a must read for all parents:

In The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins writes, “Isn’t it always a form of child abuse to label children as possessors of beliefs that they are too young to have thought about?”

In our generation, it isn’t enough for 21st century atheists to live their own lives without a divine compass. Acknowledging impotence in the fight to re-educate adults, modern atheists have now turned their sights on the next generation, separating children from their parent’s belief system and worldview. And you’d probably be amazed at some of the things they’re saying. Here’s a sampling to let you know that you are in the fight of your life for your children’s lives.

Read the whole article here

Making His Name Known in Mexico

2008-01-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

Over the last couple of years, my job has taken me to a couple of citys that are close to our country's border with Mexico. On every occassion, I've taken the opportunity to walk across the bridge in order to do grab some souveniers to take home to my family. I've always been struck by the poverty I've seen and I've been burdened for the true Gospel to be presented to the people there. This past September, the last time I was there, by God's providence, my job circumstances brought me into contact with a mission organization in southwest Texas. Upon hearing that we were believers, they volunteered to take us on a one day mission trip across the border. Of course I saw a massive amount of poverty.
One of the big concerns about ministry in Mexico is what appears to me to be a quick hurried through gospel presentation with the goal of getting as many people possible to raise their hands or come forward. Also, the prosperity gospel message is being taught. With many of the preachers and pastors, there seems to be a fascination with the charasmatic gifts at the expense of a fascination of the miracle of spiritual re-birth.
Well, one I came back home, I kept thinking about how I wish I could do something to help spread a passion for God and His Word in Mexico. Although the people with the organization I went with were nice, I had some concerns. So, just out of curiosity sake, I decided to just start searching the internet. It didn't take long to find this blog. I began to read and it seemed as if this guy had been doing some mission work right in the same area I had been, and it seemed as though we both were very like minded on how the ministry should be carried out. I sent him an email. He sent one back. Back and forth it went several times. Then we found out that we both were going to be attending the Desiring God conference! So, just a couple weeks later, we met. So, now we are planning on working together in Mexcio..long term. I plan on going down at the end of February and spending a few days working with my new friend, Aaron and others. You can read all about what we will be doing here If anyone would like to go along or help finance the trip (it costs about $600) to go, let me know! I'm hoping that my friend Charlie can go.

'Give Us a Shot': N.C. Church Hands Out Shot Glasses at Bars

2008-01-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

This AP article was sent to me by my friend Teana:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To get people to attend his new church campus, Robbie McLaughlin is sending his message out to where the people are.

Next Friday, staffers from Next Level Church of Matthews will go to bars in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte to hand out shot glasses which ask patrons to "give us a shot" and bear the slogan, "Real church for real people."

The idea is to draw people to the Ballantyne campus, which opens next month.

McLaughlin is the pastor, and said he is confident that it will be controversial, but he said the goal is not necessarily to impress people who already go to church. He said it's to impress people who don't.

Next Level is a nontraditional church that encourages members to dress casually and snack on coffee and doughnuts during services.

McLaughlin said the idea has caught on, and in two years, the church has grown from a handful of members to more than 700.

I have so many problems with this philosophy of church growth for several reasons...and none of them have anything to do with the practice of going into bars to evangelize.

First of all, church isn't something that we should be asking people to "give a shot". The church should be something we should be asking the world to commit to. After all, the church is the body of Christ. I think Mr. McLaughlin should read this book.
Secondly, a church's goal should not be to impress those those who don't go to church. It's goal should be to impress God! When a non-believer enters our fellowship, there should be a level of discomfort because those around him are worshipping a holy God, and that unbeliever is not holy! There should be some measure of conviction. This does not mean we don't welcome the unbeliever into our church and attempt to make him feel welcome. We should be pursuing proper friendships with those who frequent bars, but we aren't bringing these people closer to Christ by bringing them to a church that tells them that church is all about themselves. I shudder to think about how many false converts these methods bring into the church.

Why We MUST Present the Gospel Clearly to our Children

2008-01-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

Purgatorio is Back!!!

2008-01-10T21:23:00.000-05:00

I spoke with Marc Heinrich, the author of this blog at the Desiring God conference and begged him to bring his blog back. After a year's hiatus, I just discovered that he's been back for a few days! You all will greatly enjoy this blog! This is the best news I've seen all week!

Football or Christ?

2008-01-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

Africa Center for Apologetic Research

2008-01-07T22:52:00.000-05:00

My friend Jeremy told me about these people. Pray for John Divito and his family as they seek to establish the establish the Africa Center for Apologetics. Check out the ACFAR website. With all of the false gospels being taught in Africa, I believe this ministry is EXTREMELY important and worth checking out.

Missing Hiker's Body Found

2008-01-07T22:23:00.000-05:00

For the last week, I've been following the story of, Meredith Emerson...a hiker who was hiking on or near the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. I just found out about an hour ago that her body has been found. It is obviously a murder since the prime suspect, Gary Hilton lead authorities to her body this evening. This brings many sad thoughts to mind. I love the Appalachian Trail, and I've hiked right there before. The typical AT hiker is peace-loving and we all try to look out for each other. My heart is broken not only for this hurting family, but also for my AT hiking family. I pray that this terrible situation will be used of the Lord to point many of my AT friends to Christ.

While watching the sad news conference on Fox news, Shannon mentioned that she couldn't imagine ever being able to murder another person. Yeah, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be Gary Hilton either. However, one sobering fact is that if were not for God's restraining hand, that I would not only be like Gary Hilton, but worse. Thank you Lord for your grace!

My Steelers Lose

2008-01-06T14:39:00.000-05:00

Those who know me well, know that I'm a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Last night, the Steelers played what turned out to be their last game of the year. They lost their playoff game to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a great game. The Steelers were down by 18 in the 4th quarter but ended up coming back to take the lead . However they ended up giving up a field goal in the last minute of the game which resulted in them losing the game. I went from feeling miserable because they were getting killed, to ecstatic as they made up the largest 4th quarter deficit in playoff history, only to be crushed at the end again. As I went to bed sad, I couldn't help but keep thinking of certain plays that changed the game. I also was frustrated because there were several really bad calls by the officials that had an effect on the game's outcome. What made this all the more miserable was having to endure this while my wife, a New England Patriots fan, watched with me. She didn't have to say much but she gave me several looks that that felt very mocking. Folks, it's difficult being married into a family that roots for one of your teams arch rivals, but things are even worse when there team is in the midst of completing an unbeaten season.

I had planned originally to post something here along the lines on how a christian man should keeps sports in their proper perspective. Upon getting this far along into the post, I'm realizing that I'm not at all qualified to do this. I fail at this. I'm saddened that I don't get excited about evangelism as I do about a football game. I'm saddened that my heart is not as broken for the lost as it is when my team loses a critical game. People are on their way to hell, and I go to bed all sad because my team lost a game! Forgive me, Lord. Forgive me.

More on my Grandfather...

2007-12-28T21:43:00.000-05:00

Over the last few weeks since my grandfather's death. I've been shocked about some of the great things I've learned about him. I always knew Grandpa was a humble man...he never talked much about his time in Africa, other than about some of the great animal stories (lions, crocodiles and snakes, in particular). He never really said much about his ministry. Grandpa and Grandma (who passed away last April), were missionaries in both Sudan and Ethiopia to the the Nuer (pronounced "Nooair). I knew that they helped run a medical clinic, grew fruits and vegetables and generally did what we would consider now days as pioneer mission work. Until today however, I wasn't aware of how succesful his mission work was. Today, I received this email from a couple of pastors in Ethiopia. I've done a little bit of editing in order to make it a little more understandable to American readers:

We have heard that Charles Jordan has gone to the Lord three weeks ago. We know that you might have been in difficult time in remembering his good rest and celebrating the Lord’s birth. We did not hear it on time. However; we want to assure you that father Jordan his now with the Lord. He had completed the tasks that God assigned him to do on the earth. Jordan and his family were the founders of the Nuer Christian faith in Ethiopia. It had been tremendous job that God had assisted them to accomplish. His good rest is not difficult to you alone but also to those of us Charles Jordan and his family brought the Good News. But we know that Charles Jordan and his wife will meet us some time in Heaven because we all are guests on this earth. He has rested and he is now with the Lord Jesus Christ.

He and his wife started a small Congregation at Adura late in 1961 at mission station and that Congregation had grown up to 142 Congregations in Ethiopia Nuer with a total membership of 68,872. He was the first Pastor ordained for the Nuer in Ethiopa and now there are 48 pastors working for the Nuer Congregations. They have achieved their goals in accomplishing the tasks they were given by God. In Roman Chapter 14: 8 says “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” This is a very important message to all of us.

As we remember the good rest of Charles Jordan, we as the Congregation in Gambella celebrated Charles Jordan’s good rest on Saturday December 22, 2007, where 1500 people attended the service dedicated to Charles Jordan’s good work in Nuer Congregations. The Congregation reflected upon his work in Adura and many who knew Charles Jordan particularly the first converts Nuer Christians spoke about good work of Charles Jordan and his family. Everything was remembered for them. In that meeting, collecting was made and it was decided to raise fund for Jordan remembrance. The Congregations decided to raise fund in order to do something for Jordan’s remembrance. The final decision will be made in Synod executive meeting that will take place at Matar (one of the Presbyteries in Wanthao) in February 2008. We will let you know about it. We want to encourage you to help us in prayer that this vision will be reality. The Congregation s said that Jordan had challenged their lives and want to remember him.

We just want to tell you that we are with you and would like to assure you that Jordan is now with the Lord in this season of the year.

Please send us pictures of Jordan if any when you come down here.

Thank

James Gatdet & Rev. Matthew

Family Worship and Unattentive Children

2007-12-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Ligon Duncan has given some great advice for family worship, especially to young families over on A Cross Centered Blog:

The TSS mailbag is filled with excellent questions from readers. One such question comes from Phil, a man striving for a consistent family worship schedule despite an unattentive little child. What to do? Dr. J. Ligon Duncan has written about family worship and so I passed the question along to him for his advice. He kindly responded with this excellent perspective:

My own answer is you start family worship as soon as possible, as soon as one is
married, and continue it after children come along, no matter how young the
children are (and the younger the better). The point is not for the youngest
children to be able to comprehend (or even to sit still during it!). The point
is impress upon them, by paternal example the priority of God and his word in
all of life. Read the whole thing here

My Kids are Disgusting!!....

2007-12-24T11:32:00.000-05:00

.....at least 3 of them are. I just finished watching Nolan, Gideon and Haddon have graham crackers for lunch. They were dipping them in ranch dressing and enjoying it!

Interview with CJ Mahaney on Biblical Manhood

2007-12-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

This comes from the Sovereign Grace Ministries website:

At a recent regional conference of Sovereign Grace churches, Steve Shank interviewed C.J. Mahaney about biblical masculinity. Questions covered topics such as…
What counsel do you have for young men facing peer pressure and temptation? What does it mean to be a young man in the making?
How can fathers train their sons in godliness?
How do you make sure you are growing as a man?
How can men develop friendships characterized by honesty, accountability, and encouragement?
Download MP3 (right-click and select “Save Target As” or “Save Link As”)

More Difficulties with Family Worship

2007-12-04T14:52:00.001-05:00

Confession time. I'm ashamed to admit that quite often I just feel too tired (or maybe it's lazy), to engage with my kids in a quality time of family devotions. I think I've made "quiet time" (the time when mom and dad finally have some peace and quiet) an idol. So often, I just rush through it to get it done, or worse yet, just skip it altogether because things have just been too hectic. Also, it just seems sometimes like it's a war, just to keep everyone quiet and sitting down. Lord, please forgive me. I know that I so often go into this time with a "just get it done" attitude. What does this teach my children about the importance of spending time with God? The crazy thing is when I don't approach it in this way, I walk away being so blessed. It's amazing how much more the boys pay attention when they can see that I'm not rushing through it in an aggravated state of mind.
This month we are using Noel Piper's advent calendar as a devotional tool for our boys. I would link to it, but I know that they are sold out this year and I think they are looking into a re-design for next year. Each evening, up through Christmas morning, the boys will take turns putting a figure on the calendar.

Charles Jordan, 1917-2007

2007-12-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

Today, a legend died--my Grandfather. Why do I call him a legend you ask? Well here's why: The guy spent 25 years in Sudan and Ethiopia as a missionary. I don't know every single one of the details of everything he did over there. But I do know that many of the believers over there know who he is. Besides that, a few years ago, I ran into a lady who knew him while he lived here in Tennessee. She told me that she has never known anyone to have such an incredible prayer life. Upon thinking back on it myself, I believe the guy may have spent 5 hours per day in his prayer journal. The rest of the day, he spent in his garden. Grandpa was a gardener like no one I have ever known. In his early retirement years, he had a garden that was probably an acre in size, and he grew every vegetable that has ever been known to man and probably a few that no one has ever heard of.
Grandpa was also loved the local church. He was an elder in one of our local PCA churches for many years. He was always involved in church activities in one way or another.
Grandpa was a sinner saved by grace. Later in his life, he privately shared with me some of his downfalls when I had gone through some great downfalls of my own. His sharing these things with me, gave me great hope in my savior's forgiveness and his desire to work through sinful and broken people. For that, I am most thankful. He will be missed greatly.

Building Bridges

2007-11-28T19:39:00.000-05:00

The last few days for me have been absolutely exhausting but such a blessing. I've been attending the Building Bridges- Southern Baptists and Calvinism conference in Ridgecrest, NC. I was so happy that my friend Mark from Atlanta was able to join me. In order to save some $$, we decided to drive back to my home in Johnson City, TN every evening. This ended up being about an 1-1/2 hour drive each way. Overall, I think the conference was very helpful in uniting Southern Baptists with different theological views. My favorite speech's/sermons were given by Jeff Noblit, Nathan Finn, Tom Ascol, and Daniel Akin. I was really disappointed that Voddie Baucham couldn't make it, but he was replaced by Don Whitney (whom I'm sure was good but I left to go home early because I wasn't feeling to well). You can listen to the conference messages here.

I Think this is Hillarious!

2007-11-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

Compliments of TBNN

The Difficulties of Family Worship

2007-11-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

Last year, my wife and I had a conversation with our pastor and his wife concerning doing devotions with our children. I confessed that I was really having a tough time with getting to get the kids to pay attention. Noticing that they had successfully reared godly children, we asked how they did family devotions. I was somewhat surprised to hear how difficult it had been for them too. I was relieved. Up until recently, family devotions has been a nightmare. It seemed that they related devotions with bedtime. They knew that once I started reading a Bible story, that the end was coming and they were having to go to bed. So, I'm not sure if it was bed they were protesting to or the devotions time. Anyway, I sadly confess there have been times where I've gone weeks without doing anything. I'm so sad to admit this. I totally failed in leading my family spiritually. This is a lousy excuse, but sometimes it just seemed more stressful than it was worth. Yeah, that's a terrible excuse. Anyway, things have changed over the last few weeks. I'm not sure why, but there are a few things we are doing differently and we have implemented some very helpful resources. The kids still whine some but things have become much more manageable. So, for you dads out there that struggle with this, you aren't alone. But I want you to know that this is still something we must take a hold of and do for our children. In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing some more thoughts and ideas on how to lead our family in a special worship time on a regular basis.

Manna in the Morning

2007-11-13T23:57:00.000-05:00

by Tim Challies
This article by Tim Challies really convicted me on how I often slide into trusting myself to provide for my family. This was such a convicting article. I still need so much more reforming.

Have you ever stopped to ponder what it might have been like for the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness, knowing that each day they would completely exhaust their food supply? Have you thought what it would be like knowing that they would go to bed with no food, but that the next day their supplies would be fully and miraculously replenished? It is an interesting, thought, really, and one that is worth considering.
In the Wilderness
Imagine that you are an Israelite father or mother and that you have three or four young children depending on you. Imagine putting these children to bed in the evening, knowing that there is not a bit of food to be found anywhere in your tent. Just to be sure, you wander over to the fridge and open it up. The glare from the light shows nothing but the glistening white of the inside of the Kenmore. There is nothing on any of the shelves; nothing in any of the drawers. There isn’t even a mostly-empty jar of relish left over from when you made burgers a few weeks earlier. There isn’t a clove of garlic or an old stick of butter. There is nothing. You close the door and open the freezer and as you wave your hand to brush aside the mist, you see that every corner of the freezer is empty. You turn to the nearby pantry and, looking high and low, see that there is not a bag, not a box, not a jar to be found. You have no food. Nothing.
As you tuck your daughter into bed that night, she says, “Daddy, what will we eat for breakfast tomorrow?” And with utter sincerity and utter confidence you say, “God will provide.” And, despite the bare cupboards and the empty fridge, you are able to go to sleep that night with full confidence that there will be food for you the next day. When you wake in the morning, you unlock the tent door, step outside, and see the world around covered in food like frost on a cold morning. You are able to quickly and easily collect enough food for the day, and can head inside knowing that the children will have all the food they need that day. As you nuke their mannapancakes, you whisper a prayer of gratitude that God provided again. Yet again.
But you also know that God has provided for only that day. The manna that lay on the ground was not enough for today and tomorrow. As the sun rises in a few minutes, the manna will melt into the ground and be gone. God has not provided for a week or a month or a quarter—He has provided for only one day at a time. You have heard of people who doubted God’s providence and hoarded manna, packing it into Tupperware and stuffing it into the deepest recesses of their fridges, freezers, and cupboards. But when they took it out and tried to eat it, they found it was rotten and disgusting, crawling with worms and smelling worse than sandaled feet in a hot desert. You know that as day fades into night, and as you prepare the evening meal, you’ll find that you have just enough manna to eat, and that as you close your eyes in sleep, you’ll lie in peace, knowing that God will provide again tomorrow. But only for tomorrow.
God knows better than to give manna for a month. If He did that, you know that you would soon forget about your reliance on Him. For twenty nine days you would forget what it was like to lay down at night with your only confidence being in God’s provision. Instead you would lay down knowing that the cupboard was stuffed full of manna. And you would forget about God, at least until the end of the month came around. Perhaps then you would begin to call out to Him again and begin to beseech His provision. You know the lesson God wants you to learn.
I’ve often wondered how the faith of the Israelites could ever waver. I’m sure you’ve wondered the same. How could the Israelites constantly turn against God despite all He had done and all they had witnessed. They had seen God do miraculous deeds in leading them out of Egypt. They had seen His hand time and time again as they made their way toward the promised land. And every morning God delivered food, food that was abundant and delicious. Every day He gave them what they needed for the day, and asked them to trust that He would do the same tomorrow. Never did He let them down and never did He give them cause to doubt His providence. But they did. They doubted His motives, they doubted His ability and they doubted His sincerity.
Unchanging Promises
God’s promise to provide has not changed. God still promises that He will provide and He still promises to provide only for today. Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:25, 34). And yet there are times when we still find ourselves paralyzed with fear, looking into the future and seeing not God’s strength, but our own weakness; we looking forward and see our inability rather than God’s power. But God still promises manna in the morning—He promises that He will take care of our needs.
There was a time in my life, just a few years ago, when money was tight. It was tight enough that Aileen and I often really doubted that we would be able to pay our rent and car payments. Some days we didn’t even know how we would be able to buy groceries. I would often wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, my heart pounding, wondering how I would scrape together enough money to keep us in our house. I would sometimes sit down with a pen and piece of paper and try to plot out the next few months—this was the money we anticipated spending and this was the amount I thought I would bring in between then and now. Rarely were these exercises any sort of comfort. More often than not they would increase my despair, leaving me to conclude that there was nothing I could do—we would lose our car and be forced to move.
But that never happened. There was always manna in the morning. God always provided, though only one day at a time. And he has continued to do so. I don’t remember the last time I woke up in the night with my heart pounding, panicked at the thought of the bills lying on my desk. It’s not that we have become wealthy or that our bills have decreased. Rather, God has helped me to understand that He has promised manna in the morning. When I am tempted to worry, I need only look to His promises and then to look to the past where I can see His hand of provision, day after day after day. He has always given manna in the morning and I have confidence that he will do so again tomorrow.

Mexico Praise Report

2007-11-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

This has nothing to do with being a dad..which is something I will be doing on occasion. I just read my friend Aaron's blog. We are exploring some ways of partnering to reach the lost people in Mexico. Just this past weekend, he took a group into a small village where they have been on several other occasions. The good news is that he is reporting that the Lord has used them to bring two new converts into His kingdom. This is such good news to me and my heart just leaped for joy when I saw this news. I'm am so overjoyed because I know that this brother is very serious about not presenting a "cheap grace" type of gospel and he is very careful in presenting a gospel that talks about God's wrath toward sin. He takes much care to not preach a "sugar coated" gospel. I would really encourage you to go over and read his blog so you can rejoice and pray for the people in Mexico.

Battle with Gideon

2007-11-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not speaking of the Bible character. I'm speaking of that cute little guy holding the lollipop in the banner up above. One of the toughest things about being a dad is being persistent in disciplining your children in a consistent manner without compromise. Last night, before dinner time, my precious little Gideon refused to pick up some toys when daddy asked him to. I won't go into all the details, but we basically had a battle of wills that ended with a little boy missing his dinner and going to bed with very sore buttocks. During this whole "ordeal", I was tempted several times to just let him go, knowing that he would calm down if I allowed him to just do what he wanted to do. That terrible shrieking and crying was about to get on my last nerve. Yet, I knew that if I did not carry it completely through, that it would be a most unloving thing for me to allow my son to do. The ordeal probably lasted about 30 minutes although it felt like hours. My friends, I don't know about you, but when this shrieking and incessant screaming goes on for more than about 2 minutes, I feel like I'm losing my mind. The other temptation I deal with in these situations is to act out of anger. So, here are some suggestions I'm going to come up with on how to prevent this:

1) Before beginning any discipline, pray and ask the Lord for wisdom on how to handle
the situation.

2) Remind yourself of the ways in which the Lord disciplines you! He is kind and
slow to anger.

3) Predetermine that you will not back down no matter how bad things are going to get
and how long proper behavior will be achieved.

4) Examine your heart. Why are you disciplining? Is it because the child is annonying
you or is it because the child is participating in sinful behavior (this is a big
one for me).

Let's give this a shot

2007-11-10T10:28:00.000-05:00

Well, here's my first post. I'm hoping to primarily use this as a place where I can honestly share with the world, my struggles and desires to be a godly father to my kids and a faithful husband to my wife. In this, I not only want to share any insight I may have into fatherhood, but I want to be frank and honest in areas where I feel like I struggle greatly. You're invited to come along for the ride!