Thursday, October 29, 2009

Why Orphan Sunday?

Sunday, November 8 is Orphan Sunday. So, why preach about orphans instead of how to be happy with your job or how to achieve the maximum potential in your relationships? Because there are around 143 million children in the world right now that will go to bed tonight without a mother’s kiss or a father’s hug. Because it is not good that there are so many fatherless children in our world. Because the church will face God’s judgment if it turns a blind eye to the orphans.

The most important reason that we will spend these two weeks addressing the orphan is because God has a heart for the orphan and He has commanded that His people share His compassion for them. Consider the following verses as you prayerfully consider whether or not you share God’s compassion towards the fatherless.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5

Helpful Resources

http://www.orphansunday.org/; http://www.loving-shepherd.com/; http://www.irvingbible.org/index.php?id=1448/; http://lifesongfororphans.org/; http://www.togetherforadoption.org/; http://www.cryoftheorphan.org/display.asp?Page=Home; http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/06/26/orphan-care-and-the-great-commission-resurgence/; http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/10/05/together-for-adoption-interview/; “The Manliness of Adoption: Testosterone and Pure Religion”, sermon preached by David Prince at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, http://www.ashlandbaptistchurch.org/aabc/_files/media//6-21-09am.mp3

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Make-Up, Gold Pianos and the Great Commission

I'm asking for your money.  No, I'm not starting my own television ministry and no I'm not making my wife paint her hair blond or her face purple.  But yes, I am asking for your money and your time.

Recently, we got word that many missionaries with the IMB will be receiving drastic cuts in their pay.  For a while we have been hearing about missionaries who are either not able to go out or who must go home because of a lack of funds.  Global economic crisis or not, this news should unsettle us.  If we are not the ones who are going to take the gospel to the nations, we must be the ones who are giving sacrificially so that the gospel can go to the nations.  Times are tight but we are still rich.  Let's use our riches to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others will repent and enjoy eternal life.

I'm asking you to give but not to me.  The best way to give right now is to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.  All of the profits for our Run for the Moon 5k Run/Walk go to the Lottie Moon offering.  You can find out how to get involved by clicking on the News and Information link at towaligabaptistchurch.net.  This is a great way to participate both physically and financially.  If, for whatever reason, you are not able to participate in Run for the Moon, give to Lottie Moon anyway.  It doesn't have to be through Towaliga Baptist Church.  If you belong to another church, ask your pastor for details on how you can help keep missionaries at their post.

When you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, you can give confidently that your money is not going to buy a gold piano or to pay the light bill at some celebrity preacher's mansion.  Instead, your sacrificial giving will be in full compliance with Christ's command to make disciples of all nations.  

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What's In Your Heart?

"Have you ever considered why there are no accounts of Jesus slamming a door in angry frustration or inflicting the 'silent treatment' on someone who hurt him?  Why didn't Jesus get irritated or bitter or hostile?  The simple but astounding answer is that when his engine was heated by circumstances, what was in his heart came out: love, mercy compassion, kindness.  Christ didn't respond sinfully to the circumstances in his life - even an undeserved, humiliating, torturous death - because the engine of his heart was pure.  What was in his heart spilled over.  It was love!"

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Architecture and the Gospel (Exodus 24-31; 35-40)

This Sunday morning we will continue through the book of Exodus. Here are the introductory notes, devotions, resources and songs that I hope will help to prepare your heart.

EXODUS

October 18, 2009

Architecture and the Gospel

Exodus 24-31; 35-40

We live in quite a therapeutic age. People look for comfort, emotional well-being and hope from pills, self-help gurus and even entertainment. This has caused our culture to become increasingly self-centered. The question, “What does this have to do with me?” has, in essence, become the cry of our times.

The “what does this have to do with me?” question is a terrible place to start when it comes to reading the Bible. When you read passages like Exodus 24-31 with this kind of a mindset, you’re done before you even get started. It wont take you long to conclude that bread tables and candle stands have no impact on your life so you’ll quickly shut down the Bible reading portion of your day in favor of something that really matters to you – who’s getting voted off of “Dancing with the Stars”.

This is tragic. When we allow ourselves to become the center of all things, whether we mean to or not, we will always move away from the Bible. However, when we prayerfully read God’s word with anticipation of what the text has to do with Him, we begin to see the beauty of passages that once seemed obscure. My prayer is that we will all look at this account of the building of the tabernacle with God’s glory and plan for redemption on our hearts. When we do that we’ll begin to see that what we’re reading has everything to do with us.

Questions to Consider

1. What does this passage say about the character of God?

2. What does this passage say about the impact of my sin?

3. What does this passage say about the work of Jesus Christ?


W Works Cited and Helpful Resources

From Age to Age, Mathison; According to Plan, Goldsworthy; ESV Study Bible, Crossway; Words from the Fire, Mohler

PERSONAL AND FAMILY DEVOTIONS

Verses, passages and even books of the Bible do not stand by themselves. They are all linked under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to magnify Jesus Christ. This week’s passages help us to see the parallel between the tabernacle and the saving work of Christ as it is presented in the New Testament.

Monday

Hebrews 9:11-22

Tuesday

Hebrews 9:23-28

Wednesday

Hebrews 10:1-10

Thursday

Hebrews 10:11-18

Friday

Hebrews 4:14-16

Saturday

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Sunday

John 1:14-18


SONG OF WORSHIP

Holy, Holy, Holy

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, blessèd 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 was, and is, 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, blessèd Trinity!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Prediction

Georgia 31
Tennessee 3

Mark it down.

Great New Children's Book

One of my responsibilities as a parent is to teach my boys that they are not the center of the universe.  This is a difficult task because since Adam and Eve, we all enter into the world thinking that it's all about us.  I have never taught my boys to say "Mine!" while storming off to hide a favorite toy from one of the other kids they are playing with.  They do this because they are born into sin just like their daddy (Psalm 51, Romans 1-2).  

So as my wife and I try to steer our boys away from their sinful selfish desires, it's good to find resources that help us.  Fool Moon Rising is one of those.  Through excellent artwork and efficient storytelling, the authors show how the moon is nothing without the sun.  This is infinitely more helpful than books full of mirrors that only tend to feed our selfish cravings.

Whether we're kids or adults, we need to be reminded that we are not the center of the universe.  Before there was ever such a thing as the universe, God existed.  He has always existed in the perfect, harmonious fellowship of the Trinity.  God created us, not to somehow fill a void He had, but rather to glorify Himself.  To live for anything short of God's glory is simply foolish.