Letters From Ohio

I haven't blogged in a while and for those of you who continually bug me about it, I am sorry. I hit a point since moving to Ohio where I was pretty depressed and unmotivated. I think it was a lot of things...being homesick, the financial stress of paying a mortgage back in DE and my living costs here in Ohio. I spoke to a friend on the phone a few weeks ago and he told me that the 6 month mark is just about right on schedule for people who move to new areas deal with a little depression. Well, I guess I am typical.


Thanks to those of you who have been praying for me, it helped a lot. The last several weeks have been much better. I think I am starting to get into a rhythm out here. I also have some renters coming on for the condo back home. Good news, some of the financial strain is lifting. It’s funny, in many ways when I accepting this position I thought it would be a financial benefit, but then the market didn't help. God is obviously teaching me to trust Him and to make some hard decisions about financial matters.

Great news, I believe that I have found a church. If you’re interested you can check them out here. Now that I have made that decision, I need to get involved. It’s been far too long since I have had any real regular fellowship with the body. The quick visits home I made during the summer were great to get me thru this period, but it is no substitute for regular weekly involvement with God's people. I also made the decision this week to go ahead and join their choir. I need to be serving God in this way. It’s been too long. I am going thru music depravation. To quote Tomlin, "How can I keep from singing your praise".

So that’s the news from Ohio, I promise to do better with this blogging thing. I really want to.

Snakes.......Why Did It Have To Be Snakes??

Last Sunday my quest to find a church home took me to another church in the greater Columbus area. As with the last visit, this church also had a "The Church at....." type of name, but it was sort of the nick name of a local campus of a larger Lutheran church. This church has three campuses and they all seem to be doing very well. The service I attended had two options in two different areas of the building. They had a traditional contemporary service (circa early 90's style) in the main sanctuary, and then they had a more contemporary service in their family life center. I was very impressed with the way they administratively pulled this off. So in short here is my assessment......its a candidate.

The worship band was good, but the service wasn't just about the music. Being Lutheran in denomination it was impressive how they combined the traditions of the lutheran liturgy with new musical styles. They used technology, but it wasn't flashy or in your face. It was a tool. Then the sermon was preached. I was very happy so far.

Now to explain the title of this post. My blog is syndicated to a few other places on the web, and on one of those sites a friend of mine made a joke about the title. He knows that I HATE snakes and he knows that I have a certain disdain for churches where things like snake handling happen. He made this joke on my last post the day before I visited this Lutheran church. How funny when the sermon I received on this visit was preached on Numbers 21:4-9. For those of you who don't have a bible handy....

The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, [a] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

I really didn't think back to my friends joke until the pastor threw a picture of Indiana Jones in the snake pit from Raiders of the Lost Ark up on the screen. I almost laughed out loud. It was awesome. The best part was that the pastor actually presented the gospel. I was so happy. So this church is on my list as a possible place to hang my hat, or at least to visit more frequently. This week I wasn't really feeling well and so I watched my old church online and got a little homesick.

This is the actual picture he used.

A Pilgrims Progress - Some Thoughts on Talkative

As I have shared before, I am reading A Pilgrims Progress. It is skillfully and wonderfully written and has caused me to see some things in new light. Below is a piece of the story.

At this point, Christian and Faithful have come upon a man named Talkative. Talkative desired conversation about edifying things about God and Salvation. During the conversation Faithful was convinced that they had come across a brother and fellow pilgrim on the journey to Zion. That is until Christian advised him that he knew the man from his days in the town of destruction and that he was not what he seemed. Faithful decides to steer the conversation in the direction of what saving faith is really all about. Here is part of Talkative's answer and then Faithfull’s response.

TALKATIVE. Great knowledge of gospel mysteries.

FAITHFUL. This sign should have been first; but first or last, it isalso false; for knowledge, great knowledge, may be obtained in themysteries of the gospel, and yet no work of grace in the soul. [1Cor. 13] Yea, if a man have all knowledge, he may yet be nothing, and so consequently be no child of God. When Christ said, "Do youknow all these things?" and the disciples had answered, Yes; headdeth, "Blessed are ye if ye do them." He doth not lay the blessingin the knowing of them, but in the doing of them. For there isa knowledge that is not attended with doing: He that knoweth hismasters will, and doeth it not. A man may know like an angel, andyet be no Christian, therefore your sign of it is not true. Indeed,to know is a thing that pleaseth talkers and boasters, but to do isthat which pleaseth God. Not that the heart can be good ithoutknowledge; for without that, the heart is naught. There is,therefore, knowledge and knowledge. Knowledge that resteth in the bare speculation of things; and knowledge that is accompanied withthe grace of faith and love; which puts a man upon doing even thewill of God from the heart: the first of these will serve thetalker; but without the other the true Christian is not content."Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shallobserve it with my whole heart." [Ps. 119:34]

TALKATIVE. You lie at the catch again; this is not for edification.

FAITHFUL. Well, if you please, propound another sign how this work of grace discovereth itself where it is.

TALKATIVE. Not I, for I see we shall not agree.

This exchange has reminded me that although there are those in the visible church who have great knowledge of the gospel message, they are not actually Christians. I work with the teens in my church. Many of them have been raised in the church and they know more about the Bible than some pastors of other churches (the liberal ones….ha ha). Anyway, when you strip it all away it is just what knowledge. To paraphrase John MacArthur, hey haven’t made Jesus Lord. They aren’t living out there faith in fear and trembling and that leads me to believe that they have no faith……just knowledge.

This goes way beyond the teens I know. I feel that there are adults in my life where this may be the same thing. Is this judgmental….a little I guess, but the passage above reminds me that these conversations need to be had. We need to talk to those in our lives about such things to either help them strengthen their faith or to understand where they are so we know how to best interact (read: evangelize) with them. Of course all of this should be wrapped in respect and love, and we are not to walk around quizzing everyone like some crazed all knowing super spiritual Christian. We are to look for the opportunity and enter the conversation wisely.

Interestingly, the answer Talkative gives is very familiar. Is this what we are afraid of? To disagree? Something to think about.

Again, I highly recommend reading Pilgrims Progress. It looks daunting, but I read it in small chunks. There is a site called dailylit.com. You can go there and sign up for free and every day (or every other day) or once a week they will send you an email with part of the book. It usually takes me 5 minutes to really read and digest what they have sent. These books are all out of copyright so it is perfectly legal to read them for free this way. Check it out.

Nothing But The Blood

I am preparing to lead worship this week at my church. Its always hard to put together a worship order. I have so many songs to choose from, and I want to craft a service that will lead the congregation to worhsip in spirit and truth. I want it to please the Lord. While listening to another song with the same name as the below posted song, I remembered this one. Its old and I googled it. Just read and reflect.

Nothing But the Blood
Words and music by Robert Lowry.
Public Domain.


What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

chorus:
O! Precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow,
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(chorus)

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(chorus)

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(chorus)

Remembering Who Is The Boss in 2007

Its New Years Eve. The night each year when ordinary people think about the future and how to change it. I'm not talking about a science fiction story or a visit to the psychic friends, I am talking about the very real sense in which we dream about the year to come. Dream? Absolutely, we dream. We dream about how to change things. We dream about our hopes and our fears and our triumphs. The interesting thing is that the roads leading to these dreams are the reflections of our past. We look back at all our decisions, some good and some bad. We see the mistakes and missteps, and the successes and the victories. This is a necessary activity because we learn from experience as well as from being taught.

Wouldn't it be easier if we could just be told what is right, and then we would act on it? It would, but we can't. Its not in our nature to submit to the authority and knowledge of another and especially God. We see this in Genesis when Adam and Eve were told what to do, and they made the decision to not “go with the sure thing.” They decided that they knew what was better. They backed the wrong horse as the saying goes. Satan sat there and fed them lies and they chose to do their own thing. “No thanks God, we got a great thing going here, but we could be like you so we'll see you on our terms.” Dumb.

Now I look back at my life and see all the ways in which I jumped at what I wanted to hear, or what I concocted in my own reckoning was right. I've made mistakes, and I've been selfish. I've made the mistake of being a truth unto myself. Dumb.
Here are some of my favorite Proverbs that remind me that my knowledge is insufficient to the task of running my own life.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22

Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.
Proverbs 8:14 (I added the emphasis)

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
Proverbs 1:32-33

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
Proverbs 16:20

And from Jeremiah:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

These verses are just a few that remind me that God is the boss and that my decisions need to be based on what he desires. As this new year begins and I dream about things to come, I need to make sure that those dreams are in compliance with His will.