Setting a Godly Example

I've just recovered recently from the cold flu symptoms of fever, chills, and cold sweat. By the grace of God, however, I am once again sitting down and typing up a devotional blog post. This morning, I read from 1 Timothy 4 (1 and 2 Timothy are two of my personal favorites books in the Bible since Timothy is my middle name) and again I am struck with both the joy and responsibility of being a minister of the Gospel.

1 Timothy 4:6-16 says, “6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,[a] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

To set a godly example, one must first train to be godly. I know what this means. In high school, I trained six days a week for 3+ hours each day for tennis. I was determined to be fit, play hard, and train even harder. Physical training included running, conditioning, and building endurance. Paul tells Timothy that physical training does have some value, but spiritual training (godliness) has sooooo much more value. Godliness holds value not just in present life but also for eternal life.

I hope we can take this heart so that we can set a godly example to others. Can I encourage you this morning to set an example in one of the following today: 1) In speech: say something kind or encouraging to someone today or 2) In life: do something kind or encouraging, maybe give a gift to your friend or a neighbor or 3) In love: tell someone that you care for them and are praying for them today or 4) In purity: commit yourself to obeying God and confessing anything that you may be putting above God.

If you are really bold, maybe you can try practicing all four of those things this week. For Paul reminds us, that if we persevere in godliness we will save both ourselves and those who we come in contact with.

Faith and Gratitude: The Twin Guardians of the Soul

Colossians 2:1-8 says, "I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.

The two guardians of the soul that I want to talk about today is Faith and Gratitude. Actually, both Faith and Gratitude have a whole lot more meaning than the picture I shared above. So let's dig right in... What is Faith? Faith can be defined as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” in Hebrews 11:1. Faith is best described as a "channel of living trust", an assurance—that stretches from man to God.

Faith enables us to stand firm in our beliefs. Faith enables us to weather the storms of life. Faith enables us to see beyond present circumstance or when we can't see we can trust that God sees our circumstances. Being rooted in Christ gives Christians a firm foundation, a foundation that cannot be shaken by trials or hardships.

The role of faith in our daily life is how we choose to live each day either rooted in ourselves or rooted in Christ. Faith comes from a right relationship with God and overflows into an assurance that God cares for us deeply. How can we guard ourselves from doubt? How can we guard ourselves from despair? How can we guard ourselves from fear, worry, and stress? The answer is to allow faith to reign in our lives and take heart that greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world.

What is gratitude? Gratitude can be defined as in "and whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" in Colossians 3:17. Gratitude here is giving thanks to God in everything both word and deed.

Gratitude (overflowing thankfulness) is a guardian of the soul. Think about it, when our hearts are not thankful, we are vulnerable to the enemy's attacks of sadness, depression, anger, jealousy, and many other schemes of the devil. A song of thanksgiving is one of the best medicines to cure the soul. So encouraging a daily habit of thanksgiving is like taking a daily multivitamin or a daily vaccination against the sickness of trials and tribulations.

The role of gratitude applies to our daily life and how we interact not only with God but with others. How can we guard ourselves against complaining? How can we guard ourselves against blaming others? How can we guard ourselves against sarcasm, criticism, and cynicism? The answer is to fill are life both words and deeds with overflowing thanksgiving.

Fighting Joylessness as Forgiven Sinner

The foundation of our joy is Jesus Christ: His blood, His righteousness, His living, His dying, and His rising from the dead. What a powerful line that is for us to remember. I want to begin today by making a distinction between happiness and joy. When I was young, I thought both words to mean almost the same thing that is that "joy" and "happiness" were namely about "feeling good". However, if we look at the Bible...the words translated into joy appear many more times than the words translated into happiness. Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words “happy” and “happiness” about 30 times, while “joy” and “rejoice” appear over 300 times.

In an article in Psychology Today, research is also showing that happiness is different from joy. Here are a few quotes from an article saying, "happiness is external. It's based on situations, events, people, places, things, and thoughts...The transitory things of life are happiness-based...When you need nothing more than your truth and the love of a good God to bring peace, then you have settled into the abiding joy that is not rocked by relationships. It's not rocked by anything."

So today's blog post is to remind us that joy doesn't come from external circumstances nor does it come from even "inward feelings. Happiness might come from external things or internal feelings. But true joy comes, the joy that cannot be quenched by hell fire, the joy that survives for all eternity...this joy comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has done for you and me.

Ephesians 6:7 says, "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free." This passage is referring to slaves obeying their masters wholeheartedly. Because believe it or not, there existed a lot of slavery in Roman times and when a servant became a Christians it was a HARD and DIFFICULT struggle to serve their masters. (If you put yourselves in a Christian slave's shoe, its like serving two masters: an earthly master and a Heavenly Lord.) So Paul reminds us that even if we were servants and slaves to slave masters...we can still have joy. Why? Because of Jesus Christ. As Christians are reward is in heaven, not on earth, so let us remember who we are serving the Lord of time, space, and all living things.

Are you Weary in Well-Doing?

This next post is tied into the last post on "Lukewarm and Loving It?" so please read the first one before beginning this next one. I hope that everyone really wrestles with the question of being lukewarm. In Revelation 3:16, the apostle John writes, "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth." I personally do not want to be spit out...I think neither do you. We need to spend time with God and ask Him how we can be ON FIRE for Jesus.

Our theme today for the second part of the video-blog series is "How to Live a Life of Joy when Feeling Joyless?". There are times in our life when it is hard to find joy, hard to find happiness, hard to find excitement, and hard not to be bored. However, if we let the truth of Ephesians 2:1-10 sink into our lives. I think we would come to find that our joy is not from external circumstances, not from our wants or desires, and not from our own actions. Joy comes from Christ. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1-10 that we are made ALIVE in CHRIST, not made alive in ourselves, not made alive in our victories, not made alive in our happiness...no we are made alive in CHRIST and CHRIST ALONE:

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Pastor Martin Lloyd Jones gives a great three minute message how not giving up in well-doing. Yes, we will face hard times. Yes, we will even feel weary. But our hope is in Christ. Remember, the apostle Paul reminds us that God who is rich in mercy will seat US with HIM in the HEAVEN in CHRIST...that is our true hope of joy in this world. Please take a moment to watch this video and let the Gospel sink into your soul...that we are made ALIVE in CHRIST.

Lukewarm and Loving It?

"Are u on fire for our Lord, are u angry at anyone that challenge your faith? I was lukewarm, I'm gonna change. Are you?..." This is a shout out to one of my youths at church, Paul Su, who said these words while posting a great video on our HOC1 Unison youth fellowship Facebook group. The video is titled "Gospel-rooted Christian Joy: Francis Chan - Lukewarm and Lovin' it" and I am linking this video to my blog because I believe this is important message for us to dwell upon today. Take a few moments to watch this message before continuing to read:

As I read through our devotional in the book of Galatians, I see Paul writing to an audience who has lost some of the fire, the passion, and the freedom found in Christ. As I read Galatians, I see brothers and sisters who have turned away from the Gospel which clearly sets people free! Paul writes, "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. The "foolish Galatians" have turned back to observing the law and forgotten to set their eyes on the one who made those laws!

Indeed, Paul shares that the beauty of the Bible is that God's plan of redemption and salvation has been promised a long time ago! The Old Testament laws and promises were always and have always pointed to ONE amazing event - the birth and life of God's Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Galatians 3:15-25 says,

"Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."

So like I began this post quoting one of my youths, I am asking you to ask yourself that question. Stand up...walk around...Sit down...kneel down...do whatever it takes to come before God asking, "Am I lukewarm, Lord and ok with it?"... And then if you feel moved to do so ask Jesus how you can be on fire for Him...A good way to begin this prayer could be following the words in 1 Samuel, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."

Do you remember the last time you boasted? About your suffering?!?

In today's Bible passage from 2 Corinthians 11, Paul gives a thorough account of his dangerous death-defying adventures as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Now before we get into Paul's life, let's just take a moment to go through our life. When is the last time you boasted? I am talking about the word "boast" as in talking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. For example, "Minister Alex used to boast by saying “I can beat anyone, anytime, and any day on the tennis court in the first to 10 points." Well, yes at one point in my life, I thought that I could defeat anyone given enough devotion and hard work.

Now, take that one step further, when is the last time you boasted about your defeats, your suffering, your hardships, or your near-death experiences? Think about this one a little more carefully...I can't really remember ever in my whole life boasting about any of these things. I may have shared about my suffering a few times or told a youth group about my near-death experience. But never had I ever boasted about these things...normal people don't really boast about these things. Most people boast about the victories not the defeats.

Well, Paul is not your average person but he is also not superman or what he calls a "super-apostle". Paul is a normal person for all intensive purposes other than the fact that his life was completely changed by the life of a man named Jesus Christ. Paul before his name change was called Saul for he persecuted Christians all around Israel. However, one day Saul found something for more meaningful to live and die for...He found the hope of a forgiving Savior.

So Paul shares his suffering for his one true Savior with us: frequent imprisonment, severe floggings, five times whipped forty lashes minus one, three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three times shipwrecked, one time spending a full night and day in the open sea, over and over again in danger from weather, bandits, city people, country people, false brothers, and even his own countrymen. Why do I share that list with you? And why does Paul share his list of sufferings with us? I believe we can learn that we do not have to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the Gospel. This is Paul's testimony. This is the power of Jesus Christ living and moving in His disciples. Will you remember to boast in Jesus Christ the next time you suffer?

Jesus is the Treasure within us

This next Bible passage that Paul introduces in 2 Corinthians 4 is one of my favorite portions of Scripture. There is a ray of hope that shines into my heart each and every time I come in contact with "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." So I title this post Jesus is the Treasure within us because that is what I believe is the ultimate prize hidden in the Jars of Clay.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18:

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you...

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

In the Greco-Roman times, Jars of Clay often concealed hidden treasure. Since the clay jars had little value or beauty, merchants would hide valuable jewelry and goods inside these containers disguising the true worth. Well, in many ways, you and I are like those Jars of Clay in comparison to the treasure of Jesus Christ. Our bodies are frail, week, and easily broken. I know this first hand since I myself have fractured my bones in my ankle, wrists, and even collarbone.

People often fill themselves with perishable goods, things that unfortunately will not last for eternity. Sometimes, we fill our bodies with food. Sometimes, we fill our bodies with drinks. Sometimes, we hide away our precious treasure, wealth, and goods in modern clay jars like banks, stocks, 401ks, and retirement plans. However, God promises us something that will never go away. God has in fact given us one thing that will always remains - His Son Jesus Christ. When we accept that we are broken and fragile in need of a Savior, the Holy Spirit can come inside our Jar of Clay and begin an everlasting life in us.

So just like the last verse of this chapter, let us "fix our eyes not one what is seen, but on what is unseen...what is unseen is eternal." Wealth and riches are temporary. Faith, hope, and love...these virtues are eternal so let us practice what Jesus has commanded in loving others and loving God with our whole entire being.

The Raw Power of Fragrant Living

Before we begin our devotional on 2 Corinthians specifically on the the Gospel of Christ as the Fragrance of Life, I would like to share a brief article from About.com on the Art of Fragrance, here it is:

"There is something interesting in scent that we tend to forget. Scent is the worst of the human senses at conveying abstract intellectual information. It is the most primitive sense that we have and therefore it is poured directly into the brainstem, into the most primitive parts of the brain. Now vision and hearing are very, very good at conveying information. So works of visual art and works of auditory art can convey more information, and those works kind of a huge impact on us. But the impact is always more on an intellectual, more on a conceptual level.

Scent is the medium that in a sense has the greatest impact on us because works of scent don't go through a part of the brain that processes that abstracts that intellectualizes. Works of scent feed directly into us in a visceral way that no other medium can possible have and works of scent, in that way, are the most possible works of art that we can possible experience."

With this in mind, let us read 2 Corinthians together:

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

I believe Paul chooses to pinpoint the human sense of smell this passage. Yes, Paul does give a visual picture of a triumphal procession in verse 14. (Which by the way reminds me of the movie Gladiator for some reason, the big opening Roman procession which is most likely what Paul is referring to here in this verse) But for the rest of this passage the main focus is on the words - "fragrance, aroma, and smell".

Of the 5 different senses in the human body, smell in my opinion is the most raw sense. Like the article above, smell is a primitive sense one that is usually not processed intellectually unlike sight or sound (the two most used senses in my opinion). Think about a dog lifting his nose smelling delicious food and running towards the smell. Or think about the last time you smelled something delicious like from a bakery down the street. We usually don't take much time deciding oh that aroma or fragrance is a unique mixture of basil, rosemary, and nutmeg and it is located 500 ft away on Park Blvd. (Well, at least most of us don't think like that...) Usually, the first thing after I smell something is "Ah, that smells good" or "Uh, that smells bad". Right, do you agree?

Well, this is exactly what Paul I believe is trying to say here. As Christians, we are called to be the fragrance of Christ. To some Christians smell of abundant life and hope. To others Christians who perhaps have rejected the Gospel, we smell of death. However, what is most important is that we SMELL like SOMETHING. If a Christian has lost his or fragrance of Christ, what good are we in sharing the Gospel? If a person cannot tell you REEK of the GOSPEL than something is missing. In addition, a non-Christian should be able to smell the presence of GOD in your life. Not see it in this passage. Not hear it in this passage. But SMELL it. I hope this encourages you and me to be so full of Christ that no one will be able to smell us without being changed for the better.

We have died to sin...we are made alive in Christ!

First off, I have to start off this post by saying...I am NOW married to a beautiful woman of God Leah Nkaujnag Lee! We took our vows, sung our song, and had our first dance on August 1st, 2013. We thank all our friends and family who helped make our special day possible! In my next blog post...maybe I'll spend some time contemplating marriage from Chapter 7 of Romans...but for now let's jump right into Chapter 6.

For those of you who have been following our church devotional program, you know that last month we finished up Acts and now we are in the book of Romans! Romans packs a wallop of theology on important topics like: faith and works, law and grace, sin and righteousness, judgment and justification, and this list could go on.

A quick recap of Chapter 1-3, Paul explains that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God both the Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles were lost in idolatry and unbelief and the Jews knowing God's law and promises still fell far short of keeping them. Paul shares, however, a glimmer of hope in that justification and redemption does not come by works but by faith. This means that people don't earn salvation. Jesus gave people a free gift of salvation to all who believe in Him. This leads us to the discussion Chapter 4-6 of faith vs. works does not give a license for people to live in sin.

In Chapter 6, Paul makes it very clear that faith and grace does not give us free license to do "whatever we want" or to "live in sin". Paul ask a sharp rhetorical question in the first verse, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" Well, the answer is NO! By no means are people to continue sinning. Jesus died on the cross so that we don't have to be stuck in a lifestyle of disobedience to God. Instead, we can live a life PLEASING to God. So instead of being a slave to sin, Jesus gives us a chance to be a servant of righteousness.

This is a simple reminder to me that just because I am saved doesn't mean that I can live life MY way. In fact, I am saved so that I can live my life in service to Jesus Christ. I have traded my remaining time on earth to focus NOT on me BUT on Him! Jesus becomes the master of my life (a much better master than myself) and I am willing to trust Him with my life. Can you say the same thing today?

What Preachers Can Learn From Waiters

I stumbled across the article from a friend's Facebook post...and I agree I need to learn to "serve" people better. And one way I can do this...is to learn to "wait" on others and "wait" on the Head Chef!!! This blog post is taken from TheResurgence.com (*---the direct link can be found at the end of this post)

God’s word is a feast, and preachers can learn from the example of a good waiter.

One of my fondest memories as a child was visiting my grandfather’s restaurant in the heart of Melbourne. The alluring aroma of fresh herbs, simmering pasta sauce, and oven-baked garlic bread greeted your senses as you opened the front door. The scents of Sicily coupled with the sound of chinking wine glasses and joyful chatter provided the perfect ambience to enjoy his homegrown meals. My family’s passion for great food gave me the idea of one day running my own restaurant. At age six I even sketched my own business plan: serve all meals in the shape of a happy face. Who wouldn’t want their pancakes, bacon, and eggs turned into the perfect smile? Needless to say, my “happy faces” restaurant never took off! However, years on, now serving as a pastor, I see a correlation between my role as a preacher and that of a waiter serving an outstanding meal.

One of the most common metaphors for God’s word is food. David praises God for his word, which is ‘sweeter than honey’ (Ps. 119:103). Jeremiah ate and delighted in God's word (Jer. 15:16). Like newborn infants who cry for milk, so our lives are to be characterized by a desire for God’s word, which is our pure spiritual milk (1 Pet. 2:2). The food metaphor emphasizes a special understanding of the Bible: God’s word is to be savored. A great meal is pleasing to the taste and satisfying to the soul. This picture of God’s word as food finds its fulfillment in Christ. When Jesus feeds thousands with a little boy’s lunch, it’s more than a parlor trick to show his power; it’s a prophetic sign revealing his personhood. Jesus is the true bread, come from heaven to offer eternal life for all who hunger and thirst (John 6:51).

God’s word is to be savored.

A loaf of bread offers temporary sustenance for physical existence—but Jesus is the living bread who provides satisfaction and true life. He came to cancel our debt of sin and give us his righteousness and new life—only in him are our deepest appetites for acceptance, purpose, and fulfillment satisfied. However, food must die to be of value. Plants and animals are killed so we can live. Jesus is the true bread, whose flesh was killed on Calvary so hungry sinners can live. Jesus therefore invites us to “feed on” his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:54)—a call to feast on him in such a way that his life fills every part of our being. We look to Jesus as the all-sufficient provider, whose word of life is “true bread,” offering all we could ever need and desire. This helps immensely in understanding my role as a preacher of God’s word. My call is not merely to transfer knowledge, prepare people for an exam, or lift spirits with a motivational pep talk. I am a waiter, called to present God’s word to eager guests for the fame of the head chef.

How can a preacher present God’s word like a good waiter? There are four ways:

1. A good waiter personally delights in the cooking of the chef A waiter needs more than an understanding of the menu; he must experience it. Through his relationship with the chef, the waiter pays close attention to every ingredient, not only to gain knowledge, but also to taste and enjoy it. I am a waiter, called to present God’s word to eager guests for the fame of the head chef. As a preacher it’s tempting to approach God’s word with our guests in mind. We read a passage and immediately seek ways to explain, illustrate, and apply for our people—but our role is to savor God’s word first. His word must always be applied to ourselves before anyone else. The Psalmist declares, “taste and see the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8) because he has delighted in God’s word firsthand.

2. A good waiter understands the guests In some of the best restaurants, the waiters take time to know their guests, asking if they’ve eaten there before and what kind of foods they enjoy. This helps a waiter suggest items that cater for their needs as well as introduce them to new flavors. I’d never advocate “consumer-driven” preaching, but as teachers we must have a clear understanding of our audience whenever we open up the Scriptures. This is evident in the writings of Paul, who conceded the Corinthians were only ready for “milk” (1 Cor. 3:2). He had the full intention of introducing them to high-grade steak, but only after their palate had matured. In the same way, we may have grand visions of what we’d like to put on the table (insert big doctrine and exegetical brilliance), but we must serve in the interest of our people’s growth, which always begins where they are.

3. A good waiter never adds to or subtracts from the chef’s meal You know what we call a waiter who messes with the head chef’s main meal? Fired. A good waiter shows honor to the chef (and the guests) by preserving the contents and presentation of the meal, delivering it to the table exactly as the chef intended. Far too many pastors today have lost confidence in God’s word. Gripped by a desire for human approval, preachers leave out hard texts and avoid difficult truths, exchanging the balanced diet of God’s word for junk food. A good waiter shows honor to the chef by preserving the contents and presentation of the meal. The gospel is powerful to save (Rom. 1:16) and condemns those who add or take from it (Rev. 22:19). Whenever we meddle with the word, we malnourish our people and mock God. Our call is to preach the word in and out of season (2 Tim. 4:2). This means working hard in the text—taking note of each word, the style of writing, the flow of argument, the tension, the question, and the imagery in the narrative. We also explore the historical and biblical context, aware of the cultural biases that we bring to the text. We wrestle with the text, point people to Jesus, and ask God to speak his extraordinary words through our ordinary mouths.

4. A good waiter points the gratitude of the guests to the chef A good waiter can receive thanks for his hospitality, but always points praise for the meal back to the chef. In the same way, preachers give God the glory for the beauty of his word. It’s tempting to think my words reach hearts and change lives, and some listeners are prone to lift up preachers to godlike platforms. But it’s always God’s word that bears the fruit. The art of preaching is from start to finish a work of God, who sets alight his word by his Spirit. It’s no small thing to be used as a jar for his treasure, but the fact that God can use a donkey to get his message out (Num. 22:28) should keep us humble. We can give thanks to God for his grace in allowing us to preach his word, and when we see lives transformed we have all the more reason praise our God, whose word always achieves exactly what he intended it to do (Isa. 55:11).

(*---http://theresurgence.com/2013/07/24/what-preachers-can-learn-from-waiters)

Paul and Silas in Prison

If you were in prison for sharing proclaiming Jesus Christ...what would you do? How would you feel? Would you feel let down by God? Would you perhaps even blame God?

In many ways, I think that I would question God if I was to go to prison. Questions like: Why me, Lord? Why do I have to go to prison for preaching the Gospel? Why does this have to end up this way? Why...why...why? However, the testimony of Paul and Silas shows a different way to respond with hardships in our life. Paul and Silas go to prison for...guess what? Freeing a poor girl from a fortune-telling spirit/demon.

Instead of responding with anger, blame, or frustration...Paul and Silas accept their beating and actually start to praise God! What incredible faith and character they exemplify! Instead of cursing, they sing a chorus to God. Instead of pouting, they pray to their Father in Heaven. Instead of shouting at God, they sing hymns to their Savior. Here is what the Bible says in Acts 16:19-34:

"When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household."

Not only did Paul and Silas begin praising God...they also witnessed to the jailer. They saved the jailer from committing suicide and also witnessed to the jailer's entire family. And guess what? God used a bad situation and turned it into a miraculous testimony. Only by Paul and Silas going to prison, did the jailer and his family get the opportunity to become saved and baptized that night. This is what faith can do!

I don't know about where you are on this journey we call "life". But, I am trying to get to that place where even in times of great trial and tribulation...I can turn to God in worship...I can turn to God in prayer...and I can turn to God for all my needs. This, I believe, should be our goal as a follower of Christ. We are called to a higher purpose, something that the world cannot understand or fathom. The love of Christ gives us strength to get through each day with thanksgiving in our hearts and songs of praise in our mouths. I will worship and follow God. Will you?

Preparing for Sunday School...Erasing Hell

For those of you in my high school Sunday School class, you know that this Sunday...We will start discussing a new summer reading book by Francis Chan called Erasing Hell. (Yes, I know all of you are jumping with excitement!!!) Since, I know you can't wait to go to Sunday School...I thought a good preparation for this Sunday (since you don't have the book yet...) is watch this YouTube video by Francis Chan. This video is a short preview of how we can really approach the gravity of the discussion of hell.

In addition, for those of you who really realllyyy want to go in depth (Yes, I am talking to all you A+++ Students out there!)...Here is a 60 minute video interview with the two authors Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle. For those of you who don't know Francis and Preston, I included their short bio (from their personal websites) after the video:

Francis Chan: is the best-selling author of books, Crazy Love, Forgotten God, Erasing Hell and the host of the BASIC.series (Who is God & We Are Church). Francis is the founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, and is the founder of Eternity Bible College. He also sits on the board of directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Currently, Francis is working to start a church planting movement in the inner city of San Francisco and also working to launch a countrywide discipleship movement. Francis now lives in Northern California with his wife, Lisa, and their five children.

Preston Sprinkle: I was born and raised in California, but God has taken me to different parts of the world. After graduating from college (2000) and seminary (2003), my wife and I ventured to Scotland where I completed my PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen University. While in the UK, I held a brief teaching stint at Nottingham University and then came back to the States where I taught Biblical Studies at Cedarville University in Ohio. In June 2009, we moved back to southern California, where I currently teach at Eternity Bible College and serve as an elder/pastor at Anthem Church in Thousand Oaks. I am happily married to my beautiful and energetic wife, Christine, and have three daughters and one son. In addition to my love for baseball and surfing, my family and I enjoy the outdoors (hiking, camping, having fun in the sun) and hanging out with college students.