An Elephant In The Room That We Need To Quit Feeding

I want to personally thank the Lord for Pastor Kent Hughes. Years ago he and his wife Barbara wrote a book that has been an enormous blessing, encouragement, and personal challenge to me through the years. It is titled Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome. If you plan to go into ministry, this is a must-have book for your journey. If you are already serving the Lord in ministry you ought to read this book. In this little jewel you will be reminded of the things that really matter in your ministry: things like faithfulness, humbly serving, consistent prayer, living a holy life, as well as a number of other important, Biblical, core measurements for your ministry.

Why is this important? Because what I have found (and I'm not the only one) is that no matter the denomination or affiliation, no matter how noble the attempt to counter-act it, no matter how many times you tell yourself otherwise, you will feel the pressure to measure yourself and others based on NUMERICAL RESULTS in ministry. I've seen this in the fundamental Baptist circles I once inhabited and I'm seeing it again within the conservative evangelical circles. Why is this the case? Depravity. Ego. Pride. Pride is in the hearts of both those who brag on the numbers, and those who are jealous of the numbers. The Hughes' book is one of those works you need to go back to again and again to remind yourself of what is really important.

"OoooOoo...."

For example, you will want this book handy when you attend that next Pastor's conference where the website advertisement, printed literature, and public introduction of a speaker includes the fact that Dr. Big Britches' church currently has 25 million in attendance with satellite campuses on Mars, Jupiter, and Venus each having thousands of aliens coming to Christ each week. Once you arrive back home you can sit down again with this book and remind yourself that God doesn't judge your success or failure as a pastor based on the number of alien rear-ends sitting in the seats of a galactic super-campus in the far reaches of the Milky Way galaxy. The Scriptures say, "Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). Faithfulness is your measuring stick. Are you being faithful?

Of course, this isn't an excuse for laziness and apathy on our part as pastors! We must work hard, pray often, study diligently, plan effectively, delegate wisely, implement strategically, and witness boldly. And when we have done these things, let's leave the results up to our Sovereign God who calls His elect to Himself according to His infinitely perfect will. And let's be thankful that He has counted us worthy to be a part - no matter how big or small - of this Gospel work.

- Dan McGhee

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I Have Always Dreamed of a Church....

I have always dreamed of a church where love is boundless. I’m talking about the kind of love that is self-sacrificial and continues to give to others, though it is personally costly. A love that is motivated by the love Christ has for us.

I have always dreamed of a church where joy is always present. Not because we suddenly have all our problems, challenges, and difficulties disappear, but because we are continually finding in Christ and in each other a depth of relationship that overwhelms us and strengthens us to endure any hardship that might come our way. I dream of a church that continually experiences an overcoming joy, where laughter is heard often and the countenances of its people radiate the hope they have found in Christ!

I have always dreamed of a church which truly experiences the “peace that passes all understanding.” Where members are truly in harmony and at peace with one another in spite of racial differences, economic differences, and age differences.

I have always dreamed of a church where patience is a constant virtue expressed in the lives of its members. Anger is rarely present. And when anger is present, it would be a righteous anger that doesn’t seek personal vindication or satisfaction but would be directed toward seeing injustices corrected for the benefit of others.

I have always dreamed of a church where there is a supernatural kindness expressed through its members. Where all of its members' interactions with others are seasoned with the reality of Jesus Christ’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness in our own lives. Where gospel truth constantly inspires us to be exceedingly generous in spirit and action toward those around us.

I have always dreamed of a church where its members overcome, through the power of the Holy Spirit, our sinful tendency toward selfishness. Where members are marked instead by an amazing goodness toward those inside the church and those outside the church. Where the people of the church live in such a good fashion that it draws others who don’t know Jesus Christ to discover the source of this goodness in us.

I have always dreamed of a church where its members could always count on one another. A church where the people truly believe that “their word is their bond” because faithfulness is a core commitment rooted deeply within each heart.

I have always dreamed of a church where the members are strong: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Yet these people are marked by an amazing gentleness with one another. Words are chosen carefully. Actions are always evaluated, and carried out only if they bring benefit and blessing to others.

I have always dreamed of a church where its members are continually growing in the area of personal self-control. Where each member, through the power of the Holy Spirit living within him, continually seeks to bring his flesh under the control of God. Where its members learn to be deeply satisfied with God and with each other.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)

- Dan McGhee

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Concerning Associations and Discernment (part two)

While we’re on the subject of ministry partnerships, consider this situation with me:

Westboro Baptist Church, located in Kansas, has become infamous for picketing the funerals of American soldiers. According to their website (godhatesfags.com) they have staged 46,684 pickets to date, proudly waving signs spouting: “God Hates America,” “Pray For More Dead Soldiers,” and “Thank God For IEDs.” Led by “Pastor” Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist has become a self-made caricature of conservative Christianity and is one of the most despised groups in America.

However, Westboro Baptist Church has an orthodox doctrinal statement.

And in John 17, Jesus prays for the unity of His church.

Therefore, if given the opportunity, would your church partner with Westboro Baptist?

Of course not. And the reason, of course, is that the people of Westboro flat-out deny the truth of the gospel by their behavior. There is no grace in their speech (Col. 4:5-6), no humility in their actions (1 Pet. 5:5), no peace in their intentions (Rom. 12:18).

I point out the (admittedly extreme) example of Westboro to demonstrate that the wisdom or appropriateness of ministry partnerships is not merely dependent on the mutual signing of an orthodox doctrinal statement. Further questions must necessarily be raised regarding the consistent practices of a ministry. Do the practices of the ministry “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10)? Is the ministry leader worth pointing to as someone who walks “according to the example” we have in the apostles (Phil. 3:17)? Some famous guy named Paul seemed to think that one’s practices lining up with the gospel is a big deal – see Galatians 2:11-14.

In discussions regarding ministry associations an appeal is often made to Jesus’ prayer for our unity in John 17. A corresponding appeal is made for the lowest common denominator—assent to “grace alone through faith alone”—to be the only criterion for partnership. However, if you want to apply this argument consistently, you must thereby partner with Westboro Baptist given the opportunity. If they are picketing a soldier’s funeral in your town, by all means pick up an inflammatory sign and join them!

My point is this: all evangelicals practice some form of separation based on ministry practice. No evangelical truly intends to apply the ideal of unity toward every professing Christian group. Potential ministry relationships are regularly turned down not only because of doctrinal differences but also because of significant differences in practice.

Picketing funerals is a pretty far-out aberration. But sadly there are countless other God-degrading, gospel-contradicting ministry practices taking place in our day. And we have no desire to align ourselves with men who subscribe to right doctrine but whose consistent ministry practices do not adorn the gospel. We have no desire to align ourselves with men who subscribe to right doctrine but who have not shown themselves to be leaders worthy of imitation. Now please understand—we are not at war with men like this. We don’t spend our time thinking of ways to oppose them, and we hope that God is mercifully saving souls through their ministries despite their errors (Phil. 1:18). Public confrontation (Gal. 2:11-14) and private correction (Acts 18:26) are appropriate when possible. However, we consider it unwise to point our flock toward these men as examples of faithful ministry.

I realize that some would use this line of thinking to isolate themselves for no good reason. I realize that some would even use this line of thinking to separate themselves from our church based on issues of preference. I am not arguing for complete uniformity of style from church to church. Unity in Christ despite minor differences is a beautiful thing, worthy of our pursuit (Phil. 2:2). I am not arguing that uncharacteristic mistakes should go unforgiven. In some instances love must cover a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). I am grateful for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness when I fall short of His glory in my own ministry.

But don’t overlook the fact that our Lord has unambiguous standards for those who aspire to the office of overseer. Don’t overlook the fact that ministry practices are clearly spelled out for us in the New Testament. And please don’t use John 17 to try to convince me that I must partner with men whose ministry practices consistently undermine the very gospel they preach.

- Mike Moses

*Read Part One 

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Concerning Associations and Discernment (part one)

I am the Senior Pastor of a Harvest Bible Chapel in Detroit. Our church is a committed, “both feet in,” Harvest Bible Fellowship church. A portion of our budget is designated each year to the Fellowship so that more churches can be planted. It is a great joy for us to have sent out the former assistant pastor of our church to plant a new Harvest Bible Chapel in his homeland on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. God is using the Harvest Fellowship to make an amazing impact for Christ all over the globe right now, and we are thrilled to be a part of God’s gracious work.

However, as an independent, autonomous local assembly of believers we think it necessary at this time to clarify our perspective concerning the matter of ecclesiastical associations and discernment. Though James MacDonald is the founder of the Harvest Bible Fellowship of churches as well as the indisputable “voice” of the Fellowship, we do not want James’ position to be confused with the position of Harvest Bible Chapel in Detroit. I must address this concern since James has made his position a very public matter in recent days. Please know that this statement contains the full endorsement of our elder board here at Harvest Detroit.

I STRONGLY disagree with James’ position that having someone preach to your church isn’t an endorsement of that man’s ministry. I recognize that brothers can work together without agreeing on things 100%. But for years James’ ministry has been marked by drawing a line in the sand with regard to the worldly methodology used by those of the “seeker church” persuasion. For years James has railed against this type of pragmatic ministry, and most understood that much of what he was responding to was the pragmatism on display in his own backyard at Willow Creek. James' clear opposition to the "seeker" model was a key component that attracted us toward joining the Harvest Fellowship. However, James is now saying there needs to be a new middle: a “new tribe” where we sit around and have conversations about these things and challenge each other to think about them…but when all is said and done, even if nobody changes, that’s alright because at the end of the day we are simply disagreeing about “different methods.” I call this the “kumbaya effect."

In Elephant Room #1 NOBODY told Perry Noble that HE SINNED on a recent Easter Sunday by leading his church to play a Godless, worldly, anti-Christian song (Highway to Hell) in his worship service. Yes, most participants said, “Well, I wouldn’t do that in my church....” But nobody said, “Perry, you and your elders sinned against God. Repent.” And with that failure the door was left open for everyone to walk away and simply say, “We just use different methods.” At the end of that conversation someone actually said, “You can’t argue with Perry’s results and how many are saved through his ministry.” This is blatant pragmatism. I believe that what happened in Perry’s church was SIN that Easter Sunday morning, no matter the results. God tells us exactly what we ought to sing as the gathered people of God: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). I don’t see how Highway to Hell fits in that list, do you? Obviously our God can work and save souls in spite of our sin and depravity, but that is never an excuse to sin. I believe that this ought to have been clearly communicated to Perry, but it wasn’t. It was sidestepped (exactly what the Elephant Room event itself claims to despise) and left as a matter of “preference of methods.” To me, this was an enormous failure in the first Elephant Room discussion and subsequently left the door open for ecclesiastical partnerships with Perry Noble and Steven Furtick and who knows who else in the days ahead.

The one guy in the Elephant Room #1 who agreed that what Perry did was acceptable and would do it himself in his own church was Steven Furtick. (Furtick is also a man who fawns over Joel Osteen and other Word-Faith pastors.) And what does James do? Invites Furtick to preach at Harvest as a guest speaker. Now, I’ve heard James’ explanation of this invite. I watched the video, read the blog, and talked with James himself. He defended this invitation as a “gracious” move and claims that this is a part of his “mentoring” relationship with Furtick. However, as a shepherd of God’s sheep it is a pastor’s responsibility to place before his people men of God whose overall methodology, philosophy of ministry, theology, and direction we can trust and promote. Yes, I agree with James that we need not agree in every little area with a ministry partner, but we ought to be able to support his overall philosophy and direction. Harvest Bible Chapel in Detroit DOES NOT support the overall ministry philosophy and direction of Steven Furtick, just as we don’t support the overall ministry philosophy and direction of Perry Noble or Bill Hybels for that matter (the great Seeker Church godfather himself…although he might have to arm wrestle Rick Warren for that dubious title).

We are not saying that everything these men have ever said or done is wrong. But there are significant matters in which we disagree with them, methodologically and even theologically (because we believe that many of the differences are, in fact, driven by theology). We cannot in good conscience say to our flock, “We endorse these men and encourage you to learn from them.” We believe that God calls us to place before our people only those whom we can support as they say, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ” (I Cor. 11:1). To put someone before our people with whom we have strong disagreements would be foolish, would bring confusion to people both inside and outside our church, and would potentially cause great damage. James fails to make a distinction between having personal friendships with men with whom you may have severe differences both philosophically and methodologically, and ecclesiastical partnerships that draw in the entire church (and in James’ case the entire Harvest Bible Fellowship) and affect many more people. It is naive of James to think that his partnership with Furtick does not imply some level of endorsement of the man’s ministry - or at the very least, lends Furtick a credibility which he does not deserve.

In conclusion, we love the Harvest Bible Fellowship of churches and we greatly love and appreciate Pastor James MacDonald. But please know that Harvest Bible Chapel of Detroit has no desire to associate with the Perry Nobles, Steven Furticks, and T. D. Jakes of the world. We do not like the look of the “emerging middle” and have no desire to be a part of the “new tribe” being called for. Please do not mistake James MacDonald’s recent statements and associations as the standard of conduct for us at Harvest Bible Chapel of Detroit because they are not.

- Dan McGhee 

*Read Part Two

*Update: Concerning Our Disassociation with Harvest Bible Fellowship 

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A Prayer of Thanks From Your Church

Jesus, we thank You.

With tenderness You sought lost sheep and made us Your flock.
With power You raised rotting corpses and made us Your body.
With compassion You courted prostitutes and betrothed us to be Your bride.
With mercy You collected worthless rubble and built us into a temple for Your Spirit.
With care You gathered lifeless branches and grafted us into the true Vine.
With grace You sacrificed Yourself for enemies and made us Your friends.
With kindness You forgave idolators and made us a kingdom of priests.
With love You welcomed orphans and adopted us into Your family.

Though wolves in sheep's clothing threaten from without,
Though sin's temptations threaten from within,
You are cleansing us by the washing of water with Your Word.

One day You will present us to Yourself in splendor
Spotless and wrinkle-free (not even one blemish!)
For Your glory
And for our eternal joy.

We praise you.
We thank you.

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Unutterable Depths of Wondrous Woe

"One day, in my wanderings, I heard a cry, a groan; methought ‘twas not a cry such as came from mortal lip, it had in it such unutterable depths of wondrous woe. I turned aside, expecting to see some great sight; and it was indeed a great sight that I saw.

"Lo, there, upon a tree, all bleeding, hung a man. I marked the misery that made his flesh all quiver on his bones; I beheld the dark clouds come rolling down from heaven; I saw them clothe his brow with blackness, and I perceived that his heart was as full of the gloom and horror of grief as the sky was full of blackness. Then I seemed to look into his soul, and I saw there torrents of unutterable anguish, wells of torment of such an awful character that mortal lip dare not sip, lest it should be burned with scalding heat.

"I said, ‘Who is this mighty sufferer? Why doth he suffer thus? Hath he been the greatest of all sinners, the basest of all blasphemers?’

"But a voice came forth from the excellent glory, and it said, ‘This is my beloved Son; but he took the sinner’s sin upon himself, and he must bear its penalty.’

"O God! I thought, I never saw sin till that hour, when I saw it tear Christ’s glories from his head, when I saw him covered with his own blood, and plunged into the uttermost depths of oceans of grief."

- Charles Spurgeon

HT: Of First Importance

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The Supremacy of Christ

"The best gift of the gospel is seeing and savoring the supremacy of Jesus Himself. And we had no access to that joy until He took our place."
-John Piper

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None Can Ever Ask Too Much

It's prayer week at Harvest! The Lord has given us big dreams for this summer. We want God to be glorified and people to be changed forever through our gospel efforts!

This morning I came across a hymn written by John Newton. It expresses some wonderful encouragement for the kind of big, bold requests we are praying this week for ourselves and for our community:

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare:
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.

With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.

Lord, I come to Thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There Thy blood bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign.

As the image in the glass
Answers the beholder's face;
Thus unto my heart appear,
Print Thine own resemblance there.

While I am a pilgrim here,
Let Thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey's end.

Show me what I have to do,
Every hour my strength renew:
Let me live a life of faith,
Let me die Thy people's death.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:16-18)

HT: Desiring God Blog

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What Made the Early Church So Effective?

Believers often speak wistfully of the early church, wishing we could recover the spirit of that day. Those early believers were indeed a remarkable group, spreading the gospel of Christ with remarkable effect. So what made the early church so incredible? John Piper makes 6 observations based on Stephen Neil's A History of Christian Missions:

1. First and foremost was the burning conviction which possessed a great number of the early Christians.

2. The solid historical message which Christians brought was indeed good news, and a welcome alternative to the mystery religions of the day.

3. The new Christian communities commended themselves by the purity of their lives.

4. The Christian communities were marked by mutual loyalty and an overcoming of antagonisms between alienated classes.

5. The Christians were known for an elaborate development of charitable service, especially to those within the fellowship.

6. The persecution of Christians and their readiness to suffer made a dramatic impact on unbelievers.

In other words, the early church truly believed the gospel! Consequently, Christ transformed every aspect of their lives and bore much fruit through them.

What makes a church effective? It's no great mystery: the life-transforming gospel of Jesus!

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10 Things To Pray For Your Church

Before the year 2010 began, the Lord laid on my heart to make a list of ten things our church should be praying for as the body of Christ. The original intention was to encourage our people to make an all out effort to pray faithfully for these ten things only in the year 2010.

Later, I realized that these ten requests needed to always be upheld before our Lord for the overall health of our church no matter the year (duh, sometimes I am a little bit slow). So up to this day, even though it is 2011, we continue to pray this way as a church family for God's help as we carry on the gospel ministry for His glory alone.

I know by no means is this is an exhaustive list, but I hope it will help guide and encourage you as you faithfully pray for your church as well.

PRAY....

THAT OUR UNITY AND LOVE WILL ALWAYS BE GENUINE.

THAT EVERYTHING WE DO WILL BRING GLORY TO GOD.

THAT WE WILL REACH THE LOST FOR CHRIST AND MAKE DISCIPLES.

THAT WE WILL GROW IN SPIRITUAL MATURITY.

THAT OUR FAMILIES AND MARRIAGES WILL BE STRENGTHENED.

THAT WE WILL STAY HOT FOR CHRIST - TREASURING JESUS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

THAT THE LORD WILL USE OUR JOYFUL WORSHIP AS A MEANS TO DRAW OTHERS TO HIMSELF.

FOR ONE ANOTHER DAILY.

FOR THE LORD'S PROTECTION FROM SATAN AND SIN.

FOR THE PASTOR AND HIS FAMILY.

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The Greatest News in all the World

Preaching on the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, John Piper highlights "the greatest news in all the world:"

In raising him [Christ] from the dead:

(1) He gave us forgiveness and glorified Jesus as the all-sufficient forgiver;

(2) He gave us a friend to count on and glorified Jesus as utterly reliable;

(3) He gave us guidance and unchanging truth and glorified Jesus as the absolute foundation for truth and holiness;

(4) He gave us a life that is not pitiable but enviable, a ministry that is not in vain but fruitful, and glorified Jesus as the source and goal of all life and all ministry;

(5) He gave us everlasting joy that will not be ended by death, and glorified Jesus as the author of life, the victor over death, and the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

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Doctrinal Devotion

I spent a few hours today reading through a Systematic Theology. As I closed the book tonight, I was reminded again of the need for my head and heart to meet in a kind of "doctrinal devotion." The Puritans were correct of course, that the Word must not only inform our heads but inflame our hearts.

When I put together my doctrinal statement, I included this quote from John Owen at the beginning of the statement. It speaks well to this issue:

"What am I the better

if I can dispute that Christ is God,

but have no sense of sweetness

in my heart from hence

that he is a God in covenant with my soul?

What will it avail me to evince,

by testimonies and arguments,

that he hath made satisfaction for sin,

if through my unbelief,

the wrath of God abideth in me,

and I have no experience of my own being made

the righteousness of God in him,—

if I find not, in my standing before God,

the excellency of having my sins imputed to him

and his righteousness imputed to me?

Will it be any advantage to me, in the issue,

to profess and dispute

that God works the conversion of a sinner

by the irresistible grace of his Spirit,

if I was never acquainted experimentally with

the deadness and utter impotency to good,

that opposition to the law of God,

which is in my own soul by nature,

with the efficacy of the exceeding greatness

of the power of God

in quickening, enlightening, and bringing forth

the fruits of obedience in me?

It is the power of truth in the heart alone

that will make us cleave unto it indeed

in an hour of temptation.

Let us, then, not think

that we are anything the better

for our conviction of the truths

of the great doctrines of the gospel,

for which we contend…

unless we find the power of the truths

abiding in our hearts,

and have a continual experience

of their necessity and excellency

in our standing before God

and our communion with him."

~John Owen (1616-1683)

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Man's Great End

I have found the little book, The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions to be a tremendous blessing in my walk with God. I believe it is a must for every believer's library. I would like to share one of those prayers with you and trust that it would encourage your heart and would daily be your prayer also.

There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,

that calls forth my ardent desires,

That is, that I may answer the great end for which

I am made-

to glorify thee who hast given me being,

and to do all the good I can for my fellow men;

Verily, life is not worth having

if it be not improved for this noble purpose.

Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!

Most men seem to live for themselves,

without much or any regard for thy glory,

or for the good of others;

They earnestly desire and eagerly pursue

the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,

as if they supposed that wealth, greatness,

merriment,

could make their immortal souls happy;

But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!

And how miserable ere long will those be that

sleep in them,

for all our happiness consists in loving thee,

and being holy as thou art holy.

O may I never fall into tempers and vanities,

the sensuality and folly of the present world!

It is a place of inexpressible sorrow, a vast empty

nothingness;

Time is a moment, a vapour,

and all its enjoyments are empty bubbles,

fleeting blasts of wind,

from which nothing satisfactory can be derived;

Give me grace always to keep in covenant with thee,

and to reject as delusion a great name here

or hereafter,

together with all sinful pleasures or profits.

Help me to know continually

that there can be no true happiness,

no fulfilling of thy purpose for me,

apart from a life lived in and for

the Son of thy love.

The Valley of Vision, pp. 22-23

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Battling the Unbelief of Anxiety

John Piper, in Future Grace (p. 59-61):

We should battle the unbelief of anxiety with the promises of future grace.

When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I battle unbelief with one of my most often-used promises, Isaiah 41:10. “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, with My victorious right hand."

When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise of Isaiah 55:11. “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8).

When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, “If God is for us, who is against us!” (Romans 8:31).

When I am anxious about the welfare of those I love, I battle unbelief with the promise that if I, being evil, know how to give good things to my children, how much more will the “Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). And I fight to maintain my spiritual equilibrium with the reminder that everyone who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for Christ’s sake “shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). And I take the promise with trembling: “Tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, “Even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4).

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that “not one of us lives for himself and not one of us dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:7-9).

When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promises, “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6); and, “He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

Let us make war...with our own unbelief. It is the root of anxiety, which, in turn, is the root of so many other sins. So let us...keep our eyes fixed on the precious and very great promises of God.

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Preach Christ, and You Will Have Morality

"I believe that as people's confidence in Christ grows, they do, ordinarily and inevitably, bear fruit that accords with faith. Thus, there is no need for some trade-off here, or some alleged dichotomy suggesting that we need to preach morality if we are to have morality. No; preach Christ, and you will have morality. Fill the sails of your hearers' souls with the wind of confidence in the Redeemer, and they will trust him as their Sanctifier, and long to see his fruit in their lives. Fill their minds and imaginations with a vision of the loveliness and perfection of Christ in his person, and the flock will long to be like him. Impress upon their weak and wavering hearts the utter competence of the mediation of the One who ever lives to make intercession for them, and they will long to serve and comfort others, even as Christ has served and comforted them."

- T. David Gordon (Why Johnny Can't Preach [Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2009], p. 78)

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