Neglecting the important things

Recently I have been noticing how I have allowed my tasks and other commitments at school, church, and friends to take time away from my personal study of the Word of God and in prayer. Most of you are out of college and do not have the same type of schedule as I but all of us I am sure are busy. It is amazing how even when your studying to become a pastor, missionary, godly man, or whatever we allow the less important things get in the way and have more priority than most important things(God). I am studying God's Word for school, but there is that danger that what I am studying is done the mindset to get a paper done and an application put on paper but never put on the heart. God MUST be the focus, and job, school, friends, wife/girlfriend, and the such should ways in which we show God working. I pray that God is the focus of lives and not only have the study of God. God Bless all.

The Centrality of the Atonement from the Fall

So many Christians and churches today are being carried away with various opinions about what the purpose of the Church and the message of the Gospel is. I would offer that the Gospel is clearly seen from Scripture and beings from the Fall itself. The problem that the Gospel addresses (the bad news) is not social discord, injustice, the state of the environment, or war. These are all symptoms of the problem, but not the problem itself.

The problem (bad news) to which the Gospel speaks, is the problem of sin; that man is spiritually dead and can do no good toward God. Since the fall, man has been separated from his Creator and is at enmity with the very One he was created to commune with. The Gospel speaks of atonement in Christ alone for the sin that has created this gulf.

This very message was clearly demonstrated in the first act of God after the Fall. He slays animals to cover the nakedness (shame of sinfulness) of the man and the woman. The leaves were not enough, not sufficient, because there was no shedding of blood involved. And it was not that the animal's blood itself atoned for the sinfulness of Adam and Eve, but it represented the Seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent by His bruised heel.

Even the second generation of humanity demonstrates the centrality of a bloody substitutionary atonement for sin. Abel's sacrifice was accepted because it followed the model God has established and pointed toward the future Redeemer. The offering of the fruit of the ground was not sufficient. And now, in Christ, we have a better word spoken to us than the blood of Abel because the atonement for sin is complete and finished in Christ.

With great confusion and lack of clarity for the central message and essence of the Gospel, one can examine the first four chapters of the Bible. Here we find the necessity for blood, for sacrifice, for substitution, and the great promise of the Redeemer who has sealed our redemption by His shed blood in our place.

T4G

Wow I haven't written in a while, but I just wanted to express how I've been encouraged by the conference so far. We've only had two sessions (and two panel discussions) and it has been a time of refreshing for the soul and Word-saturated preaching that exults Christ. Among other things, the encouragement to reading of good books has been a delight. I hope you have all been reading good things and regularly. Isn't that a challenge in the busy-ness of life? It's important for us to be developing good reading habits for the good of our own soul and preparation for our ministry.

We have also been encouraged to love our family in Christ and to love the church. Kyle's dad expressed to me before how remarkable it is that God has blessed the church and loves her in the midst of her blemishes. Thabiti Anyabwile said tonight during his sermon on race that we should emulate Christ's love for people who were so unlike Himself. It hasn't taken many weeks back at my home church to be reminded of the frustrations of ministry and the blessings of participating in God's work in the world through His church.

These are two encouraging things I have reflected on this evening. I hope you are all doing well. I hope the honeymoon went well for you, Jeremy. I hope the prep goes well for you, Colby. I love you all. Cheers.

Jeremy's Wedding

The Lord had some other plans this weekend than what I expected (car breaking down on the way down to PA!). Congratulations Jeremy & Hannah! It is amazing the way that God brought you together. I pray that Matthew 19:6 would be true of your marriage, "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."I love you both and you both share a special place in my heart and I pray that you allow God to direct your paths into the lives He wants you to live.

Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend,

Rick