Ruth Bell Graham's Promotion to Glory

Today Ruth Bell Graham, the beloved wife of Reverend Billy Graham, went to be with her Savior in Glory. For more complete information, visit Between Two Worlds.

Thanks to Justin Taylor for his post on this topic.

Songs for the Ages

Music and lyrics have been an essential part of Christianity since it's conception. Even before Christ's bodily existence on earth, the Old Testament people understood the importance of singing in worship. As Paul admonishes the New Testament Christians in Colossae,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

I am thankful that God has placed me within a congregation which seeks to adhere to the idea of worshipping the Lord through the singing of "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." I am thankful for our church leaders and their discernment in this area. In a day when music in worship is such a divisive subject for many churchgoers, it is good to know that there are indeed those church bodies which seek to follow God's principles of corporately worshipping Him. Reformed Baptists in particular are well-known for their keen sensitivity to the Word of God in this subject. Growing up in a Reformed Baptist church, I believe that the Bible alone should be our guide for what is acceptable in worship. It only makes sense, doesn't it, that God's own Word should provide the standards for what the way God wants to be worshipped by His people? Of course.

I have heard many good brothers and sisters of mine tell me that they too are a part of a reformed church. In hearing this, I always get excited for there are relatively few truly "reformed" churches out there. And yet I have come to the point where I no longer get my hopes up. Too often when people say they are reformed, what they really mean is "Calvinistic."
There IS a difference.

We have friends who call themselves "Charismatic Calvinists." Without going into much detail in this post, let me just say that it is oxymoronic to be both Reformed and Charismatic. Simply put, Reformed theology involves full subscription to a confession of faith which also puts forth the Regulative Principle of Worship. The Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) is contrary to a belief in modern revelatory gifts such as speaking in tongues and ongoing prophesy. Additionally, the RPW goes against the modern methods of individual church congregations deciding what is right in worship.

Here is an exerpt from the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America's (ARBCA) position paper on the RPW:

The regulative principle emphasizes the instituted elements of worship as the priority. Scripture reading, significant exposition of Scripture, prayers, congregational singing, the sacraments, etc., mark the priority of worship according to the regulative principle. Worship according to the regulative principle examines the order, elements, priorities, and musical selections from a regulated biblical perspective. It does not reject an old hymn simply because it is old nor does it reject new hymns and songs simply because they are new. Reformed hymnology was “new” when it was instituted. Worship according to the regulative principle does not jump on the bandwagon of high church liturgy, exclusive Psalmody, contemporary music, or normative additions of any kind from the motive of personal tastes. It examines the order, elements, priorities, and musical selections from a regulated biblical perspective. God regulates his worship. Worship is prescribed and commanded, and the elements of his worship are revealed. . . .

In determining what music is acceptable in worship, we must acknowledge that the words that we sing ought to be as biblical as the prayers that we pray and the words that we preach. As we study the psalms we generally note that they possess certain qualities: God-centeredness, dignity, biblical ideas, theme, order, resolution, etc. The hymns and songs we sing should follow that pattern.

Our church regularly uses the Trinity Hymnal (Baptist Edition) in worship. This hymnal also includes many psalms. To add to our wealth of music resources, we have also embraced a good handful of modern hymns (1900's--present day) and Scripture songs.

In conclusion, music is an important part of worship to God. Therefore, it should be an important part of worship to us as well. There are so many good resources out there to highlight reformed hymnody. I hope to post more on this topic in the future. But for now, check out this short slideshow of Christians around the world singing to the Lord from their hymnals. Keep on singing!

Which Is Worse?...

Movies with all-out nudity and explicit sex scenes . . . OR . . . Movies with smoking and unhealthy food-eating?

Now the latter may receive a harsher rating than the prior.

Read it for yourself!

What strange, sad times these are. Welcome to relativism/non-absolutism/post-modernism at its best.

(Should I be laughing or crying. I do not know.)

Christ-Follower VS. Christian

I found this funny.

Shed Not Tears For My Poor Soul

I wrote this poem six years ago after a long struggle for assurance of my salvation. My thoughts as I look back: Thank you, Jesus!

Shed Not Tears for My Poor Soul
(To Mother)

Shed not your precious tears for me:
My heart, my body, nor my soul;
For I have found the remedy
To death itself, my self of old.

My sins were nailed upon a cross
So high and lofty, with Him they died.
My old self dead ‘neath dirt and moss,
And newly found joy with Him in Life.

Yet still I stumble when accosted
By the ghosts of days since past;
I often doubt and fear I’ve lost it,
The happy thrill I once held fast.

Further still I think of giving
Up all hope of reaching freedom;
But in His words continue living
I stand my ground and won’t succumb.

So see me not for my sad blunders,
View me not in shades of black.
But behold me under God’s grace-wonder
And catch me when I do fall back.

Shed not tears for my poor soul,
Though once bankrupt, now rich as gold.
Refrain, dear mother, now from your sorrow
To see the truth of yesterday’s ‘morrow:
Salvation today indwells my soul.

If We Are the Body...

I recently heard a song by the band Casting Crowns which really hit home to me. The words speak about Christ’s church. "If We Are the Body" alludes to I Corinthians 12 where Paul writes in verse 12, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” Here’s the song:

If We Are The Body

It's crowded in worship today

As she slips in trying to fade into the faces

The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know

Farther than they know

But if we are the body

Why aren't His arms reaching?

Why aren't His hands healing?

Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body

Why aren't His feet going?

Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

There is a way

A traveler is far away from home

He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row

The weight of their judgmental glances

Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

Jesus paid much too high a price

For us to pick and choose who should come

And we are the body of Christ

Jesus is the way

Therefore, if we are the body…
“…Why aren't His arms reaching?”
Are we using our arms to reach out and pull people into our churches on Sunday mornings? Are we embracing them in love when they come, especially when they probably feel out of place and uncomfortable? Are we doing our part to welcome them? Are we being like Christ and truly loving the sinner?

Too often I observe even in my own congregation on Sunday mornings at least a few people who continually keep to themselves and their own small group of confidants. These professing believers fail to get out of their circles of familiarity and extend hospitality to newcomers. Thus, these individuals are hindered in the greater fellowship of believers and hamper the outward demonstration of love that Christ desires within His body, the church.

Lord, let my arms reach far, faithfully, and lovingly.

“Why aren’t His words teaching?”
What sort of words are being preached from pulpits? What kind of words are being taught in small groups? Are they words of truth? Are they Biblical words? Are they words like “sin” and “conviction” and “repentance” and “justification through faith alone”?

Too many pastors fail to teach their congregations using the right words, the Bible’s words. Sin has become “mistakes;” conviction is just a strong feeling about something; repentance, if referred to at all, is no more than “saying sorry;” and justification through faith alone is almost an unused expression outside of reformed circles. Because of these watered-down vocabulary and definitions, churchgoers have a false view of biblical reality. It is time that each of us do our part in teaching ourselves and each other with the words of God:

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rm. 3:22-23)

“…Unless you repent, you too will all perish."(Lk. 13:5)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb.10:23-25)

Lord, let my words boldly teach your Truth always.

“Why aren’t his feet going?”
Are we a missions-minded people? Do we heed the Great Commission and actively participate in evangelism? What are we doing to advance the Kingdom of Christ? Are we even praying about the global reach of Christ’s Church? Are we asking God to use us as instruments of evangelism for His glory and the expansion of His kingdom? And then are we using the opportunities He is daily giving us to talk to others about Him?

I don’t think that there is any Christian in the world who could say that he or she is doing the best they can do to tell others about Jesus. This is an area that everyone can do better in. I know that I am lacking in my zeal for missions. I may often talk highly about the subject, but when it comes to converting my thoughts and words into physical actions, I fall very short. I think the same goes for most Christians in the church. Thus, the church’s feet are standing motionless. May this be not so.

Lord, let my feet carry me to share the Gospel with those who don’t know You.

Home Team Shout-out

GO SUNS!

Despite yesterday's disappointing game result, the Suns are playing very well as a team. With Steve Nash as the team's backbone and driving force, the Suns' chances at winning it all are very good. I appreciate and agree with Gene Wojciechowski's words on ESPN.com yesterday:

"The more Suns, the better."

At the very least, the Suns deliver a very entertaining show for every audience member. It is a team like this (reminicent of the '92-'93 Barkley/Johnson-led team) that reminds us how much fun basketball can be for both the athlete and the fan. Keep it up, Phoenix!

Authentic Christianity, Part 2

What did Jesus mean when he said, “By their fruit you will recognize them”? The idea being put forth is that of evidence. James describes authentic Christianity like this: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (1:27) James also writes this about true faith that is demonstrated by visible works. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (2:18) This faith, this religion, is proven true based in part on the evidence of a person’s life, words, and actions. Once again, J.C. Ryle writes these important words:

The Lord Jesus bids you "occupy." By that He means that you are to be "a doer" in your Christianity, and not merely a hearer and professor. He wants His servants not only to receive His wages, and eat His bread, and dwell in His house, and belong to His family,—but also to do His work. You are to "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works." (Matt. v.16.) Have you faith? It must not be a dead faith: it must "work by love." (Gal. v. 6.) Are you elect? You are elect unto "obedience." (1 Pet. i. 2.) Are you redeemed? You are redeemed that you may be "a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Tit. ii. 14.) Do you love Christ? Prove the reality of your love by keeping Christ's commandments. (John xiv. 15.) Oh, reader, do not forget this charge to "occupy!" Beware of an idle, talking, gossiping, sentimental, do-nothing religion. Think not because your doings cannot justify you, or put away one single sin, that therefore it matters not whether you do anything at all. Away with such a delusion! Cast it behind you as an invention of the devil. Think of the house built upon the sand, and its miserable end. (Matt. vii. 24-27.) As ever you would "make your calling and election sure," be a doing Christian.

To summarize Ryle’s points here and elsewhere, here are five questions to test the authenticity of your own religion:

1. What place does religion occupy within you? Does love for God completely consume your entire being?

It is not enough that it is in your "head." You may know the truth, and assent to the truth, and believe the truth, and yet be wrong in God's sight.
It is not enough that it is on your "lips." You may say "Amen" to public prayer in church, and yet have nothing more than an outward religion. It is not enough that it is in your "feelings." You may weep under preaching one day, and be lifted to the third heaven by joyous excitement another day, and yet be dead to God. Your religion, if it is authentic, and given by the Holy Spirit, must be in your heart. It must hold the reins. It must sway the affections. It must lead the will. It must direct the tastes. It must influence the choices and decisions. It must fill the deepest, lowest, inmost seat in your soul. Is this your religion? If not, you may have good reason to doubt whether it is "authentic" and true. (Acts 8:21; Romans 10:10)

2. What are your feelings toward sin? Do you absolutely abhor it?

The Christianity which is from the Holy Spirit will always have a very deep view of the sinfulness of sin. It will not merely regard sin as a blemish and misfortune, which makes men and women objects of pity, and compassion. It will see in sin the abominable thing which God hates, the thing which makes man guilty and lost in his Maker's sight, the thing which deserves God's wrath and condemnation. It will look on sin as the cause of all sorrow and unhappiness, of strife and wars, of quarrels and contentions, of sickness and death--the curse which cursed God's beautiful creation, the cursed thing which makes the whole earth groan and struggle in pain. Above all, it will see in sin the thing which will ruin us eternally, unless we can find a ransom,--lead us captive, except we can get its chains broken,--and destroy our happiness, both here and hereafter, except we fight against it, even unto death. Is this your
religion? Are these your feelings about sin? If not, you should doubt whether your religion is "authentic."

3. What are your feelings toward Christ? Do you truly love Him?

Nominal religion may believe that such a person as Christ existed, and was a great helper to mankind. It may show Him some external respect, attend the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and bow the head at His name. But it will go no further. Authentic religion will make a man glory in Christ, as the Redeemer, the Deliverer, the Priest, the Friend, without whom he would have no hope at all. It will produce confidence in Him, love towards Him delight in Him, comfort in Him, as the mediator, the food, the light, the life, the peace of the soul. Is this your religion? Do you know anything of feelings like these toward Jesus Christ? If not, you have every reason to doubt whether your religion is "authentic."

4. What visible evidence is there of your religion?

The Christianity which is from above will always be known by its fruits.
It will produce in the man who has it repentance, faith, hope, love, humility, spirituality, kindness, self-denial, unselfishness, forgiving spirit, moderation, truthfulness, hospitality, and patience. The degree in which these various graces appear may vary in different believers. The germ and seeds of them will be found in all who are the children of God. By their fruits they will be known. Is this your religion? If not, you should doubt whether it is "authentic."

5. Do you participate in and enjoy the means of grace?

Prove it by the Sunday. Is that day a time of fatigue and pressure, or a delight and refreshment, and a sweet anticipation of the rest to come in heaven? Prove it by the public means of grace. What are your feelings about public prayer and public praise, about the public preaching of God's Word, and the administration of the Lord's Supper? Are they things to which you give a cold assent, and tolerate them as proper and correct? Or, are they things in which you take pleasure, and without which you could not be happy? Prove it, finally, by your feelings about private means of grace. Do you find it essential to your comfort to read the Bible regularly in private, and to speak to God in prayer? Or, do you find these practices boring, and either slight them, or neglect them altogether? These questions deserve your attention. If means of grace, whether public or private, are not as necessary to your soul as food and drink are to your body, you may well doubt whether your religion is "authentic."

With these questions of self-examination, may each professing Christian test the authenticity of his religion.

In conclusion, consider this encouraging admonishment from Ryle:

If there is anything which a man ought to do thoroughly, authentically, truly, honestly, and with all of his heart, it is the business of his soul. If there is any work which he ought never to slight, and do in a careless fashion, it is the great work of "working out his own salvation" (Philippians 2:12). Believer in Christ, remember this! Whatever you do in religion, do it well. Be authentic. Be thorough. Be honest. Be true.

[Ryle quotes taken from http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT3.TXT and http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/occupy_till_i_come.htm]

Authentic Christianity, Part I

I have long contemplated the idea “reality.” It is indeed an intriguing concept to ponder: What is really real?

Within the Church, the Body of Christ, there continually exists the question of reality, or as J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) calls it, “authenticity.” Ryle confronts this question in his writings on “Authentic Religion” in which he begins,

What do I mean when I use the word "authentic?" I mean that which is genuine, and sincere, and honest, and thorough. I mean that which is not inferior, and hollow, and formal, and false, and counterfeit, and sham, and nominal. "Authentic" religion is not mere show, and pretense, and skin-deep feeling, and temporary profession, and works only on the outside. It is something inward, solid, substantial, intrinsic, living, lasting. We know the difference between counterfeit and authentic money--between solid gold and tinsel--between plated metal and silver--between authentic stone and plaster imitation. Let us think of these things as we consider the subject of this paper. What is the character of our religion? Is it authentic? It may be weak, and feeble, and mingled with many defects. That is not the point before us today. Is our religion authentic? Is it true?

I believe that there is far too much “benefit of the doubt” passed around within churches today. Apparently, Ryle thought the same of the churches of his day:

They call us unchristian, and harsh, and censorious, if we doubt anybody's goodness of heart. In short, they destroy the value of authenticity by regarding it as a thing, which almost every one has.This widespread delusion is precisely one of the causes why I take up this subject. I want men to understand that "authenticity" is a far more rare and uncommon thing than is commonly supposed. I want men to see that "unreality" is one of the great dangers of which Christians ought to beware.

I wish that I could say that we are far too kind within our churches to doubt another’s relationship with Christ, but I’m afraid the matter is worse. I think that in actuality we are far too unconcerned about others. The issue is apathy, not graciousness. Week after week we sit next to someone in our Sunday morning worship services. When was the last time any of us felt any amount of concern for the state of their souls? When was the last time we said to another, “How’s your walk?” Do we just pass them off as genuine believers without even asking them? [I will admit at this point that more than one issue needs to be addressed in this situation, such as the problem of believers being disconnected to the people and ministries of their churches. However, the issue at hand is “authenticity.”]

Anyone who has spent much time in the church or around professing Christians can attest to this sad but true fact: there are “fake Christians” among the true believers. They are identified in Scripture by a variety of names: “Hypocrites;” “Wolves;” “Pharisees;” “Snakes;” “Brood of vipers;” “Liars;” “White-washed sepulchers;” “Bad trees;” “Rocky soil.” As J.C. Ryle points out, Christ devoted more than a few parables to contrasting the true convert and the nominal disciple.

The parables of the sower, of the weeds, of the net, of the two sons, of the wedding garment, of the ten virgins, of the talents, of the great banquet, of the ten minas, of the two builders, all have one great point in common. They all bring out in striking colors the difference between authenticity and unreality in religion. They all show the uselessness and danger of any Christianity which is not authentic, thorough, and true.

Ryle continues by illustrating the breeding ground for hypocrites: the church.

How much religion among some members of the Church consists of "nothing but churchmanship!" They belong to the Established Church. They are baptized in her baptistery, married in her sanctuary, preached to on Sundays by her ministers. But the great doctrines and truths preached from her pulpits have no place in their hearts, and no influence on their lives. They neither think, nor feel, nor care, nor know anything about them. And is the religion of these people authentic Christianity? It is nothing of the kind. It is a cheap imitation. It is not the Christianity of Peter, and James, and John, and Paul. It is "Churchianity," and no more.

A perfect example of a good churchman, but not at all a Christian, is Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve original disciples of Christ. Judas was so good at playing the part of “disciple of Christ” that not even the eleven other disciples had any clue it was he who would betray their Lord. Judas healed the sick and drove out demons and performed many miracles all in the name of Jesus Christ, and yet on that Last Day, he will receive no reward, no mercy, no second chance when he hears the word of the just Judge saying to him, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' So it will also be for all those who profess to love Christ, but in their hearts deny and betray Him.

Jesus warned his disciples to beware of fake Christians who dress like Christians, talk like Christians, morally walk like Christians (Matthew 7:15-20). These individuals are nothing more than wolves who will harm the fold of Christ, His Church. As an aside, I also find it appropriate that Christ speaks about these fraudulent people in the context of the Narrow Way in Matthew 7:13-14. “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Thus, even within our own congregations are found “the many” and “the few.” Those that will last, however, as we know, are the few who entered in at the gate, which is Christ, and continue on the narrow road that leads to the Celestial City.

All of this begs the question, “How can we know the wolves from the sheep?”

The answer is simple: “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

[Stay tuned for Part II...Coming Soon!]

Ryle quotes taken from http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT3.TXT

"Hardcore Christian"

A co-worker of mine was recently talking to one of his friends about me and in his story referred to me as "a really hardcore Christian." When he related the discussion to me using the same terminology, it got me thinking.

What is a "hardcore Christian"?

I think that in the way my friend used the expression, he was meaning to say, "this guy actually practices what he professes." I can be fairly sure of this translation due to the context in which he was talking about me. We had discussed movies and how there are certain films that I will not see because they fall short of meeting the definition of true art which glorifies God. He also mentioned how I go to church every Sunday, and more than that, he knows how very involved I am in the local body of believers. He knows that I can go to Happy Hour after work with him and the gang for a little while, throw back a few beers, but not get drunk out of loving obedience to the Lord. Moreso, I make a conscious effort not to be rude, proud, or overly judgmental; I'm not legalistic.

Yet he knows where I stand on religion and politics. By the strength of Christ within me, I do not fear talking about Him and His Word. I do not back down or concede in the midst of argument, but defend what I hold to be true with as much gentleness, respect, and knowledge that God's grace has granted me. Nor am I a "Bible-thumping, religious wierdo." I try to stay as down-to-earth as possible while continually remaining heavenly minded.

This is part of what it means to bear fruit. Those who come in contact with the true Christian should say, "Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?"...or, "Hey, you're one of those hardcore Christians, aren't you?" Let us not be like the ashamed Peter who denied his Lord three times, but let us seek to be like the enboldened Peter on the Day of Pentecost who spoke mightily of the Lord before all the people:

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 2:36

And whether the name-calling is said with disdain or not, bear it with honor, dear fellow pilgrim. Wear the name of Christ as it were the beautiful robe of a King. After all, our filthy rags have been stripped away, and we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

So I guess that I don't mind being called a hardcore Christian after all. If a nonbeliever sees the evidence of true regeneration in my life, then may the Lord be praised and doors be opened for the enlargement of His Kingdom!

Post Scriptum:
Although I used myself as an example in this one instance, I am no way setting myself above anyone else; neither am I intending to exhibit pride for my life or deeds. Instead, let my life be a testament of God's grace alone and the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart. Without Christ I am nothing. SDG!

Good Friday

The following is a message that I delivered at Grace Covenant Church at the 2005 Good Friday service. It has been mildly edited for the purpose of this blog. --DG

‘When he received the drink, Jesus said,
“It is finished.”
With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’

It has been said that these words were
“The greatest words ever uttered by the Greatest Man who ever lived!”

Allow me to briefly set the stage: Just over 33 years before these words were spoken, an angel named Gabriel was sent from heaven to a young virgin girl in Nazareth in Galilee. Gabriel told this girl, who we know was called Mary, something that greatly troubled and confused her. But the angel comforted Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High!...” And to Mary’s betrothed, a man named Joseph of the line of David, the angel spoke, “Do not fear...that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins!” And so it was as the angel Gabriel had said.

As the years passed, this baby named Jesus, from the town of Nazareth, grew and became a man. At the right time, He called twelve men out from their professions to forsake all to follow him and become his disciples. He began to travel and testify to others about God and himself. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, even raised the dead to life....and then on a day which we refer to today as Palm Sunday, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, we see what is likely the biggest false profession of faith in history, as the Jews there waved their palm branches high and threw there coats at his feet shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna!”

Just five days later, those same people were standing on those same Jerusalem streets, but this time, there were no palm branches in their clenched fists and no shouts of joyful celebration. Instead, Jesus met a mob of his accusers and murderers. This time they shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” and it was done as they requested.

As we look at the Apostle John’s account of the last moments of Christ before His death, we are told that Jesus spoke three important words, “It is finished.” In the Greek text, however, the phrase actually just one word: tetelestai.

“IT...IS...FINISHED!” and he died there on that tree.

The question that is begged is simply, “WHAT is ‘finished’?”...

Well, I believe that Scripture clearly shows us elsewhere, outside of this passage in John, exactly what Christ meant when He made this proclamation.

Here we are going to look at 3 ways in which Jesus Christ finished the job.

I. He fulfilled prophesy.

Matthew Henry: "[At the moment of this utterance], The hatred of his persecutors had done its worst!" They had finished their evil deed of crucifying a faultless man.

But what many, if not all of his persecutors did not realize was that they were playing a huge role in fulfilling Old Testament prophesy.

The first prophetic words in the Bible were given by God Himself in the Garden:

Genesis 3:15—“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; and he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”

Though God was specifically addressing the serpent here, He said it for Adam and Eve to hear the promise He was making so that in this they could hear the hint of grace and see the door of hope opened to them in spite of their tremendous fall from perfection. We are also led to understand that it was by faith in this promise that the patriarchs were justified—they believed God’s promise of a Savior to be true.

And now, here in our passage in John, we see the fulfillment of this promise—the seed of the woman was Jesus. And we can see as Christ hung on the cross with nails through both of his feet that Satan had now truly struck and bruised his heel. But at the same time, when Christ said “It is finished,” and he gave up his spirit, he put the head of Satan under his foot, and I believe that on the Last Day, He will crush him forever!

He fulfilled the first prophecy in the Bible in three simple words, “It is finished!”

Elsewhere in the Old Testament, we see prophesy pointing to the crucifixion of Christ.

Isaiah 53:5—“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
(also Psalms 22 and John 3:14-15; 12:32-33)

When Christ said, “It is finished,” he was saying, “All of the types and prophesies of the Old Testament pointing to the sufferings of the Messiah, I have now accomplished and answered.”

It is finished!

II. He did the will of His Father.

Just a year ago a motion picture came to movie theaters that caused quite a stir in Hollywood

and around the world. The movie, of course, was The Passion of the Christ. Before its World Premiere, a number of outspoken Jews criticized the film for being anti-Semitic because it portrayed the Jewish people as the ones responsible for Christ’s crucifixion. Obviously, those offended Semites had not read the New Testament Gospel account very closely! And I wondered also why the Italians were not speaking out because it likewise portrayed the Roman soldiers as rude and violent and torturous, and just as responsible for putting Christ on that cross.

At the center of the controversy was the movie’s creator, a very wealthy and charismatic Catholic man named Mel Gibson. In a post-premiere television interview with Gibson, Dianne Sawyer asked him a very pointed question, “So who is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus?”

Gibson gave a reply to the effect of, “Well, we all are; I am, you are, everyone is responsible for the death of Jesus.” While I was surprised and initially pleased with his bold response and agree with it from one perspective, I think that we need to consider a greater, ultimate perspective.

We must realize that the death of Christ was on one hand, the doing of sinful men while on the other hand, at the same time, the will of God the Father. Christ could have in an instance leaped from the cross upon which He hung and swept every last one of his murderers into hell! But he didn’t!

When Jesus gave his disciples the Lord’s Prayer—a prayer by which to pray by—he prayed to His Father, “Thy will be done.” And now, it was as if he was saying, “Thy will IS done!” Christ told his disciples in John 4:34,“My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” He was on a mission from the Almighty, a divine, heavenly errand which only He could complete! Later on in Acts we see that the whole thing was part of God’s plan and purpose:
Acts 2:23—“This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge...”

What an amazing God we have who would love us enough to give up His only Son to die for us! And what an amazing Savior we have who would do the will of His Father, though it meant humiliating Himself as a man and dying a torturous death on the cross! Thank God it is finished!

III. He finished the work of atonement. (John 19:30)

First, Christ did not come to merely set us an example. In his book, Manly Dominion, author and pastor Mark Chanski shows his readers how Christ was a good example for men to imitate and follow:

• He lived his life serving and helping others, while simultaneously, He was the greatest leader to ever live!
• He was obedient to God in all circumstances.
• He was patient in suffering and affliction.
• He was humble.
• He was loving.
• He set the standard for love by His own sacrifice.
• Et cetera.

Throughout history there have always been those who refuse to see Christ as anything more than a good man and a wise Jewish teacher. They’ll say he was a role model, a good example, an icon of morality, but they will refuse to accept Him for who he really is!

In his gospel account, John gets to the point right off the top: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”

I was teaching this to my third and fourth grade Sunday School class just a few months ago, and they came to understand that the “Word” that John speaks of here is the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, God’s only Son! And we need to accept that Jesus is not only the Son of God, but is God Himself, otherwise, His atonement was useless and empty.

In the final hours leading up to Jesus’ death, he faced, what Chanski calls, “wholesale desertion.” First, one of his own twelve closest friends betrayed him for a meager 30 pieces of silver. Then, in the Garden, in the moments of extreme mental and emotional agony, his disciples slept while he prayed, and once they woke, they fled. Then one of his dearest disciples, Simon Peter, denied—not once, not twice, but THREE times—that he even knew this man named Jesus!

But the ultimate desertion came at Christ’s darkest hour—as he hung upon the cross under the unbearable weight of the sins of you and I as the sole object of His Father’s wrath. But it was at that moment of Christ’s death that mankind’s liberation from the bondage of sin was procured by a merciful Lord!

Spurgeon: The last word but one, "It is finished." There is the complete justification of the believer, since the work by which he is accepted is fully accomplished.

He hung there until His Father’s will was accomplished, until his errand was completed, until his chore was done, until His people had been redeemed, until He said resolutely, “IT...IS...FINISHED!”

Philip Graham Ryken: When Christ said, “It is finished,” he was not merely uttering a sigh of relief or a moan of resignation...He was announcing a victorious proclamation: “IT IS FINISHED!”

Secondly, He came to deliver us from the wrath of God and to take away our sins.

(Romans 1:18, 3:21-26, 5:6-11) When John the Baptist proclaimed in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,” he was giving Christ more than a name or title. He was supplying us with a wonderful description of Jesus the Messiah!

In the Old Testament, the priests would shed the blood of animals which symbolized a covering of one’s sins. But Christ’s death and the shedding of his blood did much more than cover the sins of sinners, it took their sins away entirely!

Matthew Henry says that with Christ’s statement, “It is finished,” came an end to transgression and the bringing in of an everlasting righteousness to those who call upon His name!

Many people have criticized Christianity for holding the cross in such high esteem. They see the cross as a symbol of death and suffering; but as Christians we look at the cross and see life! “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”

Hebrews 9.27-28—"Just as it is appointed for man to die once and then to face judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him!"

He came and died once to bear our sins on himself, and after that...It Is Finished!

APPLICATION:

Hebrews 12:1b-2—“...And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We must understand that as Christians, we have been called of God to live a life holy and pleasing to him. We have been called out of our worldly pasts, out of our sinful lives, to be lights that reflect the Glory of God! However, it is important for us to acknowledge that this was not of our own choosing! If it were left to us, as many professing believers believe that it is, we would still be clinging to our much-loved sinful flesh, doing the works of evil, in complete rebellion to God’s Law, and under the full condemnation of God’s judgment! But God, in his infinite mercy and grace, decided before the foundation of the world, before the beginning of time and space, to call a people for His own, not by anything good in themselves, but entirely because it pleased Him to do so!

Though the Christian life is long and hard and full of trials and temptations, Christ said it: “It is finished!” God, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has given us an object to put our faith in, a faith that He Himself initiates in us and carries out to completion! He gave us this promise in I Thes. 5:24—“He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it!”

Let me share with you a quick story that Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on John, gives. It’s the story of a rather eccentric evangelist who was once approached by a young man. The young man asked the evangelist flippantly, “What must I do to be saved?”The evangelist was quick to respond, “It’s too late!” and continued what he was doing. Naturally surprised, the boy asked, “Do you mean that it’s too late for me to be saved?!... Isn’t there something that I can do?!?”

“Too late,” said the evangelist. “It’s already been done...Now just believe!”

To the unbeliever: There is no one work or series of works that you could do that would add to the one work that Christ finished that day on Calvary! Just as “money can’t buy you love,” money can’t buy you heaven! Nothing can get you to heaven, save the righteousness of Jesus.

Anything that we in our own devices may attempt to do to earn our own salvation is done in vain. WHY?—Because Scripture says that all of our deeds are sinful, like filthy rags before Him who is holy.

But consider Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, who came to earth as a baby boy, lived a life of perfection, and then died a faultless man at the hands of angry sinners just like you and I! It was for you that He came! It was for you that he suffered! It was for you that he poured out his life unto death and rose again on the third day! Put your faith in Jesus! Turn from your sins with a repentant and sorrow-filled heart and call upon the name of the only one who saves you, the name of Jesus Christ!

And to you, dear Christian, take comfort here in that you do not have to work for your own salvation—It has already been worked out for you! Even if you tried your best to work toward heaven, as some teach that we can do, you would fall miserably short and would only find eternal death and damnation as the fruit of your labors! Stop trying to win His favor! Stop trying to climb to heaven! Jesus has already climbed that mountain for you and at the end of your life, He’ll carry you to the top with him!

In conclusion dear friends, when Christ cried, “Tetelestai!......It is Finished!” he sealed our pardon with his blood. It was all done. There was no more pain to be inflicted upon this spotless lamb. He had suffered all that the Father willed, and now He died with the weight of the sins of the world upon His back.

It had been completed. The law and prophesies of the Old Testament had been fulfilled perfectly throughout his life, and now, ultimately in his death.

The debt had been paid. The holiness and justice of God demanded a penalty for Adam’s sin; and now Christ, the one and only Son of God, had paid that ransom which relieved men from God’s eternal judgment.

The door had been opened. Now there was a way for sinners to directly meet with God the Father through God the Son. At Christ’s death, the curtain in the temple tore, symbolizing a new-found access to the very throne room of the Almighty. Christ became the new High Priest and Mediator between God and man.

And it could not be reversed. The death of Christ was once-and-for-all! It was a perfect, eternal atonement that could not and need not be altered or added to. Praise God for His Infinite Love!

The Captain of our Souls has already won the Victory! And on that Last Day, the trumpets will blare, the clouds will part, and Christ, the Servant-King, will ride triumphantly threw the ranks of His servants and will take each faithful follower up into Heaven to eternally live with Him!

He speaks now from on high,

“Behold, I am coming soon!

My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the First and the Last,

the Beginning and the End.”

It is finished, indeed! Amen.

Effects of Democrat's Military Cutbacks

Mesa Temple Pageant Woes

Over the last nine years during the week before Easter, I have stood with the Alpha and Omega Ministry guys on the sidewalks around the Mormon Temple here in Mesa sharing the Gospel with our Mormon friends and neighbors. This year, however, I have consciously decided to refrain from heading out to Main Street and Hobson due to my recently acquired relationships with some LDS friends.

Every year was slightly different. Over the nine years I attended, I remember many different moments: the Roman Soldier "Brute Squad;" the black tar put on the grate; the Samoan mammoths who physically surrounded me; the man who threw 4 large Arby's sodas on us; the teenagers who I was able to share with on youth night; Dizzy ("Yo tengo gozo!"); and the thousands and thousands of lost souls who will no longer even have the opportunity to hear the gospel presented to them by the caring hearts of true Christians at the pageant.

According to a post that James White put up on his blog this evening, last night was the last time Alpha and Omega Ministries will attend the Mormon Temple Easter Pageant in Mesa, Arizona. For James' reasoning on this, please visit Alpha and Omega's website HERE.

Thanks for your 23.5 year ministry to the Mesa Mormons, James, Rich, and the rest of the crew at A&O!

One final note:
James White remarks that he had witnessed at the Mesa Easter Pageant since his first time in 1983. I like to remind James that I was born in 1983. I think it really makes him feel good and young!

The Gospel in a Hymn

"Not What My Hands Have Done"

by Horatius Bonar

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;

Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.

Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;

Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;

Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.

No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;

No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;

Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.

Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,

Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;

And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.

His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb

Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;

He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.

’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;

I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

Blair's Stand: "No Quid Pro Quo"

While Britain is no Israel, at least they are willing to stand their ground for their captured soldiers in Iran.

(Israel would have already rescued their soldiers, bombed the heck out of Tehran just to teach them a lesson, and hopefully killed Ahmadinejad in the process!)

15 Royal Navy personnel were captured by the Iranian government last week based upon faulty charges by the Iranians that the sailors were illegally inside Iranian waterways. Britain's Ministry of Defense can prove otherwise.

Now Iran wants to charge the sailors with espionage, an offense punishable by execution.

Now it is time for the prisoners to be released. Iran is an extremist regime led by a wacked-out Muslim terrorist and they have no right to hold the British sailors. I'm hoping that if the prisoners are not released promptly, Blair sends in the SAS to get them. I would like to think that we would do similar for our soldiers.

Blair seems resolved on this issue:

"The important thing for us is to get them back safe and sound, but we can't enter into some basis of bargaining," Blair said. "What you have to do when you are engaged with people like the Iranian regime, you have to keep explaining to them, very patiently, what it is necessary to do and at the same time make them fully aware there are further measures that will be taken if they're not prepared to be reasonable.

"What you can't do is end up negotiating over hostages; end up saying there's some quid pro quo or tit for tat; that's not acceptable," he said.

Read more.

Let us remember these British soldiers in prayer, as we should all service men and women who defend the freedom of America and democracy worldwide.

Gettysburg Without Chamberlain

Imagine the Battle of Gettysburg without the leadership and courage of men such as Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamerlain of the 20th Maine Infantry, a.k.a., the Lion of the Round Top. Thanks to Chamberlain's quick-thinking strategic maneuver and bold stand in the face of defeat, the Union Army held their important position atop Little Round Top on July 2, 1865, and in part turned the tide of the battle which turned the tide of the Civil War. Without Chamberlain's efforts on that fateful day, it is unknown whether or not the North would have won the war.

As Hugh Hewitt points out in a recent article, the Republican party is currently in need of a Joshua Chamberlain in Congress to stand the high ground on Iraq and defend the purpose.

Here is Hewitt's insightful yet discouraging read about the current state of the GOP.

Blogs

Hugh Hewitt was right about blogs!...More and more they are becoming an incredible wealth of information and opinion. As Hewitt called it, it's the "'Information Reformation' that's changing your world." Here are just two links to Blogs in the national headlines:

Bush Cites Baghdad Bloggers...Even the President recognizes the importance of bloggers.

A Blogger's Code of Conduct...good idea or bad idea??

What do YOU think?!

It Isn't the Church, It's You!

If you want to have the kind of a church
Like the kind of a church you like,
You needn't slip your clothes in a grip
And start on a long, long hike.
You'll only find what you left behind,
For there's nothing really new.
It's a knock at yourself when you knock your church;
It isn't the church--it's you.

When everything seems to be going wrong,
And trouble seems everywhere brewing;
Just take a look at yourself and say,
"What's the use of being blue?"
Are you doing your "bit" to make things "hit"?
It isn't the church--it's you.

It's really strange sometimes, don't you know,
That things go as well as they do,
When we think of the little--the very small mite--
We add to the work of the few.
We sit, and stand round, and complain of what's done,
And do very little but fuss.
Are we bearing our share of the burdens to bear?
It isn't the church--it's us.

So, if you want to have the kind of church
Like the kind of a church you like,
Put off your guile, and put on your best smile,
And hike, my brother, just hike,
To the work in hand that has to be done--
The work of saving a few.
It isn't the church that is wrong, my boy;
It isn't the church--it's you.

--Anonymous

March 15th

Today is the Ides of March. (Whatever that means!)

5 years ago today things changed in my life.

March 15^th, 2002, was a Friday: the last day of spring break. I had just returned home from lunch with my mom and brother. I walked in the door and saw the answering machine light flashing. I pressed the button to check the messages. There was only one. It was my dad.

In the eighteen years of my life up to that point, I had seen my dad cry less than four times. He was a strong pillar in our family. But this time, without even seeing his face, I could hear his voice shaking and could imagine the tears welling in his eyes as he spoke his recorded message. “I just got a call from Dan’s brother Pat. Dan was in a terrible accident about an hour ago. He didn’t survive. The worst part is, the driver of the other vehicle was Dan’s older brother Ray.”

The words “He didn’t survive” were a devastating echo in my mind. “He didn’t survive.” This was the day after I was forced to say goodbye to my girlfriend, not knowing when I’d see her again (because she and her family were moving away to Kansas), and now I was forced to say goodbye to another dear, dear friend, never to see him again in this life.

Dan Mehan was thirty years old the day he was killed. He had been the music leader at our church for the previous five years. He was also my personal vocal coach, mentor, and a close friend. Just the previous summer, Dan and I were co-leaders on a mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico. The circumstances surrounding his death were bizarre; his own brother was the instrument that sent Dan to eternity. However, there was great peace knowing Dan was now singing with choirs of angels in heaven. Less than two weeks before his death, Dan admitted to a friend that he had finally come to a point in his life where he felt that if God wanted to take him home, he was ready. Dan struggled with the fact that he was thirty and had never been married. But just before he died, Dan saw a glimpse of God’s plan. After he died, the rest of us saw the bigger picture.

There were over a thousand people at Dan’s funeral. Like with the death of my great-grandma, I was compelled to write a song after receiving news of Dan’s passing in honor of Dan and the God he loved. I was asked by Dan’s mother, Rosie, to play and sing this at his funeral. I did with humble gladness. I struggled with the rest of the semester that year. I was a senior looking forward to graduating, but found it difficult to find as much happiness in my life as I had felt when Paige was near and Dan was alive.

Here is the song that I wrote 5 years ago, "Danny's Song":

Oh Danny Boy, we'll miss you friend
And though you're gone I know we'll meet again.
Now you're home and you feel fine,
And all things work in God's time.

You're finally home, you've made it before us,
But we'll meet you there somewhere down the road.
But Dan, we know you won't wait for us
To bow in praise before the throne.

You're singing now with a choir of angels
With a voice that's even greater than the one you shared with us!

And you sing,
Hallelujah to a sovereign God
Who loves us in life and is with us in our deaths;
Creator, Sustainer, and Taker of life--
Let His holy name be blessed!

Oh Danny Boy, it's hard to let you go--
Our eyes will cry but our minds know
Though it seems you're lost, you're finally found
In His arms, on solid ground.

Fear no more, and goodbye pain!
Life and joy evermore the same.
Eternal rest and pleasant songs
Sung by you with angelic throngs.

You're singing now with a choir of angels
With a voice that's even greater than the one you shared with us!

And you sing,
Hallelujah to a sovereign God
Who loves us in life and is with us in our deaths;
Creator, Sustainer, and Taker of life--
Let His holy name be blessed!

While you lived, Christ lived in you;
He was your God, your Savior, too.
And now in Christ you live again
This time dwelling in heaven.
And to Jesus you sing...

Hallelujah to a sovereign God
Who loves us in life and is with us in our deaths;
Creator, Sustainer, and Taker of life--
Let His holy name be blessed!