A Bundle of Mercies

Great are Your mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your ordinances. ~ Psalm 119:156 (NASB)

This Thanksgiving Season I am filled with gratitude to God for his abundant mercies in my life. Recently I was reading the writings of Puritan pastor George Swinnock (1627 –November 10, 1673). Though he was really writing on the value of Christian meditation, I thought these words he shared were also instructive to us on how to stir up a spirit of thanks-giving. He wrote:

Mediate upon His mercies to you from birth. Look at the dangers you have been delivered from, the journeys you have been protected in, the seasonable help He has sent you, the suitable support He has afforded you in distress, the counsel He has given you in doubts, and the comforts He has provided you in sorrow and darkness. They are present with you by [thanksgiving]. Do not forget the former favours bestowed on you and your family. Then meditate upon present mercies. How many do you enjoy—your house, family, body, and soul are all full of blessings! Think of them particularly. Spread them out like jewels to your view. Mediate on how freely they are bestowed, on their fullness and greatness. O, your soul’s mercies—the image of God, the blood of Christ, eternal life, and season of grace! Your whole life is a bundle of mercies. These stir us up to bless the GIVER.

I pray that this Thanksgiving you will take time to spread the jewels of his mercy to you out for all your family to behold. Though your year may have been hard, once you honestly reflect upon his blessings as Swinnock instructs I imagine you will see there remains a bundle of mercies for which you also may give thanks. May such reflective thanks center you upon the Lord Christ that you may find warm-hearted joy in Him.

Marveling at His mercies!
Pastor Scott



Happy Thanksgiving from my family and our Church Staff to you!

Generation to Generation Praise

“One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

As I read Psalm 145:4 I get excited because I realize God has populated our church in such a way that we can do as the verse instructs. Frankly, some churches can not. You may know of churches that are largely of one generation, either only older folks or only filled with young adults. I am sure God is doing great things among them too, but it is sure a joy to be a part of a multi-generational church where one generation can commend the Lord to the next. There is something beautiful about the dynamics of Psalm 145:4 taking place in a local church setting. I guess it helps me see that our church is truly functioning in a biblical way. As a pastor, that is always my heart’s desire.

Last night (Wednesday 6 pm) I led a study of Psalm 145 at our church that was simply delightful to me. What a wondrous Psalm that praises God for what he has done and who He is. David uses multiple adjectives to describe the works of God that were filling him with praise. Then, on the heels of my recent message series on the attributes of God (hear them at www.fbclw.com “BIG GOD, little me”), it was exciting to hear those present cite the attributes of God stated plainly in this psalm. We also noted that this incredible song of praise begins with David saying “I will exalt you, my God the King” (145:1) and ends with David saying “Let every creature (lit. all flesh) praise His holy name forever and ever.” Yes, praise is not merely to be an individual exercise of faith but we are to urge all creation to join in the mighty chorus of praise to our great God. Verses 11-12 emphasize that we who know God are to tell others of God’s glorious kingdom and “speak of his might so that all men may know” of the wondrous works of God and of His kingdom. Do you hear the missional emphasis in that? It is unmistakable! Thus, our worship is intended to draw others to know and praise the Lord with us. Consequently, worship can and should be a means of witness.

Among those to be influenced by our praise of God and his wondrous works are the succeeding generations. Psalm 145:4 (cited above) makes this very plain. I think that holidays like our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday become an ideal occasion for the older generations to tell their children and grandchildren of God’s mighty acts. Is it too idealistic to envision a grandfather sitting on a sofa with a grandchild or two around him as he tells stories of God’s goodness to him in bygone years? Is it far-fetched to envision grandmothers around the dinner table telling all present of how God answered various prayers throughout her lifetime? Perhaps I am nostalgic or too influenced by Norman Rockwell. But I think that would be one clear way to obey Psalm 145:4 this Thanksgiving.

This Sunday (11/21/10) at First Baptist Church we will give our services over to this kind of generation to generation praise and thanks to God. During our Sunday morning service you will hear from various church members tell of incredible things God did in their lives this year. You will hear of the transforming work of God’s Spirit within those who walk in obedience to Jesus as Lord. We will celebrate the goodness of God through the testimonies of church members in our morning worship service and then Sunday night after our church family dinner we will have “open microphones” for anyone to share their own testimony of praise and thanks to God with all present. So join us this weekend at First Baptist Church, Lake Wales as we flesh out Psalm 145:4 and give testimony to the greatness and goodness of God in our lives. Then, may your homes be filled with praise to our Lord and King, from generation to generation this Thanksgiving and always.

Praising & thanking our Lord with you,
Pastor Scott

Numbering Our Days

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:12

Having had two dear friends die in the past couple weeks and a third receive the news he was to “get his house in order” has made me think about the brevity of life lately. After all, one of these men was 45 years old and the other 50 years old and my age is squarely in the middle of theirs. The verse that has been on my mind is Psalm 90:12, written above.
As you may know Psalm 90 expresses both the eternality of God (90:2) and the mortality of man (5-6). When referring to the span of a person’s life in verse 10 Moses writes “they quickly pass, and we fly away.” The longer I live the more I agree with that!
Therefore, verse 12 is so crucial to mediate on and live by. I will share my meditations on it here. First, we are instructed by the Lord to number our days. We are each allotted a given number of days on the earth. Some get more and some less. Some are past already and some are ahead. God alone knows the number of days before and behind us. Ironically, though we cannot know their number Psalm 90:12 tells us to number them aright. How can we? Sure, we cannot. But the Lord is telling us to not overestimate how many there are. Do not live as if we will be on earth forever. Recognize our days are ticking away and then we will be accountable to Him. What is the first phrase saying about our days then? It does not mean to count them out, but to make them count.
Why are we to number our days aright according to Psalm 90:12? The last half of the verse says so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. A heart of wisdom? I realize most in American culture think of the heart figuratively as the seat of emotions, yet in Hebraic thought the heart meant much more. The heart was seen as the center of a person. Given that reality this divinely-given text is calling us to have wisdom in our inner being. So here is what that means to me.

· Wisdom should guide my affections, attitudes and decisions. Wisdom should guide my feelings, my thinking my acting. There is no time to waste on ungodly loves, unhealthy feelings, or unholy attitudes.
· Wisdom in my heart would also affect the priorities, values, and goals of my life.
· Wisdom should dictate my use of resources and the relationships I pursue. If I have numbered days how foolish it is to let my relationships be fractured by unforgiveness or unspoken love. In such situations wisdom would urge immediate and continual reconciliation with all. I should freely and intently love others in God-pleasing ways. I should treasure my daily experiences with family and friends.
· Wisdom in my heart would also drive me to a closer relationship to God. If I recognize that very soon I will be with the Lord I should seek to cultivate a relationship with him. Wisdom, as written of in the Old Testament, always began with a reverence of God (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; 11:2). So my relationship with him must begin there as I recognize that the Lord will soon be my judge (Hebrews 9:27). Yet it should also lead to an intimacy since after judgment as a true believer in Jesus I will share joyous eternity with Him.
· Wisdom means I use all the days I have left well before God and others. This means living within God’s will and boldly giving witness to him before a world full of temporal people just like me. Each day I must live with an active awareness of God being with me and directing me to use my moments as He intends. Numbering my days aright means there is no time to squander on trivialities. A heart of wisdom would tell me all activities must be filtered by the reality that my time on earth is running out day by day.

These have been challenging thoughts for me. I have been re-evaluating these various areas of my life this week. I hope as you personally meditate on Psalm 90:12 God will guide you also toward a wiser heart. For Psalm 90 is plain: Life is brief. Eternity is forever. So we must wisely choose how we will live each day before the Lord eternal.

Seeking a wise heart!
Pastor Scott

Christians & Yoga

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” –Romans 12:2a

In my opinion one of the most biblically-informed, clear-thinking and relevant Christian bloggers out in cyberspace is Dr. Albert Mohler. His blog is found at AlbertMohler.com and there are other resources there too. Dr. Mohler is a seminary president and a frequent guest on talk shows such as Larry King. While I may not agree with the well-read and articulate Mohler on every issue, I do on many, though my tone may be less strident.

Some time ago Mohler posted a blog entry entitled partly titled “Should Christians Practice Yoga?” I found this intriguing because I had been asked that question just some time ago. I found myself caught because I certainly did not want to be a legalist, yet nor did I want to sanction for a believer that which I knew to be spiritual practice associated with a non-Christian worldview. Still I knew as a pastor it was, and is, my responsibility to give counsel on such questions when asked by those in our church family.

As usual, Mohler finds just the right resource to enlighten the believer so they can make wise and godly decisions and give meaningful answers. The resource Mohler cited on this topic was a book by Stefanie Syman entitled The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America. The author actively practices yoga and knows the history of yoga in America quite thoroughly Mohler informs us. In her book Syman tells of an episode when recently during the Easter holiday she had the chance to lead guests in yoga excercises on the White House lawn that she described as “sanitized, sanctioned, and family-friendly,” Commenting on this event further Syman wrote:

There certainly was no better proof that Americans had assimilated this spiritual discipline. We had turned a technique for God realization that had, at various points in time, enjoined its adherents to reduce their diet to rice, milk, and a few vegetables, fix their minds on a set of, to us, incomprehensible syllables, and self-administer daily enemas (without the benefit of equipment), to name just a few of its prerequisites, into an activity suitable for children. Though yoga has no coherent tradition in India, being preserved instead by thousands of gurus and hundreds of lineages, each of which makes a unique claim to authenticity, we had managed to turn it into a singular thing: a way to stay healthy and relaxed.

When you think about it, it is rather stunning that a practice that would have been seen as foreign or even “heathen” fifty years ago is now seen as a normal means of meditation and exercise by many Americans. In her book Syman does explain the spiritual roots of yoga and she actually argues yoga cannot be fully separated from its roots in Hinduism and Buddhism, nor from the role sexuality plays in it. Whether you agree with her or not, her argumentation should not be ignored by Christians who really want to know if it is a good activity for them to be engaged in.

Obviously, one of the fundamental differences between the meditation of yoga and Hinduism is that it calls for an emptying of the mind, whereas Christian meditation is always about filling the mind with Christian truth as made known in the Bible. The recitation, memorization and meditation upon the Christian Scriptures is the means of renewing the mind (Romans 12:1-2) and of motivating believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices unto the Lord. As followers of Jesus we are not to leave the consciousness of this world, but to look to Christ to rule our conscious, and even unconscious, thoughts. The Christian way is never escape from reality, but the transformation of reality into that which is Christ-honoring.

Listen, I see nothing inherently wrong with the physical posturing of the body in various ways or pursuing new forms of exercise. But the question is what are these positions of the body supposed to teach? What do they represent? What are you seeking to achieve by them? Why are they considered optimal? Further, consider this thought from Mohler: “if you have to meditate intensely in order to achieve or to maintain a physical posture, it is no longer merely a physical posture.”

Friends, I am not here to condemn anyone who is doing yoga for exercise purposes. I am not seeking to be negative or a prude. I am not trying to clamp your liberty in Christ. If your conscience is clear on doing it as a form of excercise, then hear me saying just yoga away. But I wonder if more is not involved than we think when Stefanie Syman writes that the practice of yoga in America “has augured a truly post-Christian, spiritually polyglot country.” Hmm, sounds like she, at least, sees it as more than an exercise.

Striving after Him in all things!
Scott

Inspired to Pray?

At my private Christian college in Pennsylvania I was once assigned for reading the classic book Power through Prayer by E.M. Bounds. I found the little book a great challenge to my prayer life. Now as I have called our church to prayer I thought I would share some quotes from that book. Power through Prayer is full of strong words particularly directed to preachers, but I have listed quotes below that should challenge every believer in Jesus. Yes, I know some do think Bounds is a little too focused on human effort in his writings, but personally any lack in prayer for me has always been on that end, I assure you.

I hope these quotes will inspire you to pray more fervently and frequently for the needs in your life, our church, our community and our world. Here are some words from E. M. Bounds:

Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.

Much time spent with God is the secret to all successful praying…He yields to the persistency of a faith that knows Him.

The more true saints, the more praying; the more praying, the more true saints.

Christ knows nothing of prayerless Christians.

To be little with God, is to be little for God.

Prayer is the creator as well as the channel of devotion.


Seeking greater devotion to prayer,
Scott

A CALL TO PRAYER

“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:8

The Scriptures seem clear that God has determined to use the prayers of His people to evoke His power. Surely he does not need our prayers to display His power; nevertheless it is a means He uses. I speculate that one reason He does so is so that our yearnings to see His power would drive us to fellowship with Him in prayer. While we may be focused on having needs met when entering such prayer, God is constantly focused on a relationship with us. He wants our needs and those of His church to compel us to meet with Him in a state of dependency. He wants us to surrender control and acknowledge His. And this is precisely what prayer does.

On Sunday September 26 I urged our local church to enter into an extended “Season of Prayer” for the remainder of 2010. There are many factors that God put upon my heart that caused me to beckon our church body to prayer. Among them is the spiritual, moral and economic state of our nation. Our nation desperately needs a Great Awakening and I am seriously praying for it. This economy should be causing the lost and the redeemed to cry out to God. We should pray it will! A second motivating factor toward prayer at this time is the very critical health of several church members who could gain great encouragement knowing our church body was praying for them constantly—every hour of every day. There are other factors that I listed out in the Prayer Prompt Card you can pick up when you join the church prayer chain. Yet at the top of that list you will see my desire to see revival in this church.

I am convinced we will never be the church we want to be unless we become more fervent in prayer. I believe we should plead with God to give us a spiritual breakthrough in this church and community. We should ask him to awaken the lethargic and lukewarm. We must ask him to put soul cravings within the populace of Lake Wales. These inner workings by God are spiritual and thus, our best means of joining with God in seeing this work done is through prayer. So will you join me in praying for our church, as well as these other needs? Will you give yourself to prayer for our church, community, and nation one hour per week? You need not stay kneeled or positioned physically in prayer that whole hour, but we would ask you remain in a spirit of prayer your full time. If you are willing, I invite you to sign up this Sunday for the prayer chain during this season of prayer.

Bear in mind, author E. M. Bounds has written, “Praying is spiritual work, and human
nature does not like taxing, spiritual work.” And Bounds also warns in his book Power Through Prayer that “A prayerless age will only have scant models of divine power”. May God grant us the humility and desire to be greater in prayer. May He persuade us of the priority of and power available through prayer in the Name of Christ.

Praying for His power to fall!
Pastor Scott

Dumb Christians and Smart Atheists?

In the last week news outlets began reporting on the findings of a recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey asked 32 questions on tenets, practices, history and leading figures in major world religions. The overall average score was 16 correct. Here is the breakdown of how major religious groups compared as reported by USA today initially on September 29, 2010:

Demographic Group & Number Correct
Atheist/Agnostic 20.9
Jewish 20.5
Mormon 20.3
White Evangelical Protestant 17.6
White Catholic 16.0
White Mainline Protestant 15.8
Black Protestant 13.4
Hispanic Catholic 11.6
By Anne Godlasky, USA TODAY
*Atheists and Agnostics were scored separately but had the same number correct. Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life phone survey of 3,412 U.S. adults in May and June. Margins of error: +/-2.5 percentage points overall, larger for subgroups.

You can actually go to the USA Today website and see how you do on five sample questions from the survey. While the USA Today and other national news outlets found it astounding that atheists knew more about religion I, frankly, did not.
Sociologists studying these matters have long reported that atheists and agnostics are highly educated and very knowledgeable of religious matters (The Denominational Society, Andrew Greely, 1972.). As Greg Lewis, Pew senior researcher, reported in the USA Today article 8 in 10 atheists and agnostics grew up in a religious tradition. So while those who say there is no God may be called foolish by the Christian Scripture (Psalm 14:1), this does not mean they are an uneducated or uninformed fool. On the contrary, perhaps as 1 Corinthians 8:1 indicates it is their great knowledge that has “puffed them up’ to where they could reject a belief in God, or at least assert he is unknowable (agnostic). This should remind followers of Jesus that when they speak to an atheist or agnostic one should not assume they are ignorant or unaware of biblical teachings. Rather, we should seek to uncover what they learned or experienced in life that made them turn away from a belief in God.
A second observation I would make is that the research really revealed more about the knowledge of religion, in general, rather than about biblical beliefs or a knowledge of God. Therefore, I believe the Orlando Sentinel’s headline on the article about the research was very misleading. Their headline read: Believe It: Atheists Know God. Yet when one reads the questions asked by Pew Research you find they really are not measuring if people know God. They are asking questions about world religions, church history, and questions about governmental rulings pertaining to the expression of religion. These were hardly questions about “knowing God”. Even questions pertaining to the knowledge of the Bible were very few. Consequently, the survey is truly more about religion and less about God. Sadly, some news outlets cannot seem unable to make this distinction.
However, it is still alarming that so many religiously-involved Americans know so little about the Bible and general religious matters. It was sad to hear just 55% of all respondents knew the Golden Rule isn’t one of the Ten Commandments or that 45% could not name all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It is lamentable that only 11% knew the fiery preach and theologian who participated in the First Great Awakening, an 18th Century revival, was Jonathan Edwards, not Charles Finney or Billy Graham. These responses seem to reveal the “dumbing down” of American evangelicalism and of the professing Christian populace as a whole. The poor showing by evangelicals reminds me of the warnings given by Mark Noll in his 1994 book The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.
In that book Noll stated, “American evangelicals are not exemplary for their thinking” (3) and in his work he outlines why. In part, he cites our desire to be “pragmatic, populist, charismatic, and technological, more than intellectual” (55). Further, “we have tended to define piety as an inward state opposed to careful thought….” Reminding us that this is no small matter Noll quotes Charles Malik who wrote earlier (The Two Tasks, 1980), “The problem is not only to win souls, but to save minds. If you win the whole world and lose the mind of the world, you will soon discover you have not won the world. Indeed, it may turn out that you have actually lost the world (26).” Noll moves from that point to challenge American evangelicalism to move from an anti-intellectual posture toward activities that promote Christian thinking at every level.
I can only hope that this Pew Research Survey will also awaken Christians in the pulpits and pews of the need to learn more about their faith, their Scriptures, their religious history, and about the beliefs of others in our pluralistic society. May we, the church of Jesus, love the Lord with our minds as well as our heart, soul, and strength (Luke 10:27). Indeed, may we have a zeal that is based on knowledge (Romans 10:2).

Eager to know Him more & make Him known!
Pastor Scott