Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah . . . has conquered . . . Revelation 5:5
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . Galatians 6:14
You have been very angry with your Anointed One. Psalm 89:38
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2
Let the motto upon your whole ministry be - "Christ is All!" - Cotton Mather

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Christ Jesus Came To God Reveal!

Christ Jesus Came To God Reveal
He Is The God-Man Risen Still
He’s King Of All, Our King Ideal
Rules Over Every Fish And Eel
And Caused Poor Peter’s Nets To Fill
Not Burst Or Tear But Over Spill
So Then He Knew It’s Christ For Real
And Jumped Into The Sea With Zeal
For Christ He Swam Like Hungry Seal
“It Is The Lord!” Oh Joy Surreal
Apart From Christ They Cannot Reel
One Fish To Shore Or Even Heal
The Charcoal Fire Reminders Chill
For He Denied The Lord, Unreal
But For This Sin And Ours There’s Still
A Way To Be Forgiven, Thrill
For Jesus Died Upon That Hill
And Bore God’s Wrath Of Fury Zeal
Then Rose Alive The Bruised Heel
Would Crush The Serpent’s Head With Skill
Now The Third Time He’ll Reveal
He Is The LORD! Alive And Will
Serve Them Bread, Love With A Meal
Just Like God Gave Manna Real
May We All Now Serve Him With Zeal
And Bow And Trust Before Him Kneel
For He’s Our All! Oh Make Us Feel!
Deep Joy In Him God Did Reveal!


Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Christ Jesus Prayed This Psalm Meditation!

Christ Jesus Prayed This Psalm Meditation
The Psalms Point To Him, For He’s Their Foundation
He Cries Out “My LORD! My God! My Salvation!”
“Take This Cup Away! Full Of Fury Damnation!”
He’s Troubled As Death Draws Near In Vexation
He Has No Strength As He Falls In Prostration
In Darkness He Hangs For The Full Duration
Bearing God’s Wrath As Our Propitiation
His Soul’s Cast Away In Hell Devastation
God’s Face Turned Away In Full Condemnation
Cut Off In The Grave, He’s Dead Life’s Cessation
His Companions Are Gone, He’s Alone In Damnation
Yet Wonders Are Worked For The Dead Incarnation
The Departed Do Rise Up And Praise Adoration
Your Steadfast Love Is Declared Our Salvation
For Jesus Did Rise For Our Justification
And Now He’s Forever Our Preoccupation
Our Holy Fascination Who Causes Intoxication
More Than Anything Else In All Of Creation!

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

"That's My King!" In Matthew 23!


Christ Jesus Is Perfect, The Humble Rabbi
The Instructor And Teacher Who Came To Defy
False Teachers And Hypocrites, All Who Are Sly
He Created Moses, Spoke God’s Word Lifted High
He’s The Truth And The Way And Our Every Supply
He Came To Fulfill God’s Word And Apply
He Suffered God’s Wrath On That Cross He Would Die
“My God! My God! You’ve Forsaken Me Why?!”
That Was His Darkest, Deserted, Death Cry
But Then He Arose, Death’s Dead It Will Die
By Faith Alone We Are Just And Comply
With The Spirit Of Christ He Shall Vivify
So We Do Our Good Deeds For His Beautiful Eye
We Humble Ourselves To Him Alone Glorify
For We Know Christ Alone Can Truly Satisfy!

That's my King!

Christ Jesus Opened The Kingdom For Every Tribe And Nation
And Put On Every Face An Amazing Jubilation 
By Taking On Himself The Greatest Condemnation
He Would Not Enter In, But Was Cut Off Like Amputation 
Was Made A Child Of Hell And Took Our Woes In Full Damnation
He’s No Blind Guide At All But Our Light The Incarnation
The Only One With No Hypocrisy In Life Or Inclination
Traveled From Heaven To Earth To Die And Grant Salvation
Rose Up From The Dead Giving Sinners Justification
He Is God’s Temple Pure Where We Worship With Adoration
He’s More Precious Than Any Gold Of Greatest Valuation
He’s On The Throne Of God With All Authority Coronation
So Trust In Him Alone As Your Only Propitiation 
He’ll Be Your All And All And Holy Fascination
So You’ll Worship God Aright Without Pharisee Profanation
He’ll Be Your Greatest Joy And Eternal Celebration
And Bring Into Your Life A Never Ending Reformation!

That's my King! Do you know Him?!

Christ Jesus Is The Matter Of Greatest Weight
He’s Justice And Mercy And Faithfulness Straight
He’s Worthy Of Tithes And Everything Great
Compared To Him, All Loves We Must Hate
He’s Clean Through And Through, Our Heavenly Gate
He’s Righteousness Pure In Whom We Relate
Our Guide And Protector With Every Best Trait
But Shed His Pure Blood, They’d Murder Irate
He Died On That Cross And Bore Our Sin’s Freight
Forsaken By God All His Wrath Satiate
Then Rose From The Grave, Death’s Dead, It’s Checkmate
New Creation Is Here For He Does Create
By Faith Alone His Righteousness Translate
Flee To Him Now And He’ll Reinstate
All Joys And Pleasures That Sin Would Deflate
He By Himself Is Our Happiness Weight
He’s Everything Great! His Return We Await
He Won’t Be Late, And On That Date
We’ll Celebrate, For He’s Our All Who Hearts Elate!

That's my King!

Christ Jesus Is Pure Clean Outside
Within He’s Clean, Nothing To Hide
He’s Sinless, Beautiful Inside
There’s No One Like Him, Perfect Guide
Yet On That Cross He’s Made Our Pride
Our Greed And Selfishness Collide
On Him, God’s Wrath, He’s Terrified
“Why Forsaken?!” Alone He Cried
Counted As Unclean He Died
He’s Dead Men’s Bones Pierced In His Side
But In Three Days He Could Not Hide
The Tomb’s Burst Open For Him Wide
He Is Risen! Glorified!
To Save Us From Our Sin And Pride
By Faith Alone Trust Him Who Died
He’ll Make You His Pure, Clean, Loved Bride
He’ll Be Your Joy Deep Inside
Every Want In Him’s Supplied 
All You Need He Will Provide
To Spread His Name To All Worldwide!

That's my King!

Christ Jesus Came To Crush The Snake
These Serpents Kill So Don’t Partake
In Their Wickedness Outbreak
All They Do’s For Show And Fake
They’ll Be Cast In The Fiery Lake
But Come To Christ Who Loved And Spake
With Piercing Words, Offensive Shake
To The Core That Wicked Snake
Christ Is Perfect, He’ll Retake
All That’s Lost From Adam’s Ache
He’d Die, His Father Would Forsake
All God’s Wrath On Him He’d Take
But On The Third He’d Rise Awake
All For Us And God’s Name’s Sake
So Trust In Him, Make No Mistake
He’ll Be Your All With Joy Quake!

That's my King! I wonder if you know Him today?!

Christ Jesus’ Mercy-Heart Shall Speak
Before He Dies In His Last Week
“Jerusalem! For You It’s Bleak!”
“You Stone And Kill, You’re Evil’s Peak!”
“Judgment’s Coming Though I Seek!”
“To Gather You As Chicks Who Squeak!”
“But You Would Not!” Oh What Mystique
How They Resist The God-Man Meek
Who’d Go And Die And Suffer Weak
They’d Spit And Beat And Strike His Cheek
He’d Bear God’s Wrath With Pain And Shriek
But Then Arise And End Death’s Streak
For Death Is Dead On Holy Week
By Faith Alone In Christ Unique
You’ll Never Be Desolate Bleak
Escape God’s Wrath And Sin Critique
And Find In Christ All Joy’s Peak
For He’s The Treasure Whom We Seek!

That's my King! That's my King!

To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-ManJesus Christ, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.

Christ Jesus' Mercy-Heart Shall Speak!

 


Monday, March 4, 2024

God Blesses Us When We Give Generously And Sacrificially So That We Might Bless Others

 

In a recent sermon, I asked this question: "Is this quotation from a false, prosperity gospel preacher or a godly, faithful preacher that I would recommend to you?" And then I quoted him:

Generosity in giving results in a greater reward from God. You want blessing from God, you want it poured out, you want it overflowing, pressed down, shaken together, packed in full, then give.

That might sound like a prosperity preacher, but it's actually John MacArthur.

Like one of my mentors, John Piper, I hate the prosperity gospel. See:

1. Benny Hinn And Those Like Him Are Dangerous False Teachers

And

2. The False "I Am" Of Joel Osteen And The True "I AM" Who Alone Can Save!

But for those of us who hate this wicked and evil false teaching, we must be careful that we don't fail to embrace, love, and teach the truth of God's Word that God does bless His people when they give generously and sacrificially. Consider these Word's of God:

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

Ligonier Ministries comments on these verses:

The Wisdom Literature gives us the same exhortation, and in today's passage we read that we are to honor God with our wealth and the firstfruits of all our produce. We are to give to Him and the work of His church not after we have spent enough on ourselves but beforehand. This is a visible act of worship that manifests the intents of our hearts. Giving the first of what we have to our Creator is a tangible way of expressing our trust in Him to meet all our needs. If we take the first and best for ourselves and leave to God only what is left over, we are at least implying, if not outright declaring, that we are not sure whether the Lord can meet our needs. We have to take what we need first; otherwise, we might not be satisfied. It is not that the Lord needs our possessions in any absolute sense; rather, the call to tithe and to sacrifice unto Him is for our benefit. It keeps us from "robbing God," as Malachi so memorably puts it (Mal. 3:6–12), and it enables us to develop the kind of whole-hearted trust that pleases Him. If we give to the Lord before we give to ourselves, we are put in a position where we must trust God to make up for what we have surrendered to Him. Such giving also helps us see the Lord for who He really is. Matthew Henry comments, "God, who is the first and best, must have the first and best of every thing; his right is prior to all other, and therefore he must be served first." If we are faithful to give to the Lord, Proverbs 3:10 tells us, our blessings will not only be spiritual but also physical. The Lord will give us so much that our barns will be full and our wine vats overflowing. These are images of incredible abundance, and the principle applies even for those of us who are not farmers. God will reward all those who give sacrificially to His mission both now and especially in the age to come (Mark 10:39–40).

Jesus says: 

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

On this verse, John MacArthur preached this exhortation:

The principle is simply this. Generosity in giving results in a greater reward from God. You want blessing from God, you want it poured out, you want it overflowing, pressed down, shaken together, packed in full, then give. That is the most direct route to blessing from God. That’s the first verse, and if it was all there was in the Bible, it should make generous sacrificial givers out of all of us because what it tells us is you can’t out give God. You give and He gives back more. You give, He gives back more.  That’s the principle, that’s how it works . . . 

It should be noted, by the way, that for those, however, for whom the motive of promise doesn’t work too well, for whom the motive of promise doesn’t elicit faith and trust, there is also a command. Luke 6:38 does say, “Give,” that’s imperative. So it’s not just a question of faith; it’s a question of obedience.  Trust and obey, those are the two keys to Christian living. Believe God’s promises and obey His commands, and you have both there. The command is give; the promise is He will give in return.  Giving then is an issue of faith and obedience. It is an issue of trusting God.  It is an issue of believing in His commandments. It is believing that if you give He will give you back in greater measure than you could ever give away, which means you’re always replenished.  It is also a question of obedience.

In either case, not to give is a sin. It’s a sin against God in the sense that you don’t trust Him. It’s a sin against God in that you don’t obey Him. These simple verses ought to be enough to make us line up to give as generously, as magnanimously, as unselfishly, as sacrificially as possible.

R. C. Sproul preached it this way:

Jesus said, "I want you to be generous. I want you to give in great measure, and the more you give the more you'll get because our God is a generous God and not a stingy God."

In the book of Acts, we read: 

remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

Listen to John MacArthur again expositing this statement of Jesus:

But there’s a second verse that we would add to it and that is Acts 20:35. It says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” By the way, that is the only quote from the lips of Jesus recorded in the New Testament outside the four gospels, unless you include those glorified statements where Christ is speaking in the book of Revelation. But earthly statements quoted from the lips of Jesus are all in the gospels with this one single exception. And of all that Jesus said, which John tells us the books of the world could not even contain all His words and works, of all that He said, of all that could have been quoted, of all that could have been rehearsed and recorded after the gospels, only this, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

In other words, what you give away brings you a greater blessing than what you receive. That should be enough. That should be enough to make us line up to give. Do you want to be most blessed? Than give.  Do you want to receive pressed down, shaken together, and running over so that your lap is filled?  Then give. Those two monumental promises of blessing and generosity from God, who is the source of everything, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, who has the power to get you wealth, who gives you all that you have, those promises from God should make us sacrificially generous.

Now, apparently, and we have to say this sadly. But truly, apparently many Christians don’t believe those promises. They carry around the idea that they have to protect everything they have and hang on to it. They become hoarders and they become stingy and they become self-indulgent and protective.  And it’s really a matter of faith. They don’t believe the promise of the Word of God or they would give.  It’s a question of faith. It’s a question of trust. It’s a question of belief. You either believe it or you don’t. If you do, you give because giving is more blessed and giving causes God to give back in greater abundance.

Then Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, tells us this: 

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all contentment in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Ligon Duncan comments on these verses saying:

The Bible teaches that the liberality of God's blessings to us is connected to the liberality of our Christian giving. Though it may seem strange, both Jesus and Paul emphasize that there is a relation between our giving to the Lord and the Lord's giving to us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." About this matter J.A. Beet once said: "They who in giving think, not how little they can give, as they would if self-enrichment were the aim, but of benefits to be conferred, will receive back on the same principle. As they do to others, so God will act to them." Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 6:4, where He teaches that our reward in giving comes from our heavenly Father. As someone once said: "The desire to be generous and the means to be generous both come from God." Do you realize that the Lord has given you much, so that you can give much?

And John Piper says as well:

In God's mathematics the best way to increase a sum is to subtract from it.

Verse 6 [2 Cor. 9:6]: "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

Most people operate on exactly the opposite principle to this one, namely, We will have more if we give less. But the Bible says, You will have more if you give more. This doesn't sound like good mathematics. Ten minus one is nine. And ten minus zero is ten. So if you want to have ten instead of nine, you subtract zero from the checkbook on the first day of the week. Right?

Wrong! The problem with that math is that it leaves God out. That's what I am trying to change this morning—to put God and his promises back into your finances. God says: if you subtract more seed from your bag, you have more than if you subtract less seed from your bag. That's God's promise to you. Put him to the test. If you ask, How can this be? we will see more as we move on.

How Is This Different From The Prosperity Gospel False Teachers?

The Bible does actually teach that God blesses His people when we give generously and sacrificially. The prosperity gospel false teachers get this right. But it's their motive, goal, and doctrine that is the deadly problem. 

Their motive is love of money: They use this true teaching in God's Word to get more money for themselves, spend it on themselves, and live in luxury (like spending $25,000 for one night in hotels in the UAE!), while a lost and dying world goes to hell.

Their goal is their own selfish pleasures: They use their money and resources for themselves - to build everything bigger and better and nicer and more expensive for themselves and for their own extravagant lifestyles.

Their doctrine is false and leads to hell: They preach a false gospel of the love of money and prosperity that doesn't save anyone but leads their hearers to a deeper love of money, and, as Jesus said, you cannot serve God and money. They teach a false god (denying the Trinity); they teach a false Christ (The true Christ is both God and Man); They humanize God; They deify man; And they make the focus of the Christian life health and wealth, not Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen from the dead. They get rich by lying, stealing, cheating, and blaspheming the name of God and His Word.

Why Should Christians Give To Get More Blessing From God?

What blessings do we get from God when we give?

1. We get the blessing of glorifying Jesus: We give because Jesus is better. Money and stuff is not our god, God is our God. Jesus is our God. When we give generously and sacrificially, we glorify God and show the world that God is most precious to us, not our money. We even build up our own assurance and make our calling and election sure by showing we are not serving money, but God. Our joy is in God, and when we give, we testify to this reality and glorify God. Maturing and growing Christians will want to grow in their giving to glorify God.

2. We get the blessing of obedience: God commands us to give generously and sacrificially, and true Christians take great delight in obeying God.

3. We get the blessing of God's promises: The promises of Luke 6:38, Acts 20:35, and 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 are for us! God will grant us a great abundance and provide all of our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, we are storing up treasures in heaven for all eternity when we give - God promises great rewards in the life to come when we give and give and give!

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

4. We get the blessing of being able to give away more for the glory of God: As God blesses us with more resources, we don't horde those blessings for ourselves and live extravagant lifestyles like the prosperity preachers. No! We give away more for the glory of God and for the spread of God's truth, to help the poor, and for spreading the Gospel throughout the world!

I love this story John Piper tells about John Wesley. As his income increased, he did not increase his standard of living, but he increased his standard of giving for the spread of the Gospel:

Thank you, John Wesley, for your practicing what you preached about money. John Wesley was born on this day 1703 (same year as Jonathan Edwards). He was one of the great evangelists of the 18th century. Today I want to celebrate his attitude toward money.

He is famous for saying: “Having, first, gained all you can, and, secondly saved all you can, then give all you can. (Sermon 50, "The Use of Money" in The Works of the Reverend John Wesley, 1840, edited by John Emory, Vol. I, 446). Here is how he lived this out.

In 1731 he began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give to the poor. In the first year his income was 30 pounds and he found he could live on 28 and so gave away two. In the second year his income doubled but he held his expenses even, and so he had 32 pounds to give away (a comfortable year's income). In the third year his income jumped to 90 pounds and he gave away 62 pounds. In his long life Wesley's income advanced to as high as 1,400 pounds in a year. But he rarely let his expenses rise above 30 pounds. He said that he seldom had more than 100 pounds in his possession at a time.

This so baffled the English Tax Commissioners that they investigated him in 1776 insisting that for a man of his income he must have silver dishes that he was not paying excise tax on. He wrote them,

I have two silver spoons at London and two at Bristol. This is all the plate I have at present, and I shall not buy any more while so many round me want bread.

When he died in 1791 at the age of 87, the only money mentioned in his will was the coins to be found in his pockets and dresser. Most of the 30,000 pounds he had earned in his life had been given away. He wrote,

I cannot help leaving my books behind me whenever God calls me hence; but in every other respect, my own hands will be my executors.

In other words, I will put a control on my spending myself, and I will go beyond the tithe for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. (Quotes from Mission Frontiers, Sept./Oct. 1994, nos. 9–10, pp. 23–24)

Amen! May we follow John Wesley as he followed Christ! 

5. We get the blessing of spreading God's truth and the Gospel: This is what we are to be about as Christians! We are not to be about spending money on ourselves and spending money on things that have no eternal value. We are to be about glorifying God with His money (it all belongs to Him!) and making disciples of all nations! May we heed 1 Timothy 6:8: "But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." 

I love what John Piper calls the William Carey Wildcard. Piper writes:

William Carey left for India in 1793. Two years later he received his second pack of letters from England. One of them criticized him for “engaging in affairs of trade.” In other words, he was working to earn a living for his family as well as doing mission work.

The accusation hurt. The fact was that communication was so slow and sporadic Carey and his family would have starved if he had not worked to earn a living. He wrote back these words which describe the William Carey Wild Card.

It is a constant maxim with me that, if my conduct will not vindicate itself, it is not worth vindicating…I only say that, after my family’s obtaining a bare allowance, my whole income, and some months, much more, goes for the purposes of the gospel, in supporting persons to assist in the translation of the Bible, write copies, teach school, and the like…The love of money has not prompted me to pursue the plan that I have engaged in. I am indeed poor, and shall always be so until the Bible is published in Bengali and Hindosthani, and the people want no further instruction. (Mary Drewery, William Carey: A Biography, p. 91)

The William Carey Wild Card is a radical call to remember that we are fighting a war for the eternal lives of men and women. God never condemned high incomes per se. But he said a lot about how much we should keep. The William Carey Wild Card is a challenge to think in a radically heaven-focused way about your treasure. “After an allowance for me and my family, my whole income goes for the purposes of the gospel.”

Praying with you about the limit of that allowance,
Pastor John

Amen! May we follow William Carey as he followed Christ! 

I'll end this article with one last amazing story from John Piper about Isaiah 58 and a friend of his named Doug Nichols. Piper writes:

The other experience that makes the chapter rich for me right now is the connection that it has with Doug Nichols, the President of Action International Ministries. Doug is the man who wrote to Tom Steller last summer and suggested that our church get an airplane and take a couple hundred people to Rwanda to help bury the dead so that doctors and nurses could do what they were sent to do. He spoke at our Pastors’ Conference a week or so ago, and gave one of the most stirring messages I have heard in a long time. Action International specializes in reaching street children around the world.

To show you the kind of person he is, he wrote me last week to thank me for the conference and put a P.S. at the bottom of his letter:

In the last “one minute” that it possibly took you to read this letter, 28 children died of malnutrition and diseases that could have been easily prevented. 1,667 die every hour, 40,000 children die daily! Please pray with ACTION for more missionaries to take the Gospel to these children.

Doug was found to have colon cancer in April of 1993. They gave him a thirty percent chance of living after his surgery and colostomy and radiation treatments. Last fall he got on a plane and went to Rwanda with our Dr. Mike Anderson and some others. His non-Christian oncologist said he would die in Rwanda. Doug said that would be okay because he is going to heaven. The oncologist called his surgeon to solicit help in not letting Doug go to Rwanda. The surgeon is a Christian and said, “It’s okay, Doug’s ready to die and go to heaven.”

We got word here that Doug was going — with his cancer and his colostomy — to Rwanda. I recall gathering in the prayer room with the staff and very specifically being led to Isaiah 58:7–8, which we prayed for Doug:

Is [the fast I choose] not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery [i.e., your healing] will speedily spring forth.

We prayed very specifically that the feeding of the hungry and the housing of the homeless in Rwanda would not kill but heal Doug Nichols.

From Rwanda, Doug called his Jewish oncologist and said he was not dead. And when he got back, he had a battery of tests which resulted in the assessment NED: no evidence of disease. If he makes it to April — the two-year mark — without recurrence of the cancer, doctors give him a good chance of living out his normal span of life. Doug is 53.

Amen! May we follow Doug Nichols as he follows Christ!

To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-ManJesus Christ, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.

More Resources On Money And Giving

1. The Place Of My Birth (Valdese, NC), My Views On Money, And Peter Waldo

2. Giving Up Your Ring For The Glory Of The King Who Forever Makes You Sing!

3. "Neither Poverty Nor Riches" And Growing In Generosity For The Glory Of King Jesus!

4. Use Christmas Time And Other Times To Store Up Treasure In Heaven!