Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Monday, January 22, 2024
A Letter To Mayor Cherelle Parker About Abortion
January 9th 2024
City Hall, Office 215
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Dear Mayor Cherelle Parker,
Congratulations on your election to be the 100th Mayor of Philadelphia! I am the pastor of Olney Baptist Church, and I’m thankful for your thanks to Jesus in your inauguration speech, and I’m thankful that you explicitly thanked your LORD and Savior Jesus Christ for Whom all things are possible. I praise God that [you said] it is not just a line for you – and that you are dependent on the grace and mercy of God.
I am also thankful that one of your top priorities in your 100-day action plan is public safety. I would like to speak up for one of the most oppressed minorities in our city who face the most violent deaths, and their murder is protected by law. I am writing about the public safety of unborn children in the city of Philadelphia who are killed by abortion. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health abortion statistics (2021), 33,206 abortions were performed in Pennsylvania, and more than 36% of those abortions happened in Philadelphia County.
I’m asking you, as a [professing] follower of the LORD Jesus Christ, to fight to end abortions in the City of Philadelphia. It is murder according to God’s Word, and it should be illegal.
God is knitting these babies together in their mothers’ wombs:
Psalm 139:13-16: For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.
The first person to rejoice in the miraculous conception of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ in the womb of the virgin Mary was an unborn child in the womb:
Luke 1:41-44: And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”
I would be happy to meet with you and give you more information about abortion and it’s evil nature according to God’s Word. I am praying that you will take a stand against this wicked practice in our city.
Sincerely in Christ,
Joseph Randall
More Information On The Evils Of Abortion
To learn more about the great King Jesus and His glorious Gospel message, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Prayers You Should Pray For Your Pastor
On one of his visits to the Continent, Charles Spurgeon (pastor of the large Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, 1853-1892) met an American minister who said, “I have long wished to see you, Mr. Spurgeon, and to put one or two simple questions to you. In our country there are many opinions as to the secret of your great influence. Would you be good enough to give me your own point of view?” After a pause Spurgeon said, “My people pray for me.”
Oh Father please . . .
Help my pastor to give Your people the sense of Your Word, and to help us understand the reading! Neh. 8:8Help my pastor come to the pulpit, not with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to Your people the testimony of God. Help him determine not to know anything among us except Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Help his speech and his preaching not to be with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that our faith would not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God! 1 Cor. 2:1-5
Help my pastor to preach the Gospel and to present the Gospel of Christ without charge, that he may not abuse his authority in the Gospel! 1 Cor. 9:18
Help my pastor not to preach himself, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and himself a bondservant for Jesus' sake! 2 Cor. 4:5
Help my pastor not to preach Christ from envy, strife, or selfish ambition! Help him to preach Christ from good will and out of love! Phil. 1:15-17
Help my pastor to preach Christ, warning all of us and teaching all of us in all wisdom, that he may present all of us perfect in Christ Jesus! Col. 1:28
Help my pastor to preach the Word! Help him to be ready in season and out of season! Help him to convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching! 2 Tim. 4:2
Help my pastor to preach the Gospel so that It does not come to us in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance! 1 Thess. 1:5
Help my pastor to praise Your works and declare Your mighty acts from the pulpit! Help him to speak of the might of Your awesome acts and declare Your greatness! Help him to speak of the glory of Your kingdom and of Your power! Psalm 145:5, 6, 11
Grant that utterance may be given to my pastor, that he may open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel! Eph. 6:19
Help my pastor to be diligent to present himself approved to You, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth! 2 Tim. 2:15
Help my pastor to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded! Matt. 28:18-20
Help my pastor to always be sober-minded, to endure suffering, and to do the work of an evangelist, fulfilling his ministry. And may he see many sinners come to Christ! 2 Tim. 4:5
Help my pastor to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and may he know that in the Lord his labor is not in vain! 1 Cor. 15:58
Help my pastor to believe what he preaches! Grip him with it and humble him with it, and help him to exult in it until he is lost in wonder, love, and praise! (Adapted from Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Help my pastor to give us a sense of You and Your presence when he preaches. Help him to give us a glimpse of Your glory and majesty, the love of Christ our Savior, and the magnificence of the Gospel! (Adapted from Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Cut all the ribbons that tie my pastor to the frowns and smiles of men and drive a steel beam down his backbone and free him to serve You for Your glory alone! (Adapted from Albert N. Martin)
Help my pastor to seek to serve Your people and not impress us with himself! May he impress us with Jesus! May we come away from his sermons not saying, "What a wonderful preacher!" but "What a wonderful Savior!" (Spurgeon Story)
Help my pastor take heed to himself and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made him an overseer. Please help him to shepherd faithfully the church of God which You purchased with Christ's own blood! Acts 20:28
Help my pastor to be blameless, a one-woman man, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, gentle, and able to teach! Keep him from being given to wine, from being violent, from being greedy for money, from being quarrelsome, and from being covetous! Help him rule his own household well, having his children in submission with all reverence! Keep him from being puffed up with pride and falling into the same condemnation as the devil! Help him have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil! 1 Tim. 3:2-7
Help my pastor to be Your steward oh God, not self-willed and not quick-tempered! Help him be hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, and self-controlled! Help him hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict! Titus 1:7-9
Help my pastor to shepherd the flock of God, and serve as an overseer, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly! Help him not lord his authority over those entrusted to him, but help him be an example to the flock! Help him so labor that when the Chief Shepherd appears, he will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away! 1 Pet. 5:2-4
Help my pastor watch out for the souls You have entrusted to him, as a man who must give an account! Help him do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for those entrusted to him! Heb. 13:17
Help my pastor not have dominion over the faith of Your people, but help him be a worker for our joy! 2 Cor. 1:24
Help my pastor not cease to pray for Your people! May he be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; may he walk worthy of You, fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You! May he be strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy! May he give thanks to You Who has qualified him to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light! Col. 1:9-12
Cause my pastor's love to abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that he may approve the things that are excellent, that he may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to Your glory and praise! Phil. 1:9-11
Grant my pastor, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might through Your Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in his heart through faith; that he, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that he may be filled with all the fullness of You oh God! Eph. 3:16-19
Above all, please cause my pastor to put on love and truly love You with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength and truly love us Your people as he loves himself, for love binds everything together in perfect harmony. 1 Cor. 13; Col. 3:14
Please use my pastor for Your glorious employ! Make him mighty in the Scriptures; make his life to be dominated by a sense of Your greatness, Your majesty, and Your holiness. Make his mind and heart aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. Help him learn what it is to die to self, to all human aims and personal ambitions; help him be willing to be a fool for Christ's sake. Help him be willing to bear reproach and falsehood for Your sake. Help him labor and suffer for Your sake. Please make his supreme desire not to be to gain earth's accolades, but to win Your approbation when he appears before Your awesome judgment seat. Help him preach with a broken heart and with tear-filled eyes! Please grant Your ministry through him an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and allow us to witness "signs and wonders following" in the transformation of multitudes of human lives! (Adapted from Arnold Dallimore)
. . . for Jesus' sake – Amen!
God And The Gospel
To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, His cross, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here and here for free!
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
A Picture With Denzel Washington, His Profession Of Faith, And The Return Of The King
Pauletta Washington, Denzel Washington's wife (since 1983; over 40 years!), is from the area where I grew up - Newton, North Carolina. My cousin (on the far right) had a flower shop there, and he provided the flowers for the Washington's wedding. Above is a picture of them together that Denzel signed: "To Alvin, God Bless, Denzel Washington"
Denzel Washington's Profession Of Faith
Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." Matthew 7:21-23
Being a moral person doesn't save you. Being faithful to your wife for 40 years and being a good husband doesn't save you. Going to church and talking about God doesn't save you. Those are all good things, but you can do all those things and still go to hell. You must be born again. You must repent of your sins and trust in the Christ of the Bible, and trust in Him by faith alone. That justifies you before God. And then, the evidence that you are truly born again and trusting in Christ alone is that you will seek, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to obey all that Jesus has commanded for the glory of God.
One reason to be concerned about the genuineness of Denzel's profession of faith is his association with a false teacher. I was sad to see that he did an interview with T. D. Jakes, who is a dangerous, false teacher and a wolf in sheep's clothing. Jakes' "Christianity" is a brand of "Christianity" that is NOT Christianity. Jakes preaches a false god (This is the true God!) and a false gospel. Please see this excellent documentary, American Gospel: Christ Alone, for more on that.
Ray Comfort made a video on the question of the genuineness of Denzel's profession of faith with a bold Gospel presentation at the end here:
Only our great triune God knows for certain whether Denzel truly belongs to Christ or not, but we can always pray for him to know, trust, love, obey, and pursue Christ. We should pray that for ourselves and for all people everywhere. May God save sinners from hell!
God commands everyone to take the utmost care to ensure they are trusting in Christ alone:
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 2 Peter 1:10
It's not wrong to ask good, Biblically informed questions about the genuineness of our own faith and about the genuineness of another's faith if the questioning is motivated by love and grounded in the truth. It's good and loving to be as discerning as possible about the reality of genuine faith because there is a great day of judgement coming, and, in love, we want everyone to be ready.
The Return Of The King In Wrath
One of the reasons it's so important that we examine ourselves to see whether we "are in the faith" and are diligent to "make our calling and election sure" is because of the terrifying picture of the final judgment we see in God's Word. There is lots of graphic violence and blood in the book of Revelation when Jesus comes back. The return of the Warrior King, Jesus Christ the Almighty, will be a frightening event for those outside of Christ. As one of the most terrifying hymns I've ever heard states:
Judgment is surely comingComing to you and meWe will be judged that morningFor all eternitySome will go into heavenOthers will be deniedWill you be in that numberStanding outside?
Standing outside the portalsStanding outside deniedKnowing that with the demonsEver you shall abideNever to share the beautyAwaiting the sanctifiedOh! what an awful pictureStanding outside.
Standing outside while loved onesEnter the pearly gateKnowing that there foreverYou will then separateTo be away from loved onesAnd by our God deniedOh! what an awful pictureStanding outside?
Can you not see the pictureOf those who're lost in sinStanding outside the portalsWithout a hope to winSoul-crushed with deepest sorrowWithout a friend to guideOh! what an awful pictureStanding outside. J. A. McClung
Jesus' return described in the book of Revelation shows us His total and absolute victory, His ushering in of perfect justice, and the utter destruction of all of His and of His people's enemies:
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" Revelation 6:15-17
So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia [that's about 184 miles - that's a lot of blood!]. Revelation 14:19-20
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-16
Are you ready to face the LORD Jesus Christ on that day and give an account of your life?
On that day, God will accomplish perfect justice; He will punish all of His enemies; everything sad will become untrue (a line from J. R. R. Tolkien); all wrongs will be made right; every evil will be perfectly punished; there will be no more sin, no more death, no more sadness, and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. We will finally see the God-Man, Jesus Christ, face to face. The LORD Jesus Christ is King of kings and LORD of lords Who has the name above all names, and He will bring about perfect justice someday, either in hell or because of the cross. Which will you choose?
If you are not a true, genuine, born again Christian, then you are cut off from Christ and in rebellion against God. Christ will punish you in hell forever someday where there will be weeping and burning and gnashing of teeth for all eternity. The Warrior King will crush you in hell forever. And there will be lots of blood. And there will be no mercy. But if you repent of (turn away from) your sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ - if you trust in His perfect life, His death on that cross, His burial, and His resurrection - then He will save you from your sins and justice will have been accomplished at the cross:
. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus (John 3:16) (For more on this verse, see: 1. The Danger: Perishing; 2. The Design Is Love; 3. The Duty: Faith; 4. The Destiny: Eternal Life)
The Return Of The King For Our Everlasting Joy
But if the only reason you trust in Christ is so that you won't go to hell, you aren't truly trusting in Christ. You don't have to be born again in order not to want to go to hell. Nobody wants to go to hell. John Piper preached about this insufficient reason some people come to Jesus:
Or "I don’t want to go to hell. And so I am coming to you, Jesus. I hear that you can get me out of hell. Please don’t let me suffer forever. I don’t want to go to hell. Save me from hell." Well no demon wants to be in hell. Nobody wants to be in hell. You don’t have to be regenerate in order to have the desire not to want to go to hell. There is nothing holy or godly about not wanting to go to hell and be unhappy forever. Nobody wants to go to hell.
The deeper, more fundamental desire of the truly born again Christian is not merely to escape hell, but a desire for God Himself. We want Christ to come back because we want Christ above all. We don't want to go to hell because God will not be experienced there in His love and mercy but only in His anger and judgment. We don't want just to escape the punishment of hell; we want the presence of Christ! In his book, God Is The Gospel, John Piper asks a riveting question:
The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?
The true believer will cry out from the depths their heart: NO! NEVER! I WANT CHRIST ABOVE ALL!
Again, Piper writes in God is the Gospel:
Justification is not an end in itself. Neither is the forgiveness of sins or the imputation of righteousness. Neither is escape from hell or entrance into heaven or freedom from disease or liberation from bondage or eternal life or justice or mercy or the beauties of a pain-free world. None of these facets of the gospel-diamond is the chief good or highest goal of the gospel. Only one thing is: seeing and savoring God himself, being changed into the image of his Son so that more and more we delight in and display God’s infinite beauty and worth.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God . . . . 1 Peter 3:18
Jesus died to bring us to God. We want God, not His gifts, above all. This is the testimony of the saints throughout history. They delight in God Himself. Not merely in His gifts. But in God:
You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You. Augustine
Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in Him [God], they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to Him. John Calvin
I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You." Psalm 16:2
You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. Psalm 73:25
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . . . . Philippians 3:7-8
Hell is going to be so horrific that you want to escape it at any cost! And heaven, because God is there, is going to be so glorious and amazing that you want to enter in at any cost! Sam Storms, while describing Jonathan Edwards' view of heaven, gave this wonderful description:
Edwards often talked about what we won’t see in heaven. Praise God for this. In Revelation 21:4 we are told there will be no tears of grief, no death or sorrow or pain. [In] verse 8 of chapter 21 we are assured by John that no one who is cowardly, lying, or unbelieving will be present; no murderers or anything abominable, immoral, or idolatrous. And again in [Revelation] 21:27 he says nothing that is unclean will be allowed to enter there. People think of the implications of what is being said. When we get to heaven there will be, said Edwards, nothing which shall offend the most delicate eye. In other words, nothing that is abrasive, irritating, agitating, or hurtful; nothing harmful, hateful, upsetting or unkind; nothing sad, bad, or mad, harsh, impatient, ungrateful, or unworthy; nothing weak or sick or broken or foolish; nothing deformed, degenerate, depraved, or disgusting; nothing polluted, pathetic, poor, or putrid; nothing dark, dismal, dismaying, or degrading; nothing blameworthy, blemished, blasphemous, or blighted; nothing faulty, faithless, frail, or fading; nothing grotesque or grievous, hideous or insidious; nothing illicit or illegal, lascivious or lustful; nothing marred or mutilated, misaligned or misinformed; nothing nasty or naughty, offensive or odious; nothing rancid or rude, soiled or spoiled, tawdry or tainted, tasteless, or tempting; nothing vile or vicious, wasteful or wanton - none of it!
And all of this for hell deserving sinners like you and me.
What will we see there? Wherever you turn your eyes you see nothing but glory and grandeur and beauty and brightness and purity and perfection and splendor and satisfaction and sweetness and salvation and majesty. We’ll see only and all that is adorable and affectionate, and beautiful and bright and brilliant and bountiful and delightful and delicious and delectable and dazzling and elegant and exciting and fascinating and fruitful and glorious and grand and gracious and good and happy and holy and healthy and whole and joyful and jubilant and lovely and luscious and majestic and marvelous, opulent and overwhelming, radiant and resplendent, splendid and sublime, sweet and savory, tender and tasteful, euphoric and unified. And why? Because we’ll be looking at the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
If you are not a Christian, would you please flee from the wrath to come in hell, and flee to the all satisfying God and trust in Jesus Christ alone today? And pray that Denzel Washington and everyone else in the world would do the same as well! And meet me in heaven!
God And The Gospel
To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, His cross, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here and here for free!
Monday, January 8, 2024
"For Your Sake He Became Poor": Taking The Poverty Of Jesus To Heart by John Piper
This post is chapter 87 in John Piper's book Taste And See: Savoring The Supremacy Of God In All Of Life (Pages 258-261)
"If Christ had evangelized only his own kind, no one would be saved. There is only one of his kind - and God did not need evangelizing. Therefore, "Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Similarly, if the well-fed church evangelizes only "its own kind," massive stretches of lost humanity will go untouched because they are absolutely poor. Not only that, there are millions of Christians among the poor who are our brothers and sisters.
Absolute poverty isn’t quite starvation, but it isn’t quite subsistence either. Absolute poverty means earning less than $370 per year. Half of all children in this population will not survive to their fifth birthday….
Of the one billion people living in absolute poverty, David Barrett estimates that fully 200 million of these people are fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Something is desperately wrong in the international body of Christ when some of us live palatially, and others can’t keep their kids fed. (Tom Sine, "The Demographic Revolution and Whole-Life Stewardship," Faces of Poverty and Population [Monrovia, CA: World Vision, 1992], 18)
But even more important and more powerful in our lives than such statistics is the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We need to keep our eyes fixed on him—the real Jesus of history, not just some vague idea of God floating in the air. What he did and how he lived and what he said will change us, if we really listen to him and ponder the purpose of our predestination: "Those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29, RSV).
1. He became poor.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
2. His mother was poor.
For [God] has had regard for the lowly state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. (Luke 1:48)
3. He was born in a cow stall.
She gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)
4. He was dedicated with the poor offering.
When the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:22–24; see also Leviticus 12:6–8)
5. He was anointed to preach to the poor.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden. (Luke 4:18)
6. He called the poor blessed and the rich woeful.
And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God…. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full." (Luke 6:20, 24)
7. He said it was hard for the wealthy to be saved.
Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Luke 18:24–25)
8. He called for anxiety-free sell-offs to get to a wartime lifestyle.
Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on…. But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity…. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:22, 31–34)
9. He called for a passionate search for the poor.
Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame. (Luke 14:21)
When you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. (Luke 14:13–14)
10. He lived without accumulating even a home.
The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20)
There is in the life and teachings of Jesus a relentless tendency toward simplicity. There is a steady impulse toward living at risk, and with a kind of abandon to the Father’s care that looks foolish to the well-off world. There is an unsettling otherworldliness that made Jesus and his first followers radically useful in this dead-end world. There is a freedom from things and for the kingdom that thrills the heart of his disciples.
Lord, give us this freedom. At any cost, free us from the bondage to this world, and its images of success and power. Open our eyes to see that "what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15, RSV). Grant us to live as aliens and exiles. And fix our eyes on the all-satisfying, everlasting joy of arriving in heaven on the Calvary road of love and service." John Piper
To learn more about the great King Jesus and His glorious Gospel message, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.
Saturday, January 6, 2024
The Place Of My Birth (Valdese, NC), My Views On Money, And Peter Waldo
I was born on December 26th on a Sunday morning at 8am in Valdese, North Carolina. Recently I was able to visit this city again with my mom. I knew Valdese was founded by a group of persecuted Christians called the Waldensians:
On May 29, 1893 Southern Railway’s “Number 11” deposited a travel-weary band of 29 souls from Northern Italy who were to break ground for a settlement. They were called the Waldensians, and that settlement became the Town of Valdese. The Waldensians were both a people and a church. Joining the Reformation in 1532, they predate John Wycliffe, John Huss, Martin Luther and other Reformers. Known as a “people of the book,” they held the Bible to be sacred and the final authority in every aspect of life. (Blue Ridge National Heritage Area)
But I didn't know the full story behind the founder of this group: Peter Waldo. What a kind mercy it was for the Triune God, like He has in so many other ways in my life, to show me more about Himself and about Peter and his commitment to the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Peter was basically a kind of Martin Luther hundreds of years before Martin Luther. And I didn't know about his views on maximizing his use of money for the poor and for the glory of God. In this excellent Desiring God article, Jon Bloom writes:
In 1170, Waldo was a very wealthy, well-known merchant in the city of Lyon. He had a wife, two daughters, and lots of property. But something happened — some say he witnessed the sudden death of a friend, others say he heard a spiritual song of a traveling minstrel — and Waldo became deeply troubled over the spiritual state of his soul and desperate to know how he could be saved.
The first thing he resolved was to read the Bible. But since it only existed in the Latin Vulgate, and his Latin was poor, he hired two scholars to translate it into the vernacular so he could study it.
Next, he sought spiritual counsel from a priest, who pointed him to the rich young ruler in the Gospels and quoted Jesus: “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Jesus’s words pierced Waldo’s heart. Like the rich young ruler, Waldo suddenly realized he had been serving Mammon, not God. But unlike the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus, Waldo repented and did exactly what Jesus said: he gave away all he had to the poor (after making adequate provision for his wife and daughters). From that point on, he determined to live in complete dependence on God for his provision.
Waldo immediately began to preach from his Bible in the streets of Lyon, especially to the poor. Many were converted, and by 1175 a sizable group of men and women had become Waldo’s disciples. They too gave away their possessions and were preaching . . . The people started calling them the “Poor of Lyons.” Later, as the group grew into a movement and spread throughout France and other parts of Europe, they became known as “The Waldensians.”
The more Waldo studied Scripture, the more troubled he became over certain doctrines, practices, and governing structures of the Catholic Church — not to mention its wealth. And he boldly spoke out against these things. But since the Church officially prohibited lay preaching, Waldo and his ragtag band drew opposition from church leaders.
I was so encouraged and confirmed by reading this! The very place of my birth was founded by a people whose heritage was immersed in fighting the love of money, seeking to give all they could away to the poor, and living for the glory of King Jesus! I took this discovery as a confirmation from God that this pursuit of mine is not odd or out of place, but in harmony with the people who founded the very place of my birth. Don't listen to the criticism! Your heart is free, Joseph! Pursue this way of life for the glory of King Jesus! Even where you were born confirms this!
Only one life, t'will soon be past!
Only what's done for Christ will last!
- C. T. Studd
Lord, I give up my own plans and purposes, all my own desires, hopes and ambitions, and I accept Thy will for my life. I give up myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee, to be Thine forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all of my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me now and seal me with Thy Spirit. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, for to me to live is Christ. Amen.
Loving Lord and Heavenly Father I offer up today all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, and all that I suffer, to be yours today and Yours forever. Give me grace, Lord, to do all that I know of Your Holy will. Purify my heart, sanctify my thinking, correct my desires. Teach me, in all of today's work and trouble and joy, to respond with honest praise, simple trust, and instant obedience, that my life may be in truth a living sacrifice, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, my Master and my all. Amen.
- Elisabeth Elliot
John Piper Helped Open My Eyes To What God's Word Teaches About Money
Pastor John Piper has been a huge influence on how I view money and the pursuit of a "war-time" lifestyle for the glory of King Jesus. In his book on fasting, A Hunger For God: Desiring God Through Fasting And Prayer, he writes:
The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18–20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable.
His finger prints are all over these articles I've written:
Giving Up Your Ring For The Glory Of The King Who Forever Makes You Sing!
"Neither Poverty Nor Riches" And Growing In Generosity For The Glory Of King Jesus!
Use Christmas Time And Other Times To Store Up Treasure In Heaven!
May we, like Peter Waldo and John Piper, pursue our joy in God and give all we can away for the cause of Christ in the world so that God would be most glorified in us and we would be most satisfied in Him as we store up treasure in heaven for all eternity and truly know and experience the reality that it is more blessed to give than to receive!
Resources From John Piper On Money And Storing Up Treasure In Heaven
10. An excellent sermon from Kevin DeYoung on tithing and generosity: Our Neglected Stewardship
Randy Alcorn's ministry, Eternal Perspective Ministries, is also helpful on money and giving, and his book The Treasure Principle is helpful as well.
God And The Gospel
To learn more about the great and true Triune God, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, His cross, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here and here for free!
May We Be Moved To Give Joyfully And Sing With Passion!
An article about John Calvin's influence on the Waldensians: Calvin's Ministry To The Waldensians
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
"That's My King!" In Matthew 21!
Christ Jesus Is The Coming King
Who Knows Of Colts And Everything
Supplies All Needs, From Him They Spring
And In Jerusalem They Sing
Hosannas! Praise! They’re Worshiping
The Son Of David, Glory’s Ring
And Yet He’d Die And Taste The Sting
Of Sin And Death For Man’s Offspring
A Crown Of Thorns Would Pierce This King
On Him God’s Fiery Wrath Would Spring
He’d Die So Marred Past Human Thing
Then Rise To Us Salvation Bring
Take Refuge In His Healing Wing
By Faith Alone Let’s To Him Cling
He Saves From Olney To Beijing
He Is Our God, Our Reigning King
Who Will Forever Make Us Sing
He Is Our All, Our Everything!
That's my King!
Christ Jesus Is The Temple Praise
The God-Man Truth His Life Conveys
Zeal For God’s House He Loves, Obeys
He Toppled Tables In A Blaze
Of Righteous Anger For Their Craze
For Money And Their Sinful Ways
The Temple Is For Prayer And Praise
Of Him Who Sent His Son These Days
To Die And Rise So We Could Raise
Hosannas To Our God Always
Now Every Nation To Him Prays
He’s Healer, Wonderful’s The Phrase
That Captures What He Is Amaze
All Hail! All Hail! The King Of Praise
Who Is Our All, Our All Always
Who Saved Us From Our Sinful Ways
So He’ll Forever Be Our Craze!
That's my King! Do you know Him?!
Christ Jesus Grows The Greatest Fruit
His Perfect Holiness Salute
He Loves And Serves And Saves To Boot
There’s No One Like Him, No Dispute
From Olney, Gaza, To Beirut
Sin Does And Has And Will Pollute
Like Israel Who Bore No Fruit
And Acted Like A Prostitute
Christ Curses All From Head To Root
But He Will Save And Death Refute
For On A Tree He’s Cursed And Mute
He Bore God’s Wrath Like Sinner Brute
He Died Our Lamb And Substitute
Then Rose Alive The Grave To Loot
Of All His Loved Ones Hot Pursuit
His Righteousness He Does Impute
By Faith Alone We’re Just, On Route
To Pray To Him And Mounts Uproot
For He’s Our All, The Greatest Fruit!
That's my King!
Christ Jesus Reigns, Owning All Authority
In Everything He Bleeds Superiority
Don’t Question Him For He’s Right In The Majority
He’s Everlasting With Utmost Seniority
Yet He Died On That Cross And Was Counted Inferiority
Bearing God’s Wrath In Horrific Deteriority
But Rose Up From The Dead With All Superiority
Saving From Every Nation: The All And The Minority
So Trust In Him As Your First Priority
And Bow Down To His God-Man Authority
Who Is Himself Our Joy Superiority!
That's my King!
Christ Jesus Is The Righteous Way
He Is The Son Who “Yes!” Would Say
Then All His Father’s Will Obey
But We’ve All Sinned And Gone Astray
Like Whores And Cheats Who Do Betray
We’ve Chosen Our Own Selfish Way
But Christ Would Die Our Debt To Pay
On Him Hell’s Wrath Would Fully Lay
But Then He Rose All Death To Slay
By Faith Alone We’re Just Today
So Now We’re Free To Walk His Way
We Too Say “Yes!” And Do And Pray
For Jesus Takes Our Sins Away
God’s Promises In Him Are Yea
Who Put God’s Love On Full Display
So We Like Him Trust And Obey!
That's my King! I wonder if you know Him today?!
Christ Jesus Is The Son And Stone
Of The Corner Best That’s Known
Marvelous In Our Eyes Shown
So Beautiful That Minds Are Blown
God’s Done This We Are His Own
By Christ’s Rejection Died Alone
Spit On, Beaten To The Bone
Bore God’s Wrath For Sins Atone
Died And Rose To Victory Own
Now With All Power On His Throne
He Rules O’er All The Cornerstone
Shows Mercy To All Those He’s Known
Who Trust In Him By Faith Alone
But Crushes Sinners, Down They’re Thrown
Who Reject His Rule And Groan
So Trust The Son He Won’t Disown
All Those By Grace To Him Have Flown!
That's my King! That's my King!
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