A Heart Check: The Parable of the Sower

What is the condition of OUR hearts?

• Are you a curious learner, or do you quickly reject what others say if they aren't in your camp?
• Were you a big fan of God at one time, but something ugly happened in your life, and now you want nothing to do with Him? 
• Did you once call yourself a joyful follower of Christ, but you now chase hard after fame, fortune, and fun?

WE must evaluate OUR hearts. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, 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! Too many people say they believe in God, but their lives don't show it. They may have an intellectual belief in Christ, but they don't really love Jesus. They just love what He gives them and often have a critical spirit, simply following the culture. We can't treat King Jesus just as our ticket to Heaven; He must be the all in our lives. 

If you've been given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26), you'll grow in God's grace and knowledge and bear beautiful fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is this the fruit people see coming from you? It's impossible not to when you're trusting in Christ and having His Spirit guide you in what can be a challenging life. Yes, we slip at times and sin, but are we hating our laziness, pride, and other sins we commit that Jesus died for? Below are a few more questions to consider.

• Do others see patience, kindness, and grace from you, or do you often complain and get bent out of shape when things don't go your way?
• Do you rejoice, pray, and give thanks even when things are hard and you're suffering?
• Do people look at you and think, "That person is like Christ. They absolutely hate sin and seek to live a life of holiness."?

These questions are for ALL OF US, and they are questions I've been thinking about recently as we are learning about the Parable of the Sower (also known as the Parable of the Soils) in chapel this month. I encourage you to go to Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8 and read and meditate on Jesus' words. Jesus is the key not only to eternal life, but to life itself. We certainly need counseling, education, and medicine, but apart from Christ, we can do nothing! As John the Baptist said, May He increase, and we decrease.

And as always, please let me know if there is anything I can do for you and your family. To God be the glory!

to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Romans 16:27

Give Complaints In All Circumstances

This blog post title might seem a little odd, but check out the comments section of any social media post, and you’re likely to find lots of complaining. People frequently head to the comments of social media to be entertained because we know the comments might consist of ruthless complaining. We not only fail to remember that complaining is a sin (Philippians 2:14), but we often don’t care. How are the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart (Psalm 19:14)? Are you good at complaining or are you known as someone giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)? Thanksgiving is around the corner, and there is so much to be thankful for, yes/no? Consider some of these things we should be thanking God for all the time:

1. We live in a nation that allows us to vote for our leaders. We may not always like the candidates, but we could live in a country where everything is picked for us.

2. We live in a nation with a strong military. While I look forward to the day when armed forces won’t be needed, I’m thankful for our troops.

3. We live in a nation with thousands of academic programs and world-class institutions. Our schools are far from perfect, but hundreds of millions of primary and secondary school-age children in developing countries don’t even attend school.

4. We live in a nation with clinics and hospitals around every corner. We may not always like the medical bills we receive, but thank God, many amazing resources are available in our communities. 

5. We live in a nation where we can gather with others and worship the risen Christ. Being a Christian certainly looks different in 2024, but it still isn’t dangerous to be a Christian in America.

Instead of constantly complaining like the culture around us, how can we be different and cultivate an attitude of thankfulness? Consider some practices I mention here.

Let’s be thankful not just when it’s Thanksgiving or when life is smooth. Let’s be different and give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! Psalm 100:4

How Resilient Are You?

How do you respond to your children when they don't complete their chores or homework? How do you respond to a co-worker who disagrees with you and disrespects you? Do these situations stress you out, tick you off, get you down in the dumps, or make you feel like you got hit by a Mack Truck? How you handle new and problematic situations shows your resilience level, and people with greater emotional intelligence show greater resilience. If you struggle to be resilient, express your emotions maturely, and handle interpersonal relationships wisely and with love, don't fret! Resilience is something we can grow in.

I like how the Cambridge Dictionary defines resilience. Resilience is "the ability to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened." A resilient person adapts well to adversity and can bounce back from difficult situations. He or she has strong coping skills, knows how to use the available resources, and isn't afraid to ask for help. Resilient people persist, persevere, and don't yield to pressure. 

We should all want to be resilient and help others be resilient. We should work heartily for the Lord (Colossians 3:23), listen to constructive criticism (Proverbs 15:31), and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Because we live in a sinful world, we certainly know this will be difficult. Sometimes we'll have to battle laziness, complaining, and being overly sensitive or defensive. This fight might come from within, or we might experience it with a family member, neighbor, or colleague. 

How are you doing in the area of resilience? Are you showing yourself to be resilient? Do you adapt to situations and press on when your circumstances are less than ideal? If we struggle with the smaller things in life, how will we respond when life gets super stressful and hits us with a massive storm?

The hardships that many Christians face around the world are horrendous. According to Open Doors, a non-denominational mission supporting persecuted Christians around the world, more than 365 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. More than 4,000 Christians were detained last year, and 5,000 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons. 15,000 churches and Christian properties were attacked. If our persecuted brothers and sisters living in Africa and Asia can be resilient, through Christ, so can we.

If there is anyone who should be resilient, it should be us. We aren't little kids trying to figure out life. The overwhelming majority of Americans have an abundance of resources available at their fingertips, and if you're a Christian, the all-powerful Holy Spirit resides in you (Romans 8:9). Christians have the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), God's Word, hidden in our hearts so that we might not sin against our Creator (Psalm 119:11). We have the Body of Christ to encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). 

Faith in the Lord is the key to Job-like, Paul-like, and CHRIST-like resilience. We must get our eyes off our circumstances and look to the cross at home, work, and during tough times. Let's hold fast to Proverbs 3:5-6 and point others to Christ daily. Let's trust the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways, let's acknowledge God, and He will direct our paths. Godly resilience will help us pass God's tests, big and small, empower our children to embrace a biblical worldview, and bring God all the glory!

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

Reviewing Eric Liddell's The Disciplines of the Christian Life

Nearly seven years ago, I read an outstanding biography of Eric Liddell, the Olympic gold medalist whose life story inspired the 1981 "Best Picture," Chariots of Fire. I found Liddell's story to be of great interest since he served in my former home of Tianjin, China, during the first half of the 20th century. When Christianaudio made The Disciplines of the Christian Life available for free four years ago, I quickly downloaded it. I started listening to the book this year as part of my morning devotions, and it took no time to complete it.

Eric Liddell wrote The Disciplines of the Christian Life to help Christians grow in Christ through daily Bible study and prayer. Below you'll find the foundational topics showing that Liddell starts with discipleship. He gives a Bible reading plan with a recommended reading for each day of the year, with the readings organized into 12 chapters for each month of the year. Knowledge is not just given, but practical ways to live for God's glory. The Disciplines of the Christian Life is simple and straightforward, but should stir up some emotion. Prior to hearing Liddell's thoughts, Herbert S. Long provides us with information concerning how the book came about.

A Word by Herbert S. Long 15:30
Preface 30:56

Part Two: A Year of Discipleship:

1. January: God the Nature of God 8:40
2. February: The Life of Jesus 5:55
3. March: The Life of Jesus Continued: The Cross 10:40
4. April: God's Moral Law - The Law and Sin 9:56 
5. May: The Character of Jesus - Jesus Our Example 7:56
6. June: The Kingdom of God - The Kingdom of Heaven 9:15
7. July: God is Love 9:40
8. August: The Life of Paul - The Act of the Apostles 5:54
9. September: The Epistle to the Romans - Paul's Gospel - The Face of Christ, A Face for the World 11:25
10. October: The Holy Spirit 10:12
11. November: Victory, Victory Over Temptation 9:07
12. December: The Fellowship, The Church 8:17

Part Three: The Disciple and the Church 2:21

• Baptism - The Symbol 4:00 
• The Communion of the Lord's Supper 11:58
• The Three Great Festivals of the Church - Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving 6:29

If you want to hear from a servant of strong convictions who ran for Jesus, I recommend The Disciplines of the Christian Life. The paperback is only 160 pages, should you choose to read it.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Reviewing dc Talk and VOMs' Jesus Freaks

Jesus Freaks is a book that I've recommended to my sixth graders for many years. The nearly 400-page book was published in 1999 and was reprinted two years ago. A second volume was published in 2002. Although Jesus Freaks has a low readability and is targeted to American teenagers, new adult believers might want to consider using the Gold Medallion-nominated book as a devotional. Perhaps some will consider the topic of persecuted Christians as an odd choice for a devotional; however, I believe reading the historical accounts of those who have been martyred can be powerfully encouraging.

Jesus Freaks starts with introductions from the members of DC Talk, a super popular Christian band in the 90s. An introduction from the former director of the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is also provided. Approximately 150 personal testimonies and moving quotes were taken from VOM archives, and dozens of profiles of martyred figures are presented. Reading these summaries of Christian persecutions can show us how easy we often have it and stir us to unashamedly live out our faith. We need more books that tell young people how hard life can be, but that we have a life-giving Savior who provides all our needs.

40 pages of Jesus Freaks are dedicated to explaining where persecution is taking place today - restricted nations as well as hostile areas. Each country has a brief prayer request, and another four pages explain what we can do. The thick paperback ends with endnotes, a list of resources about martyrs, alphabetical and chronological indexes, and information about dc Talk and VOM. If you're looking for a book for teens that contains gripping stories of truth with Scripture sprinkled throughout (several versions are quoted), I recommend Jesus Freaks. 

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11

I'm Always Rejoicing in the Lord

I'm always rejoicing in the Lord...NOT. Believe it or not, there are some mornings when I don't exactly have that joy in the Lord feeling. Perhaps others often think that of me; however, keep in mind my joyful look can be mistaken for a look of anger. :-) It doesn’t take me long to do things without rejoicing. If my eight-year-old requires multiple reminders that it's time to get out of bed, I am not exactly rejoicing in the Lord. Having only decaf coffee in the apartment does not make me jump for joy. If I open up my inbox to find an email of a less-than-joyous nature, that can certainly put a damper on my spirit. Even the activities I find most enjoyable in life can be experienced with displeasure due to my sinful heart. Prior to a knee injury last year, I used to really enjoy playing soccer, but I would get pretty perturbed if my teammates didn’t play defense. I enjoy fishing, but I have a few stories of fishing trips that don't include any fish. I can even worship God with others and start thinking of how someone has wronged me.

I find encouragement in the Apostle Paul’s testimony, and I look forward to learning more from him in Heaven. Here was a man who found joy in the most difficult of circumstances. In 2 Corinthians 7:4, he says, I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. In Colossians 1:24, he says, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 

How could Paul make these kinds of statements? First and foremost, Paul learned this from Jesus. Luke 6:22-23 says, Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. Paul knew his earthly troubles would be temporary and that He would be rewarded with great treasures in Heaven. Paul took his eyes off his circumstances and remembered the truth, the words of Jesus.

How does one produce the kind of joy Paul talks about? Where does it come from? It comes from the Holy Spirit. Man is unable to produce it. Galatians 5:22 says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. All those who have placed their faith in Christ have the Holy Spirit and, through Him can have this joy in their life.

Perhaps this seems like basic stuff to you; however, we need these reminders. I need these reminders. We are quick to take our eyes off the cross and forget what God says. Philippians 4:4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let me say that again. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Did you realize rejoicing is commanded and not optional? What is amazing about Paul's statement is that he said it in a prison cell that wasn't exactly a five-star hotel. How was he able to do this? Again, through the Holy Spirit. 

What if we do not desire to fight for joy in the Lord? What if we are struggling to have that joy? 2 Corinthians 1:24 says, Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. If we do not desire to fight for joy in the Lord, we must tell others and cry out to the Lord. He desires for us to find joy in Him. We are not to act as if we have it all together. We don't. You have junk, I have junk, we all have junk, and moments when we do not feel very cheery. When I am not feeling particularly joyful, there are a few key people in my circle of friends who listen to me, pray for me and with me, and who point me to the Word, to the good news of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for the body of Christ. We are not meant to be independent but are made interdependent for community. This includes introverts like me. We need one another to live joyously in the Lord.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Reviewing Tim Keller's The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy

I downloaded this book onto my school-purchased iPhone for several reasons:

1. Tim Keller - I enjoyed reading The Prodigal God, watching The Gospel of Life, and listening to numerous sermon clips and interviews of his.
2. The Subtitle - Sometimes I struggle to find joy in tasks that God has required me to do, but I want to rejoice always.
3. Cost - The book was under a buck through Amazon, so I couldn't pass it up.

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness consists of four short chapters, and I was able to finish the book on a bus ride home from work. Chapter one is called The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, chapter two is entitled The Natural Condition Of The Human Ego, chapter three is The Transformed View Of Self, and the final chapter is How To Get That Transformed View Of Self.

Chapter one opens up with two immensely important questions:

1. "What are the marks of a heart that has been radically changed by the grace of God?"
2. "If we trust in Christ, what should our hearts be like?"

In The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Pastor Keller focuses on a section of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians: 1 Cor. 3:21-4:7. In this passage, we are shown that the church in Corinth is divided due to pride and boasting. Like the Corinthians, we often look at ourselves too highly. This is something I have done all too frequently and something I continue to battle. Additionally, many people are on the other side of the spectrum and feel they suffer from low self-esteem. We help people to combat this by telling them they are somebody; however, this is totally the wrong approach. We cannot build ourselves up by meeting our own standards or society's standards. This doesn't work. Apart from Christ, we will never be satisfied with ourselves. Our ego always desires more, and we get hurt in the process. We constantly desire to accomplish more in order to feel like we're somebody important. God expects us to deny ourselves and look to Him. God is to be our audience, not the world. We must seek to bring attention to our Awesome God and not to ourselves. The only way we can do this is by looking to the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is He who declares us innocent so we can live this life full of joy and be prepared for a life of pure joy in Heaven.

If you are looking for a quick read that is biblically sound, I recommend Keller's book to you. Pastor Keller preaches to a few thousand intellectuals in Manhattan every Sunday, yet his book can be understood by those new to the faith. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness does not use complex theological terms, and deep thoughts and discussions should result from reading the book. Although I still struggle to find joy in some daily tasks, reading Keller's book is a great reminder of how I should be thinking. At the back of the book, you will find a few thoughts and questions for reflection, endnotes, and a list of Keller's books.

Books I Read in April 2010

Stuff Christian Like by Jonathan Acuff - I received this free book earlier this month in an audio format from Christianaudio's website. Jonathan Acuff does an excellent job reading his collection of more than 120 ideas from his Stuff Christians Like site. I was not very familiar with his blogs prior to listening to this audiobook, but I am a fan of his now. A good mix of satire and seriousness about American Christian culture is told in 4.5 hours. It's the type of book where I would really enjoy sharing favorite portions with a group of friends. I can't say that about too many books. I think people need to laugh more, and this book is a great start.

Ephesians: The NIV Application Commentary by Klyne Snodgrass - I purchased this book a few years ago for a hermeneutics course I took at Colorado Christian University. Although a couple of the consulting editors of the NIV Application Commentary Series have some different understandings of Scripture than I do, I had absolutely no problems with Professor Snodgrass's exegesis. The book starts off with an introduction to the NIV Application Commentary Series, a general editor's preface, an author's preface, a general introduction to the Book of Ephesians, and an annotated bibliography before providing 330 pages of rich text and commentary on what is one of the most influential documents ever written. A Scripture index and a subject index are provided in the back of the book. Every passage of Ephesians has the original meaning examined, the original context and the contemporary context bridged, and the significance of the passage discussed in a way that engages life today. Snodgrass's book is 14 years old, but the contemporary significance is not outdated by any means. Meaning that is found in literal versions, such as the ESV or NASB, that is lost in the NIV, is properly addressed. This book was a great help in writing a paper focused on Ephesians 2:1-10 and will continue to assist me in my studies of Paul's letter to the Ephesians.