NEW ORLEANS, La., and NICEVILLE, Fla. -- When 16-year-old Kerry Matthews stepped onto the trim football field at St. Martin's Episcopal School just west of New Orleans, the starting quarterback was near the end of a long day of firsts: It was the first day his team—the Desire Street Academy Lions—played a game in a league. It was the first day that he officially donned his No. 3 black and burgundy uniform. And it was the first day that the 11th-grader and his teammates had been back to New Orleans since the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood they grew up in was all but destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
Like the rest of the Lions, Mr. Matthews wanted badly to win the team's opening game on Oct. 10 against Crescent City Baptist School, but early in the evening he said losing everything to Katrina had taught him what he should want most: "To get closer to God, and to help out the other kids at the school, especially the younger ones . . . to be a role model."
Desire Street Academy (DSA) had just begun its fourth year when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. For the low-income Christian school enrolling 7th- to 12th-grade boys, the storm "scattered to the four winds" the school's 190 students and 40 staff members, said Mo Leverett, a Presbyterian minister, former football coach, and founder of Desire Street Ministries (DSM). The next two weeks were filled with frantic attempts to track them down (see "Katrina: the sequel," Sept. 17). Within a month DSA had located all of its staff and 145 of its students, and is hoping to hear from the remaining 45 students as well.
While searching out students in shelters and temporary housing situations across the country, Mr. Leverett also was searching for a way to keep the school open. "I didn't want to lose a whole year with the boys," he said. After scouting locations across the South, Mr. Leverett found Camp Timpoochee, a 4-H camp in Niceville, Fla., and quickly came to an agreement with the camp leadership: DSA would lease Camp Timpoochee as a boarding school.
Then staff began a "mass transportation effort," said Mr. Leverett, arranging pickup points for students in major cities across the South. Faculty delivered the boys to the Florida panhandle in "buses, cars, vans, you name it," said Mr. Leverett. By Oct. 2, 75 students filled the small camp on the Gulf Coast, and DSA held its second first day of school Oct. 3.
Textbook companies provided new books at reduced rates. Donors provided school supplies for all the students. Members of local churches "adopted" individual students, committing to doing their laundry for the year. Local volunteers also fix meals.
All school staff except for three teachers moved to Florida, and more students called to say they want to come to Niceville as well.
After nearly a month of no school, things went "OK" the first week, according to dean of students Heather Holdsworth. "We've definitely got our challenges. . . . The school part is easy. It's when you add the boarding school part that things get complicated."
Handling complications falls to Al Jones, the academy's principal and chief disciplinarian. "I'm a problem solver," says the 6-foot-4-inch former Tulane University football player. "It's what I love to do." Mr. Jones, 47, enjoyed a successful career as a teacher (he was named New Orleans Public School Teacher of the Year in 1993), a coach, and an assistant principal before joining the DSA staff just 3 1/2 weeks before Katrina hit.
In the days after the hurricane, Mr. Jones and his wife agreed that he would go wherever the school relocated. His wife remains in Baton Rouge with their teenage son. "The separation is tough," he said, "but my wife and I made a commitment to the school, and we want to keep it."
Mr. Jones says the biggest challenge right now is homesickness: "Some of the boys cried and cried for days." But students are adjusting, and the staff is helping them cope with their losses, even while dealing with their own.
Part of coping is coming back to New Orleans, said Mr. Jones. When faculty, students, and the football team made the five-hour trip to New Orleans for the team's first game, they also took a tour of the Ninth Ward and the DSM campus: "As painful it was, we wanted them to see that there's really no New Orleans to go back to. . . . I hope it will give them some closure and ease their pain of being away from home," said Mr. Jones.
A tour through the Lower Ninth Ward is sobering these days. At the corner of Abundance and Piety streets, the sanctuary of Macedonia Church of God in Christ lies crumpled and mildewing beneath its small, crushed roof. The church sign still stands out front and reads: "We Believe in Miracles." Six weeks after broken levees poured 12 feet of water into most houses here, restoring the neighborhood will take a miracle.
Though the floodwaters are gone and the streets are dry, what remains of the Ninth Ward is an eerie wasteland: A thin layer of ashy dust covers deserted streets inhabited only by starving dogs. Blocks of ruined homes sit crumbling and rotting in the hot sun, their doors and windows stripped away, some sliding off their foundations. Personal possessions litter the streets, dislocated by floodwaters: mattresses, small appliances, baby furniture, and photo albums.
New Orleans officials are grappling with how to confront the Lower Ninth Ward's devastation, and while Mayor Ray Nagin says there is no "ulterior plan" to demolish the area, some say demolition might be the only safe solution for scores of homes supported by severely damaged structures and caked with filthy sludge. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson has questioned the wisdom of rebuilding in an area so prone to flooding, noting that hurricanes have brought significant floods to the area three times in the last 40 years.
The Lower Ninth has long been a cauldron of hardship, with more than a third of its 14,000-plus residents living in poverty, and drug and crime rates high. Still, multigenerational families and deep-rooted neighborhood camaraderie have formed a culture of tight-knit community to which many hope to return.
Situated among some of the neighborhood's worst damage, the campus of DSM stands—surprisingly—structurally intact. Its steel-framed multipurpose building, home to the academy, a church, and a recreational complex dedicated to a gospel-based discipleship and urban renewal program for children and teenagers, withstood major exterior damage with only a few broken windows and a missing door.
Inside, however, floodwaters left severe damage: Floors suffocate under a thick layer of dried, cracked muck; once-white walls are smeared with mud, mildew, and corrosion; computer monitors and overturned desks lie scattered in puddles down a dark, dingy hall. Mr. Leverett says the building will have to be gutted, but "the structure is salvageable." But with most homes for miles around ruined, the question is, salvageable to what end?
Deangelo Peterson, a 10th-grader at the academy and a wide receiver, says going back to the Ninth Ward "was tough . . . I didn't want to see that."
Deangelo's family remains in Texas where they evacuated after the storm, and he says he misses his mother: "I talk to her every day." (Deangelo's heroism may have saved his mother's life. As the floodwaters rose in their home, he helped his mother and two nieces swim to safety: "I'm the only one in my family who can swim.")
Deangelo says that though he misses home, he likes the boarding school and finds comfort in football. "It helps them when they can still play football," said assistant coach Mickey Joseph before the team's first game, "and achieve goals they set before the storm."
On this night, however, the team wouldn't achieve its goal of winning, instead suffering a disappointing 50-14 loss. Beneath the goal post after the game, Mr. Leverett told the dejected players to drop bad attitudes and persevere: "In times of adversity you don't give up. You put your hand to the plow and you keep going."
Also encouraging the young players from the sidelines was Danny Wuerffel, 1996 Florida Gators champion, Heisman Trophy winner, and former NFL pro. Mr. Wuerffel retired from the NFL last year to take a full-time position as DSM director of development and has brought national attention to the ministry's plight in the days since Hurricane Katrina.
By the next afternoon, the players seemed to have shaken off their losses, helped by sleeping in and eating a hearty lunch back at Camp Timpoochee. In a lounge over the dining hall, the boys can watch television and play Ping-Pong or foosball after completing chores on assigned work crews. On weekends, staff take the boys on outings around town and hold church in the dining hall.
Next to the dining hall, a row of log cabins faces the ocean. Ten boys sleep in bunk beds in each cabin, sharing two showers and two sinks. "Dorm dads" stay with the boys at night, while most teachers stay in hotel rooms or rented houses in town.
Two large buildings on either side of the camp house eight small classrooms, and a cabin near the shore serves as the science building, where teacher Daniel Ballard has started a unit on marine biology. On a sunny afternoon he takes his ninth-graders down to the shore where the students rush into the water with nets and goggles, eager to catch crabs or fish. Mr. Ballard then helps identify each creature and its parts.
"Learning is about where you are, and being here is all the better for learning about biology," he says. "Books are a good tool, but it's great for boys to be able to get out here, dig around, and discover what God has created."
At the end of each class, the principal rings the "bell," an air horn he blows from the middle of the camp. During second period, Mr. Jones sits on a bench outside a cabin, wiping sweat from his forehead and talking with a boy who wants to go home.
"I can't take this anymore," says 13-year-old Brandon. "I want to go home. . . . I need to see my mama." Mr. Jones tells Brandon he'll work on arranging a visit with his mother, and in the meantime, he tells Brandon, who has had discipline problems, "If you miss your mama, act like it. . . . Do what you know she'd want you to do even though she's not here."
Mr. Jones says maintaining discipline in a chaotic setting has been a challenge, but "we're going to get there again." And despite the challenges, he is enthusiastic about the boarding school setting: "Here's an opportunity to educate them 24/7 . . . to truly educate and disciple the whole person."
Copyright © 2005 WORLD Magazine
October 22, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 41
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
The ability to create is a gift of God
Art lost its basic creative drive the moment it was separated from worship. It severed an umbilical cord and now lives its own sterile life, generating and degenerating itself. In former days, the artist remained unknown and his work was to the glory of God. He lived and died without being more or less important than other artisans: eternal values, immortality and masterpiece were terms not applicable in his case. The ability to create was a gift. In such a world flourished vulnerable and natural humility.
--Ingmar Bergman
Dick Staub
--Ingmar Bergman
Dick Staub
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
How Deep the Father's Love
How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will nost boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
--words by stuart townend
Friday, September 09, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Salty Dogma
Salty dogma
Bono gives an explicit confession of being saved by Grace, not Karma | by Gene Edward Veith
Is Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group U2, a Christian? He says he is and writes about Christianity in his lyrics. Yet many people question whether Bono is "really" a Christian, due to his notoriously bad language, liberal politics, and rock star antics (though he has been faithfully married for 23 years). But in a new book of interviews, Bono in Conversation by Michka Assayas, Bono, though using some salty language, makes an explicit confession of faith.
The interviewer, Mr. Assayas, begins by asking Bono, Doesn't he think "appalling things" happen when people become religious? Bono counters, "It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma."
The interviewer asks, What's that? "At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one," explains Bono. "And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that. . . . Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."
The interviewer asks, Like what? "That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge," says Bono. "It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."
Then the interviewer marvels, "The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that."
"The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death," replies Bono. "It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven."
The interviewer marvels some more: "That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has His rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?"
Bono comes back, "Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: 'I'm the Messiah.' I'm saying: 'I am God incarnate.' . . . So what you're left with is either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. . . . The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that's farfetched."
What is most interesting in this exchange is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the gospel. And he probably hadn't. But when he hears what Christianity is actually all about, he is amazed.
•
Copyright � 2005 WORLD Magazine
August 6, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 30 World Magazine - Weekly News | Christian Views
Bono gives an explicit confession of being saved by Grace, not Karma | by Gene Edward Veith
Is Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group U2, a Christian? He says he is and writes about Christianity in his lyrics. Yet many people question whether Bono is "really" a Christian, due to his notoriously bad language, liberal politics, and rock star antics (though he has been faithfully married for 23 years). But in a new book of interviews, Bono in Conversation by Michka Assayas, Bono, though using some salty language, makes an explicit confession of faith.
The interviewer, Mr. Assayas, begins by asking Bono, Doesn't he think "appalling things" happen when people become religious? Bono counters, "It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma."
The interviewer asks, What's that? "At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one," explains Bono. "And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that. . . . Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."
The interviewer asks, Like what? "That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge," says Bono. "It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."
Then the interviewer marvels, "The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that."
"The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death," replies Bono. "It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven."
The interviewer marvels some more: "That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has His rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?"
Bono comes back, "Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: 'I'm the Messiah.' I'm saying: 'I am God incarnate.' . . . So what you're left with is either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. . . . The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that's farfetched."
What is most interesting in this exchange is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the gospel. And he probably hadn't. But when he hears what Christianity is actually all about, he is amazed.
•
Copyright � 2005 WORLD Magazine
August 6, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 30 World Magazine - Weekly News | Christian Views
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
I Love to Tell the Story
I Love to Tell the Story: "I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest."
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest."
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Friday, May 06, 2005
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Tongues Today?
I don't post this to pick a fight or be defensive. I post this for the young Christian who:
~~wants everything God has for him
~~desires to be thoroughly biblical
Tongues Today? by O. Palmer Robertson helped me tremendously when i was first walking through my understanding of what it means to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This article is one of those rare pieces that i can still visualize where i was when i read it for the 1st time. Hope it helps.
~~wants everything God has for him
~~desires to be thoroughly biblical
Tongues Today? by O. Palmer Robertson helped me tremendously when i was first walking through my understanding of what it means to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This article is one of those rare pieces that i can still visualize where i was when i read it for the 1st time. Hope it helps.
Understanding the "Weird" Stuff in Acts
The New Testament itself divides the last days (which began at Pentecost Joel 2, cf. Acts 2) into apostolic and post-apostolic dimensions or periods. There is a foundation-laying period, marked by the ministry of the apostles and prophets, and there is a post-foundational, post-apostolic period in view (as Ephesians 2:20 implies). It should not surprise us that phenomena occur in the former period which are not designed to continue beyond it, any more than the miracles of Moses, Elijah, or Elijah continued to be performed by their gifted successors. --Sinclair Ferguson
Saturday, April 02, 2005
THE GOSPEL AND THE “SEEKER”
THE GOSPEL AND THE “SEEKER”
In I Corinthians 14:24 Paul describes a person who comes to a worship service
“who does not understand”--literally a “seeker”. We have seen Cornelius is a
“seeker” who God acknowledges and sincere (Acts 10:1-4). Though they may be
very good persons, they still need to be brought to “repentance unto life” (Acts
11:14). How can we help a person who is “on the verge”--who seems to want to
come to Christ. Here are some helps on helping such persons:
Principles for applying the gospel to seekers
The following is a paraphrase of a lecture in an out of print book by a
Presbyterian minister of the early 19th century. William Sprague, Lectures on
Revival, Lecture 6
1. Determine the amount of knowledge and the amount of feeling.
--if he is long on feeling and short on knowledge, your course of action is fairly
simple. He may be ripe for conversion. Present the truths of the gospel in a
balanced, full way. You may be bold to press for a commitment. If he will not,
discover at what point he has trouble. Review the outline briefly, asking, "Do
you understand and agree that first,___________, and second,_________..."
--if he is long on knowledge and short on feeling, you may need to elaborate the
gospel presentation with vivid illustrations and pointed applications.. Show
him that Christianity is not an academic matter, not a matter of weaving a
web of intricate thought-forms. Say, as Whitefield, "It is one thing to assent
with your mouth, and another thing to believe from the heart. If you have really
done that, a truth affects you mind, will, and emotions. Have you ever been
saddened by your sins? Have you cried out to God that you need a savior? Has
the mercy of God in Christ seemed precious to you?" [Caution: Keep in mind the
words of Thomas Watson - "But wouldest thou know when thou hast been
humbled enough for sin? When thou are willing to let go thy sins. The gold
has lain long enough in the furnace when the dross is purged out; so, when the
love of sin is purged out, a soul is humbled enough, what needs more? If a
needle has let out the abscess, what needs a lance? Be no more cruel to thyself
than God would have thee." --from A Body of Divinity, p. 451
2. Impress on the awakened sinner the need to come to God on gospel
terms immediately.
--God owns you. Every day you rule your own life you become more and more
guilty.
--The concern you have now is the gracious influence of the spirit of God. If you
decide to come to God at your own convenience, you are mocking God. He is too
great for you to snap your fingers when you are ready. Who is King around
here? You are in great danger of losing the openness of heart you have now. Doyou think you can repent any time you wish? No! Repentance is a gift from
God, which he is offering you now. You must take it or risk becoming too hard
to care. Then you will be lost forever. Don't delay. Even a passing conversation
with a friend can drive away your convictions. Act now.
3. Beware of a spirit of self-righteousness.
--When a man is first awakened to his need, he usually sets out on a furious
effort to please God through his efforts (church attendance, prayer, obeying
the law). Warn him of this.
--Say, "Don't stop striving to please God, but do it in the spirit of the new
covenant, not the covenant of works. There is no actual saving value in your
strivings, only gratitude value (saying "thank you" for a full salvation). Until
you accept this and fall down helpless at the feet of Christ's mercy and are
willing to accept the free gift of eternal life, you cannot be saved."
--Warn him that he can assent to justification by faith in the abstract and still
try to catch God's eye with his efforts, so he must examine his heart.
4. Beware of making comfort your ultimate end instead of giving God
his due.
--If you see yourself as a sufferer looking for relief primarily, you will never
find peace. God is no sugar daddy to be used by you to secure your own
happiness. Say to him: "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after--what?
Blessedness? No! Righteousness! Happy are they which don't seek happiness,
but rather to give God his due. Happiness never comes to those who seek it
directly. You are a sinner, in need of pardon. Give God what you owe:
repentance, faith, obedience. Your troubles will take care of themselves. Until
you have grasped this in your heart, you’ll not have peace."
5. If, after sharing the gospel, the person is not ready to repent and
believe, yet is still awakened, advise this:
--Spend a lot of time reading good books, the Bible, and in prayer. Coming to
church meetings and so on is good, but no substitute. It is too easy to derive
your spirituality from the environment. Also, many well-meaning counselors
may be confusing. Talk often with one or two spiritual advisors and with the
Lord
--Read the intriguing sermon by Lloyd-Jones on Mark 8:22,26- "Men as Trees,
Walking" in Spiritual Depression: Causes and Cures. He tells about people who
are in a similar condition to the blind man. They seemed to have been touched
by Jesus--they see things they couldn't see before, yet things are still not in
focus. What did the blind man do? He was honest. He did not say, "I see fine!"
He admitted his condition and Jesus touched him again. So tell Jesus what
you see and what you don't see. Ask him to touch you some more until you see
clearly.
--But above all, stress that these means of study and prayer are only means to
the end. They cannot merit anything from God. They are only ways to enable
God to work in you.
Common objections or problems posed by seekers
1. "I just can't believe" What you are describing is simply the settled
distaste every natural heart has to God. Don't make an excuse for it. In
yourself, you are unable to believe, but the Holy Spirit has already come to
your aid. If you see what you have to do and wish that you could do it, then
that is evidence of the Holy Spirit's work. (You give yourself too much credit!
You couldn't see all these things unless the Spirit was already at work! Don't
despair.) Now, as long as this divine aid is offered to you, you must act. Don't
wait for some kind of psychological sense of certainty; faith is acting on what
you know to be true.
Paul says: "We walk by faith, not by sight". See? He doesn't pit faith against
reason, he pits faith against feelings and appearances. Do you see what you
must do? Then repent, trust, obey Christ. How can you stand on this plea of
inability? That is an abstract question, and it is a sinful refusal.
2. "I've tried all you've said to do, but it hasn't worked" [Evaluate:
Either he hasn't `tried' properly, or he has a false understanding of what
`worked' means.] What do you mean by `worked'? Did you expect a certain
feeling? Did you expect your problems to go away. Faith is acting on what you
know to be true, despite how things feel or appear ("We walk by faith, not by
sight".) Imagine that a doctor tells you, "You are dying because of all the fat
and starch you are eating; if you stop eating steak and potatoes, your body will
begin to strengthen". The first time someone beside you eats a big steak
dinner, won't it smell great? It doesn't smell dangerous and deadly. Now if you
exercise faith, you follow what you know to be true (this food is poison to me), or
you can follow your appetites, senses, and feelings. What if you exercise faith?
Will it immediately feel wonderful? NO! Your stomach will growl and you will
feel unsatisfied. It is only as you practice faith over time that the healing and
health (that is, the good feeling and visible effects) will come. So it is with
saving faith. You may not at first experience anything remarkable. Nor will all
your problems be solved. But your standing with God is changed, and
eventually, the effects will flow out into your whole life. Phil. 2:12-14 tells us
that the strength and life of God comes as you obey him. He works as we work.
How have you been trying? Perhaps you have been striving in a spirit of selfrighteousness
(see above). Perhaps you have been striving in a spirit of
bargaining with God, instead of approaching him as a sovereign king (see
above). ("I'll do this and that if God will do this and that". Instead say, "I owe
God everything, and he owes me nothing; I'll gladly do whatever he bids me
WITHOUT CONDITIONS". If you have put conditions on your seeking him,
he will not meet you.) [Bottom line.] I'm sorry you have been frustrated in your
seeking God, and I cannot know your heart or God's heart enough to tell you
why you haven't felt that you've connected with him. But I do know this. You
haven't got the option of giving up. His disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom
shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). What is
your alternative? You have none. If you keep seeking, Jesus says that no one
who comes to him will he cast out (John 6:37). On the other hand, if you stop
seeking him, you will certainly perish.
3. "I just don't have any sorrow for sin or desire for God" [He may be the
victim of having heard long, lurid testimonies which convinced him that he too
must have an extended period of self-loathing and weeping over his sin.] It is
not Biblical to require everyone to have equally long, vivid, and horrible
sorrow over sin. Look at Matthew, Zaccheus, the Phillipian jailer, and Lydia
(Luke 19:9; Acts 16:14, etc.). There is no indication that they spent time in
terror and horror. They were called abruptly and they came. Look at Jesus
invitation to the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:15-20). He invites the lukewarm, selfdeluded
people to open to him so he can fellowship with him. They were not put
through some long time of conviction.
Listen! If your house had caught on fire, how alarmed would you have
to feel about it in order to be saved? Just enough to get out! It doesn't matter
whether you leave crying `Oh! My house, my house’ or not. It doesn't matter if
you are in a panic or just a bit upset. THE ONLY GOOD YOUR EMOTIONS
AND FEAR ARE IS TO GET YOU TO LEAVE. The only good conviction of
sin is to get you to repent and humble yourself under the mighty hand of your
king. So submit! Don't wait to feel a certain way. [Ultimately, anyone who is
concerned about lack of sorrow and feeling is caught in a self-righteous spirit.
He hopes to please God with his pious feelings. Don't allow this. Confront him.]
4. "I'm too bad/depressed" Look how far Jesus came to save sinners! Are
you worse than Paul? (I Tim. 1:15) Jesus loves to save sinners; he delights to
do it. (Luke 15:7; Is. 53:11; Zeph.3:16-17). The Bible says God is "mighty to
save"; are you saying that He is not strong enough to deal with your sins? Are
you mightier than God? [Again, remember that this complaint is often a subtle
form of self-righteousness. The man thinks he is unworthy. Then he is
assuming his worthiness is the necessary basis for coming to Christ.]
In I Corinthians 14:24 Paul describes a person who comes to a worship service
“who does not understand”--literally a “seeker”. We have seen Cornelius is a
“seeker” who God acknowledges and sincere (Acts 10:1-4). Though they may be
very good persons, they still need to be brought to “repentance unto life” (Acts
11:14). How can we help a person who is “on the verge”--who seems to want to
come to Christ. Here are some helps on helping such persons:
Principles for applying the gospel to seekers
The following is a paraphrase of a lecture in an out of print book by a
Presbyterian minister of the early 19th century. William Sprague, Lectures on
Revival, Lecture 6
1. Determine the amount of knowledge and the amount of feeling.
--if he is long on feeling and short on knowledge, your course of action is fairly
simple. He may be ripe for conversion. Present the truths of the gospel in a
balanced, full way. You may be bold to press for a commitment. If he will not,
discover at what point he has trouble. Review the outline briefly, asking, "Do
you understand and agree that first,___________, and second,_________..."
--if he is long on knowledge and short on feeling, you may need to elaborate the
gospel presentation with vivid illustrations and pointed applications.. Show
him that Christianity is not an academic matter, not a matter of weaving a
web of intricate thought-forms. Say, as Whitefield, "It is one thing to assent
with your mouth, and another thing to believe from the heart. If you have really
done that, a truth affects you mind, will, and emotions. Have you ever been
saddened by your sins? Have you cried out to God that you need a savior? Has
the mercy of God in Christ seemed precious to you?" [Caution: Keep in mind the
words of Thomas Watson - "But wouldest thou know when thou hast been
humbled enough for sin? When thou are willing to let go thy sins. The gold
has lain long enough in the furnace when the dross is purged out; so, when the
love of sin is purged out, a soul is humbled enough, what needs more? If a
needle has let out the abscess, what needs a lance? Be no more cruel to thyself
than God would have thee." --from A Body of Divinity, p. 451
2. Impress on the awakened sinner the need to come to God on gospel
terms immediately.
--God owns you. Every day you rule your own life you become more and more
guilty.
--The concern you have now is the gracious influence of the spirit of God. If you
decide to come to God at your own convenience, you are mocking God. He is too
great for you to snap your fingers when you are ready. Who is King around
here? You are in great danger of losing the openness of heart you have now. Doyou think you can repent any time you wish? No! Repentance is a gift from
God, which he is offering you now. You must take it or risk becoming too hard
to care. Then you will be lost forever. Don't delay. Even a passing conversation
with a friend can drive away your convictions. Act now.
3. Beware of a spirit of self-righteousness.
--When a man is first awakened to his need, he usually sets out on a furious
effort to please God through his efforts (church attendance, prayer, obeying
the law). Warn him of this.
--Say, "Don't stop striving to please God, but do it in the spirit of the new
covenant, not the covenant of works. There is no actual saving value in your
strivings, only gratitude value (saying "thank you" for a full salvation). Until
you accept this and fall down helpless at the feet of Christ's mercy and are
willing to accept the free gift of eternal life, you cannot be saved."
--Warn him that he can assent to justification by faith in the abstract and still
try to catch God's eye with his efforts, so he must examine his heart.
4. Beware of making comfort your ultimate end instead of giving God
his due.
--If you see yourself as a sufferer looking for relief primarily, you will never
find peace. God is no sugar daddy to be used by you to secure your own
happiness. Say to him: "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after--what?
Blessedness? No! Righteousness! Happy are they which don't seek happiness,
but rather to give God his due. Happiness never comes to those who seek it
directly. You are a sinner, in need of pardon. Give God what you owe:
repentance, faith, obedience. Your troubles will take care of themselves. Until
you have grasped this in your heart, you’ll not have peace."
5. If, after sharing the gospel, the person is not ready to repent and
believe, yet is still awakened, advise this:
--Spend a lot of time reading good books, the Bible, and in prayer. Coming to
church meetings and so on is good, but no substitute. It is too easy to derive
your spirituality from the environment. Also, many well-meaning counselors
may be confusing. Talk often with one or two spiritual advisors and with the
Lord
--Read the intriguing sermon by Lloyd-Jones on Mark 8:22,26- "Men as Trees,
Walking" in Spiritual Depression: Causes and Cures. He tells about people who
are in a similar condition to the blind man. They seemed to have been touched
by Jesus--they see things they couldn't see before, yet things are still not in
focus. What did the blind man do? He was honest. He did not say, "I see fine!"
He admitted his condition and Jesus touched him again. So tell Jesus what
you see and what you don't see. Ask him to touch you some more until you see
clearly.
--But above all, stress that these means of study and prayer are only means to
the end. They cannot merit anything from God. They are only ways to enable
God to work in you.
Common objections or problems posed by seekers
1. "I just can't believe" What you are describing is simply the settled
distaste every natural heart has to God. Don't make an excuse for it. In
yourself, you are unable to believe, but the Holy Spirit has already come to
your aid. If you see what you have to do and wish that you could do it, then
that is evidence of the Holy Spirit's work. (You give yourself too much credit!
You couldn't see all these things unless the Spirit was already at work! Don't
despair.) Now, as long as this divine aid is offered to you, you must act. Don't
wait for some kind of psychological sense of certainty; faith is acting on what
you know to be true.
Paul says: "We walk by faith, not by sight". See? He doesn't pit faith against
reason, he pits faith against feelings and appearances. Do you see what you
must do? Then repent, trust, obey Christ. How can you stand on this plea of
inability? That is an abstract question, and it is a sinful refusal.
2. "I've tried all you've said to do, but it hasn't worked" [Evaluate:
Either he hasn't `tried' properly, or he has a false understanding of what
`worked' means.] What do you mean by `worked'? Did you expect a certain
feeling? Did you expect your problems to go away. Faith is acting on what you
know to be true, despite how things feel or appear ("We walk by faith, not by
sight".) Imagine that a doctor tells you, "You are dying because of all the fat
and starch you are eating; if you stop eating steak and potatoes, your body will
begin to strengthen". The first time someone beside you eats a big steak
dinner, won't it smell great? It doesn't smell dangerous and deadly. Now if you
exercise faith, you follow what you know to be true (this food is poison to me), or
you can follow your appetites, senses, and feelings. What if you exercise faith?
Will it immediately feel wonderful? NO! Your stomach will growl and you will
feel unsatisfied. It is only as you practice faith over time that the healing and
health (that is, the good feeling and visible effects) will come. So it is with
saving faith. You may not at first experience anything remarkable. Nor will all
your problems be solved. But your standing with God is changed, and
eventually, the effects will flow out into your whole life. Phil. 2:12-14 tells us
that the strength and life of God comes as you obey him. He works as we work.
How have you been trying? Perhaps you have been striving in a spirit of selfrighteousness
(see above). Perhaps you have been striving in a spirit of
bargaining with God, instead of approaching him as a sovereign king (see
above). ("I'll do this and that if God will do this and that". Instead say, "I owe
God everything, and he owes me nothing; I'll gladly do whatever he bids me
WITHOUT CONDITIONS". If you have put conditions on your seeking him,
he will not meet you.) [Bottom line.] I'm sorry you have been frustrated in your
seeking God, and I cannot know your heart or God's heart enough to tell you
why you haven't felt that you've connected with him. But I do know this. You
haven't got the option of giving up. His disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom
shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). What is
your alternative? You have none. If you keep seeking, Jesus says that no one
who comes to him will he cast out (John 6:37). On the other hand, if you stop
seeking him, you will certainly perish.
3. "I just don't have any sorrow for sin or desire for God" [He may be the
victim of having heard long, lurid testimonies which convinced him that he too
must have an extended period of self-loathing and weeping over his sin.] It is
not Biblical to require everyone to have equally long, vivid, and horrible
sorrow over sin. Look at Matthew, Zaccheus, the Phillipian jailer, and Lydia
(Luke 19:9; Acts 16:14, etc.). There is no indication that they spent time in
terror and horror. They were called abruptly and they came. Look at Jesus
invitation to the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:15-20). He invites the lukewarm, selfdeluded
people to open to him so he can fellowship with him. They were not put
through some long time of conviction.
Listen! If your house had caught on fire, how alarmed would you have
to feel about it in order to be saved? Just enough to get out! It doesn't matter
whether you leave crying `Oh! My house, my house’ or not. It doesn't matter if
you are in a panic or just a bit upset. THE ONLY GOOD YOUR EMOTIONS
AND FEAR ARE IS TO GET YOU TO LEAVE. The only good conviction of
sin is to get you to repent and humble yourself under the mighty hand of your
king. So submit! Don't wait to feel a certain way. [Ultimately, anyone who is
concerned about lack of sorrow and feeling is caught in a self-righteous spirit.
He hopes to please God with his pious feelings. Don't allow this. Confront him.]
4. "I'm too bad/depressed" Look how far Jesus came to save sinners! Are
you worse than Paul? (I Tim. 1:15) Jesus loves to save sinners; he delights to
do it. (Luke 15:7; Is. 53:11; Zeph.3:16-17). The Bible says God is "mighty to
save"; are you saying that He is not strong enough to deal with your sins? Are
you mightier than God? [Again, remember that this complaint is often a subtle
form of self-righteousness. The man thinks he is unworthy. Then he is
assuming his worthiness is the necessary basis for coming to Christ.]
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Atheism, Eastern mysticism, Occult, then Jesus
testimony of our March 20 sunday evening presenter: Ron was raised in a religious Jewish home in Philadelphia, PA. His family regularly attended Synagogue and maintained Jewish traditions in their home.
While a teenager, Ron began to consider the reality of God. For a short time, he became an atheist and then he was attracted to occult teachings and Eastern mysticism. He traveled to India to study Yoga and Hinduism, became an astrologer, and experimented with drugs and New Age philosophies. He found that none of these spiritual pursuits satisfied his heart's desire to know the meaning of life and to have peace with God.
He moved to northern California to live in an alternative rural community. While there, he became convicted by the Holy Spirit of his sins. Ron began to learn about the Gospel of Jesus through the witness of many individuals. A gospel tract that was left on his car window had a great impact on him. God was faithful to keep bringing Christians across his path.
But, because of his strong Jewish background, he didn't accept the Gospel as a mean to forgiveness, but followed a more traditional Jewish method of atonement...good deeds. He organized a community help organization which became funded through state funds. Later, he coauthor an employment training program for low income people through Sonoma State University (CA). This program was funded by the CA state government.
In spite of developing these successful help programs, Ron did not satisfy his need to know God and to be free of the guilt he felt from his sins.
He read a book called "Autobiography of a Yoga" which taught that Jesus was one of the great masters who had come to earth to instruct us how to return to God. This made him more open to learn about Jesus. He rejected the Christian assertions that Jesus was the only way to God. Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." But, Ron did become attracted to Jesus and his moral teachings. This was the crack in the armor around Ron's heart that God used to penetrate his soul with the saving knowledge of Jesus. Through the witness of many people over many years, God drew Ron to faith in the Jewish Messiah.
However, there were two main obstacles to believing the Good News. The first was his Jewish background.The more his interest in Jesus grew, the more guilt he felt. Because of the persecution that happened over centuries against Jewish people in the name of Jesus, by people who called themselves Christians, the Jewish community considers those who believe in Jesus to be traitors. Click here to understand this issue more fully.
The second obstacle was pridefulness. Ron believed he could win God's acceptance through good deeds. However, after he set up the community organizations which helped thousands of people he was no closer to achieving peace with God. He still felt like he was in a spiritual wasteland.
At the age of 31, convinced of the truthfulness of the Gospel, Ron bowed his knees to the Lord and asked to be saved. Immediately, he experienced the burden of his sins being lifted from his soul and his spirit was brought into the newness of life promised in 2 Corinthians 5:17; Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" A true refreshment that only God can give, brought joy and fulfillment to Ron.
While a teenager, Ron began to consider the reality of God. For a short time, he became an atheist and then he was attracted to occult teachings and Eastern mysticism. He traveled to India to study Yoga and Hinduism, became an astrologer, and experimented with drugs and New Age philosophies. He found that none of these spiritual pursuits satisfied his heart's desire to know the meaning of life and to have peace with God.
He moved to northern California to live in an alternative rural community. While there, he became convicted by the Holy Spirit of his sins. Ron began to learn about the Gospel of Jesus through the witness of many individuals. A gospel tract that was left on his car window had a great impact on him. God was faithful to keep bringing Christians across his path.
But, because of his strong Jewish background, he didn't accept the Gospel as a mean to forgiveness, but followed a more traditional Jewish method of atonement...good deeds. He organized a community help organization which became funded through state funds. Later, he coauthor an employment training program for low income people through Sonoma State University (CA). This program was funded by the CA state government.
In spite of developing these successful help programs, Ron did not satisfy his need to know God and to be free of the guilt he felt from his sins.
He read a book called "Autobiography of a Yoga" which taught that Jesus was one of the great masters who had come to earth to instruct us how to return to God. This made him more open to learn about Jesus. He rejected the Christian assertions that Jesus was the only way to God. Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." But, Ron did become attracted to Jesus and his moral teachings. This was the crack in the armor around Ron's heart that God used to penetrate his soul with the saving knowledge of Jesus. Through the witness of many people over many years, God drew Ron to faith in the Jewish Messiah.
However, there were two main obstacles to believing the Good News. The first was his Jewish background.The more his interest in Jesus grew, the more guilt he felt. Because of the persecution that happened over centuries against Jewish people in the name of Jesus, by people who called themselves Christians, the Jewish community considers those who believe in Jesus to be traitors. Click here to understand this issue more fully.
The second obstacle was pridefulness. Ron believed he could win God's acceptance through good deeds. However, after he set up the community organizations which helped thousands of people he was no closer to achieving peace with God. He still felt like he was in a spiritual wasteland.
At the age of 31, convinced of the truthfulness of the Gospel, Ron bowed his knees to the Lord and asked to be saved. Immediately, he experienced the burden of his sins being lifted from his soul and his spirit was brought into the newness of life promised in 2 Corinthians 5:17; Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" A true refreshment that only God can give, brought joy and fulfillment to Ron.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Bible Discrepancies?
"In Galatians 1 Paul describes in some detail the events which took place immediately after his conversion, and there are at first glance some discrepancies with Luke's account. Again, a number of critics cite Galatians 1 and Acts 9 as containing irresolvable contradictions in the chronology of events, supposedly evidence of errors in Scripture. But, as is the case with most of these supposed contradictions, they are not contradictory at all, but are instead quite easily resolvable and the sequence of events in the two accounts can be very simply reconstructed. When we put the two accounts together, we can conclude that First, according to the first 19 verses of Acts 9, Paul is converted while on his way to Damascus. Second, as Luke recounts in verses 19-22, immediately after regaining his strength, Saul began preaching in the Synagogues of Damascus that Jesus was the Christ. Next, according to Galatians 1:17, Saul went to Arabia for three years and only later returned to Damascus as recounted in Acts 9:23-25. Last, as we will see in Acts 9:26-30, Saul eventually returned to Jerusalem, to introduce himself to the apostles and to further confirm his calling to preach the gospel" ---kim riddlebarger
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