An Ode to the Jesus Girls

I have written a few articles for Associated Content/Yahoo Contributor Network over the past few years. Yahoo has stopped operating the site, so I have re-published a few pertinent pieces here.

An Ode to the Jesus Girls

Sophomore and Junior years at university,
I met five girls, curiosities to me.
Shannon, Ashley, Jahan, Danielle and Jennifer were their names,
They were not rude, loud or proud, and of the Gospel not ashamed.

They were not like campus groups who sought to proselytize,
Just five girls who loved God, without any guise.
They danced unto the Lord with grace and purity,
Not as slaves of sin, because Christ Jesus set them free.

They introduced me to our Creator, whom I did not love or think about,
I began to go to church, but my heart was not devout.
At college end God's Spirit broke my stony heart,
It pleased the Lord to use Jesus Girls and others to play a part.

Now, holy women who in God they put their only trust,
Submitting themselves to the One who is always righteous, just.
Young Ladies, look into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein,
And the Lord might be pleased to use you for a soul to win.

I also give honor to Shannon's parents, Erik, Jason + Patricia, and Lindsay.
~
Readers, please share a bit about people who influenced your early walk with Christ in the comments, thanks!

Five Ways to Save Your God Given Time and Money

1.) Do Not Covet

The tenth commandment should be ever before us: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 21:21). Covetousness is a sin that pervades not only society, but every human heart. So much time can be wasted dreaming about what we desire and do not have.

2.) Make Do or Do Without

The old saying "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" simply means being content and industrious by using what you have until you have the means to upgrade or buy more. Consider how much bondage to debt could be prevented on the premise of "making do". Imagine the hours of creativity and cheerful industry that could be produced in a home without a television.

Practical Suggestions
We all think of maintaining our cars, but what about oiling our wooden chopping boards twice a year? Do periodic maintenance on everything that you use. Pare down your wardrobe to quality pieces and things you need. Learn to me sew buttons, mend holes and fix hems or find a competent tailor.

Matthew 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

3.) Make Lists

Every time a need or want comes to mind, I write it down. There is wisdom in praying about whether or not to make a purchase. If you have placed your faith in the saving and sanctifying work of Jesus Christ, remember that God is your Father. He will not give you a stone if you ask for bread, though he may not give you bread either when "you ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3).

4.) Shop Online

Prices are almost always cheaper than retail on the Internet. For example, I recently ordered some B-vitamins that cost $5.00 less than its retail price. Many online retailers also offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount. Online shopping also prevents impulse buying and wasted hours commuting to stores. Sticking to a shopping list is just as important when shopping online as it is in a physical store. It may be tempting to buy more than necessary because of the variety of products available. Therefore, self-control must be exercised in online shopping or your budget will be blown up with the click of a button.

5.) Be Prudent About Health and Nutrition

According to a study done at Harvard University, defaults on medical bills represent 62% of all personal bankruptcies. Exercising regularly and eating wisely can prevent a myriad of health problems that cost time and money, even life and limb. Albeit, there is no one-size fits all approach to eating and exercise. Theologian Jonathan Edwards once wrote that he "carefully observed the effects of the different sorts of food, and selected those which best suited his constitution, and rendered him most fit for mental labour" (Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One, 1834).

It may also be helpful to do some genealogy research in the area of health. How did your ancestors die? What are your family's generational illnesses, if any? If you have the blessing of being adopted, you can start a health journal now for your posterity.

It is impossible to take control of your health and live forever, because God has "appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). God is sovereign and expects us to be good and faithful stewards of everything we have been given.

Sources:
The Bible
Cancer, health insurance, bankruptcy | The Economist, Sep 7th 2009
The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One, 1834

As the World Passes Away...

I just changed the subtitle of this blog from "..when the world fades away" to "..when the world passes away." The word "pass" or "passes" is used the scriptures (1 Corinthians 7:31, 1 John 2:17). It connotes the evanescence of life.

Time will stop on that Great Day: in which the Church is completed, every person who ever lived is judged by Christ Jesus our Lord and the world as we know it ends.

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." ~Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (KJV)

Reflections on the Excellent Woman in Proverbs 31

I read a book a few months back called The Excellent Woman as described in the book of Proverbs by Anne Pratt (1852).  It was enormously helpful to me and written so beautifully.  I have desired to share my reflections from my reading of the book ever since I finished it, and I am pleased to finally post them here. Please note that all text in italics are direct quotations from the text.

courageous
quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear

The excellent woman is first and foremost, courageous. She holds fast to the truth of God's word and is not swayed by every wind of unsound doctrine or cultural expectation. She strives to imitate the virtues and graces of women as described in the Bible (1 Peter 3:6), not in her own strength (Proverbs 12:10), but in the power of the Holy Spirit. In every tremendous feat and daily duty, the excellent woman trusts in the strength that God provides. Her value is greater than riches untold. He who finds her and becomes her husband, receives favor from the Lord (Proverbs 31:10).

trustworthy
reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence

The husband of a trustworthy woman does not have the pressure to constantly "keep up with the Joneses" to satisfy his wife's wants and pleasures. The trustworthy woman does not look to her own selfish ambitions in the running of the household, but to God. She recognizes that all she has come from Him (1 Peter 4:10). She is consistent in her behavior, particularly in the prudent management of financial resources.

beneficent
doing good or causing good to be done; conferring benefits; kindly in action or purpose

The marriage relationship is the strongest of all earthly influences, and the love of God guides the beneficent woman in this realm of influence. In contrast to the foolish woman of Proverbs 14:1, she does not bring shame to her household. She makes the home a contrast to the workplace for her husband: A place of "sweet converse that beguiles him of his cares and peace, and love, and order, and gentle welcome and soothing sympathy." The beneficent woman prays for her husband, gently reminds him of the promises in God's word, rejoices with him, does not listen with indifference, encourages him to holiness and virtue, and warns against sin.

enterprising
ready to undertake projects of importance or difficulty; energetic in carrying out any undertaking

The enterprising woman brings good to her household and cares to secure quality food and other items that make home life special. The work of her hands is not only a blessing to her household, but to others outside the home through bartering or selling. She gives to those who are truly needy: the poor whom sickness has prevented from labor, the little child, and others. Everyone who enters her home is benefited.

The wise and active conquer difficulties by daring to attempt them.
Sloth and Folly shiver and shrink at sight of toil and trouble.
And make the impossibilities they fear.

provident
having or showing foresight; providing carefully for the future

The provident woman awakes early and manages the home. Such orderliness of the home is great help to her husband in his productivity and leading of the family. Basic areas of stewardship include cooking, cleanliness of the home, management of finances, care and training of children. Idle wives are either slothful or weary busybodies, while a woman who works diligently has freshness and energy. The energetic woman is engaged in earnestly furthering the Kingdom of God through fervent prayer and action. Anne Pratt wrote, "It should become a subject of deep and frequent thought to every woman, and especially to every Christian woman, whether her time is rightly spent."

Here is a fitting quote about the destructiveness of idleness: "Idleness is the badge of gentry, the bane of body and mind, the nurse of naughtiness, the stepmother of discipline, the chief author of all mischief, one of the seven deadly sins, the cushion upon which the devil chiefly reposes, and a great cause not only of melancholy, but of many other diseases: for the mind is naturally active; and if it be not occupied about some honest business, it rushes into mischief or sinks into melancholy." (Robert Burton, 1577 - 1640)

prudent
wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober

The prudent woman is one of forethought, preparedness, judgment, discretion and wisdom. For the sick, she anticipates want, bears patiently, ministers relief and love. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace, because she does not have an anxious mind, but trusts in the providence of God. The daily acts of her life are governed by the law of kindness. She guards against the evil of gossip by not dwelling on the fallacies of others.

Besides the general commands to love our poorer neighbor, we are especially to do good to them who are of the household of faith. We are told to lay down our lives for the brethren. Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need and shuteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Much like Solomon's great-great Grandmother, Ruth, the woman spoken of in Proverbs 31 was probably a person of wealth and the wife of one who "sat among the elders of the land." Nevertheless, she makes herself useful in her role, rather than basking listlessly in it, because she tasted the goodness of God. She is thankful and has a reputation of a life of strength and dignity. She rejoices at the time to come, treasuring in her heart verses like, "Even to your old age I AM, and even to hoar hairs I carry you", (Isaiah 46:4) and "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

The humble and lowly Christian, performing the simplest and commonest duties of domestic life in His fear, seeking His counsel, and earnestly striving to keep his commands, praying for guidance of the Holy Spirit and confidently trusting for the pardon of her sin in Him who died on the cross to redeem her - this is the woman on whom shall be bestowed that best, that only praise which is truly valuable, for her Lord shall say, "She hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Gospel-Centered Marriages for a Glorious Church, 4/4

Hope Baptist Elder, Dan Horn spoke on the role of romance and emotions.  The message was intertwined with great historical context – Reformation, Scholasticism - “the mind is not fallen” [NOT], Romanticism and more.  Here are points from this talk:

• The purpose of every righteous courtship is to find God's will and prescription for marriage.
• Man acting in a heroic way is what it means to be romantic NOT “how will he swoon over me??!!!1111" Romantic scenes – 1 Samuel 18:25-27; Joshua 15:16-17
• Jesus Christ was about big things, don't let your marriage be about small things.
• Desires can be evil: Colossians 3:5  / Desires can be good: 2 Tim. 3:12, Luke 22:15
• James 1:13-16 – fight against the perversion of a desire into something unrighteous; be careful about the violating the 10th commandment
• God is not weak, weeping... “I love you so much!!!” [I'm crazzzy for you!] He said conquer, come along beside me minister.
• Jesus came and died to do his Father's will, [and rose] to glorify.
• Jeremiah 12:5 - self-control; 1 Corinthians 7:9; Jeremiah 29
• "GROW UP!" 

Here are points from his talk on unequal yoking:

• Deuteronomy 22:10; Romans 8:28
• Process of courtship: understand who God would match together to do work for the service of God
• Equal yoking in the context of dominion, furthering the work of God  – 1 Cor. 22:7; 1 Cor. 7:8-9
• More worthy – “I will give my life for you to spend.”
• Marriage – no aggravation, but covering of weaknesses, not just matching strengths
• Theology (agree on the majors) & How to determine major or minor: Can you overlook it?
• Is this a match that glorifies the Kingdom of Heaven?

There you have it!  These conclude my notes from Gospel-Centered Marriages for a Glorious Church.  There were around 30 messages presented there.  A set of MP3s or CDs from the conference can be purchased here.

Superficial Evangelism

I was reading through the essential convictions of HeartCry Missionary Society and wanted to share one in particular:

Superficial Evangelism is one of the Great Obstacles to Missions. Non-theological preaching, entertaining skits, and Gospel films are no substitute for the biblical exposition of the Gospel. Inviting men to raise their hands and pray a prayer is no substitute for the biblical call to repentance, faith, and personal discipleship. Biblical assurance of salvation does not flow from a past decision or a prayer, but from the examination of one’s enduring lifestyle in the light of Scripture.

Gospel-Centered Marriages for a Glorious Church, 1/4

From October 27th to the 29th, I attended the Gospel-Centered Marriages for a Glorious Church Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. I plan to do a series of four posts based on my notes from some of the messages I heard, with this being the first.

Scott Brown, an Elder at the Church I have been attending since August, spoke on Ephesians 5:14-33:

• The longest statement in the New Testament about marriage
• The classic foundational text on the roles of husbands and wives
• Gives us language to help us understand marriage and the mystery of Christ and the Church
• Shows how to prepare for marriage
• Shows what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit 

Text of Ephesians 5:14-33 (NASB): 
^/14 For this reason ^[a]it says,
   “Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”
 ¹⁵ Therefore ^[b]be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ^{16 [c]}making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, ^[d]for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to ^[e]one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; ²⁰ always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to ^[f]God, even the Father; ^{21 [g]}and be subject to one another in the ^[h]fear of Christ.
 ²² Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.   For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church ^[i]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹ FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^[j]respects her husband./

Three reasons for submission:

• The husband is the head of the wife
• To understand creation order
• To understand the Fall

DESIRE to submit to the Lord is the prerequisite to being a submissive wife.  Studying ecclesiology, which is the theological study of the Christian church, will help you understand what it means to be the Bride of Christ.

Other great points:

• A wife has perfect commands to follow [Holy Scripture], but the Church is the imperfect model [until the Great Day].
• Marriage is not about finding the perfect match, but reflecting the likeness of Jesus Christ.
• Know how to talk to one another without getting into provocation mode.
• A husbands sins are a part of a wife's sanctification and cleansing.
• Communication is enormously important; men must be wordsmiths, they must talk.

William Gouge Quote:
"A husband accepts what she is willing and able to do; takes notice of her goodness; cares where she lives..."

I really appreciated Elder Brown's remark that espousal and marriage is Biblical, while courtship is a convention [that will get people to the point of espousal, or not, in a God-honoring way].

Lord of the Nations

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to hear from some African pastors.  I learned of the top five keys of revival in West Africa:
(1) Simplicity of the Gospel.
(2) People cannot depend on the system (government,police, fire dept., hospital) there is 100% dependence on the sovereignty of God.
(3) They understand spiritual warfare - they know how to pray.
(4) There is preaching on sanctification.
(5) There is preaching the Gospel with the power of the Holy Spirit, not the wisdom of man. (i.e. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

Surrendering to the Kingdom of God

No one will ever know me as intimately as my Lord Jesus and conversely, I will never know anyone as well as I can know God, Abba Father. By faith in Jesus, I have forgiveness of sins and unrestricted access to God's mercy seat. The Holy Scriptures reveal God's glorious and unchanging character. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful counselor who transforms me into a new creation filled with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance, and power to be a witness.

I was going to originally call this series, "Surrendering my heart to the Kingdom of God", but I have determined that everything must give way before the demands of the Kingdom of the triune and merciful God: Body, Soul (mind+will+emotions), and Spirit.

Scripture references: Jeremiah 1, Isaiah 56:1-8, Hebrews 1:3, John 14-16, Galatians 5, Matthew 6, Matthew 15:10-20, Romans 8