This Is How It's Done

This is perfect. Someone well outside our common fellowship gave my bride this as a tribute a few days ago.

This is who she is: the epitome of "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3). The unspeakably countless people she has touched - the “seeds” she has planted - behind the scenes is a powerful testimony to me...and to many others, judging by how many I’ve seen give witness to her tireless care. This is how it’s done.

It seems that ministry has drifted toward branding or marketing: taking care at all times to make sure people know all the things we're doing for the Kingdom (it's not always clear whose kingdom). I'm certainly guilty. Paul, however, does speak of a "quiet life" (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 1 Timothy 2:2). My bride doesn't have to make much of her loving on others, but they surely know, even if others don't. I suspect she's more on track than the rest of us, who spend a lot of time constructing image, labels, slogans, graphics, and consider it vital to spread all of that as far as we can, seasoning our acts of serving others with a bit of self-serving.

I keep coming back to this simple little jar of mustard seeds. To steal a phrase from a popular show, "this is the way."

Providence Permits Many Heretics

“Divine Providence permits many heretics with their differing errors so that at least, when they insult us and ask us what we do not know, we may shake off our sluggishness and long to know the divine Scriptures. This is why the Apostle says [in 1 Corinthians 11:19], ‘It is necessary that there be heresies in order that those who are approved among you might become manifest.’ For those are approved before God who can teach well, but they can only become manifest to men when they teach. They are, however, willing to teach only those who seek to be taught. Yet many are slow to seek if they are not aroused as if from sleep by the troublesomeness and insults of the heretics. Then, embarrassed over their ignorance, they perceive that they are in danger because of that ignorance. If these are men of solid faith, they do not give in to the heretics, but carefully seek what response they should make to them. God does not abandon them. When they ask, they receive, and when they seek, they find, and when they knock, the door will be opened for them” (Augustine, On Genesis, Against the Manichees, I.1.2).[1]

God allows false teaching to motivate true believers to seek the truth and to manifest teachers whom Christ has given His Church.

There is plenty of false teaching, and it is extremely popular. Our small groups shouldn’t be so small, our Sunday Schools should be bursting with students desirous for God’s truth, our Bible studies ought to be crowded, our Bibles should be wearing out faster than our phones, our prayer meetings’ requests should be for knowledge of God above all, our services filled with humble hunger for a Word from the Lord, and the local church should be the vital seed-bed (the meaning of the word “seminary”) for teachers manifested by God to confront the staggering amount of falseness being marketed to Christians. Teachers should be showing their legitimacy as manifestations of God’s provision to His Church by ever honing their craft, their art, their passion, their accuracy, their communication, and their Spirit-wrought authoritative power.

“Should be.” “Ought.”

The heresies are plentiful, Lord. Please, please, please manifest those approved in the teaching and learning ministry of Your precious Church.

“I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

---

[1] Augustine is meditating on 1 Corinthians 11:19, “there must also be factions [αἱρέσεις] among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.” Αἵρεσις is translated “heresy” (its English cognate) by Wycliffe, and in the Geneva Bible and King James Version.

Serving the Word

One of our congregation’s greatest gifts and treasures is our most senior deacon, and African-American brother in his eighties who describes himself as a “preaching deacon.” Before I came ten years ago, he filled the pulpit with the Word of God and kept the congregation spiritually fed and alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are all indebted to him, and honor him as one with “a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13). I have been blessed to know deacons who were faithful Sunday School teachers to both children and adults, men I respected not because of their ability to manage the “business” of the Church, but because they were servant-leaders in the Word. There are several passages in the Bible that I cannot read to this day without remembering a phone call from a deacon asking me for input on interpreting or applying a specific verse. We are a few weeks away from ordaining two men to our congregation's diaconate, and I am deeply thankful for their willingness to preach and teach the Word when asked.

While I know some who are not convinced, it has been generally accepted that the Seven of Acts 6 were either the first to hold the office “deacon,” or were predecessors to the office. “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving [τῇ διακονίᾳ] of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve [διακονεῖν] tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry [τῇ διακονίᾳ] of the word.’ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:1-7). Beyond this narrative, we have very little to tell us what those who hold the office of deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13) did. What we do know is that the Seven of Acts 6 didn’t stick to serving tables. Stephen preaches in Acts 7 and becomes the first martyr of the new covenant people. Philip, the second of the Seven named, becomes a prominent “missionary” (a word not used in the N.T.) in Acts 8.[1] These servant-leaders, “men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,” met the physical needs of those in the congregation who needed assistance, but were also instrumental in the “spreading” of “the word of God.”

“[The ascended Christ] gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service [ἔργον διακονίας]” (Ephesians 4:11,12). Christ gives pastor-teachers to His Church so that, by their efforts, all members of the congregation may become servants/ministers/deacons.[2] Those who hold the office of deacon serve as exemplars of what all the membership should work to be.

E. Earle Ellis (1926-2010) argues that “the diakonoi appear to be a special class of co-workers, those who are active in preaching and teaching.”[3] He gives plenty of examples of διάκονος being used in conjunction with the proclamation/exclamation of God’s Word:

·         “According to Eph 3,7f. Paul was made a diakonos according to the gift of grace, i.e. the grace to ‘preach the gospel to the Gentiles…similarly, Col 1,23.”[4]

·         “In contrast to their opponents in Corinth Paul and his companions, diakonoi of the new covenant, did not ‘peddle’ or ‘falsify’ the word of God (2Cor 2,17; 4,2) but rather accepted pay (ὀψώνιον) from other churches ‘for diakonia to you’, i.e. to preach the gospel to them (2Cor 11,8,7).”[5]

·         “In contrast to false ‘teachers,’ Timothy is to endure suffering, do the work (ἔργον) of an evangelist and (thus) fulfill his diakonia (2Tim 4,3ff.); here the term appears to include preaching and teaching (διδαχή, 4,2) generally.”[6]

·         “The congregational diakonoi are not to be ‘double-talkers’ (διλόγους) and are to hold to the ‘mystery of the faith’ with a clear conscience (1 Tim 3,8f; cf. Polyc 5,2) – the latter almost certainly refers to a teaching function.”[7]

·         “The close association with diakonos = teacher of the word of God may be inferred from 2Cor 3,6; 4,1,2,5…”[8]

The day is coming, and I believe now is, that the Church needs fewer administrating “boards” and more servant-leaders speaking the Word of God while they organize the congregation to meet the physical needs of those with needs in the membership. The pastor-teachers instruct in the Word, the deacons serve as exemplars of speaking and living the Word, and all the congregation speak the Word as they live in obedience to it in the world. After giving the qualifications for the offices of overseer and deacon, Paul explains that he wrote this “so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The offices are inseparably linked to the purpose of the Church (its membership), which is to be the foundation on which the Word is made visible to the world for the glory and Kingdom of God.

---

[1] This is not the Philip who was one of the Twelve (Matthew 10:3//Mark 3:18//Luke 6:14; John 1:43-48; 6:5,7; 12:21,22; 14:8,9), since the “apostles” did not scatter with Saul’s persecution (Acts 8:1).

[2] I’m not arguing for the undoing of the office of “pastor-teacher,” or that all should become teachers (James 3). Teaching and proclaiming the Word you’ve been taught are not necessarily the same. All believers should speak the truth of the Word, and Christ gives His Church pastor-teachers to prepare them for that life of speaking.

[3] Prophecy & Hermeneutic in Early Christianity (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2003), 9.

[4] Ibid., 9.29.

[5] Ibid., 8.

[6] Ibid., 9n29.

[7] Ibid., 9n31.

[8] Ibid., 11n38.

The End of the Earth

I had another reminder yesterday of the importance of the church in extreme rural areas. A younger couple recently moved to a nearby ranch, had met one of our congregation’s members at the post office, and had accepted the invitation to Sunday worship. Let me make this less normal: “nearby” is 45 miles. The ranch was down near a border port-of-entry. 45 miles away. There is no town, no other church between us and them. They would have had to travel 30 miles from us to the west and 45 miles from us to the east to find another congregation.

This is my Sunday afternoon passion.

I love Tim Keller, even with his passion for the large city. My denomination’s North American mission organization has made its focus cities on our continent with 1,000,000+ residents. I agree that cities are important (it’s where the people are), but cannot, cannot, cannot forget the nowheres.

“…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Lord has graced me with a “remotest part of the earth” in which to serve on my Sunday afternoons, and a congregation I serve full-time in a small city of 10,000 residents 90 miles away which not only allows, but encourages my service elsewhere.

The risen and glorified Christ sings about my beautiful nowhere: “From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:25-28).

One of our men called us to worship yesterday morning with Psalm 98 in the “city church” in which I serve. It was his last Sunday with us – he and his wife had to move to a “big city” in another state for medical services. He read to us:

“O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth” (98:1-4a).

Isaiah shares this witness:

“Sing to the Lord a new song,
Sing His praise from the end of the earth!” (Isaiah 42:10).

“I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (49:6).

“The Lord has bared His holy arm
In the sight of all the nations,
That all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God” (52:10).

Pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers, seminary students…got three or four hours free (like on a Sunday afternoon)? I’m willing to wager there’s a nowhere within reach of you who cannot afford a full-time (or even part-time) pastor. But there are souls there. Souls which need the Gospel. Souls who know Jesus and therefore need the latter part of the Great Commission: “…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Small church buildings need to stay open, casting light over towns that are nearly ghost towns and further, 45 miles away and beyond. The Church must gather, even in the beautiful nowhere where God still walks. Can you give that kind of time to a nowhere? “Big city” churches, can you support and encourage such efforts to keep the lights on where very, very few will see them?

Six years ago my “city church” gave one of its vans to a small church in a town on the other side of the state (population 300). The older man who was serving that congregation at the time was an experienced church planter. He knew of my Sunday afternoon work in the nowhere. He looked at me, squinted his eyes, and said, “I used to do what you’re doing – it made me old.” I think of that often. Thought of it - or rather, felt it - yesterday as I drove the 98 miles back for evening service.

But it’s worth it. God has blessed me through that ghost-town congregation more times than I can count over the last nine years. We have baptized new believers and buried saints who have graduated to glory. We have reached out to help this shrinking town (70 residents when I started, 30 now) several times a year. I learned how to preach to 2 to 3 people here (that’s how we started). Souls for whom Jesus died. Souls that need the Word taught and explained and fed to them.

Do you have time? There are nowheres with souls out there. Don’t forget them. Please. When I travel I am sensitive to these little isolated collections of people - especially when there's no church in their midst. They are a mission field as surely as the isolated African village or the North American metropolis. Who will serve them?

A young couple drove 45 miles to worship yesterday afternoon. And, in the middle of nowhere, there were open doors and a welcoming congregation ready to receive them.

Wives of Preachers, Be the Prophetess

Early in our marriage, my bride asked me what the most important thing she could do to help me in ministry. I appreciated this question, for I am one who is in constant need of help. Further, I believe that – in a Christian marriage – the wife is a means of God’s grace to a husband (Proverbs 18:22). God knows I need a lot of grace. I told her that she needed to be a woman of the Word, and that I felt such people would become fewer and fewer in days to come. She was already devoted to her Bible (this was how she was raised), so this wasn’t a request for anything to change. It was an encouragement to keep walking on the same path.

The Puritan Richard Baxter (1615-1691), in the memoir for his late wife Margaret (1631-1681), speaks of her passion for the ministry of the Word of God - even when it came with great cost: "When warrants were out (from Sir Thomas Davies) to distrain [i.e., confiscate and sell] my goods for fines for my preaching, she did without any repining encourage me to undergo loss and did herself take the trouble of removing and hiding my library awhile (many scores of books being so lost), and after she encouraged me to give it away, bona fide, some to New England, and the most at home to avoid distraining on them. And the danger of imprisonment and of paying a fine of £40 for every sermon was so far from inclining her to hinder or discourage me from any one sermon, that if she did but think I had the least fear, or self-saving by fleshly wisdom, in shrinking from my undertaken office work, it was so great a trouble to her that she could not hide it (who could too much hide many others). She was exceeding impatient with any Nonconformist minister that shrank for fear of suffering or that were overquerulous and concerned about their wants or dangers, and would have no man be minister that had not so much self-denial as to lay down all at the feet of Christ and count no cost or suffering too dear to serve Him. She greatly hated choosing or using the sacred ministry for wealth, ease, or honor, or any worldly end serving the flesh under the name of serving Christ, and looking to be reverenced and honored in this taking of God's name in vain" (A Grief Sanctified, pg. 101).

I have heard personal property rights described as the foundation of the U.S.A.'s law and economy. In so many camps of American Christianity, the "American" and "Christianity" are so melded that it is difficult to discern the difference. Would we choose the Word over personal property, as Margaret Baxter did? The early Christians "accepted joyfully the seizure of [their] property, knowing that [they had] for [themselves] a better possession and a lasting one" (Hebrews 10:34). There's a testimony that demands attention. "Joyfully." Why? Because the hope of heaven was exponentially greater than any loss experienced here.

As I've been thinking about Mrs. Baxter's courage for the ministry of the Word, the words of a hymn we sang last Lord's Day have repeatedly echoed as a prayer in my mind: "O, for grace to trust Him more" (words by Louisa Stead, 1882, after seeing her husband drown trying to rescue a boy).

"Joyfully."

As I've shared before, one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament is Isaiah 8. The great prophet ministers the Word in a dark, dark day in Judah's history. He, his wife (the "prophetess," 8:3), his children, and his disciples take a stand on that Word: "Bind up the testimony, seal the Law among my disciples. And I will wait for the LORD Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, Who dwells on Mount Zion...to the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no dawn" (8:16-18,20). What do we know about Mrs. "Prophetess" Isaiah? Well, her title points to a Spirit-empowered ministry of speaking the Word (this is my definition of “prophecy”).[1] She is willing to let her children be named "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" (8:3) and "Shear-jashub" (7:3) just because it made for great sermon illustrations for her husband. That says a lot by itself. While she is not mentioned in the latter part of chapter 8, we can assume she is part of the family and disciples standing with Isaiah for the Word against a world which denied it.

I am thankful the Lord has given me a Mrs. Baxter and Mrs. “Prophetess” Isaiah in my bride. She has been a means of grace used of God to strengthen me for the task more times than I can say. Her valuing of the Word above all comforts me; I do not stand alone. Ever.

Preacher's wives, whatever you think of the life, keep your heart on the Word that is this life's fruit. Regularly remind yourself of that which is of actual worth, and let that transcendent treasure become your treasure.

“A voice says, ‘Call out.’
Then he answered, ‘What shall I call out?’
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the Word of our God stands forever.

Get yourself up on a high mountain,
O Zion, bearer of good news,
Lift up your voice mightily,
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
Lift it up, do not fear.
Say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
Behold, the Lord God will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the span,
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has informed Him?
With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust” (Isaiah 40:6-15).

The message beginning the “Comfort” section of Isaiah doesn’t much sound like the comforting words proclaimed and written today. It begins with a message reminding us of our temporary mortality. We are a moment before the breath of the Lord withers us. What is the true forever we desire to reach in our youth-imitative measures? The “Word of the Lord.” That’s the true forever. It gives us the “good news” of the Presence of God we are to announce to the people of God. It is the doorway to knowing God as righteous Judge and Vindicator (we all desire for things to be made right), the way into His loving arms as a Shepherd, and the eye-opening vision of Him as Creator of this massive universe. Experience of God comes through the proclamation of the ever-enduring Word. Be about this, my sisters. You do not carry the title “pastor,” and you may not stand behind the pulpit, but your life is the greatest it can be when it is rich with the Word in your evaluation, discernment, speech, relationships, priorities, passions, etc. Be the prophetess – that sister who is Spirit-reliant and Word-centered without compromise. Your husband the pastor needs it more than you know. Your sisters in Christ need it. The Church needs it.

Be the prophetess.

"Miriam the Prophetess," by Chava Devorkin

---

[1] And she is far from the only one in the Bible: Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Joel 2:28,29; 2 Chronicles 34:22; Nehemiah 6:14; Luke 2:36; Acts 2:17,18; 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5. Of course, there are false prophetesses just as there are false prophets (Revelation 2:20). A claim to the gift is not a confirmation of the gift (in fact, I have found that folks who claim to have this gift are the ones who absolutely do not have this gift).

Remember Your Baptism

I was recently asked what I thought my greatest failure in ministry has been. I immediately knew the answer. It went something like this: “I remember every person I’ve baptized who is no longer part of the Church (I keep a picture of me baptizing one by my desk as a reminder). I remember every couple I wasn’t able to help in marriage counseling. I consider it my failure that a greater percentage of the congregation doesn’t participate in Bible study or prayer meetings – and, directly related to that, I grieve that many of them have not embraced God’s commandments for their lives in the Word.” Alright, it probably wasn’t as well-organized as that, but that’s the gist of it.

That baptism thing gets me. A few years ago I had a tract (maybe a pamphlet) made in the form and size of a folding business card concerning baptism. I wanted to have it around for those times when I visited or ran into someone who had forgotten their baptism.

Here’s the text:

Remember your baptism.
 It is the response of one who has heard the Gospel, repented, and put faith in Christ alone for salvation (Acts 2:37,38; 8:12,35-38; 18:8).
 It is a God-given picture of the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:20-22)
 It is a God-given picture of new life in Christ, free from the bondage of sin and free to serve God will all you are (Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:10-12).
 It is the first step of obedience to the Church’s Commission to “make disciples.” It is followed by a life-long learning to obey Christ together as the Church (Matthew 28:18-20).
 It is unifying, since through one baptism we are united to one Lord and His one Church (Ephesians 4:5).
 It is the means by which God the Holy Spirit brings those who believe into His Church (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
  Does your life reflect these truths of your baptism? If so, pray the Spirit will help you to continue growing in this reality proclaimed by your baptism. If not, humbly ask the Spirit to make your baptism the reality of your life and renew your fellowship with His Church.

Well? Do you remember? I hope so, because the man who baptized you and has been charged to keep watch over your soul (Hebrews 13:17) remembers.

The Place of Tears

Aside from motivation speakers (and the example of us pastors on social media), I wonder where we got the idea that our church leaders must only present a smiling face and an exaggerated optimism concerning the spiritual state of the congregation? It doesn’t seem to be from the Word.

There are times a leader must weep over the congregation.

“And when they had come to him, he said to them, ‘You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ...therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears’” (Acts 20:18-21,31).

“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you” (2 Corinthians 2:4).

“Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:28-30).

There are times a leader must weep over those who are attempting to mislead the congregation.

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18,19).

There are times a leader must weep with those who are weeping.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). This is, in part, what it means “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (12:1).

Speaking of worship, if the Psalms are in any way meant to be informative to our worship as the Spirit-filled people of God in Christ (and the Spirit did inspire them, after all), then our songs and prayers shouldn’t be all optimism and smiles, either. That same Spirit Whose fruit is “joy” (Galatians 5:22) prays from within us “with groanings too deep for words...according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26,27).

This is not an easy scriptural reality to embrace honestly. We can fake Spirit-gifted tears as much as we can counterfeit joy in a practiced smile and expertly-spun assessments of the spiritual maturity of the Church.

There are times a leader must weep over those who are lost.

“I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh...” (Romans 9:1-3).

“Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save...rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save...plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently” (Fanny Crosby, 1869).

In addition, in addressing sinfulness in the culture or in the congregation, it is easy in our own sinfulness to take on a tone of righteous indignation.

Consider the two witnesses of the Revelation: “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire” (11:5,6).

That is impressive power and authority. Imagine the look on their face, the tone (and volume) of their speech, the words they use. Is there anger there? Righteous indignation?

If it were me “prophesying” to the beast and his worshipers with the powers of the two witnesses, I know how I’d look and sound. Threatening. Intimidating. Dark. Loud. Angry. But that’s not what we see in the description of the two witnesses.

“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3).

They prophesy from a place of grief and mourning, even as they administer the curses and plagues of God. The fire comes through weeping, and even in the drought there is water – their tears.

Yes, one day there will be joyful singing over the pit as the smoke of Babylon’s eternal destruction rises (Revelation 19:1-5). However, that will be in the end, when “the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready” with “the righteous acts of the saints” (19:6-8). The celebration over judgment comes after our work is done here. It’s not yet. We still have tears to shed over (and with) the wayward, the lost, the perishing, and the slaves of the devil.

I appreciate a smile, a laugh...I enjoy being around happy people. But I abhor artificiality as much as anyone (except, I suppose, the artificial). There are times to weep (Ecclesiastes 3:4). May God give us discernment, honesty, a willingness to vulnerability, and a unity in His Spirit that enables us to weep together as the Church when it is right to do so.

Two Little Words and the Cowardly Pastor

I recently had a pastor sitting in my office. We updated each other on things that were going on in our lives for a while, then spoke of plans and things on our radar for the future. He paused for a second, looked at me, and asked, “how do you deal with discouragement in ministry?”

Wrong guy to ask, brother.

I pastor two churches. My Sunday afternoons between services are spent driving 98 miles south to a border church and then driving back. I go down there for an additional Bible study once a month, and occasionally head down there as needs arise. When I first took on this blessed responsibility, it was weird for a lot of people (including myself). The fact that I would serve another congregation during those hours between the morning and evening service frankly bothered some folks.

I remember a committee meeting at my “main” church about six years ago. There was a man in that meeting who tended to openly oppose me (he’s no longer a member of the church). He was sitting by me, but addressed the rest of the committee like I wasn’t there: “Who’s going to pay for the gas for the pastor’s ‘pet project’?” No one challenged him. Not even me.

I tend to bury that stuff deep inside, and it becomes a nagging fear (I guess that’s the word for it) that manipulates me in ministry. Even after that guy left the church the following year, his words (“pet project”) haunted me. It moved me to seek sources of funding for the Sunday afternoon mission outside the church, just so I wouldn’t have to hear those words again.

I thought I had “cast a vision” (to use the modern terminology) that it was an opportunity for us as a congregation to bless a sister church...had I failed? Was I wrong in doing this thing?

Looking back, I realized that these words pushed me away from leading our church to be more missional than we were. The hurt had become fear, which had become disobedience to the Word and failure to faithfully pastor the congregation.

Even three years ago, when I was asked to be part of an annual international mission, this stronghold in my heart planted its flag when it came time to fund-raise. And it did it again the second year when it came time to fund-raise. And this year, the third, year, until...

...last Sunday in the pulpit one of our members, in announcing a pie auction to raise funds for the mission, called it “our Philippines mission.”

And with that one plural possessive pronoun (don’t tell me grammar’s not important) the stronghold fell. The hidden pain which had been fed in the darkness until it became a fear which became a disobedience in my life was demolished. Two words (“pet project”) were defeated by one word (“our”).

Sure, I’m probably a coward. But I know I can’t change hearts. All I can do is submit to God, Who called me to this place to preach the Word expositionally week after week after week, no matter how hurt and fearful and disobedient I am. I kept driving and preaching on my Sunday afternoons – not because I was brave, but because I knew it’s what God would have this little coward to do. I kept committing to the overseas trip, even though that meant I had to rely on others for fund-raising...which meant I was going to have to be vulnerable to the possibility of someone accusing me of raising money for my “pet project.”

What’s pathetic about those two words from six years ago is that it’s so far from the attitude of the church as a whole. They’ve always support me, prayed for me, encouraged me. But I’m small and weak, and derailed by two words.

God is merciful and good, and looking back I see what He’s done despite my weakness as pastor of these beautiful little churches in the remote Southwest U.S.A.

How do I deal with discouragement, fellow pastor? Not very well. Inside I tend to sit the ashes, while plugging on wearing a brave face on the outside.

So, maybe the lesson here is consistence, or perseverance. Don’t quit if the mission/ministry is God-given. You’re probably thinking, “TWO WORDS?! You’re all introspective and moping about TWO WORDS – from a guy who’s not even been around for five years?! I only wish it were just two words in my case!!”

You’re right. Both congregations are now thriving, both have a heart for missions, and both are more loving, supportive, and encouraging than I can tell you. It’s stupid and weak that two echoing words buried deep in my heart hampered me so much. I agree and confess it freely.

I was moved to take on the second church by a passage of Paul’s in 2 Corinthians: “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one - I am talking like a madman - with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” 11:23-28). It’s not that I thought I faced anything even remotely close to the long list of outward struggles that Paul rehearses. It was the fact that his outward circumstances didn’t consume his heart – the churches did. How Christ-like! That motivated me to give my Sunday afternoons – just a few hours a week – to tending to this little congregation in the middle of nowhere.

A few verses later Paul gives us a bit of red letter that comes from the risen and ascended Jesus, Who ever lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God through Him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (12:9). The apostle’s “thorn...in the flesh,” a “messenger from Satan,” was probably more than two words. But the point is the same.

Keep on following the heart of Christ for His people, no matter how weak or emotionally crippled you feel. Even if you aren’t blessed in this life as I was this last Sunday when I heard the unexpected but gloriously reviving words “our Philippines mission,” the promise is laid out for His faithful (even if weak) servants, that one day they will hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21,23; Luke 19:17).

Twenty Years.

20 years ago today I was driving home after a service at Cedar Heights Baptist Church (North Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A.). Pastor David Guzman (Iglesia Bautista Bethania, Monterrey, Mexico) preached that night. As I was on the overpass over I-40, God downloaded a new (to me) “software update.” That’s the only way I know how to describe it. One moment I had a life-plan set out as a bassoon player/teacher. The next moment I knew I was supposed to preach the Word. I didn’t know how this would happen and wasn’t necessarily thrilled with the prospect (I was, and am, a very shy introvert). But I knew this was what I was supposed to do, and by the grace of God there were no instincts of rebellion against this call. As I’ve looked back this week, I am exceedingly thankful for the opportunities my pastor and home church gave me, for those who poured encouragement and advice into my life, seminary education, the written wisdom of those who came before me, my bride and family, and the churches in which I now serve...so much blessing and grace and mercy! All praise be to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

“The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit for the office of bishop or elder in a church, is that he is to be chosen by the common consent and vote of the church itself. Such a person should be solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with the laying on of hands of the eldership of the church (if there be any previously appoint elder or elders)” (1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, 26.9).

A few reflections...

We don’t do this by ourselves. Paul didn’t (Acts 13:1-4; 14:26-28; 15:4,12; 21:9).

We don’t do this by our own will and authority, but by the Spirit-guided blessing of the leaders of the local congregations of which we are covenant members (1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22).

We don’t do this before men alone, but speak, preach, teach, counsel, give witness, read, and pray in the sight of the God Who has commissioned us through His Church (2 Corinthians 4:2; 5:11).

I have grown and changed in my views on many things over the decades – eschatology, ecclesiology, worship, Catholic mysticism, the sacraments, confessions, etc. I have no problem admitting that I have developed and morphed on these and other topics. One of the Sunday School teachers in one of the churches in which I now serve pointed out that my attitude toward confessions has changed in the last seven years. He said he’d be worried about me if I didn’t grow like everyone else. One thing hasn’t changed: I’m still an idealist and have a visceral reaction to the words “practical” and “pragmatic.” And I get downright angry at false teachers.

I have fought battles with depression all of my life, but am always happy to tell others who are on a similar path that the darkness fades the older I get. I see the truth and promises of the Word become larger and larger every year I gaze at them, and the light is much brighter now in my weak eyes than it was in previous times.

I am humbled by the daily realization that I don’t know enough about holiness, prayer, or wisdom. Some days I feel I know nothing on these topics. I’m light-years from where I used to be as far as my shyness, but I know I still have a long way to go. I move like a glacier in a lot of areas of my life, including social development. I meet with some guys at a coffeeshop every Thursday morning – it took me three weeks to ask the barista his name. I still have a long way to go. Yesterday he saw me come in and said, “it’s Thursday already?! Time flies!” Yes. It does.

I am thankful every hour for the Gospel, for I need it every hour. We never, never, never outgrow the Gospel.

I have been utterly heartbroken by death and division.

I have rejoiced in seeing souls kindled into flame by truth and seeing a row of little ones looking curiously into the baptistry.

I have weekly been reminded of my love for the Church looking out at them over the Lord’s Supper table. I have been healed of hurts dealt me in the Church by spending time with the Church itself (as opposed to those who run because there are sinners like themselves in the congregation). The Lord has used the little border Church where I spend my afternoons to pour such healing grace into my life – the story is impossible to tell because of its world-less depth.

I couldn’t do this without my bride – I can trust her wisdom and her heart and her respect for the pastoral office and her grace in listening to me ramble through confusion. I couldn’t do it without her.

It’s been an amazing 20 years. None of us know how many seconds or decades are ahead, but that’s not up to us. The worldview through which we walk in these moments makes all the difference. I always tell people that we spend so much time trying to analyze the “signs of the times” in our obsession with the “end-times” that we ignore the fact that the Bible’s words are overwhelmingly concerned with teaching us how to live as God’s covenant people on a day-to-day basis in this world. At the same time, we have not spent time on the topic of dying well; this subject consumed a lot of the teaching of our forefathers. We somehow manage to ignore living well and dying well at the same time! I do my best to engage both through the eyes of Paul: “...Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:20-25).

At the same time, I’m going to enjoy the good gifts He has given for this day, even if they may all be taken tomorrow. His world is beautiful and amazing. I purpose to never ignore the wonder of the mountains on my drive into town and back home every day. I will enjoy good food, and my bride. “Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10).

Whatever I am, it is because of the eternal purpose of the Father, the saving work of the Son, and the application of that purpose and work to my life by the Holy Spirit. The infinitely glorious grace of the Triune God in my life is greater than anything this world has to offer, and it is the foundation and goal of all I am and do.

To God alone be the glory forever and ever and ever.

42 Years, 1 Month, 2 Weeks

I was running the other day and started doing math in my head...the result is tongue-in-cheek and purposefully ridiculous. You have been warned.

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), one of the greatest minds America has ever produced, played an important role in the First Great Awakening. But after around 20 years, the church in Northampton voted to bar him from the pulpit...for denying the Lord’s Supper to unbelievers. He was still in great demand as a preacher elsewhere, but his own congregation...

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), called the “Prince of Preachers,” was hugely popular in Britain in the latter half of the 19th century. He pastored the same congregation for 38 years. However, at the height of his influence, he attempted to lead the Baptist Union to adopt a confessional standard to combat the theological “Downgrade” taking over. They rejected any attempt to stand for even the most basic orthodoxy concerning Christ. Spurgeon’s health broke in this failed effort.

These two stories have always weighed heavily on me. How long? A pastor has a faithful, effective preaching/teaching ministry for decades, and ends in heartbreak over basic doctrine. How long must a preacher preach to have a problem-free ministry? I warned you this was a ridiculous line of thought. Just wait. It gets worse.

How long did Paul spend in Corinth? “And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them” (Acts 18:11). Hmmm...obviously not enough. Ever read 1 Corinthians?!

How about Ephesus? Paul’s letter to the Ephesians doesn’t contain any strong rebukes. He covers some basic things like the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the Church and the importance of godly speech to each other. Okay...so, no major problems. How long did he spend there teaching? “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (Acts 20:31).

Alright. 3 years. Day and night. Assuming 2 teaching opportunities a day for three years, we’re at 2,190 teaching times. Hmmm...there are some congregants I only see once a week (I’m being generous). To teach them as much as Paul taught the Ephesians, I’d have to teach them for 42 years, 1 month, and 2 weeks. Four decades of Bible teaching, and you’ll surpass both Edwards and Spurgeon...maybe that way you’ll avoid the heartbreak they experienced at the end of their ministries.

Except...I don’t preach like Paul. Or even Edwards or Spurgeon. Not even close. Plus, after 42 years, you have death-birth turnover. After that amount of time you’d be speaking to a very different congregation and might need to start again.

Plus, even though Paul didn’t need to strongly or directly correct the Ephesian congregation, the glorifying Lord Jesus did later (Revelation 2:1-7). Not the perfect Church.

Sigh.

I could hold two services a day for three years...better make that six years, since – again – I am not Paul.

Speaking of Paul, what was his attitude about that problem church in Corinth? Well, even though they broke his heart (I believe the “thorn in the flesh” of 2 Corinthians 12 was messengers about problems in the Corinthian church) he still gave thanks to God for them (1 Corinthians 1:4-8). He prayed for them. He loved them (1 Corinthians 16:24). He corrected them. He continued to teach them.

Well, just as I am not a Paul or Edwards or Spurgeon, neither is the congregation assigned to my care by the Lord a Corinth. Or anything even close. They’re a precious people. There are times looking at them every week over the Lord’s Supper table that my heart feels like it’s going to explode with love for them.

Now I’m reminded of my mentor’s general attitude about church problems: look to the pulpit. Have I prayed for them enough...do I even pray enough, period? Have I invested the time in discipling them I should? The little issues that worry me over them, are those issues found in my own life and heart?

I’ll keep preaching to them from the Word with full reliance on the Holy Spirit to do His work in them. I’ll keep seeking my own growth through prayer and that same Word through the same Holy Spirit. They’ll never mature past my own point of spiritual maturity.

And I’ll trust God with what they’ll be in two or three decades, or even 42 years, 1 month, and 2 weeks.

I am thankful for them, and love them. Especially because they so graciously put up with me.

Phew. At least they can’t hear my idiotic mathematical musings while I’m running! That’d be embarrassing!

Father, Word, Spirit

“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

Accomplish the unparalleled work of the Word through Your gathered Church this day, great Trinity. May our words serve Your Word and not distract or supplant it. Be lifted up in all of our hearts and lives as we – together – lift up Your Word for Your glory alone.

• “...in the sentence of Scripture we are to rest, for it is in Scripture, delivered by the Spirit, that our faith is finally resolved” (1689 Baptist Confession, 1.10).
• “The grace of faith by which the elect are enabled to believe, so that their souls are saved, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily brought into being by the ministry of the Word. It is also increased and strengthened by the work of the Spirit through the ministry of the Word, and also by the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer, and other means appointed by God...by this faith a Christian believes to be true whatever is revealed in the Word because this Word has the authority of God Himself. Also, by this saving faith, a Christian apprehends an excellency in the Word which is higher than in all other writings and everything else in the world, because the Word shows forth the glory of God, revealing His attributes, showing the excellency of Christ's nature and offices, and also the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in His workings and operations. So the Christian is enabled to cast his soul upon the Truth he has believed, and to see and respond to the different kinds of teaching which different passages of Scripture contain. Saving faith equips him to perceive and obey the commands, hear the threatenings with fear and respect, and to embrace the promises of God for this life and the life to come” (14.1,2).
• “This promise of Christ and the salvation which comes by Him, is revealed only by the Word of God” (20.2).
• “Worship is to be given to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to Him alone...the reading of the Scriptures, preaching and hearing the Word of God, the teaching and admonishing of one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as well as the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are all parts of the worship of God. These are to be performed in obedience to Him, with understanding, faith, reverence and godly fear” (22.2,5).
• “In the exercise of the authority which has been entrusted to Him, the Lord Jesus calls to Himself from out of the world, through the ministry of His Word, by His Spirit, those who are given to Him by His Father, so that they may walk before Him in all the ways of obedience which He prescribes to them in His Word. Those who are thus called, He commands to walk together in particular societies or churches, for their mutual edification, and for the due performance of that public worship, which He requires of them in the world” (26.5).

Be Encouraged to Ministry by the King-Priest

“Take even silver, and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak the high Priest, and speak unto him, saying, ‘Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, and saith, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch, and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the Temple of the Lord. Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and he shall be a Priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both”’” (Zechariah 6:11-13, Geneva Bible).

In the midst of a pretty discouraging time for God’s covenant people, He highlighted one of His faithful servants by the preaching of the prophet, using Jehozadak’s dedication to the Lord’s ministry as an illustration of the coming King-Priest Jesus Christ, the object of their faith, the hope of their confession, and their righteously-ruling Savior. “For this Melchizedek was King of Salem, the Priest of the most high God...after the similitude of Melchizedek, there is risen up another Priest, which is not made Priest after the Law of the carnal commandment, but after the power of the endless life. For He testifieth thus, ‘Thou art a Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek’...this Man, because He endureth ever, hath a Priesthood, which cannot pass from one to another. Wherefore, He is able also perfectly to save them that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth, to make intercession for them. For such an high Priest it became us to have, which is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:1,15-17,24-26).

Is He your Savior (Priest) and Lord (King) today?

May His rule and mediation/intercession/ministry be evident in your life to His glory! “Therefore give even all diligence thereunto: join moreover virtue with your faith: and with virtue, knowledge: And with knowledge, temperance: and with temperance, patience: and with patience, godliness: And with godliness, brotherly kindness: and with brotherly kindness, love. For if these things be among you, and abound, they will make you that ye neither shall be idle, nor unfruitful in the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ...wherefore, brethren, give rather diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For by this means an entering shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: to Him be glory both now and for evermore. Amen” (2 Peter 1:5-8,10,11; 3:18).

Our faithfulness to the King-Priest Jesus may not give us great victories clearly seen by the entire Christ-hating world, but He may use your service to point His people to His own glory. By ministering to His people, you minister to Him. We serve not ourselves, but His kingdom, when we grow in knowledge/imitation of His character in obedience to His commands over our lives. He is building His Temple through you, brothers and sisters. Get your eyes off the discouragements of the world and onto Him. See your King-Priest and allow Him to fill more and more of your vision, words, thoughts, motivations, actions, and purpose. Exalt Him with all you are by faith. May you be Jehozadak wherever He has you...an illustration of His own eternal and powerful ministry in the midst of a dark and overwhelming world.

To Him be the glory both now and forevermore!

A Prayer to the Trinity for This Day's Ministry

“...I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God [the Father] and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [the Son]. And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus [the Son], to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God [the Father]” (Acts 20:20-24).

Father, thank You for the grace to obey Your command to repent (the entryway to Your Good News).

Son, may we see You as Lord of all through eyes of faith.

Spirit, bind us to the “course and ministry” given us by the Son, speaking to us through the Word so we know we are never alone, no matter what the road ahead brings.

Holy Trinity, one God in three Persons, help us today as we serve You!