2 Timothy 2:3-7
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
No solider should enlist expecting to have to buy his own bullets. Likewise, no soldier should enlist expecting to avoid bullets altogether. The one who seeks to follow Jesus will have a share of His help, but will also have a share of His sufferings. This won't come easily or naturally. You won't be able to do this without His help, but you must do it and seek His help in all of it.
1 Corinthians 9:7
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
Think this over. God wants you to get this. Take the time to turn this over in your mind like a farmer does soil Exercise your mind and put in the reps they way an athlete in training repeats movements.
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
We do not do our best because God picks the A-team, but because He has given us His best and we want to honor Him in like manner. We show we honor Him by doing as He did, embracing that which He demonstrated – doing your best for the benefit of others.
God commands to our weakness and for the benefits of others.
2 Timothy 2:24-26
The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
There will be a temptation to wear yourself out fighting things that do not matter. You must resist this temptation. There will also be a temptation to assume it's too soon to fight. But others need you to endure their evil and to correct their thinking and behaviors. It may be that God would use your willingness to fight the good fight of faith that wins them over to enlist in His service.
1 Timothy 1:18b-19
Wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience.
Others need to see you holding on to Jesus and holding yourself to a higher standard. Conscience is literally, "con = with + science = knowledge." So your conscience knows what you ought to do. Having a good conscience means you live in accordance with what you believe. In other words, assiduity: everything on purposes… all of Christ for all of life.
1 Timothy 4:12, 15-16
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity… Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
You are never too young to apply God's Word to everything. In fact, being young is the best time to begin implementing these things. The older you get, the more set in your old ways you become. If you are a young Christian, someday your old ways will merely be immature Christianity instead of immaturity insanity. Better to look back on young faith and the mistakes it made than young faithlessness and the mistakes it made.
You will not be perfect. It will require practice. So immerse yourself in these things. Literally, "baptize" yourself in God and godliness. Assiduity again. Make Him part of everything. He already is. You just haven't acknowledged it yet in thought and deed, credenda and agenda.
If you do this, you will save yourself and by God's grace He will help you gather others for His glory and your encouragement. As you've heard me say many times, "Everything has problems." You will either have the kind of problems a Christian has or you will have the kind of problems an unbeliever has.
2 Timothy 3:12, 14
All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it.
I love you, brother.
P.S. The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. Sweat now, survive later.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Friday, September 20, 2019
day no. 14,942: between the danger and his beloved.
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” - G.K. Chesterton
“You cannot love a thing without wanting to fight for it. You cannot fight without something to fight for. To love a thing without wishing to fight for it is not love at all. " - G.K. Chesterton
A good man puts himself between the things he loves and the danger.
A good man, like Jesus, takes responsibility for the thing He loves by taking the heat that comes at his beloved. To lead, to take charge, is to take step out in front of the thing you love in order to be between it and the danger that threatens it.
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Headship is taking a bullet for, not taking advantage of those for whom you are responsible.
The essence of masculinity is responsibility. The man is responsible for his home. He loves the weight of this responsibility, but he feels the weight of it. Though he wouldn't have it be lighter thing. The weight is what makes it worth the while. It's good that it is hard.
Masculinity steps up by stepping out between the danger and his beloved.
“You cannot love a thing without wanting to fight for it. You cannot fight without something to fight for. To love a thing without wishing to fight for it is not love at all. " - G.K. Chesterton
A good man puts himself between the things he loves and the danger.
A good man, like Jesus, takes responsibility for the thing He loves by taking the heat that comes at his beloved. To lead, to take charge, is to take step out in front of the thing you love in order to be between it and the danger that threatens it.
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Headship is taking a bullet for, not taking advantage of those for whom you are responsible.
The essence of masculinity is responsibility. The man is responsible for his home. He loves the weight of this responsibility, but he feels the weight of it. Though he wouldn't have it be lighter thing. The weight is what makes it worth the while. It's good that it is hard.
Masculinity steps up by stepping out between the danger and his beloved.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
day no. 14,941: ChristiANDity
Many evangelicals today practice ChristiANDity. They know enough to know that they need Christ, but they also believe He is insufficient or inadequate to address certain issues, thoughts, practices, etc...
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Either Scripture is sufficient or it isn't. At some point, we have to decide. If it is, then we need to think more Biblically, be more acquainted with the content and context of the Bible and more interactive with the principles it provides and applying them to our practices and predicaments in everyday life.
To say that Scripture is sufficient is not to say that you cannot consult or consider any other source of information, but rather it informs which filters which. With what authority does the buck stop? Which worldview will prevail? The one the Bible provides or one of its competitors.
"The Bible is thought of as authoritative on everything of which it speaks. Moreover, it speaks of everything. We do not mean that it speaks of football games, of atoms, etc., directly, but we do mean that it speaks of everything either directly or by implication." – Cornelius Van Til, Christian Apologetics
The Bible, in principle, speaks to everything. The more Biblically you begin to think -- that is to say, the more your thinking and assessment of situations is guided by underlying principles proclaimed and applied in the Scriptures -- the more you have a handle on life, breath and everything else that happens here on a Tuesday afternoon.
"In the Bible, we have a perfect library." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students: To Workers with Slender Apparatus
Hebrews 5:14
Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
It will not be easy, but it is possible. It will require constant practice. No let up, not give up. But if you keep up with it, you will find your powers of discernment growing like muscles that have been worked over. They will be stronger and able to lift today what they could not yesterday. They will be able to cut through crap they could not yesterday. They will be trained, sharpened, heightened... and they will be able to distinguish between good and evil. The clouded mind cannot tell the difference between bad and worse. The mind trained Biblically can distinguish good from evil and better from best.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Either Scripture is sufficient or it isn't. At some point, we have to decide. If it is, then we need to think more Biblically, be more acquainted with the content and context of the Bible and more interactive with the principles it provides and applying them to our practices and predicaments in everyday life.
To say that Scripture is sufficient is not to say that you cannot consult or consider any other source of information, but rather it informs which filters which. With what authority does the buck stop? Which worldview will prevail? The one the Bible provides or one of its competitors.
"The Bible is thought of as authoritative on everything of which it speaks. Moreover, it speaks of everything. We do not mean that it speaks of football games, of atoms, etc., directly, but we do mean that it speaks of everything either directly or by implication." – Cornelius Van Til, Christian Apologetics
The Bible, in principle, speaks to everything. The more Biblically you begin to think -- that is to say, the more your thinking and assessment of situations is guided by underlying principles proclaimed and applied in the Scriptures -- the more you have a handle on life, breath and everything else that happens here on a Tuesday afternoon.
"In the Bible, we have a perfect library." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students: To Workers with Slender Apparatus
Hebrews 5:14
Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
It will not be easy, but it is possible. It will require constant practice. No let up, not give up. But if you keep up with it, you will find your powers of discernment growing like muscles that have been worked over. They will be stronger and able to lift today what they could not yesterday. They will be able to cut through crap they could not yesterday. They will be trained, sharpened, heightened... and they will be able to distinguish between good and evil. The clouded mind cannot tell the difference between bad and worse. The mind trained Biblically can distinguish good from evil and better from best.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
day no. 14,940: getting along to go along together
One piece of advise I give to every engaged couple or young married couple I meet with, talk to or preach to is to pursue oneness as much as possible. God is going to miraculously make you one on your wedding day or did exactly that looking back on that day if you are already married. Now live in light of what you are. Be one because you already are.
One last name, one address, one meal, one meal time, one bed, one bedtime, one God, one church, one church service, one show you're watching together, one bank account, one, one one...
Today, I came across this great line in one of Doug Wilson's blog posts
"A joint checking account makes getting along mandatory, and an inability to get along makes life impossible."
When you have one bank account, you have to talk. You cannot spend without conversation. You are dipping into the same funds and are watching the same numbers go up and down with deposits and withdrawals. You cannot do this without being committed to getting along in order to go along together. And this is a fundamental commitment to oneness.
One last name, one address, one meal, one meal time, one bed, one bedtime, one God, one church, one church service, one show you're watching together, one bank account, one, one one...
Today, I came across this great line in one of Doug Wilson's blog posts
"A joint checking account makes getting along mandatory, and an inability to get along makes life impossible."
When you have one bank account, you have to talk. You cannot spend without conversation. You are dipping into the same funds and are watching the same numbers go up and down with deposits and withdrawals. You cannot do this without being committed to getting along in order to go along together. And this is a fundamental commitment to oneness.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
day no. 14,939: harmonious
Romans 12:15-16
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another.
Harmonies are composed of different notes.
In every group of people, some will have reason for rejoicing and some will have reason for weeping. But these notes on their own cannot create harmony.
However, if those who are weeping make an effort to enter into the rejoicing of their neighbors instead of selfishly insisting on their pain being the center of everyone's universe, harmony is possible.
Likewise, if those who are rejoicing make an effort to enter into the suffering and weeping of their neighbors instead of selfishly trying to keep their buzz from being harshed, harmony is possible.
When different notes join together, beautiful music is performed.
It has already been composed by our Conductor.
Q: Will we join in and lend our voices, weeping or rejoicing, to His composition?
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another.
Harmonies are composed of different notes.
In every group of people, some will have reason for rejoicing and some will have reason for weeping. But these notes on their own cannot create harmony.
However, if those who are weeping make an effort to enter into the rejoicing of their neighbors instead of selfishly insisting on their pain being the center of everyone's universe, harmony is possible.
Likewise, if those who are rejoicing make an effort to enter into the suffering and weeping of their neighbors instead of selfishly trying to keep their buzz from being harshed, harmony is possible.
When different notes join together, beautiful music is performed.
It has already been composed by our Conductor.
Q: Will we join in and lend our voices, weeping or rejoicing, to His composition?
Monday, September 16, 2019
day no. 14,938: working hard while going unnoticed
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
There is something amazingly spectacular about living a regular, day in-day out, hour by hour life for Christ. Faith is not just a mountain top Sunday morning experience, but a Tuesday afternoon just doing work.
To live for Christ means to be committed to having everything you need in Him and through His provision. This includes the air we breath, the energy He gives us, the opportunities He provides to us and the industry He allows us to participate in. He gives men shoulders in order to lift weights and carry heavy loads. He blesses us with good, hard work. It is hard, so we cry out to Him for help. It is good because without Him we would fall short.
May God grant you the ability to aspire, to zealously pursue with gusto and chutzpah the quiet life of shouldering heavy burdens and being reliable, dependable, resolute, dignified, integrous, and full of gravitas as you go about ordinary business.
Gravity is common, everyday, and often taken for granted, but it is powerful and consistent and gives us the ability to be grounded. Men are to be like that. Willing to be taken for granted and overlooked while zealously, fearlessly committed to doing work.
When we work hard to go unnoticed, guess what happens? People take notice. And what they see is something out of this world. And if they ask us the source of this, we reply, "You are correct. It is out of this world. It does not come up from within, but has been given to me as a gift from without." We point people to Christ by living quietly, working hard, walking properly and using God's blessing to meet our daily needs.
Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
There is something amazingly spectacular about living a regular, day in-day out, hour by hour life for Christ. Faith is not just a mountain top Sunday morning experience, but a Tuesday afternoon just doing work.
To live for Christ means to be committed to having everything you need in Him and through His provision. This includes the air we breath, the energy He gives us, the opportunities He provides to us and the industry He allows us to participate in. He gives men shoulders in order to lift weights and carry heavy loads. He blesses us with good, hard work. It is hard, so we cry out to Him for help. It is good because without Him we would fall short.
May God grant you the ability to aspire, to zealously pursue with gusto and chutzpah the quiet life of shouldering heavy burdens and being reliable, dependable, resolute, dignified, integrous, and full of gravitas as you go about ordinary business.
Gravity is common, everyday, and often taken for granted, but it is powerful and consistent and gives us the ability to be grounded. Men are to be like that. Willing to be taken for granted and overlooked while zealously, fearlessly committed to doing work.
When we work hard to go unnoticed, guess what happens? People take notice. And what they see is something out of this world. And if they ask us the source of this, we reply, "You are correct. It is out of this world. It does not come up from within, but has been given to me as a gift from without." We point people to Christ by living quietly, working hard, walking properly and using God's blessing to meet our daily needs.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
day no. 14,937: to refuse to engage evil in battle is to embrace it in defeat
Romans 7:22-23
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind
Every Christian is at war. If you refuse to believe it, acknowledge it, prepare for it or engage in it, you are accepting defeat, flattering yourself and embracing the enemy.
To refuse to engage evil in battle is to embrace it in defeat.
There is a battle going on in the mind and in the body and between the mind and the body. The law of your members (your body) is, "Don't tell me what I can't do and don't tell me what I must do!!!" The law of the renewed mind in Christ is, "Please tell me what I must do and please warn me against that which I must not."
The Christian man is already, but not yet. We are made new, but we live in old bodies. We have new minds which are being trained in righteousness and old habits well-versed in jumping through wicked hoops.
We live in tension like no others. Those who do not serve Christ do not have the Spirit tugging them in God's direction. They do what they want. They may feel bad or feel bad when the get caught or wish the consequences weren't so severe, etc... But they do not fear God or repent before Him of their inordinate affections.
Christians embrace the tension, fight the good fight, die to self, live for God, flee the slavery of the old man, flee to the slavery of Jesus Christ, decommission as an enemy combatant and enlist as a soldier in the service of your new Commanding Officer: Jesus Christ.
There will be slavery and their will be enlisted service. If you are a slave to sin, you are free to righteousness, a soldier fighting on the front lines against godliness. If you are a slave to righteousness, you are free from sin, a soldier fighting on the front lines against darkness.
Romans 8:6-8
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind
Every Christian is at war. If you refuse to believe it, acknowledge it, prepare for it or engage in it, you are accepting defeat, flattering yourself and embracing the enemy.
To refuse to engage evil in battle is to embrace it in defeat.
There is a battle going on in the mind and in the body and between the mind and the body. The law of your members (your body) is, "Don't tell me what I can't do and don't tell me what I must do!!!" The law of the renewed mind in Christ is, "Please tell me what I must do and please warn me against that which I must not."
The Christian man is already, but not yet. We are made new, but we live in old bodies. We have new minds which are being trained in righteousness and old habits well-versed in jumping through wicked hoops.
We live in tension like no others. Those who do not serve Christ do not have the Spirit tugging them in God's direction. They do what they want. They may feel bad or feel bad when the get caught or wish the consequences weren't so severe, etc... But they do not fear God or repent before Him of their inordinate affections.
Christians embrace the tension, fight the good fight, die to self, live for God, flee the slavery of the old man, flee to the slavery of Jesus Christ, decommission as an enemy combatant and enlist as a soldier in the service of your new Commanding Officer: Jesus Christ.
There will be slavery and their will be enlisted service. If you are a slave to sin, you are free to righteousness, a soldier fighting on the front lines against godliness. If you are a slave to righteousness, you are free from sin, a soldier fighting on the front lines against darkness.
Romans 8:6-8
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
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