Before I begin explaining the differing views, I would like to note what all the views have in common.  First, all of the views believe that Christ will most certainly return to earth in His second coming.  Second, all of the views believe in a rapture of the church.  Third, all of the views believe that some form of tribulation will take place when the return of Christ is immediately imminent.  Fourth, all of the views believe that Christ will reign on earth in some form during some period known as the millennium.  Fifth, all the views believe Christ will judge all mankind of all times, and that the wicked will be cast into the eternal lake of fire with Satan and his demons while the righteous in Christ will be glorified and brought into the eternal presence of God in the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21).  The major differences between these views are (1) The timing and nature of the millennium, and (2) The timing of the rapture and nature of the tribulation.  There are also some minor differences on matters like the status of national Israel in the end times, but delineating such nuances would take us far beyond the scope of this article.

The first view is known as Classic or Historical Premillennialism.  In this view, the church age (which we are in now) will ultimately give way to a literal seven year period of global judgment and intense suffering known as the Tribulation.  The church will be purified of unregenerate believers through the course of the tribulation and it will be the source of gospel proclamation during the tribulation.  At the end of the seven years, Christ will return visibly in all His glory.  He will take up the church to meet Him in the sky in the rapture, and then He will immediately come to earth with the saints where He will bind Satan and establish His thousand year reign over all the nations.  At the end of a thousand years, Satan will be released, He will be defeated in a final battle, the final judgment will take place, and the new heaven and new earth will be established for all eternity. (Rev 20:7-21:1)

The second view is known as Dispensational Premillennialism.  This view is built upon the Historical Premillennial system, so it shares the aforementioned perspective of the millennium and the final judgment.  The critical difference is that dispensationalists believe that there will be a secret return of Christ at the beginning of the tribulation to rapture the church, sparing it from the experience of suffering.  At the end of the seven years of the tribulation, Christ will return visibly with the saints to establish His millennial reign.  After the millennium, their view follows what was detailed above.

The third view is known as Postmillennialism.  Whereas “Pre”-millennialism contends that Christ will return prior to the millennium, “Post”-millennialism contends that Christ will return after the millennium.  They believe that the work of Christ through His church during the church age will usher in a thousand year period of spiritual dedication, international peace, and godly prosperity wherein Christ will spiritually bind Satan and “reign” on earth through the hearts of His people.  At the end of this millennial period, Satan will be released and there will be a time of tribulation (that may or may not be a literal seven years), after which Christ will visibly return.  He will rapture His church, He will defeat Satan in a final battle, the final judgment will take place, and the new heaven and new earth will be established for all eternity.

The fourth and final view is known as Amillennialism, because they contend that the millennium is a figurative amount of time that coincides with the church age.  In their view, the millennium began with Christ’s completed work of redemption and His subsequent ascension.  In a spiritual sense, Satan is being bound and Christ’s reign over the nations is being established with every heart that is changed through the preaching of the gospel.  At the end of this church age/millennial period, there will be a time of tribulation (that may or may not be a literal seven years) after which Christ will return visibly.  He will rapture His church, He will defeat Satan in a final battle, the final judgment will take place, and the new heaven and new earth will be established for all eternity.

As you consider these differing opinions, remember that the nature of the Bible’s apocalyptic texts requires that we be very generous in how we discuss eschatology with one another.  God has revealed His truth about the end times through very figurative and symbolic language, which is difficult to interpret clearly at many points.  Thus, we should celebrate the commonalities (that I listed in my second paragraph above) even as we study and sharpen one another through our discussions of the differences.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

There are many biblical reasons we are to forgive those who have wronged us, but here are three of the most significant ones:

(1) Forgiveness is the clear command of Scripture. In Matthew 18:21-22, Christ taught Peter that there was no limit to how many times he should forgive the brother who sinned against him.  To withhold forgiveness is to directly disobey God’s Word and to quench His Holy Spirit.

(2) We must forgive because our God is a forgiving God. As God’s children through faith in Christ, we are called to reflect God’s character, and He is a forgiving God.  Every one of us has blasphemed His name, spit on His grace, and trampled His holiness innumerable times.  Though we do not deserve it, He has forgiven us, so we must likewise extend this same grace to others.

(3) Unforgiveness does more harm to us and the ones we love than it does to the offender. Some people hurt us without knowing it.  A few people hurt us intentionally and maliciously, and often don’t care.  Some people hurt us, apologize to us, yet we still refuse to forgive.  In all these situations, we can end up harboring a bitterness that literally rots our souls and that even spills over to those closest to us.  “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.” (Heb 12:15)

That is why we must forgive “from the heart.”  These are Jesus’ words from Matthew 18:35.  In practical terms, this means that we don’t just say the words “I forgive you” while still inwardly holding the offense against the person.  Forgiving someone from the heart requires releasing the anger and resentment you have felt toward them in your heart and absolving them of blame and responsibility in your eyes.  Forgiving does not necessarily mean forgetting, for some memories can be hard to erase.  But it does mean that you no longer dwell on the hurt, you no longer hold it against the person, and you make every effort to view the person just as they were before they sinned against you.

Forgiving from the heart is an act of Christ-like love, which Scripture requires us to embody:  “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.” (1 Pet 1:22)  Using the Bible’s own definition, this kind of love includes “Keeping no record of wrongs suffered.” (1 Cor 13:5)  If we throw a previously forgiven sin up in the face of one who has sinned against us again, then we never truly forgave them from our heart for that previous sin.  Remember, God’s example toward us is what we are seeking to emulate in our relationships with others, and He removes our transgression from us “As far as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:12)  He also tells us in Jeremiah 31:34 that in the New Covenant, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”  We must strive to embody these same truths.

As I noted on Sunday morning, forgiveness in every situation is mandated by Scripture, but you may not always be able to be reconciled to them.  The person who harmed you may be dead, or they may still be walking in sin and would do more serious harm to you if you allowed them back into your life.  In such situations, rest in God and demonstrate the love and forgiveness of Christ as far as you are able, yet without inviting more harm or abuse.  Also know that this principle does not apply to marriage.  Unless there is biblical justification for divorce, you must forgive from the heart and be reconciled to your spouse.  Marriage is a life-long blessing given by God for your joy and your sanctification.  Marriage provides us with daily opportunities to grow and mature in Christ as we learn to die to ourselves, to forgive as He forgives us, and to love unconditionally.  You are to love your spouse first and foremost for Christ’s sake (not for your sake or their sake), so don’t squander the beauty of what He has given you by being unloving and unforgiving.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The fact of the matter is that we far too often flirt with sin.  Sin is like a dark chasm that can so easily swallow us up.  Though we have been warned, we are often like mischievous children, recklessly playing near the edge of the chasm, outwardly trying to prove our strength and bravery, yet inwardly seeking to indulge the lusts of our flesh.  You know what I mean. . .

Perhaps you have been that person who will speak or e-mail those jokes or stories that don’t necessarily have any explicit words, but are laden with impure innuendo.  You like to think you are obeying the Scripture that says, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth” (Eph 4:29), but in the name of humor you are tarnishing the reputation of Christ with your choices.  You once were flirting with impurity, and now you are propagating it.

Perhaps you are a very informed person who relates well with people, and you genuinely enjoy helping and encouraging others.  However, you find it quite easy to use the circumstances and challenges of others as fodder for good conversation.  Because you truly care about those other persons, you like to think that talking about them or their children when they are not present is OK.  Perhaps you even like to think that more people will “pray” for them if they know their challenges.   You may think you are close to the line as regards the sin of gossip, but certainly not crossing it.  In reality, what started out as flirting with gossip and pride crossed the line into sin a long time ago.

Perhaps you are a person who has struggled with lust, and maybe even pornography.  You have put some safeguards in place and you are trying hard to keep your mind and heart pure.  However, you think it is alright to view sultry movies and other media as long as they are not explicitly pornographic.  You think it is alright to view lingerie catalogues and racy shows since there is “technically” no nudity.  The fact of the matter is that flirting with such things has given birth to full blown adultery in your heart, and you need to take more drastic steps to cut yourself off from temptation.

These are just a few examples of how we can all flirt with sin, but I hope you see the pattern I was trying to establish for you.  Flirting with temptation inevitably becomes sin in the heart, and that sin is often born out in one’s actions.  As children of God through faith in Christ, we should never flirt with such spiritual disaster; rather, being mindful of our own weakness, we should stay as far from sin and temptation as possible.   To that end, let me encourage you with the following.

1.  Guard your time with the Lord.  Scripture reading and prayer are the sustaining staples of Christianity.  They nourish your soul with truth and with the very presence of Christ.  They remind you of God’s promises and of the surpassing value of being conformed to Christ.  We make ourselves more susceptible to temptation and sin when we fail to pursue Christ as our first priority.

2.  Seek and cherish accountability.  Whether it comes from your spouse, from an accountability partner, or from your church family, accountability to other Christians who love you is integral to healthy Christianity.  As Ephesians 4:25 says, we are members of one another; none of us is an island unto ourselves.  Thus, we should welcome the insights and even the loving reproofs that come to us from those who love us.

3.  Focus on what will build your spiritual maturity.  1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”  We have freedom in Christ to partake of a great many things, but not all things are profitable.  And, depending on our particular weaknesses, many things that we are free to partake of can open up doors to serious temptation.  Thus, don’t flirt with what may be lawful, yet unprofitable for you.  Focus steadfastly on what will draw you nearer to Christ and increase your joy in holiness!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The answer to this question is no different from what it means to love anyone.  What does it mean to love your husband or wife, or to love a parent or a child, or to love a good friend? Love to Christ is not substantially different from love for any person.

If we love Christ, we like to think about Him.  He is often present in our thoughts.  It is the same between a true Christian and Christ.  Eph 3:17 says that Christ “dwells in his heart.” True Christians think thoughts of Christ.

If we love Christ, we like to hear about Him.  We find pleasure in listening to those who speak about Christ.  True Christians most enjoy sermons that are full of Christ, and they enjoy the company of those who speak of Christ.  “Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures” (Lk 24:32)?

If we love Christ, we like to read about Him.  The true Christian delights in the Scriptures because they speak of Christ.  It is not wearisome to read a letter from a loved one.  “You search the Scriptures . . . it is they that bear witness about Me” (Jn 5:39).

If we love Christ, we like to please Him.  We are happy to find out what He likes and what He dislikes.  We are willing to deny ourselves to please Him.  To someone who loves Christ, the Ten Commandments are not burdensome, if they are what pleases Him.  “If you love Me you will keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15); “And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn 5:3).

If we love Christ, we like His friends.  Even before we meet a friend of a friend, we are inclined to like him.  True Christians regard all other Christians as friends because they are friends of the Lord Jesus Christ. “I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15).

If we love Christ, we are jealous about His name and honor.  We do not like to hear anyone speak against Him.  We feel jealous to maintain His interests and reputation. “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

If we love Christ, we talk to Him.  The true Christian has no difficulty in speaking to his Savior.  We tell Him all our thoughts.  We have no hesitation about telling Him anything that is on our mind.  We are not happy until we have spoken our minds and hearts to our friend.  We ask for comfort in difficulty.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7).

Finally, if we love Christ, we like to be with Him.  Thinking, hearing, and talking are all important, but if we really love a person, we want to be near him.  The true Christian wants to hold communion with Christ without interruption.  The true Christian longs for that day when he will see Christ face to face. “Surely I am coming soon.  Amen!  Come Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20)!

These are the marks of true love.  It is no hidden or secret thing that is hard to understand.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

But something was greatly unsettled in my soul as I watched thousands of Americans celebrate his death on the various news reports, many of them holding signs and chanting slogans.  I was even more unsettled on Monday as I reviewed news headlines from around the world, some of them openly jubilant over that fact that Osama Bin Laden was now burning in hell.  It seemed to me that we as Americans were celebrating the death of our enemies in that exact same fashion that radical Muslims celebrate the death of Americans.

Please do not get me wrong, I support the death penalty for dangerous criminals who have taken the lives of others.  I likewise support the death of Osama Bin Laden, and I hope the way he died will deter other evil men from following his dangerous ideology.  Bin Laden was to my generation what Adolph Hitler was to the generation of World War 2.  I am truly thankful justice has been brought, and based upon his openly espoused religious beliefs, I do believe Osama Bin Laden is now suffering the eternal torment of hell.  But though I am thankful, I cannot celebrate the death of any sinner, no matter how awful his crimes.

Why?  There are two reasons.  First, because sin is still a present and horrible reality of this world.  Men flew planes into those buildings on September 11th because of sin.  People strap bombs to themselves and seek the destruction of others because of sin.  Wars and genocide and persecution take place all over the world because of sin.  Sadly, Osama Bin Laden’s death will not bring an end to such violence.  In fact, it may escalate such violence for a time.  Thus, I cannot celebrate.  I can be thankful that this particular man can no longer do harm, but I grieve over the sinful state of creation and I pray more fervently for the peace of Jesus Christ to spread to more and more men.

Secondly, I cannot celebrate this man’s death because the torments of hell far exceed what our minds are capable of imagining.  Osama Bin Laden was an evil man, but he was still an image bearer of God.  His life was meant to glorify our Creator, but because of sin, the purpose for which he was created became drastically twisted and deformed.  He exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and he is now suffering the eternal penalty of hell.  I cannot rejoice in any man being sent to hell.  No Christian should.  Yes, God is being glorified this very second as His justice is being displayed in the punishment of the wicked, but God does not experience some sadistic joy in the eternal punishment of evildoers.

Ezekiel 18:23 says, “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?”  God grieves over lost souls; and thus, I grieve over lost souls.

In Scripture, Christ specifically teaches us what should be a cause for celebration:  the salvation of lost persons.  Remember what He taught us in the gospel of Luke through three different parables.  In Luke 15:7, Jesus said, “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  The salvation of men is what should lead us into the streets to celebrate.  Revival of His church is what should cause us to break forth with rejoicing.  We can be thankful for God’s justice.  We can and should trust in that fact that vengeance is the Lord’s (Rom 12:18-21).  But we who have been made objects of God’s mercy through the grace of Christ should never celebrate death and hell; we should celebrate forgiveness and eternal life and proclaim to all men everywhere the power of Christ to reconcile us to our holy God.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

To conclude our consideration of these matters, I wanted to provide you with another quote from J.C. Ryle that deals with the subject of false doctrine and teaching.  In his work, “Warnings to the Churches,” he states the following:  “Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous:

1. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their “earnestness” makes many think they must be right.

2. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides.

3. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.

4. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.

5. There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.

6. There is a morbid craving in the public mind for a more sensuous, ceremonial, sensational, showy worship: men are impatient of inward, invisible heart-work.

7. There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan often masquerades himself “as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14)

8. There is a wide-spread “gullibility” among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.

All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, “Do not be carried away!”"  ~ J.C. Ryle, quoted from “Warnings to the Churches, ‘Diverse and Strange Doctrines’” [Banner of Truth, 1967] p 76-77.

Ryle composed this list almost 150 years ago, yet it is amazingly reflective of our own day and time.  There are indeed far too many “professing” believers that are drawn to the novelty of teachings and doctrines that are new, edgy, relevant, and accommodating.  They fail to recognize that they are being deceived, that they are being drawn like moths to flames and their souls are in immanent danger of destruction.

With the reality of this danger in mind, I renew my challenge to us all — Let us be thoroughly biblical Christians!  Let us be like the Bereans, who received the Gospel with great eagerness, yet they examined the Scriptures daily to make sure that Paul’s teaching was in accordance with Scripture. (Acts 17:11)  Let us be like Timothy, continuing in the things we have learned and become convinced of — the truths of God’s eternal revelation!  (2 Tim 3:14-17)  Discernment begins and ends with Bible saturation, so may God continue to shape us into a people who hunger and thirst daily for His truth.  Guard your doctrine and your hearts well, beloved!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Why does this matter to us?  Because God’s Word says that God is concerned for orphans.  Psalm 68:5 says, “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation.”  Deuteronomy 10:17-18 says, “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.  He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.”  And James 1:27 says, “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

The biblical perspective of orphan care takes on even greater significance when we consider our own status as spiritual orphans prior to our salvation.  Galatians 4:4-7 says, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”  Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

This Sunday, we will be observing Orphan Care Sunday for the first time in my tenure as pastor.  This observance is congruent with our vision to manifest a gospel presence in our community and, more specifically, to obey the Scriptures that instruct us to care for the fatherless.  Even now, we have families that are completing foster care training and pursuing adoptions with the assistance of our Lifesong partnership.  As we embrace the blessing of having foster care and adoptive families in our midst, we want to pray for them, encourage them, and provide a loving example of Christ to the children entrusted to them.

I hope all of you will plan to be here Sunday, and that God will use the special testimonies and the proclamation of His Word to develop your heart for orphan ministry in our community.  I love you all dearly!



SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

We want to acknowledge up front that being able to listen to a sermon and glean proper spiritual understanding does take discipline.  Now if we are in Christ, the desire and need for the ministry of the Word is already present within us through the indwelling Spirit.  The Spirit of Christ delights to bring us into conformity with the Person of Christ through the Word of Christ.  Thus, as regenerate believers, God has already re-created us to be a people who love the Word.  However, that does not mean that listening and learning requires no effort to discipline ourselves.  We are responsible for fostering in ourselves a love for the Word through reading, study, meditation, and memorization.
We are also responsible for taking some practical steps to focus ourselves when the Word of God is about to be delivered.  Here are some practical things you can do develop the discipline of listening to the Word.

1.  Arrive at church well rested.  Weekends provide almost all of us with time off of work.  However, we all know how good things, like caring for a home and keeping up with special events (even church events), can take up that time.  But we also tend to make decisions on weekends that will lead to anything but “rest.”  Do your best on Saturday to get to bed at a reasonable hour and to insure that there is no physical hindrance to your participation in worship.

2.  Pray for God to make you attentive to the preached Word.  Pray that morning at home as you get ready for church and pray again at the beginning of the sermon.  It is His Word and you are His child by grace through faith.  He will strengthen you in the Spirit and guide your heart and mind as you seek to be attentive to His truth.

3.  Bring your Bible to church!  We are a church committed to biblical exposition in both Sunday School and in our Worship Services.  Being a student of Scripture entails regular use of a personal copy of the Bible.  Bring yours with you to worship.  Follow along in the text every time the preacher refers you back to it.  Turn and read the cross-referenced passages and supporting passages.  Listening paired with reading helps keep your attention and it aids your retention of truth.

4.  Keep eye contact with the preacher.  Wandering eyes often reflect a wandering mind.  When you are not looking at the Bible, looking at your notes, or giving a helpful directive to a child, then look the pastor in the eye.  Direct eye contact is one of the most practical ways to help you stay focused on what the pastor is preaching.

5.  Take notes.  Looking and listening paired with writing helps to cement ideas and truths in your mind.  We even require our children to takes notes.  Our older ones take written notes, and our younger ones draw pictures that represent key ideas in the sermon.  We then discuss our sermon notes over lunch after the morning service.  Taking notes is one of the greatest disciplines in support of listening.

6.  Be careful of being a distraction or of drawing further attention to other distractions.  Avoid opening candy or mints with loud wrappers.  Do not consume food or beverages in the sanctuary.  Use the rest room beforehand, and make sure children have used the rest room beforehand as well.  If there are distractions in your immediate vicinity, or if someone gets up to leave, resist the urge to turn and look at them or watch them.  Your response to a distraction is an example that others around you will tend to follow– if you look or stare, they might as well; if you maintain focus on the pastor, they might as well.  Even when children are struggling near you, model attentiveness for them rather than ridicule.
I hope you will employ these practical suggestions as you come to worship this coming Sunday.

I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

But is teenage rebellion really the inescapable reality that our culture says it is?  Are parents doomed to face heartache and difficulty as their teenagers experiment with the freedoms and responsibilities that come with the immanent approach of adulthood?  Conventional (Worldly) wisdom says it is important to give teens the “freedom” or “space” to test the boundaries, to figure out who they are, and to learn important problem solving skills that prepare them for adulthood.  But does this really make sense?  Must we endorse what is most often sinful behavior and ardent disrespect in the name of allowing a child the time to “grow into themselves” and “sow their wild oats?”

Not according to Scripture.  Those identified in the Bible as “Youth” are not given any special provision to indulge sinful behavior in the name of “growing to maturity.”  On the contrary, Scripture tells us very plainly that all of us are active in our rebellion against God and His authority.  Children, youth, and adults all suffer from the reality of sin.  And sin is not something to be openly tolerated or tacitly “endured” in any season of life.  Scripture does tells us to discipline our youth and children so that they will know God’s law and the path of righteousness (See Proverbs 13, 15, 19, and especially 23:13-14).  It instructs children to obey their parents and it instructs parents to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph 6:1-4)

What does this mean for us as we consider the plight of the modern teenager?  It means we need to be active in biblical parenting from the time our children are born.  What does that look like?  Well there are many answers, and I would commend to you many good books (like Lou Priolo’s “Teach Them Diligently”), but for the sake of brevity, here are some pointers.

1.  BEWARE OF CHILD-CENTERED PARENTING.  Many people parent on the basis of what their children “feel” like in any given circumstance, or to state it more accurately, they parent on the basis of what will keep their child happy or satisfied or free from “melting down.”  The problem with this is that children, even ones less than a year old, figure out very quickly what behavior they can exhibit to get what they want from Mom and Dad.  Sometimes, they have very legitimate needs that they are expressing, like hunger, tiredness, illness, or simply the need to be comforted and loved.  But keep in mind that they are sinners, and often they are expressing pure and simple selfishness.  (A wise parent takes the time to discern the difference)  But as sinners, whether they be preschoolers, gradeschoolers, or teenagers, they need discipline and direction a whole lot more than they need to be placated.  Regular indulgence of a child’s selfish desires or a youth’s sinful manipulations reflects very lazy parenting.

2.  PARENT SCRIPTURALLY.  Make Gospel truth the regular staple of your conversations in the home.  As we see in Deuteronomy 6, the Word of God is to be spoken and shared and taught and lived with intentionality.  The truths of the faith are to be passed on from generation to generation.  This means that you, as the parent, need to be devoted to the Word and Prayer yourself.  It also means that you need to weave the Word into conversation and especially into your discipline of your children.  Teach them that when they have sinned, they have not just broken your rules and disrespected your authority, they have sinned against God and disrespected His authority.  Then teach them about the forgiveness and grace that is available through repentance and faith in Christ.  Finally, be consistent in enforcing the rules.  Nothing exasperates children more than when parents constantly move and readjust the boundary lines because of their own moods and whims.

3.  FOSTER GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR CHILDREN.  Among teens who are struggling with rebellion, the main complaints are that their parents never listen to them and never care to take the time to understand their struggles or what is important to them.  Some of this could be sinful excuse-making, but much of it is quite true.  While your children are young, foster good communication with them.  Listen to them.  Ask them questions.  Demonstrate a sincere interest in their thoughts and involvements and challenges, regardless of their age.  Show them love by spending TIME with them; teach them that they can come and speak to you no matter what, and that you will always strive to love them as Christ loves you.  Good communication also fosters trust and spiritual nurture.  Remember, your goal is to exemplify the character of Christ to them in your parenting.  I love you all dearly!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Our problem in prayer is we say the same old things about the same old things.  Praying that way is often boring.  When prayer is boring, we don’t feel like praying.  And when we don’t feel like praying, it’s hard to concentrate in prayer and to pray for very long.  Our problem is not that we pray about the same old things.  To pray about your Family, Future, Finances, Work, Schoolwork, Church,  Ministry, and the “current crisis” is normal.  If you’re going to pray about your life, these things are your life.  So our problem in prayer is not that we pray about the same old things, but that we say the same old things about the same old things.  That’s boring.  When prayer is boring we don’t feel like praying.  And when we don’t feel like praying, it’s hard to pray for any length of time or with much consistency.

What’s the solution?  Whatever it is, it must be fundamentally simple.  For God has children of all ages, IQs, educational levels, etc.  If He expects (and invites) all His children to pray, then consistent, meaningful prayer must be doable by all kinds of people.  And if it were not possible for you—with all your Christian advantages (such as proximity to good churches, accessibility to Christian books, recordings, and other media, etc.)—to have a meaningful prayer life, then what of the tens of millions of Christians without these things?  Here’s the solution:  when you pray, pray through a passage of Scripture, especially a Psalm.

Let the words of Scripture become the words of your prayers.  For example, if you pray through Psalm 23, read “The Lord is my shepherd,” and thank Him for being your shepherd.  Ask Him to shepherd your family that day, to guide, protect, and provide for them.  Pray that He will make your family members His sheep; that they will look to Him as their shepherd.  Ask Him to shepherd you through the decision you must make about your future.  Pray for Him to bless the undershepherd at your church, shepherding him as he shepherds the church, etc.  When nothing else comes to mind, go to the next line—“I shall not want”—and continue to pray.

Simply go through the passage, line-by-line, praying what you find in the text or what it brings to mind.  If nothing comes to mind, or if you don’t understand the verse, go to the next.  You might choose to linger long on one verse.  Conversely, there may be only a handful of matters that prompt prayer as you go through many verses.  Nothing says you have to pray over every verse.  Continue in this way until (1) you run out of time, or (2) you run out of Psalm.

One approach to choosing a Psalm to pray through is the “Psalms of the Day” approach.  This divides the 150 Psalms into 5 Psalms for each of 30 days in a month.  Take the day of month as your first Psalm.  Then keep adding 30 to that number until you get 5 Psalms. So on the 15th of the month, your first Psalm is Psalm 15.  To Psalm 15, add 30 to get the next one, Psalm 45.  These would be followed by Psalm 75, then 105, and 135.  (On the 31st, use Psalm 119.)  Take 30 seconds to scan these five Psalms, then choose one to pray through.  One advantage of this method is that gives you direction when it’s time to pray and defeats aimlessness.

The Psalms are the best place in Scripture from which to pray Scripture.  This is because of the original purpose and usage of the Psalms.  The Psalms were songs inspired by God for the purpose of being reflected in song back to God.  Moreover, there’s a Psalm for every sigh of the heart.  The entire range of human emotion is recorded in the 150 Psalms.

Perhaps the second-best place in Scripture from which to pray Scripture is the New Testament letters.  These are so densely packed with truth that virtually every verse suggests something to pray about.  It is also edifying to pray through the narrative passages of Scripture.  Unlike praying through the Psalms or New Testament letters, however, a different approach must often be used with the narrative passages.  Instead of looking at each verse almost microscopically, in a narrative passage it’s usually easier to consider it paragraph-by-paragraph, looking for the “big ideas” of the story.

Once you actually experience praying through a passage of Scripture, you’ll likely be able to turn to any part of the Bible and pray through it.  You won’t need these notes to remember how to do it the second time.  Like riding a bicycle, you never forget.  By praying through a passage of Scripture, you’ll find yourself praying about most of “the same old things,” but in brand new ways.  You’ll also find yourself praying about things you would never think to pray about.  Jesus prayed the Psalms.  The early church prayed the Psalms.  Great Christians like George Mueller prayed the Psalms.  Why not you?

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

The Old Testament has continuing authority, but the New Testament must be our authoritative guide to interpreting the Old Testament.  We can only really understand the beginning of the Book in light of the end.  The end of the Book provides clarity and perspective on the beginning.  Thus, we should read the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament.  Augustine understood this and said, “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.”

Even though the New Testament treats the Old Testament as authoritative, it also explicitly repeals some aspects of it.  So we need to interpret the Old Testament according to this rule: We continue to practice Old Testament principles and laws, unless the New Testament repeals them.  When we apply that rule to Old Testament law, it turns out that the civil and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament are fulfilled and abrogated in Christ, but the moral law of the Old Testament continues.  Here is an explanation of that threefold distinction of the Old Testament law.

First, the Old Testament contains “civil laws” (or “judicial” laws), which were for national Israel.  The civil laws describe the details of the national government, judicial system, penal code, and case laws of the visible structure of God’s Old Testament people (see Deut 1:9-17; 17:14-20; 20:1-20; etc.).  But with the cessation of the structure and polity of the Old Testament people of God, and with the institution of new covenant church polity, there is also a cessation of the Old Testament “civil laws” (Eph 2:14-16; Jn 18:36, etc.).  The moral principles standing behind the civil laws, however, are still instructive and binding for us (1 Cor 9:8-10).

Second, the Old Testament provides “ceremonial laws,” which outlined the system of Old Testament worship.  Ceremonial laws included detailed descriptions of the priesthood, the structure, and articles of tabernacle and temple worship, as well as the sacrificial system (Exodus 35-40; Leviticus).  These were types and shadows of Christ prefiguring and anticipating His first advent.  But now that Christ has come, the shadows of the old covenant are no longer necessary.  Hebrews teaches that Christ is our Great High Priest (Heb 7:15-17, 23-25), the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim 2:5); so, we have no need of the old priestly system.  With the coming of Christ, the sacrificial system is fulfilled and abolished since “by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Heb 10:14), and “where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering of sin” (Heb 10:18).  Jesus fulfilled and did away with the ceremonial law.

Third, the Old Testament reveals the “moral law” of God.  The moral law is summarized in the Ten Commandments, which have continuing authority according to the New Testament (Matt 5:17-19; Rom 13:8-10; Jas 2:8-11).  This moral law has three uses:

First, there is the “civil” use of the moral law.  The moral law is a permanent manifestation of God’s eternal mind, which is written on the consciences of all men as His image bearers (Rom 2:14-15).  God’s moral law is the ethical standard by which everyone will be held accountable, including believers and unbelievers, individuals, families, churches, businesses, and governments (Rom 13:4; Eph 5:22-6:9).

Second, there is the “pedagogical” (preparatory) use of the moral law.  Romans 3:20 says, “Through the law comes the knowledge of sin” (cf. Rom 7:9).  The Ten Commandments expose sin and show men their need of Christ’s blood and righteousness to save them from God’s judicial wrath.  This is why we must preach the law before we preach the gospel (Mk 10:17-21).  People must understand their sinful condition before they will see their need of a Savior.

Third, there is the “didactic” (instructive) use of the moral law.  The moral law of God is the rule of life and conduct for all believers (cf. New Hampshire Confession of Faith, chapter 12).  Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15).  In the new covenant, God writes the Old Testament “law” on the hearts of believers (Jer 31:33; Heb 8:10).  We’re told that the Ten Commandments are no longer merely written on tablets of stone outside of us, but are now written on the “tablets of human hearts” inside of us (2 Cor 3:3), such that keeping them is “not burdensome” (1 Jn 5:3), but flows from love to Christ and longing to become like Him for our joy and God’s glory.  My prayer is that God will use His moral law to drive us to Christ for justification by faith alone and to teach us to become like Christ in sanctification as we obey His gracious commands in our homes, our church, and in the whole community.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Though I hate running, I have been running somewhat regularly since January of 2008 — a couple miles, 2 or 3 times a week.  I run on a treadmill at the YMCA because I want to try and preserve my knees and ankles, because I have a sad addiction to air conditioning, and because I prefer to be distracted from my misery by watching TV.  I run because I have found that for a man my size, it is the best cardio workout I can get in the shortest amount of time.  Most pastors I know are on hypertension medication by age 35, so I pragmatically stifle my hatred and run to avoid health problems associated with my line of work and eating habits.

This week at the gym, as I looked around at my nameless treadmill compatriots wearily trucking away on their own beltways of misery, my thoughts drifted to questions associated with exercise.  Why do we put ourselves through this?  Is it to live longer by staving off a heart attack?  Is it to lose weight?  Is it to look more attractive to our spouses or to others?  Is it because our doctors or drill sargeants told us to do it?  Is it because we lack self-discipline in what we eat?  Is it because we want to avoid all possible interaction with our up-and-coming healthcare system?  Is it because exercise of some sort is expected of us by our peers?  Or have physical health and body image become idols in our lives?

For the overwhelming majority of people, exercise comes down to 2 things:  we want to live longer and look better.  In large part, this reality is intensely forced and reinforced by our culture.  But in terms of what our primary motives should be, both of these reasons are diametrically opposed to what God reveals to us in Scripture.

First, let’s talk about the motive of living longer.  For Christians, this world is not our home.  We are sojourners, we are spiritual pilgrims passing through this world on our way to the celestial city.  For us, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  In Scripture, long life is presented as a blessing of God for obedience, but long life itself is never held out to us as a goal.   Going back to Philippians 1, the only reason we should actually seek long life is so that we can have further impact for the gospel in this world.  Does that mean we should seek death?  BY NO MEANS!  Not seeking long life does not mean resigning ourselves to seeking death.  Life itself is a gift not to be squandered, so we should receive each day as a gift to live for the glory of God, trusting that He knows the number of our days before we are ever born (Psalm 139:16).

Second, let’s talk about the motive of looking better.  Right from the beginning, we must acknowledge that God’s first concern is our heart.  He says that the one welcome in His presence is “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.” (Psa 24:4)  Thus, we should give our greatest attention to believing in Christ and cultivating His likeness in ourselves in sanctification.  In fact, it is this inward spiritual beauty that radiates outwardly amongst the people of God making us “attractive” to one another because we see glimpses of our Savior in each other.

However, this focus on the inward does not mean we can neglect the outward.  We should not be unclean, unkempt, gluttonous slobs.  We are made in the image of God, therefore we should also seek to present ourselves outwardly in a way that most closely honors His uncorrupted presence.  The key here is not letting our secular culture define what kind of outward presentation is acceptable.   We should exercise self discipline in what we eat and drink, doing all for the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)  We should strive to be physically healthy so that we are unhindered in traveling about to share the gospel. (1 Cor 9:25-27)  We should care for our bodies because each of us is a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 6:19-20)  Some of us may be genetically predisposed to larger frames, smaller frames, slenderness, or stockiness, and it is acceptable to be as God has made us.  We should want to be physically appealing to our spouses, and we should want to be proactively protect our bodies from disease and difficulty with good habits of exercise.  But these biblical admonitions to be good stewards of the physical are starkly different from pursuing a certain dress size or a “six-pack of abs” or a self-image set forth by the latest fashion magazine.  Don’t subscribe to the lie that your attractiveness is determined by how closely you match these false ideas of beauty!

In summary, I have had to realize that my hatred of running stems from my own poor motives.  I’ve been running to avoid high-blood pressure.  I’ve been running as an excuse to not watch what I eat.  I’ve been running to make sure I am here to walk my daughters down the aisle.  Thus, the exertion of this effort has held no joy for me.  These may be good things, but if I am not running for the greatest thing — the delight of my Father and the propagation of His gospel — then I am falling short.  Lord, forgive me, forgive us all, and help us to see ourselves as you see us, and to discipline ourselves accordingly.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Course Descriptions

Dates: March 21 – June 13
Times: Sunday Evenings 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm

Sign up sheets for M.I.T. will be available Sunday.

Parenting Young Children 300

Instructor: Jim Smith
Textbook: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
Room: 329 (Adult 3)

Are you a first time parent, or are you the parent of young children? If so, this is the class for you! Scripture is full of practical and detailed instruction about how parents ought to teach their children the gospel of Jesus Christ. Learn what the Bible teaches about how to train young children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

The Doctrine of God (Special Elective) 200

Instructor: Jon English Lee
Textbook: The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink
Room: 322 (Adult 1)

What is the nature of God? What is He like? The most important thing about a person is what he believes about God.  This course will cover attributes such as the knowledge of God, the supremacy of God, the power of God, and the love of God.  Come learn what the Bible reveals about the nature and character of our great God.

Theology of Missions 300

Instructor: Judd Hough
Textbook: Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper and Mission in the Old Testament by Walt Kaiser
Room: 321 (New Members Room)

Do you want to learn about God’s heart for the nations? From cover to cover, the Bible declares that God’s purpose is to redeem a people for Himself from every tribe and tongue to display the fullness of His own glory. God invites and commands us to call others from every people group to worship Him joyfully! Come learn what the Bible teaches about the vital importance of missions.

Biblical Theology 102

Instructor: Tom Hicks, Jr
Textbook: According to Plan by Graeme Goldsworthy
Room: 331 (Adult 4)

Have you ever wondered how the Bible fits together as a unified whole? The Bible is a single book with a single story running through it. Part two of biblical theology will work through the Bible, beginning with Exodus and working through the rest of the Scriptures, showing that Jesus Christ and redemption in Him is the Bible’s main theme!

NOTE: To get a certificate of lay theological education, you need six 100 level courses, six 200 level courses, and six 300 level courses for a total of eighteen courses. Following this approach will balance your studies.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

6:30 pm

Come and join with our church family for a focused look at what it means to know God through the practice of praying His word.

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

Recovering daily, meaningful prayer is a matter of self-discipline – a matter of learning how to say “No” to lesser pursuits, “Yes” to the Holy Spirit who guides us to God’s presence in prayer, and “I will” to what Scripture sets before us as instruction in prayer.  From that point, it is a matter of being a “doer” of the Word by praying – by simply talking with God.

Prayer is a matter of opening up your heart in genuine sincerity and offering yourself and all of your concerns up to God.  It is confessing your sins before Him and savoring again the grace of Christ in forgiveness.  It is the humble acknowledgement of your complete dependence upon the sovereign Lord of the universe.  It is seeking the fruit of His presence, His gifts, and His promises in what is truly an act of worship.  It is casting upon Him your burdens, thanking Him for His grace, being still and waiting upon Him in faith, and celebrating His splendor.  Finally, it is maintaining an ever deepening expression of all of these things without falling back into a “rut” of empty repetition.

This is where praying through Scripture is so valuable.  Scripture is God’s inerrant, inspired, sufficient revelation of Himself and His purpose of redemption.  When we take the truth of God’s Word and use it to guide our hearts and inform our minds and frame our speech, we realize a prayer life that encompasses a height, width, and depth that we have scarcely experienced before.  The benefits of this discipline are many, but here are three of the most important:

1.  Praying Scripture will lead you to explore and give expression to previously unprobed areas in your life.  Just as expository preaching through whole books leads you to discover all the precious jewels of Scripture, praying the Scriptures leads you to personally meditate upon and express all facets of God’s Word.  For example, if I were to pray through a short chapter like Philippians 4, I would would be drawn to consider and pray about standing firm in Christ, the harmony of my relationships with others and how to have a forebearing spirit, my Christian joy, being free of anxiety through prayer, how the peace of God guards us, and the chief things my mind is to dwell upon.  And all of this is just in the first 8 verses!  When was the last time your prayers were concerned with any of these things?

2.  Praying Scripture will help you to enrich and vary the language of prayer.  When we pray, we too often fall back to repeating cliche’s and statements we have heard from others in prayer rather than depending on God’s Spirit and truth to give proper expression to what is in our own hearts.  When we articulate the realities of our own hearts through the lense of biblical truth, we develop the habit of praying biblically rather than the habit of praying repetitiously.  Consider the beauty of what we have in Psalm 1:1-2 – “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.”  That is indeed rich language to be guided by in prayer!

3.  It directs us to focus more on the person of God rather than upon ourselves.  The average Christian believes prayer is more about expressing our needs than it is about worshiping God.  Don’t get me wrong – we are certainly to be dependent upon God to meet our needs, yet the greater priority of prayer is being still, and knowing He is God. (Psa 46:10)  When was the last time your prayer consisted mainly of celebrating the attributes of God?  When was the last time you recounted to Him the splendor of how He has revealed Himself in creation?  In redemption?  In your sanctification?  Consider what it would be like to pray Job 38-42, Psalm 19, or Romans 11:33-36.  Great prayer is birthed through meditating upon our great God.

These a just a few of the numerous benefits that come through praying God’s Word, so commit now to join with your church family in praying through Scripture in 2010!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church

As I said on Sunday morning, the reward for fasting and prayer is personal conformity to God’s will and person, a clearer picture of His splendor, and a stronger confidence in His sovereign purpose.  The model and teaching of Scripture is that fasting is an appropriate undertaking for any weighty circumstance or need:  as a sign of repentance, as an act of mourning, when in serious danger, when facing a significant transition, at a time of deep need, for the healing of loved ones, for wisdom in important decisions, and when seeking the specific will of God.

But in more practical terms, how do we actually “fast.”  FIRST, we need to be mindful and careful of our own physical limitations.  If you have any health reservation, check with your doctor before fasting; you may want to consider only a partial fast from certain foods or only fasting for very small amounts of time.  Even if you do undertake a full fast, be cautious of going any longer than a few days and do not abstain from water so that your body does not dehydrate.  A normal time range for a completely healthy person to fast from food consumption is anywhere from one to three days.

SECOND, understand that the purpose of your fast is to seek God in praise, confession, scriptural meditation, and supplication.  Thus, while a fast is technically only abstaining from food, I would suggest that you also abstain from other non-necessary earthly pursuits during this time.  You may need to go to work or take care of necessities with your family at home, but keep the TV off and avoid indulging yourself with other media (novels, movies, the internet, your iPod, cell phone, etc.).  Also avoid or limit your pursuit of extra-curricular involvements like sports, shopping, and events with friends.  The goal of this time is to make the absolute most of being on your face before God.

THIRD, have a plan for how you will use the time.  Prepare certain Scriptures that are appropriate for your concern to meditate upon and pray through as you fast.  Make a list of your specific supplications.  If you have children in your home, prepare some family devotions that will help them understand why you are fasting and how they can pray with you (and for you!).  If you are married, plan prayer times with your spouse.  If you have to work on days that you have designated for fasting, plan how and where to spend your meal-breaks so that those times can be used for prayer and Scripture reading.  You don’t have to have every minute scheduled, but a plan will help you to stay focused and it will help you to protect your time of fasting from the little things that “pop up.”

FINALLY, be prepared to obediently submit to God in whatever way He reveals Himself and in whatever course He chooses.  He may answer your prayers as you hope He will, and He may not.  He may give you a very clear leading or answer, and He may not.  Be content in His will, follow obediently where He leads, and know that He is God.  Whatever the outcome, you will benefit spiritually just by drawing near to Him and expressing your trust in Him through the disciplines of prayer and fasting.

Given all of that, what are some good immediate needs to consider fasting over?  I would first direct you to our Ingathering for the Seminary in Ecuador this coming Sunday.  We have an incredible opportunity to be a part of equipping pastors who lead and plant churches in that nation.  You might want to consider fasting and praying about how much of the Lord’s money you can give to this effort.

In October, we have a team of seven leaving on a Mission Trip to Southeast Asia.  We would greatly appreciate you fasting and praying for us as we receive offerings for our trip and as we prepare for the work.  Furthermore, my plan now is for our church family to follow that Acts 13 model where we will invite our whole congregation to fast and pray before we send out any mission team.  That opportunity will come early in October, so I hope you will plan to be a part of it.  You may have thought of other needs to consider as you have read this, so just trust Him and seek Him as He leads you.  I love you all!

SOURCE: Morningview Baptist Church