Quote of the Week

This quote of the week again comes from Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York.

“We do not have to make ourselves suffer in order to merit forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. 1 John 1:8 says that God forgives us because He is ‘just.’ That is a remarkable statement. It would be unjust of God to ever deny us forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we earn our forgiveness with our repentance, but in the gospel we just receive it.”
- Timothy Keller

Wiliam Cowper

On this day in 1800, the often depressed, but talented hymn writer William Cowper died at the age of 68. Cowper spents most of his life battling depression and he was often helped by the preaching of his dear friend John Newton.


In his times of lucidity and joy, Cowper wrote such insightful hyms as "God Moves in a Mysterious Way":

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

He Must Increase...

I have been studying the Gospel of John in my personal Bible studies recently, and this verse stuck out to me:

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -John 3:30

This little phrase was said by John the Baptist, who modeled his whole life after this idea. He never drew attention to himself, but always sought to draw attention and glory to Christ until his death at the hands of Herod.

What a glorious testimony to how each one of us should live our lives. Just like John, we should seek to give of ourselves so that Christ may be glorified in everything. We must increase our time and devotion to Christ, while decreasing the focus we put on ourselves.

O, how I long to be selflessly and totally consumed with the things of Christ. I want to consider all for His glory and not my own. So for me, this has become the theme verse of my life.

What are your thoughts?

Matthew Patrick Brown (2009-2009)

Please take a few minutes to read this moving story about a family's hard decision to walk the Christian walk in some of the worst of circumstances.

Something that stuck out to me was this quote by the Matthew's mother:

"I now believe, we are called to selfless acts because in our attempt to selflessness, our selifishness is exposed."

Matthew passed away Sunday. Please pray for this family during this time.

Quote of the Week

This week's quote is by A.W. Tozer, author of such books as The Pursuit of God. This quote was found in the foreword of Preaching the Cross, a compilation of the sermons from Together for the Gospel 2006.

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.
-A.W. Tozer

What to Do when a Hero Fails You

I am writing this because, sometimes, we take great stock in other people. We look up to them. We respect them. They teach us and show us an example of who we want to be. Some would call these heroes; others might say role models or something else. Whatever the case, the idea is the same. But what do we do when someone who we consider so strong in the faith, so in tune with the Holy Spirit, fails us? It can be devastating and some of us might feel that we want to just sit at home and cry. But as Christians, how should we respond? This is in no way an exhaustive list, but here are my thoughts:

1.Realize that our hope is in Christ and Him alone. People will come and go. They will be here today and gone tomorrow, but Jesus has said that He will never leave us or forsake us. Others may die, get sick, have a bad day, or suffer from any number of things that will prevent them from being there for us. But Jesus Christ is alive and well, constantly strengthening and encouraging us and interceding with the Father on our behalf without fail. Not only that, but no matter how good a hero may be, no matter how much you may respect them, Jesus is the only perfect example. And that will never change


2.Realize that our heroes are human and they make mistakes. No one, no matter how honorable or great we may esteem them to be, is invincible in the battle against sin. All of our heroes, save for Jesus Christ, has sinned, and (unless they are no longer living) will sin again. Those who have walked with the Lord longer may be more faithful and they may not sin as often or as greatly as we see and perceive our own sin, but they do sin, more than we may even realize. Also, if our hero is a leader of any sort, then his or her sin will be magnified by the fact that it will be a more public sin.

3.Pray for them. Perhaps they are struggling with their faith. Perhaps, they had a momentary lapse of judgment or need the Lord’s guidance on a particular subject. But always remember this: even the greatest heroes have their tough times. We can help them by lifting them up in prayer and asking God to give them strength through the hard times.

4.Take time to appreciate what they have done in the past to edify you. Just because your hero has failed you in one area, it doesn’t mean that they are undeserving of any respect. If they were your spiritual hero before they let you down, then recognize that they have made a mistake, but don’t let one flaw blind you to everything good about the person. As humans this is often our tendency.

5.In some cases, confront them. If your hero is someone you know well, and they publicly sin against you, it is your responsibility to confront that person in truth and in love. After praying for that person and yourself, draw that person aside privately and show them from Scripture where they have sinned. Be straightforward, but not critical. Rather, make them aware of your concern for them. It is possible that they were blinded to their sin and they will be grateful to you for showing them the truth. If they do repent, accept their repentance and count it joy to have won a brother or sister over. If they do not however, follow Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 8: take two or three with you, and if that doesn’t work, take them before the Church. If that doesn’t work, then you may need to:


6. In some cases, withdraw support. If the person that you look up to starts forming a pattern and habit of sin(s), then it may be that it is time for you to stop supporting that person. As sad as it is to say, it is possible that your hero has pulled the wool over your eyes and that your hero is not who you thought he or she was. This course of action will of course need the help and discernment of other wise and strong Christians. These cases are truly painful, but remember...


7.Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because someone sins or promotes a faulty idea, it does not mean that you should not heed the things you have learned from them in the past. It also does not mean that you should try and forget your good memories with them. (Point 3.)

This is something that I have dealt with in my own life and spent some time thinking about and I hope it helps you.

Quote of the Week

This week's quote on Resurrection Sunday, comes from the liner notes of Andrew Peterson's album, Resurrection Letters, Volume II.

He came back.

After that brutal Friday, and that long, quiet Saturday, he came back.

And that one intake of breath in the tomb changes everything. It changes the very reason I drew breath today and the way I move about in this world because I believe he’s coming back again. The world has gone on for more than two millennia since Jesus’ feet tread the earth he made. What would they have said back then if someone had told them that some two thousand years later we’d still be waiting? They would’ve thought back to that long Saturday and said, ‘Two thousand years will seem like a breath to you when you finally lay your crown at his feet. We don’t even remember what we were doing on that Saturday, but let me tell you about Sunday morning. Now that was something.’

These many years of waiting will only be a sentence in the story. This long day will come to an end, and I believe it will end in glory, when we will shine like suns and stride the green hills with those we love and the One who loves. We will look with our new eyes and speak with our new tongues and turn to each other and say, ‘Do you remember the waiting? The long years, the bitter pain, the gnawing doubt, the relentless ache?’ And like Mary at the tomb, we will say: ‘I remember only the light, and the voice calling my name, and the overwhelming joy that the waiting was finally over.’

The stone will be rolled away for each of us. May we wait with faithful hearts.”

Isaiah 53:10-12

10But the LORD was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

11As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.

And here ends the song where it began- with Christ in glorified and His ransomed many forgiven of their sins and in awe of Him. For these reasons, God was pleased to crush Him, not in the sense that God took pleasure in Jesus' pain and suffering. But it was His will to do so, so that God might save sinners and glorify His Son. Notice that in the same verse that it says God is pleased to crush His Son, it also says that the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

The last two verses speak of what Christ earned in suffering, namely His glory as Savior and our salvation and peace between us and Our Father. Christ justified us by earning our justification. In doing this, He was numbered with the transgressors not only in His physical death by hanging between two thieves, but also in the fact that He was counted sin on our behalf and bore the sin of many (2 Corinthians 5:21).

And because of His sacrifice, willingly given and paying the full penalty of our sin, bearing God's wrath and our judgment, He has earned for us our salvation. We can rejoice in the assurance that if we trust in Christ, our sins are forgiven and we will live with Him in glory forevermore. Please, understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and believe in these words, for they are the source of life.

Praise the Lord for what He has done. Hallelujah!

A Good Friday Poem

I was there in the crowd when my Savior died.
I am the man who yelled “crucify!”
I am the soldier who pierced His bloodied side
I am the one who His name denied.

I am the one who falsely accused.
I am the one who jeered and abused.
I am the one without an excuse
As I abandoned Him to the crowd's woos.

I betrayed Him with a kiss.
I gave Him up for less than He is.

I am the one who plucked His beard
I am the one who mocked and cheered
But I am the one who should have feared.
While in pity, His heavenly eyes teared

He took the path I should have tread;
I am the criminal who should have gone instead
But even as I placed the thorns on His head
I was the one who should have been dead.

And though it was my sins that sent Him to Calvary,
It was all according to His perfect plan
And though His death was because of me,
No detail escaped His sovereign hand.

He chose to die so that I might live.
When I took his life away, He chose to give.
I am the captive that He set free
By suffering Hell and giving His life...for me.

-Nathan C. Matthews

Isaiah 53:7-9

7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

8By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation, who considered

That He was cut off out of the land of the living

For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

9His grave was assigned with wicked men,

Yet He was with a rich man in His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

Here we see that though Christ's death was graphic as previously described and the most excruciating and undeserved pain that anyone has ever endured, Jesus never opened His mouth to defend Himself or complain. Trexton puts it this way: "Meekly and without protest the Servant accepts His sentence to death and suffers execution. Although innocent, He is given a felon's grave." Ultimately, Christ's silence was not an admission of guilt, but instead a sign of His utter willingness.

However, Christ was vindicated in His burial. Because Joseph of Arimathea took Christ's body, He was not buried with the criminals, but instead in with a rich man.

Also, in this passage we see another image that is used to represent Christ- that of the Passover Lamb. So, not only is He the Good Shepherd who looks after His sheep, but also the Sheep who is sacrificed for His people. In fact, this is the image we see at the end of time. Through His sacrifice, Christ achieved the glory of not only being Creator, but Savior as well (Revelation 5:11-13).

Interesting note, this was the portion that was being read by the Ethiopian Eunuch when Phillip shared the Gospel with Him (Acts 8:26-34)

Isaiah 53:4-6

4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

6All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

Here begins in earnest the description of Christ's sacrfice. The first thing that we notice in these verses is that it is our sin that He died for. This passage makes it perfectly clear that He was without fault and that His death was not punishment for anything within Himself. Even so, when the onlookers saw Christ dying, many believed that it was well-deserved. After all, it is the crowd who killed Him. But He was not dying for His own sins, for He had none. Instead, He was pierced through for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.

We must never forget this significant truth, for this is the core of our faith, the hope of our salvation. If Christ had been dying for His sins or as a result of some sin, it would mean that He was a false Messiah and not worthy to be followed and His atonement would have done nothing for us.

And our need for a Messiah is explained in verse 6, All of us like sheep have gone astray. Geoffrey W. Grogan, commentating on this writes: "Like sheep, our going astray is willful and purposeless." He also mentions that this image, that of the Good Shepherd is "probably a suggestion that this is an offense against love as well as holiness, for the Divine Shepherd is a tender loving image in the Bible."

And yet, though we all sinned against God's love as well as His holiness, it was an act of that same love in perfect accordance with God's holiness that secured for us our salvation.

Isaiah 53:1-3

1 Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

In the beginning of this chapter, the prophecy switches to prophetic past tense which is the natural tense for those of us who now live after these events.

Who has believed... revealed implies that few would believe when Christ came. This was certainly fulfilled when Christ came and died. Israel did not recognize the arm of the Lord and for this reason He was despised and rejectd by men. But even though Christ was despised and rejected and misunderstood, God watched and guided every detail of Christ's life as shown in 2a.

No stately form means that though Christ was and is the King Eternal, He did not come with any royal garb or emblem that showed Him to be a king. And though His way did not make sense to man, the Lord's might was in this all the way.

Lastly, this section begins the description of Christ's atoning death, which will be further discussed in the coming verses. For now, note that before His death, Christ was first despised by men and forsaken by them. But notice that these verses do not simply leave the blame on others, but is all inclusive in stating that we esteemed Him not. Christ's blood is on all our hands and tomorrow we will see what this means for us.

Isaiah 52:13-15

13 Behold, My servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people,
So His appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons of men.
15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations,
Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him;
For what had not been told them they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.

First, I would just like to point out that this Servant Song can be best understood in the context of the entire book of Isaiah (and with the whole Bible, or course).

This song (a loose term, it's not actually meant to be sung, necessarily) begins with the end in mind. When Christ returns, He will be before all people and high and lifted up and greatly exalted. This provides a sense of assurance for the latter verses in which we will be told the awful things that will befall this Servant (that is, Christ). It's almost as if we're being told, "Before you hear all the horrible things that are going to happen, you need to know that it will all turn out fine in the end. Actually, it will turn out better than fine. It will all work perfectly for the glory of My Son."

The phrase marred more than any man refers to the great torture that Jesus endured. It was so extreme that Jesus would not even be recognized as human and the people would be greatly astonished.

We also see here in the midst of a clear prediction of the Jewish Messiah a glimpse of God's unchanging heart for all people. For this reason, it says sprinkle many nations. Not only would the Jews receive forgiveness salvation, but people of all nations (Praise the Lord!). The term sprinkle refers to the priestly intercession that Christ would make on behalf of all who would accept the sacrifice that is going to be explained.

Essentially though, these three verses are more about the consequences of Christ's suffering than the suffering itself. The suffering itself will be further explained in the coming verses.

My Attempt at Exegesis

This week, leading up to Resurrection Sunday (Easter), I will be exegeting, or trying my best to interpret one of the Servant Song's from Isaiah, the one of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. This is the clearest prophetic prediction and reference to Christ and it is full of the grace and love of God as well as His justice in punishing His Son for our sins. This is also one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. I will be splitting the 15 verses up into groups of three, so please bear with me as I attempt to explain this passage in my own words.

Thank you.

Quote of the Week

The quote for this week comes from William Temple, archbishop of Canterbuy from 1942-44. His definition of worship is one that is both intriguing and worth long consideration. He writes:

“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to his purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”

Was Jesus a Good Man?

Though I know this has been explained in better ways by such people as C.S. Lewis, I have been thinking about this some recently and I thought I would put in my two cents.

My thesis is simply this:there are few things more intellectually dishonest than the belief that Jesus was only a good man.

Now, let me point out that the key word to this whole idea is the word only. I wholeheartedly and without any reservation affirm that Jesus was the only perfect man to walk upon this earth because in the divine mystery of it all, He was both God and man. Though He was tempted in every way that we are, He never sinned- never thought, desired, did, or refused to do anything that was contrary to the will and glory of God (Hebrews 4:15). So, in no way am I saying that Jesus was not a good man. In fact, He was the best there ever was or will be.

But what astonishes me is that so many people say that Jesus was a good man, or a moral teacher and leave it there, as if that could measure up to reality. In fact, in our culture where we are trying to be increasingly tolerant of others views and where we seek to avoid offending people at all costs, we have sacrificed truth and thereby most in America would espouse this ludicrous idea.

Why is it ludicrous? If I believe that Jesus was a good man, why do I have a problem with people who believe that He was only good? Am I just making a bigger deal out of this thing than is responsible or appropriate? I don't think so.

It really all boils down to this: Jesus did not give us the option of being thought of as a mere good moral teacher. He clearly believed that what He was saying was true, that He was the Son of God, and that He was the only way to God.

If He was not telling the truth in these instances, how could He be moral? A moral person does not lie or deceive in this nature. And if He believed that this was true, but it was not, then He was truly insane, for no sane person believes they are these things unless they are.

So this brings us to the three choices classically set out by C.S. Lewis in his famous book Mere Christianity. Lewis said that Jesus was either a "liar, lunatic, or lord". He said it this way:

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would
not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a
man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must
take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or
something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and
call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about
His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

If I believed that He was a lunatic or a liar, I would delete this blog right now, cancel all future plans and "eat, drink, and be merry," for tomorrow I would definitely die. Life would be absolutely meaningless. But thankfully, I can say with full assurance and confidence that what Jesus said was and is true. He is the Son of God, the only way of salvation and life in this world and the Lord of my life.