Helpful Resources in 2016

                My favorite read of 2016 was “The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the World’s Most Notorious Atheist” by Larry Alex Taunton. It is not an urban legend death bed conversion story but a well written examination of the very real spiritual struggle within the heart of a self-professed non-spiritual man, written with reservation by a believer in Christ who got to know him towards the end of his life. The reservations felt by Larry are real- not wanting to write something that Christopher can’t refute (since he has passed on), struggling with the temptation to speculate on Hitch’s relationship with God at the end, and ultimately with saying too much, both for incredulous fans of Hitch and optimistic (and opportunistic) political Christians. It is raw, honest, and engrossing. Highly recommended reading for everyone.

                An excellent resource was released in October of last year: “The Pastor’s Book”, by R. Kent Hughes. I got a copy for myself and all my elders for Christmas 2015 and it has been an excellent go to guide for the many practical realities of pastoral minister. If you are a pastor, or know one, get him this book.

                My commentary of the year was “Joshua: No Falling Words”. The latest edition is from 2012, so not a new book, but in my sermon series through Joshua this small but mighty commentary by Dale Ralph Davis was indispensable. His humor, practicality, commitment to the text, and readability make anything he writes worth buying and using.

                “A Theology for Biblical Counselling” by Heath Lambert was a new release this year and filled a need in the sometimes muddy waters of counselling in the church context. Pastoral counselling continues to grow as a part of the pastor’s role in today’s churches, but until recently little serious attention was given to that reality. Much fine work has been done since and whole ministries have risen to support the local church in counselling well from Scripture. Lambert’s contribution is to highlight the connection between theology and counselling, and his thorough treatment of that is excellent. The first chapter alone is worth the cost of the book.

                Finally, in the realm of church health and growth, three books have been incredibly helpful. “The Compelling Community” by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop was released in April of 2015, but as I’m just digging into it now it has helped shape a lot of my thinking with regards to small group ministry, integration of different linguistic groups in my ministry sphere, and truly modeling the gospel in my Christianity saturated culture. “Church in Hard Places” by Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley has reaffirmed a great deal of my understanding of the primacy of the gospel and the church and has reinvigorated my commitment to both. It has also fanned the flames of a passion for church planting, something I hope to see become a reality in 5 years out of my current ministry. Lastly, “The Vine Project”, sequel to “The Trellis and the Vine”, came out and I am looking forward with great anticipation to diving into this book and mining its practical advice for working out the concepts previously written about.

                Happy reading in 2017 and beyond!

Thank God For Conviction of Sin

For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses. (Joshua 11:20 ESV)

To go to battle against Israel was foolish.  What continually compelled these individuals to believe they could fight against God and his people?  When you’re inside the double walled city of Jericho, and you hear about the 10 plagues of Egypt, and you hear about the crossing of the Red Sea, and you hear about the crossing of the Jordan River, we know the hearts of those inside of the city of Jericho, because the text tells us that their hearts melted inside of their chests - they were terrified, yet what was their response?  To still trust in the double walled city of Jericho.  1 person, Rahab, called out for mercy from God, and she gladly and freely received it.  One.  

So why did the nations of Canaan, why did these little city states, why did they continue to think that they could fight against God?  Because God let them think that.  Because God hardened their hearts, because God allowed them in their stubborn rejection of him, to not be recipients of his grace.  

If God is still convicting you of sin, praise his holy name.  Because when he stops, you are in a dangerous, dangerous place.  

There is only two types of people here this morning: Those that are here to hear from God’s Word, and when God’s word is preached, they respond to it in obedience.  And those that layer by layer by layer, are being hardened every single Sunday, more and more to the call of God in their lives.  

I hear individuals come up to me after the service, I hear them throughout the week talk to me about how the word is convicting them and how they’re changing, and that thrills me.  And I want to change daily by God’s word as well.  And yet I know that there are people that come here every single Sunday and it’s like an inoculation.  What is a vaccination?  It gives you a little bit of the disease, so that the disease itself never fully affects you.  What does God’s word do to those who are stubbornly rejecting him?  They have just enough that it stops it from having its full effect.  

If you have not been convicted by the word of God in a while, you ought to tremble in fear.  Because God is the one who gives you grace.  And when he removes that from you, What does the text in verse 20 say?  God did not come and make these individuals sin, don’t misread the text.  He just let them have sin to its fullest extent in their lives.  They should receive no mercy, but be destroyed.   

What did God do with the heart of pharaoh?  The 10 plagues:  Pharaoh hardened his heart.  How do you see the hand of God, turn water into blood, and the frogs, and the flies and the darkness.  How do you see all of that, and in the face of that not believe?  Because God takes his grace.  And what does he say in Romans 1:  He gave them over to a reprobate mind.  In our natural state, every single one of us, want to run as fast as we can to do as much sin as we can, because we are sinners.  And the only thing that stops us from going over the cliff is the grace of God.  So if he is convicting you, thank him here this morning.  Because if he is not, you are in deep deep trouble.  

Beware.  Beware a lack of concern over sin and rebellion.  If you can sin and it doesn’t bother you, that should bother you.  If you can rebel against God and there’s nothing - there’s no repentance, there’s no remorse?  The OT calls it sinning with a high hand.  To sin in open challenging and rebellion against God.  Who are you?  Do you think you can stand before this God?  The one true God who spoke all things into existence including you?  Who at this moment holds in his hand your next breath? And yet Sunday in and Sunday out there are individuals who come into this auditorium and they sit here and all the word of God does is put one more layer on top of the hardened heart.  I pray to God weekly that He, as only He can, would break through and start convicting hearts.  

So there are two types of people here this morning: Those that are going to hear the message of God and respond to it in obedience, and those that have one more message that has hardened them for another week.  

So how do we endure?  As long as God is speaking, there is opportunity to listen.  Do not despise the voice of God.  Do not despise the disciplining hand of God in your life.  Because if he is still speaking to you, you still have opportunity to listen.  

But the time is coming and you do not know when that is, when there may not be opportunity for repentance.  And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of this God.  

This is a transcript (prepared by Kaleb Pilkey) of a part of a sermon preached at Grace Baptist on July 10, 2016. For a video of the full sermon, click here. To watch more services from Grace Baptist, please subscribe to our channel- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyu-6i4AncIHoNeRCbjfyGA.

A Canadian Pastor Reflects On The US Election

Fear.

As I have observed the campaign, election, and post election reaction and analysis, the predominant word that comes to mind is fear. Fear of differing opinions and those who hold them. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the perceived known. Fear of judgement, condescension, marginalization, division, and of losing the ultimate value of our current culture, tolerance (for more on this see str.org, nytimes.com, and D.A. Carsons excellent book "The Intolerance of Tolerance"). Fear that exhibits itself in the perpetuation of stereotypes, misinformation (and at times a complete lack of information), re-writing or ignoring of history and historical context, insults, hatred, and vitriol.

Fear.

It is present in so many ways and among a wide cross section of the culture. Republicans afraid of Democrats and vice versa. Republicans that were afraid of a Clinton presidency while simultaneously fearing a Trump presidency. Democrats afraid that ground gained on a number of social issues would be lost. Republicans afraid that their rights would be taken from them. In the forward progress of linear history seemingly cyclical patterns appear to emerge, and the United States of America seems once again to be moving away from it's first descriptor. This time though there seem to be two predominant responses as the polarization increases- a cacophony of negative epithets hurled angrily at "the other side" without regard for respect, truth, facts, and decency or a retreat to a "safe space" to color blithely while those that are attempting to engage protect these that are traumatized according to their own self-diagnosis. Both responses are birthed from fear, and neither can bring reconciliation or chart a path forward.

Fear.

As believers in Jesus as the only remedy for our sin, and thus the only solution to the current situation, fear of this kind should never be a sustained (and certainly never a sustaining) reality. The gospel should be removing from us the fear of those that disagree with us (Matthew 10:16-33) as well as the fear of judgement (1 John 4:18). With the Ultimate Assessor declaring us His beloved child (if we repent and trust in Him), we ought to be able to reach out beyond our selfish fear and share the perfect love of Jesus with all those around us who are hurting, regardless of the labels, arbitrary or otherwise, that have been assigned to them.

Final Thoughts:

It has been repeatedly and rightly asserted that God is sovereign. This reality ought to always soothe our fear. He is the source of all things, by Him all things exist and live life, and to His purposes all will lead (Deuteronomy 32:39, 1 Samuel 2:6-7, Job 42:2, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 14:27, 45:5-7, 46:9-11, Daniel 4:35).

We should all stop and take a look in the mirror of God's word before we post, rant, comment, or respond with an angry emoticon. Have we been afraid? Of what, specifically? Are we still afraid? How have we dealt with that fear? How have we expressed it? Where have we been hypocritical? Have we demonstrated bigotry by calling someone a bigot? Have we said something along the lines of "I hate intolerant people" and refused to recognize the irony and hypocrisy in that sentiment? Have "Love Trumps Hate" and "Hate Trumps Trump (and all his supporters)" come simultaneously from us? Have we gloated that "our side" won?

Where have we stopped listening to people, especially those that disagree with us? When did a person get replaced by a label, especially unfairly? When did love get replaced with affirmation? When did disagreement and disrespect become synonymous terms? When did respectful dialogue get replaced with oppressive insults, blindly delivered at high decibels? Truth doesn't require an increase in volume. When did compassion get replaced with conformity? When did a celebration of diversity exclude diversity of thought and opinion? One of the true tests of any ideology is what it does with power. Fear dominates and oppresses. Truth appeals, and when believed, frees (John 8:31-32).

So, where to from here? Fill our minds and hearts with the truth (God and His word), become prolific in introspection and repentance, and keep doing what we should have been doing all along- looking to bring the hope and healing of the gospel to all around us, regardless of any categories we think they may be in. Jesus has left us with one task to engage in until He returns- know Him and make Him known (Matthew 28:16-20). That doesn't change no matter who's on "the throne" of whatever nation we are a part of here, as we look to the kingdom that is our real home. My prayers for gospel advance continue as I rest, by His grace, in the reality of the glory of God.