REFLECTIONS

“Final End of Creation

b. The final purpose of creation. Some find the final end or purpose of creation is the happiness of man. They say that God could not make Himself the final end, because He is sufficient unto Himself. But it would seem to be self-evident that God does not exist for man, but man for God. The creature cannot be the final end of creation. The Bible teaches us clearly that God created the world for the manifestation of His glory. Naturally, the revelation of the glory of God is not intended as an empty show to be admired by the creature, but also aims at promoting their welfare and attuning their hearts to the praise of the Creator. Isa. 43:7; 60:21; 61:3; Ezek. 36: 21,22; 39:7; Luke 2:14; Rom. 9:17; 11:36; 1 Cor. 15:28; Eph. 1:5,6,12,14; 3:9,10; Col. 1:16.

c. Substitutes for the doctrine of creation. They who reject the doctrine of creation resort to one of three categories for the explanation of the world. (1) Some say that original matter is eternal, and of it the world arose, either by mere chance, or by some higher directing force. But this is impossible, because you cannot have two eternals and therefore two infinites alongside of each other. (2) Others maintain that God and the world are essentially one, and that the world is a necessary (outflow) of the divine being. But this view robs God of His power and self-determination, and men of their freedom and of their moral and responsible character. It also makes God responsible for all the evil in the world. (3) Still others take refuge in the theory of evolution. But this is clearly a mistake, since evolution offers no explanation of the world. It already presupposes something that evolves.”

-Louis Berkhof from Summary of Christian Doctrine  Published by Eerdmans Publishing Company  Grand Rapids, MI  1938  Republished in 1975  Page 52.

REFLECTIONS

Gospel Peace 

“Only the Gospel can form a plaster to draw out the every core of contention from the heart. The apostle Paul testifies how he and his brothers were healed of malicious attitudes:

“We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). And the Paul writes in some detail how that healing came: “But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by work of righteousness which we have done, but  according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:4-5). He was saying, “If this love of God to us in Christ had not appeared, if we had not been washed by His regenerating Spirit, we would still be paralyzed under the power of our lusts.”

Mortification is a work of the Spirit. “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13). And the Gospel is the sacrificing knife in the hand of the Spirit, the “sword” God uses to kill sin in the hearts of His people (Ephesians 6:17).

Just as the Gospel lays the axe to strife and digs it up by its bitter roots, so it fills the hearts of men who embrace with principle, leading to peace and unity. Some of these tenets are self-denial, long-suffering, and gentleness. Self-denial prefers that another be honored before himself. Long-suffering is bearing that which makes one easily provoked. And if gentleness is pushed by a wrong, it holds the door open for peace to come in again.

We can see a whole bundle of these sweet herbs growing in one bed: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23). Now this fruit does not crop up in just every hedge, but only from Gospel seed.”

From the Puritan William Gurnall  Found in The Christian in Complete Armour-Daily Reading in Spiritual Warfare   Published by Moody Press Chicago  1994  First Published  in 1655.

REFLECTIONS

"Blessed are they who mourn."

“This marks off the Christian as being quite unlike the man who is not a Christian and who belongs to the world. The one thing the world tries to shun is mourning; its whole organization is based on the supposition that that is something to avoid, the philosophy of the world is, “Forget your troubles, turn your back on them, do everything you can not to face them.” The whole organization of life, the pleasure mania, the money, the energy and enthusiasm that are expended in entertaining people, are all just an expression of the great aim of the world to get away from this idea of mourning and this spirit of mourning. But the gospel says, "Happy are they that mourn." Indeed, they are the only ones who are happy! (See also Luke 6).

This is something which is never found in the world. This is something which is not as evident in the Church today as it once was and as it is in the New Testament. And idea has gained currency that if we as Christians are to attract those who are not Christians we must deliberately affect an appearance of brightness and joviality-not something that arises from within, but something which is put on.

I cannot help feeling that the final explanation of the state of the Church today is a defective sense of sin and a defective doctrine of sin. Coupled with that, of course, is a failure to understand the true nature of Christian joy. These things, working together, of necessity produce a superficial kind of person and a very inadequate kind of Christian life. It is not surprising that the Church is failing in her mission if her dual conception of sin and joy are thus defective and inadequate. Conviction must of necessity precede conversion, a real sense of sin must come before there can be true joy of salvation. So many people spend all their lives trying to find this Christian joy. They want joy apart from conviction of sin. But that is impossible; it can never be obtained."

-D. M. Lloyd-Jones from Reflections  Published by World Publishing  USA  1994

REFLECTIONS

"Perfection

Distinctive of God:

God is perfectly good. All the perfection we can arrive at in this life is sincerity. We may resemble God a little, but not equal Him; He is infinitely perfect. Thomas Watson

Goal of the saints:

This is the sum of all; for he which can abstain not only from evil, but from the appearance of evil, is so perfect as a man can be in this sinful life. Henry Smith

This life was not intended to be the place of perfection, but the preparation for it. Richard Baxter

A prayer of the saints:

O good God, guide me by Thy holy hand, that I may keep myself within the lists of Christianity, being modest in apparel, moderate (in) diet, chaste and temperate in speech, sober in fashion and my ordinary deportment, respective to my superiors, amiable to my equals, without pride and insolency towards those that are below me, courteous and affable and yet without vanity and popularity towards all. Samuel Hieron"

-From A Puritan Golden Treasury Complied by I.D.E. Thomas Published by The Banner of Truth Trust Carlisle, PA 1997 Page 207

MZEE'S DREAM

“A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 NKJV

We have been thrilled and blessed to see the Lord’s work in Church Planting over the years. At the time of this writing we’ve seen that over 150 churches and fellowships have been planted  in 7 African countries. Our part has been primarily to teach, train, encourage and disciple while our African friends have done the evangelism, planting and nurturing. One of our good friends, Pastor Aninias Irungu, has caught the vision and is actively teaching and encouraging fellow pastors to plant churches and has planted several churches himself. A friend of his, Mzee (which is a respectful word that means elder or older person and communicates due respect for elders), shared with us that he has dreamed of planting a church on his land in Adjumani in Northern Uganda for about 25 years. Mzee is a deacon in his church and he has attended our ACTION Pastor Training Fellowships. We all began to pray for Mzee and he began to tell us that he wanted our assistance to start the church soon and that his son who has attended a Bible College will pastor the church. Pastor Aninias and Mzee plan to travel to Adjumani for a week and encourage the new church which has begun meeting under a tree on Mzee’s land. The first meeting of the church was about 2 weeks ago and 3 people professed faith in the Lord then. Mzee has shared with us that our Lord has answered his prayer and given him his heart desire after 25 years and that wonderfully now; there is a church on his land which praises the glories and excellences of our Savior, the dear Lamb of God, Jesus Christ! Mzee planned his way and the Lord has directed his steps all in the Lord’s perfect time. He is obviously quite happy about this turn of events and thanks the Lord that this has happened. He and his wife plan to move home to Adjumani after many years of living in Kampala and now he will worship in the church located on his homeland.

REFLECTIONS

Ordinary Ministry Brings Extraordinary Results

“Watch over your own spirit and cast not away your confidence.

Then, zealously, in dependence upon God, do the little you can do; do it well and keep on doing it. You and I are not called upon to regulate the world nor to stay the raging sea of human sin. Let us not attempt to wield the divine scepter; it befits us not. Naturally, you would like to set all people rights, and make all preachers orthodox. But, my brother, the task is beyond you. Be careful to be right yourself in your own life, and be resolution  to bear your complete, honest, obedient testimony to all truth you know; and there leave the business, for you are not responsible beyond your possibilities.

No one of us is much more than an emmet on its little hill. Now, if yon tiny ant were to indulge in serious reflections upon the state of London, and forget to assist in the labors of the insect common wealth, it would be a foolish creature; but if it will let those great matters alone, and go on doing its ant-work, as an ant, it will fill its little sphere, and answer the purposes of its maker. A mother teaching her little ones, and doing all she can to bring them up in the fear of God; a humble village pastor with his score or two of people around him; a teacher with her dozen children; a quiet Christian women in her domestic circle bearing her godly testimony; a young man speaking for Jesus to other young men-there is nothing very ambitious about the sphere of any of these, but they are wise in the sight of the Lord. Leave the reins in the hand of the Maker of the universe and then do what He has given you to do, in His fear, by His Spirit, and, more will come of it than you dare to hope.

We are like coral insects building each one his minute portion of a structure far down in the deeps of obscurity. We cannot as yet war with those vaunted ironclads which sweep the ocean, and hurl destruction upon cities; and yet-who knows? We may build and build until we pile up a reef upon which the proudest navies may be wrecked. By the steady, simple, honest, Christian up building of holiness and truth,-defying no one, attacking no one, we may nevertheless create a situation which will be eminently perilous to the boastful craft of falsehood and skepticism. A holy, earnest gospel church is a grand wrecker of susperstitution and infidelity. The life of God in man, patience in suffering, perseverance in well dong, faithfulness to truth, prayer in the Holy Ghost, supreme zeal for the divine glory, and unstaggering faith in the unseen God;  these are our battle-axe and weapons of war; and, by the aid of the Holy Ghost, we shall win the battle ere the day comes to its close. Till then, O Lord, when our heart is overwhelmed, lead us to the rock which is higher than were are!”

-C.H. Spurgeon from Only A Prayer Meeting  Published by Christian Focus Publications Scotland  2006.

REFLECTIONS

Communion with God Strengthens and Enlivens

"O Christian men and women, be thorough in what you do, and know, and teach! Hold truth as with an iron grip; let your families be trained in the fear of God, and be yourselves 'holiness unto the Lord'; so shall you stand like rocks amid the surging waves of error and ungodliness which rage about you.

We want, also, more and more, a revival of vigorous consecrated strength. I have pleaded for true piety; I now beg for one of the highest results of it. We need saints, it may be that not all cannot attain unto 'the first three'; but we cannot do without champions. We need gracious minds trained to a high form of spiritual life by much converse with God in solitude. These are the standard-bearers of the army: each one is a king's son. There is an air about them, humble as they are, as men who breathe a purer atmosphere. Such was Abraham, who, by his communion with God, acquired a more than royal bearing. The king of Sodom shrinks into insignificance in the presence of the high-minded sheik who will not take of his lawful spoils from a thread to a shoe-latchet, lest the heathen king should say, 'I have made Abraham rich.' Saints acquire nobility from their constant resort to the place where the Lord meets with them. There, also, they acquire that power in prayer which we so greatly need. Oh, that we had more men like John Knox, whose prayers were more terrible to Queen Mary than ten thousand men! Oh, that we had more Elijah's, by whose faith the windows of heaven should be shut or opened! This power comes not by a sudden effort; it is the outcome of a life devoted to the God of Israel. If our life is all in public, it will be frothy, vapory, ineffectual existence; but if we hold high converse with God in secret, we shall be mighty for good. The Puritans were abundant in meditation and prayer; and there were giants on earth in those days. He that is a prince with God will take high rank with men, after the true measure of nobility."

-C.H. Spurgeon from Only A Prayer Meeting Published by Christian Focus Scotland 2006.