Memorial Day

Howdy everyone! I thought maybe you were wondering what's been happening in my life recently. Namely, yesterday right? Well, whether or not you are dying to know what I did yesterday, I will still tell you. :-)

We did mostly chores and outdoor work yesterday (Memorial day). It was a beautiful day, despite the fact that we were pretty tired from the weekend.
A quick summary of the weekend- Saturday was spent preparing for a big party for the home-school graduates; and then the party itself at 4pm. We got home about 11pm that night with a ton of leftover hot-dogs and buns and other food. (We Sleadds are great at that type of clean-up. We'll eat almost anything, especially leftover dessert; and lots of it.) So what have we been eating for the past 2 days? You guessed it! Hot dogs!
So, then on Sunday we went to Church (Coram Deo Church*) and dad led worship (generally all of us Sleadd kids do worship with dad but this week we got a break.). It was very good. I love church and God's family. Especially worship time. Sometimes I can't help but lift up my hands even though I stick out a little when I do it.Coram Deo Church was founded about a year and a half ago. We're still fairly small, (about 20-50 people each Sunday) with sort of like a core group of families. Sometimes it's disheartening when only a few people come and they don't seem to be committed. Of course, it's all in God's hands. Our job is to serve Him faithfully and humbly. He has certainly blessed us through "Coram Deo" thus far.

Sunday's message was about Propitiation. Christ's blood as propitiation for our sins. Pastor Dale Meador used the analogy of a sponge when describing propitiation. When Christ was hanging on that cross, He was absorbing the perfect and holy wrath of God that you and I justly deserve. "...he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Phil. 2:8)
"...and [we] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
At the end of his message, Pastor Dale tied Christ's propitiation in with the sacrifice many soldiers and service-men have made to secure the freedom that we enjoy today; thus fitting in with Memorial Weekend. Pastor Dale has deep gratitude for America's service men, he was nearly in tears by the end of his sermon.
After church we went to Ultimate Frisbee and got tired all over again. Then we had hot dogs, went to bed, and woke up the next morning.

Oh my! This was supposed to be a quick summary!...oh well. That's alright.



So, back to Memorial Monday. We did lots of weeding around the driveway, mowing, and outdoor work. I got slightly sunburned on my back, too. We then went to a small BBQ/Party at the Petty's at 4. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. Generally, whenever we go to parties we already know everyone there, fairly well. Whereas at this BBQ we were able to meet new people; different people. It was fun making new friends and having good conversations.

*Coram Deo means "Before God", as in to stand before God.

Prayer

One of my favorite historical figures is Theodore Roosevelt. He was a strong man, a powerful leader, and a gentle father. Theodore was the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. If I was living during his time, it would be a great privilege to be able to talk with him. He was the president of the United States of America and for him to take the time to talk with me would be a tremendous honor!
How much more a privilege it is for us to be able speak to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe! Through prayer!
Today I would like to speak on prayer in 3 different ways. The gift of prayer, the importance of prayer, and how to pray.

The Gift of Prayer
Have you ever thought of prayer as a marvelous gift from God? It's not generally thought of as a gift but as just the way we talk to God, like we would talk to anyone else. But if you really think about it, God is SOO much greater, SOO much more majestic, and SOO much more holy than we are. And to be able to speak to Him is truly a gift. He is infinitely powerful and His splendor and might can be seen plainly throughout creation. He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega.

As it says in Romans 11-
"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen."

That is our God.
And we are just little insects compared to Him! Even the president is tiny compared to the Lord! Yet, He allows us little creatures to speak to Him through prayer.

What a blessing. What a gift.

The Importance of Prayer
Well, prayer is most important because God commands us to do it. Quite explicitly too.

1 Thessalonians 5 says-
"Rejoice always; Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Notice how "Pray without ceasing" is preceded and followed by rejoicing and giving thanks? I think that's an indication that rejoicing and giving thanks are important parts of prayer; "For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".

Moses used prayer to speak to God on behalf of the Israelites. Through prayer the Israelites reconciled themselves to God when they sinned against Him. Prayer is important because without it we could not be right with God.

Not only is prayer important, it is powerful. In James 5 it says- "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective"

It also says in 1 Peter 3- "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

It seems that our culture takes praying way too lightly. They think that God is kind of like their fairy-god-father (or in some cases, mother) who exists solely to complete their wants and make them happy. My dad calls it the "Name it and Claim It" mentality.
God does not exist for us. We exist for Him.

How to Pray
In Luke 11 Jesus instructs his disciples how to pray. He teaches them the Lord's Prayer-
"He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.' "

Later in the chapter He tells the disciples to ask from the Lord.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

A prayer list really helps me to remember what to pray for, etc. during my devotions. I found this acrostic helpful.

Praise
Repent
Ask
Yield

Praise God, thank Him, rejoice in His majesty.
Repent of sin, pride, etc.
Ask for forgiveness of sin and for a renewed heart. Ask for healing for those who are sick and blessing for those around you.
Yield to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

In conclusion, what would it be like to talk to the President? It would be a great privilege!
So it is with prayer. Next time you pray, thank the Lord for His infinite grace in allowing us to approach Him through prayer.

Easter, Christmas, and Nominal Christianity Part 2

The Problem

So what is the cause of this problem? Where did the idea come from that all you have to do to receive eternal life is to say a prayer and believe in Jesus? Why isn't there fruit in the church of Christians turning away from sin? I believe this is a product of the modern seeker-friendly church for (1) isolating scripture and (2) lacking biblical doctrine

(1) Many of you have probably memorized John 3:16 because it has been used so often for evangelism. There is nothing wrong with this passage, yet there is a danger in isolating this verse and coming to the conclusion that all you have to do to is believe in Jesus and you will have eternal life. The scriptures need to be sought out to find the context for the verses and be contrasted with other verses that speak on the same topic.

Here is an example- If I thought that my hands were the only thing needed for catching a football, I would be very wrong. My arms, my eyes, legs, and body are also important parts for catching a football. My hands do the act of catching the football but they could not do so without the rest of my body.

The church is advertising that you just need your hands to catch a football; all you need to do to get eternal life is to believe in Jesus. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that believing in Jesus is not an important part of receiving eternal life. I'm saying that there is much more to the Christian walk of faith. Teaching that you just have to believe is false because scripture shows that there is more to Christianity than belief.

So isolating scripture is one of causes of the problem of Christians believing they are going to heaven because they said a prayer and "believed". And as a consequence of this, churches lack good, sound, biblical theology and doctrine.

(2) Lacking biblical doctrine. First, what is doctrine and theology? Why are they important? Doctrine and theology basically mean the same thing. Theology is the truths/principles or the study of truths/principles seen in nature and the bible, of God and His decrees for man, etc. Doctrine is the teaching of these truths. So they must go together. Why are they important? The bible is God's letter to us (2 Timothy 3:16) and if we claim to be His children we need to know what His will is for us; and we do that by studying His word and searching it out. One of the biggest doctrines that the church has forgotten is the total sovereignty of God (1 Timothy 6:14-16). They think that God needs our help in matters such as bringing unbelievers to Christ. So what the church has done is tried to make the Gospel more attractive so that more people will choose Him; as if God doesn't have control over whom He chooses to allow into His kingdom. Ephesians 1:3-5 says that God chose who would choose Him, before the foundation of the world. God does not need us. God is the one who leads men to salvation. By His grace, He allows us to be apart of His bringing someone to salvation but there is no room for us boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). The seeker-friendly church has downplayed the gospel and tried to create revivals with throbbing music, and pressure people into salvation."Jesus is knocking at the door. Will you let him in?" God is sovereign and there is not one atom or one neutron or one nucleus that is not under His control. If God is going to save someone, He is going to do it. And we don't need to create false fire and emotion to get more people into God's kingdom.

So as a consequence of this view (that we need to make the gospel more attractive to get more people saved), the gospel has been downplayed to simply believing in Jesus. Thousands of people get "born again" at Easter and Christmas services and then they go right back to their evil, wicked ways without thinking twice. And they do it with the belief that they are going to heaven because they believed in Jesus. Where is the change? If God was truly working in their lives they would be changed; they would be a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Why isn't there a turning away from sin and a distaste for it?

Paul Washer, a wonderful teacher and missionary gave this example.- If he was late to teach at a conference and everyone was asking why he was late. and he answered that he got run over by a logging truck, and that was why he was late, everyone would think he was either crazy or lying. Why? Because, if he had truly been run over by a truck he probably wouldn't be alive and most definitely would not have made it to the conference without some change.

Then he asks "What is bigger? A logging truck or God? If you have really encountered Jesus then there will be a change."

Sadly, there are so many people who claim to be Christians, yet there is no change. There is no change. They are no different from the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:17- "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits."
Is the Church bearing good fruit?

The Solution
Is there a way to solve this problem? I would like to suggest 2 ways in which I believe this problem can be solved. First, (1) Repentance to God and a turning from sin, and (2) and a continual studying and teaching of the word of God and its principles.

(1) Repentance. We need to repent of our tolerance of the very things that God hates. "But wait, isn't God Love?" God cannot be a God of Love unless He is also a God of Hate. God loves righteousness and holiness, therefore he hates wickedness and unholiness. Deuteronomy 16:22 Psalm 11:5 Proverbs 6:16 Isaiah 66:17 If I truly love life I will hate murder and abortion because they destroy that which I love.

If being seeker-friendly means tolerating habitual sin in the church, then we should throw away the whole idea of being seeker-friendly. God hates sin because he is holy.

I remember as we attended this mega-church over the years, we realized that there were so many people who came to church while at the same time practicing sin willfully. Recently divorced men would come to church with their new live-in girl-friend and take communion as if God didn't care about how they live! And they believed they were going to heaven because they said a prayer and believed! Now, I can't judge whether or not those men are going to heaven but the scripture does say "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Those men may have been true believers who were struggling, yet if they were truly saved and they had the Holy Spirit they would be bothered by their sin. And when they stumble, there would be repentance.

Jesus said in Matthew 3:8 " Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;"
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. The Bible calls us to repentance, and that is what we should be doing.

(2) The Teaching of the Word of God. It seems that mega-churches tend to shy away from doctrine and theology because its not very seeker-friendly. But if the church is neglecting to teaching the word of God for the sake of being seeker-friendly then maybe they shouldn't be seeker-friendly. The church is for those who are Christians, "the saints", and we should not compromise our teaching for the sake of "seekers". From what we have seen, the teaching at mega-churches seemed shallow. They kept re-presenting the gospel because they were targeting the non-believers. Sin was not condemned because it might offend seekers. There were also many "self-help" programs that seemed to imply that man has the power to conquer his own sin; he just needs to try harder. When in truth, we are dead in our sins and cannot save ourselves. The only one who can save us is Christ.

Another important doctrine that I believe the seeker-friendly church has forgotten is the doctrine of election. God has elected those whom he has chosen, before the foundation of the world. And its not our responsibility to try and get as many people into heaven as possible. God is in control and He can take care of that.
Our responsibility is to preach the word of God, spread the gospel and make disciples of many Nations.

In conclusion, I've presented a problem that is faced in many churches today; that many people claim to be Christians yet their lives don't show it and their only commitment is that they go to the Christmas and Easter Services. I suggested a solution that would I believe would solve this problem. Repentance and the preaching of God's word.



Here is a really good sermon by Paul Washer on the very topic I've been blogging about.(Except he's alot better) It is soooo good! If you have a regular movie night or something, you should watch this video. It's about an hour long. It will most definitely be worth your time. Click here to see it.

If you have any comments, or if you disagree with any thing I said, or if you agree, feel free to comment. :)


Goodness! That turned out to be a very long and rambling post! If you've made this far, you are truly amazing!

Easter, Christmas, and Nominal Christianity Part 1 (of a 2 part series)

A fews years ago we used to attend and were members at a "mega-church" in town. They had 4 services- 1 service Saturday evening, and 3 services Sunday morning. One thing I remember very well was how the Christmas and Easter services were almost always overflowing with people. The church members would come with their friends, many of the women would have their yawning husbands there for the first time (they would rather be watching football) , and other families would come to fulfill their duty as Christians, to go to church at least 2 times a year- The Easter Service and The Christmas Service.

Today I would like to address the belief that many "Christians" hold to, in believing that they will make it to heaven because at one time they asked Jesus into their heart and were baptized.

Many have called this cheap grace; the idea that all you have to do to is to believe in Jesus, and God will forgive you of your sins and there is your ticket to eternal life.

I would like to first (1) explain the cause of this problem and then (2) suggest a solution that can be found in scripture.

Good Morning Y'all!

School
Back to the school schedule! We all got up at 6am this morning and started our devotions. This last week we have been able to sleep in because Dad had work off. He goes to work at around 7:15 so we have to be up early to have devotions together. I don't mind too much because it adds a few hours to my day to do more things (like blogging:), although it is kinda hard being totally awake the first hour.
Our school schedule goes something like this:

• 6-6:30:- Get up and start personal devotions
• 6:30-7: We read a chapter from the bible as a family, each person reading 2 verses at a time. Then Dad gives a little lesson on the chapter.
• 7-8: Breakfast and Chores (and blogging:)
• 8-9: Music Practice
• 9-12: Math, Copy work, and other things.
• 12-1: Lunch and chores
• 1-3: Miscellaneous school-Writing, reading, speech practice, music lessons. Generally, its filled up with working on speeches for our club....which is lots of fun!
• 3-Bedtime: Free time, projects, dinner, and, depending on the evening, speech club, band practice, or movie.
  

Things don't always go as scheduled but I like the freedom that is in homeschooling; Not being tied-down by a state school's schedule.

Homeschooling vs. Public Schooling
For a few years (4th grade-6th grade) I went to public school. There was usually lots of homework to do in the evening which took away good family time. Among many other things, there was also a lot of time used in getting to school and back. With homeschooling you don't have to travel to learn. You can start school as early as you want, or as late as you want. It allows for lots of freedom, which makes learning faster and more fun.
Maybe sometime I'll post a speech I wrote on "The Benefits of Homeschooling".

Acts 16
Today, for my personal devotions I read Acts 16. I've been going through Acts and other New testament books lately. It was kind of ironic, too, because my Dad had recently(2 Sundays ago) given a sermon on that same chapter, Acts 16.
A quick summary-
The chapter is where Paul and Silas are directed by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel in Macedonia. While they are there, a possessed slave-girl, who tells fortunes, followed them around shouting,
"These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."
After a few days, Paul casts out the demon. The masters of the slave-girl have them beaten and arrested. Then a great earthquake occurs and cuts the prisoners bonds. The jailer nearly kills himself for fear they have escaped but they call to him telling him they are still there. He asks them
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
They answered-
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."
So the jailer and his family believe and are baptized immediately. The officers, after hearing that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens, free them from jail.

Wrath
When Dad gave his sermon on this passage, he related how seeing God's wrath is a very scary thing....and it should be. The jailer saw the earthquake and was terrified and asked Paul and Silas how he was to be saved. And after hearing that God offers a way to salvation, (salvation from God's wrath) the was jailer was overjoyed.

I believe we will have more joy in the salvation Christ offers if we have seen God's wrath. And in Acts 16, God revealed his wrath to the jailer, who, afterward sought salvation.

For example, if someone stops you from falling off a cliff, you are more grateful than if he had just stopped from tripping on a rock.
Remember Hurricane Katrina? That was a display of God's wrath. Only a tiny fraction of his complete wrath, though.

Will God spare sinners who have rebelled against him time after time? Even if they are basically good? I deserve just as much wrath as anybody, but God has given us a way out of his wrath.

Jesus, the perfect lamb of God, took God's wrath upon himself so that we might be saved.

Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

What great joy there is in knowing that we can be free, and ARE free from God's wrath if we believe in Jesus.


Paul and Silas
Another thing that stuck out to me in Acts 16 was how Paul and Silas didn't complain. After getting beaten repeatedly with rods and thrown into jail they still do not complain. Instead they were "praying and singing hymns to God" (v25)

Too often I get caught up in myself and my problems that I start grumbling and complaining. I lose the joy I have in the Lord and can no longer be a witness.

As Christians, I think one of the greatest ways we can be witnesses, is to be joyful. To be joyful even when life is hard and cause the world to want a taste of the joy that we have from Jesus.


Well, I need to start school, so, Good-bye!