A Minister's Preaching

This one is for those who preach the Word of God to His people, again from the Valley of Vision

---

My Master God,
I am desired to preach today,
but go weak and needy to my task;
Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,
that an honest testimony might be borne for thee;
Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
with heart uplifted for grace and unction.
Present to my view things pertaining to my subject,
with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
proper expressions, fluency, fervency,
a feeling sense of the things I preach,
and grace to apply them to men’s consciences.
Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,
and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.
Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,
and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting thy mercy.
Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,
and set before them comforting considerations.
Attend with power the truth preached.
and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.
May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,
and help me to use the strongest arguments
drawn from Christ’s incarnation and sufferings,
that men might be made holy.
I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness,
that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,
and be able to do something for thee;
Give me then refreshment among thy people,
and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,
or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a redeemer,
or be harsh in treating of Christ’s death, its design and end,
from lack of warmth and fervency.
And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.

A Disciple's Renewal

A heart-moving prayer from the Valley of Vision

A Disciple’s Renewal

O My Saviour, help me.
I am so slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb;
I am in the foothills when I should be in the heights;
I am pained by my graceless heart,
my prayerless days,
my poverty of love,
my sloth in the heavenly race,
my sullied conscience,
my wasted hours,
my unspent opportunities.
I am blind while light shines around me:
take the scales from my eyes,
grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief.
Make it my chiefest joy to study thee,
meditate on thee,
gaze on thee,
sit like Mary at thy feet,
lean like John on thy breast,
appeal like Peter to thy love,
count like Paul all things dung.
Give me increase and progress in grace so that there may be;
more decision in my character,
more vigor in my purposes,
more elevation in my life,
more fervor in my devotion,
more constancy in my zeal.
As I have a position in the world,
keep me from making the world my position;
May I never seek in the creature what can be found only in the creator;
Let not faith cease from seeking thee until it vanishes into sight.
Ride forth in me, thou King of kings and Lord of lords,
that I may live victoriously, and in victory attain my end.

Carson on the Shift of Tolerance

“Twenty five years ago ‘tolerance’ was understood to be a virtue that operated something like this: If I hold strong views on any particular subject I am nevertheless judged to be ‘tolerant’ if I think that your views are bad, immoral, improper, even disgusting, wicked or stupid, but still insist you have the right to defend them. In other words, a ‘tolerant’ person puts up with somebody else’s views and insists they have the right to hold them even while – in the vigorous arena of debate – we might disagree fundamentally on who is right or who is wrong. Such a person is a ‘tolerant’ person.

But nowadays, that is not what ‘tolerance’ means. Now ‘tolerance’ means that you don’t hold that anybody is right or wrong. Everybody is equally right or wrong. Nobody is more right than another person. If you don’t hold that then you are ‘intolerant.’ Now that is a huge shift … Under this new definition of ‘tolerance’ I don’t even know what ‘tolerance’ means because in the old view of ‘tolerance’ you had to disagree with someone before you could actually tolerate them. How do you say ‘Oh, yes, you are entirely right – I tolerate you?’ … This new ‘tolerance’ actually becomes extremely intolerant of anybody who does not buy into this view of ‘tolerance’ because if you actually come right out and say that some view is wrong or silly or foolish or indefensible or even questionable, then you are judged to be ‘intolerant.’ Thus, in the name of this newfangled tolerance it turns out, at profoundly deep levels, to be the most intolerant thing of all!”

D.A. Carson, Evangelism in the 21st Century (session 2), address delivered at Omaha Bible Church on Oct. 6, 2002.

HT: Tony Reinke

No Christ, No Holy Spirit!

Tony Reinke collected the following quotes by the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, on Christ-centered preaching:

The motto of all true servants of God must be, “We preach Christ; and him crucified.” A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching. [Exposition of Acts 13:13-49 published in 1904]

Leave Christ out? O my brethren, better leave the pulpit out altogether. If a man can preach one sermon without mentioning Christ’s name in it, it ought to be his last, certainly the last that any Christian ought to go to hear him preach. [sermon: “A Prayer for the Church” (1867)]

What was the subject? What was Peter preaching upon? He was preaching Christ and him crucified. No other subject ever does produce such effects as this. The Spirit of God bears no witness to Christless sermons. Leave Jesus out of your preaching, and the Holy Spirit will never come upon you. Why should he? Has he not come on purpose that he may testify of Christ? Did not Jesus say, “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you”? Yes, the subject was Christ, and nothing but Christ, and such is the teaching which the Spirit of God will own. Be it ours never to wander from this central point: may we determine to know nothing among men but Christ and his cross. [sermon: “The Mediator, Judge, and Savior” (5/30/1880)]

Lord, deliver me from doughnut

Parable of the Doughnuts
The story of a man whose weakness is eating doughnut
(adapted from Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle)

“No more doughnuts”, his doctor says.
He vows to God, “No more doughnuts”.
He promises his family, “No more doughnuts”.
He calls the church - gets it on the prayer line.
He even goes to a doughnut deliverance ministry to have the demon of donut desire cast out of him
He means business!

But then, what does he do?
He goes right on reading about doughnuts,
listening to doughnut music,
watching TV about making doughnuts.
He spends time with other doughnut lovers,
talking about doughnuts,
joking about them at the office -
where he glances at doughnut calendars on the wall.
He looks through the newspaper for doughnut coupons
and subscribes to Doughnuts Desires, with its glossy, color photos.

Well, it’s not long before he’s driving to work and “just happens” to go by a doughnuts shop.
He rolls down his window and inhales.
Pretty soon, he’s buying his morning paper from the rack just outside the doughnuts shop.
He’s lingering just long enough to glance at the doughnuts through the window.
Then he remembers that he has to check some emails
And hey, this donut shop has an internet connection.
And while I’m there anyway, “Why not have a cup of coffee?”
Guess what, they have have a special on today, coffee and doughnut! for just $2.99

Now remember, this man has no intention of breaking his vow and eating doughnuts!.
But the totally predictable and inevitable result is ...
He’ll give in and eat doughnuts!.

And can't you just hear his sad lament?
"What went wrong? I prayed! I asked others to pray. I asked God for deliverance. But look what happens!"

"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." James 1:13-15)

Praying over Proverbs 30:7-9

Light these idle sticks

"God, I pray Thee,
light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee.
Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine.
I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus."

Jim Elliot, quoted in Shadow of the Almighty, page 247.

HT: Ray Ortlund

Idol dethroned

The dearest idol I have known,
Whatever that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
and worship only Thee…

- William Cowper, “O For a Closer Walk with Thee”

Lamb Chop, Wrestling Match, and Jacob's Hip

That afternoon a mother was preparing a family meal in the kitchen when her son stepped out of his room. Little did he know that in the next few minutes he will encounter a profound truth that will forever change his life.

Mom: I am preparing a special meal. It's your favorite: Lamb chop.

Boy: Nice! But mother, why do you throw away the tendon part? Isn't that the yummy bits?

Mom: Son, there is a story behind it that we as Jewish people have passed on from generations to generations.

Boy: I've got 10 minutes before the game on TV is on, mother.

Mother: Since when do you put TV after your mother? Listen now. You remember the story of your great great ancestor Jacob who wrestled with God at Pniel?

Boy: O yeah, that poor guy. He wrestled with the the Lord, and went away limped for the rest of his life.

Mom: Yes, because the Lord touched the socket of his hip. Do you know that chapter in Genesis 32 ended with this: "Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon."

Boy: Aha, so that's why we are tendon-free families.

Mom: Every time I prepare a meal for us, I am reminded of the story. Do you know what the Lord teaches us?

Boy: To never pick up a fight with someone bigger than us?

Mom: There is nothing further from the truth than what you just said. Our Lord teaches us that self-reliant, self-confident people like Jacob can never please God no matter how hard he tried.

Boy: But doesn't the Lord help those who help themselves?

Mom: No, son. Listen, many people today are quite like Jacob. Going through motions in their lives wrestling with something they thought will give them the true happiness, build their identity, and secure their worth. Jacob deceived his dad, ran away for his life from Esau who swore to kill him, deceived his uncle, worked hard to get Rachel. He did all he can to satisfy his heart only to be disappointed over and over again.

Boy: Yea, what a restless creature!

Mom: He would have lived his entire life in quiet desperation and gone to his grave with that same song had the Lord not intervened. When Jacob wrestled with the Lord, he was confronted by his sin of self-reliant. The Lord asked him "What is your name?" When he answered, "Jacob", that's his way of saying "I am a deceiver from birth, I cut corners to get the wish of my hearts using my own twisted brains. I am a sinful man."

Boy: O so that's what it means.

Mom: That's why although he was limping, he didn't let go our Lord until the Lord blesses him. The Lord did not crush Jacob with His omnipotent weight for the sinful things that Jacob did, but spared his life, blessed him, and transformed him into a new person called Israel.

Boy: Does that mean God always loves us no matter what? What about God's justice that Dad always told me about?

Mom: Glad you asked that. God was not being unjust when He did not crush the sinful Jacob. Because many centuries later on a night darker than that night at Pniel, the Lord crushed His own Son at Calvary. The prophet Isaiah wrote "he was crushed for our iniquities". He spared Jacob but did not spare His own son. Why? So that you and I who are not worthy to receive God's, who did not seek God but busy chasing after the things of the world, who in fact hated Him in the past, could and did receive His mercy and grace.

Boy: That's cool, mother. So Christ Jesus was crushed by His father so we who once were self-reliant people can be a people of God who rely on God, and live for Him in obedient gratitude.

Mom: Indeed, son, indeed!

Heaven, Hell, and Ministry (in Bahasa)

Di hadapan Allah dan Kristus Yesus yang akan menghakimi orang yang hidup dan yang mati, aku berpesan dengan sungguh-sungguh kepadamu demi penyataan-Nya dan demi Kerajaan-Nya: Beritakanlah firman, siap sedialah baik atau tidak baik waktunya, nyatakanlah apa yang salah, tegorlah dan nasihatilah dengan segala kesabaran dan pengajaran. Karena akan datang waktunya, orang tidak dapat lagi menerima ajaran sehat, tetapi mereka akan mengumpulkan guru-guru menurut kehendaknya untuk memuaskan keinginan telinganya. Mereka akan memalingkan telinganya dari kebenaran dan membukanya bagi dongeng. Tetapi kuasailah dirimu dalam segala hal, sabarlah menderita, lakukanlah pekerjaan pemberita Injil dan tunaikanlah tugas pelayananmu! Mengenai diriku, darahku sudah mulai dicurahkan sebagai persembahan dan saat kematianku sudah dekat. Aku telah mengakhiri pertandingan yang baik, aku telah mencapai garis akhir dan aku telah memelihara iman. Sekarang telah tersedia bagiku mahkota kebenaran yang akan dikaruniakan kepadaku oleh Tuhan, Hakim yang adil, pada hari-Nya; tetapi bukan hanya kepadaku, melainkan juga kepada semua orang yang merindukan kedatangan-Nya (2 Tim 4:1-8).

Sesaat sebelum dia dijatuhi hukuman mati, Paulus menuliskan kalimat-kalimat terakhirnya dalam 2 Timotius 4 kepada Timotius dan jemaat Efesus tentang keseriusan menunaikan tugas pelayanan kita. Memulai sebuah pelayanan memang tidak mudah, namun setia dalam pelayanan tersebut sampai pada akhir hidup jauh lebih sulit. Selama 30 tahun melayani Kristus, Paulus mengalami banyak tantangan fisik dan mental. Namun di akhir hidupnya Paulus menjadikan dirinya sebagai teladan bagi Timotius yang masih muda dan pemalu, dan menulis: “Aku telah mengakhiri pertandingan yang baik” (note: yang baik bukan cara Paulus bertanding, tetapi pertandingan yang ia pilih).

Tantangan yang dihadapi Timotius akan sangat berat. Kalau dalam pelayanan Paulus saja, hamba Allah yang diberikan talenta dari Tuhan yang luar biasa, ia ditinggalkan oleh ‘Demas yang mencintai dunia ini’ (4:10) dan “semua mereka yang di daerah Asia Kecil…termasuk Figelus dan Hermogenes” (1:15), betapa mudah bagi Timotius untuk menjadi kecil hati, kecewa, dan putus asa dalam pelayanan? Jika orang-orang yang kita layani adalah orang-orang yg menurut Paulus adalah orang yang ‘mencintai dirinya sendiri …suka menjelekkan orang…berlagak tahu… menentang kebenaran’ (3:2-9), siapa yang akan tahan dalam pelayanan? Apalagi semua pelayan Kristus yang memilih pertandingan yang baik tahu bahwa semakin lama melayani, semakin sulit dan berat.

Tidak heran banyak orang Kristen yang tadinya aktif melayani sekarang (1) melayani ala kadarnya tanpa ada api cinta yang berkobar-kobar bagi Kristus, atau (2) samasekali tidak lagi melayani lalu memilih pertandingan yang lain (fokus di bisnis/keluarga, etc.)

Bagaimana memiliki api motivasi dan persistensi pelayanan yang terus berkobar bagi Kristus?

Pertama, dengan menyadari kengerian neraka. “Kristus Yesus yang akan menghakimi orang yang hidup dan yang mati (2 Tim 4:1)”. Orang-orang belum percaya yang kita layani hanya mempunyai dua pilihan di akhir hidup mereka: surga atau neraka. Apabila kita dapat membayangkan kengerian spiritual neraka di mana jiwa manusia terpisah dengan Allah secara kekal, kita akan menyadari bahwa kita memikul sebuah konsekuensi besar dalam pelayanan karena implikasinya adalah kekekalan. Pelayanan yang sembarangan (asal jadi) dan kesaksian hidup yang tidak dijaga dapat menjerumuskan orang ke dalam neraka. Atau minimal semakin dekat ke sana!

Kedua, dengan menyadari kemuliaan surga. Paulus berkata “tersedia bagiku mahkota kebenaran… juga kepada semua orang… (2 Tim 4:8)”. Salah satu tafsiran berkata bahwa akan ada tingkatan-tingkatan pahala atau upah di surga, berdasarkan pelayanan kita di dunia. Pahala ini bukan soal materi. Tetapi soal kapasitas kita menikmati Allah.

Semua orang di surga akan bahagia bersama Allah secara maksimal, namun kapasitas maksimal seorang akan berbeda dengan orang lain. Orang yang setia melayani memiliki kapasitas yang lebih besar dibanding orang yang melayani dengan asal-asalan. Yang paling kecil adalah orang yang tidak melayani. Kalau surga adalah adalah sebuah konser klasik, yang paling menikmati konser tersebut adalah orang yang memahami musik klasik. Semakin dalam ia paham, semakin ia menikmatinya. Setiap tetes keringat, air mata, dan darah yang kita cucurkan dalam pelayanan pada Kristus membuat kita semakin kenal Dia.