Warrior King

To every unbelieving eye, the Great Dragon was the crowned victor, standing over Jesus Christ in the ring of human history, spewing blasphemies, spitting upon his face, placing a crown of thorns upon his head in mockery, and pulling out Jesus' beard as he lay beaten and stripped naked on the dust of his own earth. Placing a knee on one limb at a time, the Great Dragon held in his hands a large hammer and spikes to nail Jesus' body to a Roman cross. With his army of demons and human servants cheering their king and his conquest, the Great Dragon laughed loudly while nailing a mocking banner above Jesus' head that read, "King of the Jews." The Great Dragon raised up the broken, beaten, and bloodied crucified Jesus for all to see, so that Jesus would be shamed by the people and spirits he had made who gathered to cover him with spit, curses, and jeering. Jesus breathed his last as the Dragon raised his head in pride to declare his ultimate victory as new King and Lord. Meanwhile, Jesus' body was laid in a tomb, and his followers left in utter silence, leading a path muddied with tears behind them.

But...

Three days later, Jesus your Warrior King rose in victory over death. Seeing Jesus alive, the Great Dragon snatched you as his captive, drew his sword of law, covered with the blood of your sin, and thrust its razor-sharp point at your head, naming every sin you have committed. Smiling, Jesus stepped forward and declared that he already paid the penalty for your sins on the cross, canceled any right Satan had to hold you captive, and defeated your Enemy along with his servants and their works and effects in your life.

With fear in his eyes, the Great Dragon dropped his sword from your head and was overcome with dread as he understood the victory Jesus had won for you through his seeming defeat. Drawing his own sword of truth, Jesus landed a crushing blow on the head of the Great Dragon, shattering his helmet and bloodying his head. Jesus then stepped toward the Great Dragon and thrust his sword againist his mouth, shattering his teeth and sending the violently down his throat. Then, with a blow to his armor, Jesus doubled the Great Dragon over, leaving him gasping for air and unable to bellow his curses and blasphemies anymore. With a crushing elbow to the back of the head, Jesus dropped the Great Dragon into the very dust in which Jesus himself had lain three days prior, and the blood of the Great Dragon fell upon the dried blood of your Savior. Jesus stripped the Great Dragon of all his armor and clothing as his bowed head and bloodied mouth moaned in the agony of utter defeat.

Taking your chin in his hand, Jesus lifted your face, looked you in the eye, and told you that your sins were forgiven, your Enemy conquered, and your life liberated from captivity, and that God is now your Father, new life is your gift, and heaven is your home. As tears streamed down your face, Jesus asked you always to remember to see yourself as he does, not in light of what you have done or what has been done to you, but rather solely by what he has done for you as your victorious Warrior King.

At that moment, you felt freedom for the first time. At that moment, what Jesus had done for you was made known to you by God the Holy Spirit. At that moment, you stepped over the fallen Dragon and embraced Jesus with a passionate joy you had previously never known.

You were finally known.

You were finally loved.

You were finally safe.

You were finally free.

A Toad in all his Toadiness

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” So Paul teaches us that Jesus Christ created all that is. They were created through him. He was with and in God—and was God (John 1:1-3)—as God created all things through him. And all things were created for him. All that came into being exists for Christ—that is, it exists to display the greatness of Christ. Nothing—nothing!—in the universe exists for its own sake. Everything from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the mountains, from smallest particle to the biggest star, from the most boring school subject to the most fascinating science, from the ugliest cockroach to the most beautiful human, from the greatest saint to the most wicked genocidal dictator—everything that exists, exists to make the greatness of Christ more fully known.

Missions and Masterbation

Missions and Masturbation
By John Piper
September 10, 1984

Masturbation is the experience of sexual orgasm produced by self-stimulation. Virtually every man and almost as many women have tried it. It is a regular practice of most single men.
One of the major forces preventing young people from obeying the call of God into vocational Christian service is defeat in the area of lust. A teenager hears a challenging call to throw himself into the cause of world evangelization. He feels the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He tastes the thrill of following the King of kings into battle. But he does not obey because he is masturbating regularly. He feels guilty. He can hardly imagine witnessing to a pretty girl about the eternal plight of her soul, because he has so habitually looked at girls naked in his imagination. So he feels unworthy and unable to obey the call of God. Masturbation becomes the enemy of missions.
Is masturbation wrong? Let me address the issue mainly for men. I cannot imagine sexual orgasm in the loins without sexual image in the mind. I know there are nocturnal emissions, which I regard as innocent and helpful, but I doubt that they are ever orgasmic apart from a sexual dream that supplies the necessary image in the mind. Evidently God has constituted the connection between sexual orgasm and sexual thought in such a way that the force and pleasure of orgasm is dependent on the thought or images in our minds.

Therefore in order to masturbate, it is necessary to get vivid and exciting thoughts or images into the mind. This can be done by pure imagination or by pictures or movies or stories or real persons. These images always involve women as sexual objects. I use the word “object” because in order for a women to be a true sexual “subject” in our imagination she must in reality be one with whom we are experiencing what we are imagining. This is not the case with masturbation.
So I vote no on masturbation. There may be other reasons why it is wrong. For now I rest my vote on the inevitable sexual images which accompany masturbation and which turn women into sexual objects. The sexual thoughts that enable masturbation do not help any man to treat women with greater respect. Therefore masturbation produces real and legitimate guilt and stands in the way of obedience.

Three encouragements to single men:
You are not alone in the battle.

Periodic failure in this area no more disqualifies you from ministry than periodic failures of impatience (which is also a sin).

Pursue the expulsive power of a new affection. I walked by a whole section of “photography” books at the Walker Art Center last Thursday empowered by the better pleasure of feeling Christ conquer the temptation to look.

Psalm 103:1-4

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies...-Psalm 103:1-4

King David learned the powerful habit of telling himself the truth. "Bless the LORD, O my soul." That's a good thing to tell yourself isn't it? "And all that is within me, bless His holy name." That's a habit worth practicing. Train your soul to bless God. And how do you do that? By not forgetting His benefits. Whatever might be going wrong in your life, whatever might be a disappointment, even a serious illness or death, does not affect God's eternal blessing on you as His child. He has redeemed your life from destruction, and He crowns you with lovingkindness, which means grace and mercy. He pours out His tenderness. He heals all your diseases, not necessarily in time, but in eternity. And He forgives all your iniquities. Don't ever forget His benefits: forgiveness, absolute perfection in heaven, freedom from all sickness and death, abundant mercy, and everything you ever need. May everything that is in you bless His holy name.

Unbelieving Family Members

Jesus' Unbelieving BrothersMarch 3, 2009
By: Jon Bloom
Category: Commentary

Do you, like me, have family members who do not believe in Jesus? If so, we are in good company. So did Jesus. And I think this is meant to give us hope. According to the Apostle John, “not even his brothers believed in him” (John 7:5). That’s incredible. Those who had lived with Jesus for 30 years really did not know him. Not one of Jesus’ brothers is mentioned as a disciple during his pre-crucifixion ministry. But after his resurrection and ascension, there they are in the upper room worshiping him as God (Acts 1:14). Why didn’t they believe? And what made them change? The Bible doesn’t answer the first question. But I’ll bet it was difficult to have Jesus for a brother. First, Jesus would have been without peer in intellect and wisdom. He was astounding temple rabbis by age 12 (Luke 2:42, 47). A sinful, fallen, gifted sibling can be a hard act to follow. Imagine a perfect, gifted sibling. Second, Jesus’ consistent and extraordinary moral character must have made him odd and unnerving to be around. His siblings would have grown increasingly self-conscious around him, aware of their own sinful, self-obsessed motives and behavior, while noting that Jesus didn’t seem to exhibit any himself. For sinners, that could be hard to live with. Third, Jesus was deeply and uniquely loved by Mary and Joseph. How could they not have treated him differently? They knew he was the Lord. Imagine their extraordinary trust in and deference to Jesus as he grew older. No doubt the siblings would have perceived a dimension to the relationship between the oldest child and their parents that was different from what they experienced. And when swapping family stories it would have been hard to match a star appearing at your brother’s birth. Jesus out-classed his siblings in every category. How could anyone with an active sin nature not resent being eclipsed by such a phenom-brother? Familiarity breeds contempt when pride rules the heart. More pain than we know must have been behind Jesus’ words, “a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matthew 13:57). So as we assess the role our weak, stumbling witness plays in our family members’ unbelief, let’s remember Jesus—not even a perfect witness guarantees that loved ones will see and embrace the gospel. We must humble ourselves and repent when we sin. But let’s remember that the god of this world and indwelling sin is what blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). The story of Jesus’ brothers can actually give us hope for our loved ones. At the time his brothers claimed that Jesus was “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21), it must have appeared very unlikely that they would ever become his disciples. But eventually they did! And not only followers, but leaders and martyrs in the early church. The God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” shone in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of their brother, Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6). So take heart! Don’t give up praying for unbelieving family members. Don’t take their resistance as the final word. They may yet believe, and be used significantly in the kingdom! And while they resist, or if they have died apparently unbelieving, we can trust them to the Judge of all the earth who will be perfectly just (Genesis 18:25). Jesus does not promise that every parent, sibling, or child of a Christian will believe, but does painfully promise that some families will divide over him (Matthew 10:34-39). We can trust him when it happens. It is moving to hear James refer to his brother as “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1). Can you imagine what this phrase meant for James? The Lord of glory had once slept beside him, ate at his dinner table, played with his friends, spoke to him like a brother, endured his unbelief, paid the debt of his sin, and then brought him to faith. It may have taken 20-30 years of faithful, prayerful witness by the Son of God, but the miracle occurred: his brothers believed. May the Lord of glory grant the same grace to our beloved unbelievers

Doctrinal Statement

If I was going to start a church, this would be my Church's Statement of Faith

Bibliology: (The Doctrine of the Bible)
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and inerrant in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and given to us as a manuscript for life. Inspiration was that work whereby God by His Spirit, through human writers, utilizing their distinct personalities and literary styles gave us His Word. (Hebrews 1:1; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Jeremiah 1:9; Matthew 4:4; Matt. 5:17-18; Romans 3: 1-2; Isaiah 40:8; 42: 8-9; Hebrews 4:12; John 6:63; 1 Peter 1:23).

Theology Proper: (The Study of God)
We believe God the Father, is an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself in the affairs of men, He hears, and answers prayers, and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. God is immutable meaning He does not change and is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and eternal; meaning He has no beginning and no end. God is full of mercy, love, and grace-and at the same time righteous, holy, and just. God grants mercy and sends judgment. God punishes and forgives sin. God will grant believers into Heaven and send unbelievers into Hell.(Romans 11:33; Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16, 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6).

Christology: (The Study of Jesus Christ)
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life, performing miracles, and teaching the multitudes. We believe in Christ’s substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven, and His intercession on behalf of all believers. Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd; leading, protecting, and caring for us as His own; Christ is the light of the World; illuminating our pathway, He is the prince of peace and our rock.(John 10:11,14, 8:12, 1:1, 20:28, 20:30-31; Isaiah 9:6; 1 Cor. 10:4; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; Romans 5:6-8, 6:9-10, 8:26, 9:5; 2 Cor. 15, 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; Eph. 1:4; Acts 1:11; Heb. 7:25, 9:28, 1 Timothy 3:16).

Pneumatology: (The Study of the Holy Spirit)
We believe in the Holy Spirit who comes from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers all who believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and He is a helper, teacher, and guide.(John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27, 16:9-14; Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26).

Harmartiology: (The Study of Sin)We believe that to sin means to “miss the mark.” Individuals sin by inheritance, imputation, and by our own personal choice. Man was created in the image of God; the first man Adam sinned; incurring not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; the sin nature then is imputed to all of humanity. Man is totally depraved and on his own utterly unable to save himself.(Genesis 1:26, 2:16-17; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12)

Soteriology: (The Study of Salvation)
We believe in the Biblical Doctrine of TULIP. (List is in the way the events occur)
T: Man is totally depraved. Everything man does including the seemingly good-acts is sin. Man is unable to submit to God or reform himself and is therefore worthy of eternal punishment. (Ephesians 2:1; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Cor. 4:4-6; Romans 8:7-8, 15:18, 3:9-10, 3:18; 1 Cor. 10:31).
I: Irrestible grace is the sovereign work of God to overcome the rebellion of our heart and bring us to faith in Christ so that we can be saved. When God undertakes to fulfill His sovereign purpose, no one can successfully resist Him. (Daniel 4:35; Psalm 115:5; John 6:44; 64-65; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; 2 Cor. 4:4-6).
L: In the cross God had in view the actual redemption of His children. Christ died for the elect; Christ did not just make the way possible for salvation, but actually saved the elect. Christ did not die for all men in the same sense; the death of Christ actually saves from ALL evil those for whom Christ died. Once again, Christ died for all the sins of some men, making it possible for the irrestible grace of God to flow to the elect, thereby saving them from the wrath of God. (John 10:15, 17:6, 9, 19; 11: 51-52).
U: Election refers to God’s choosing whom to save. God’s choice is unconditional because there is no condition man must meet before God chooses to save him. (Acts 13:48; John 10:29; Romans 9; Ephesians 1:3-6).
P: The people of God WILL persevere to the end and will not be lost. God will so work that those whom He has chosen for eternal salvation will be enabled by Him, to persevere in faith to the end and fulfill, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the requirements for obedience. (John 10:26-30; 1 John 2:19; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 1 Cor. 1:8-9).

Ecclesiology: (The Study of the Church)
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all believers are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of believers, baptized after a profession of faith in Christ. God has entrusted the task of evangelism to the local church, and it is the primary responsibility of the church to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. (Ephesians 2:19-22; 5:19-21; Acts 1:8; 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25).

Church Ordinances:We believe in the two ordinances of the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water, in order to identify with Christ. We believe the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for remembrance of His death. (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Eschatology: (The Study of End Times)We believe in the return of Christ for all believers. The return of Christ will be followed by seven years of great tribulation, then Christ will return to establish His earthly kingdom for a 1,000 years. The unsaved will be condemned to eternal, conscience torment while the saved will live forever in fellowship with God.(1 Thess. 5:1-3; 8-11; Revelation 20:4-6; 11-15).