By Jared Mellinger

From his first year in Dundee, one of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s greatest desires was for revival.  By revival, he meant a heightening of normal Christianity, in which theology would catch fire and the Spirit of God would fall upon his people in a unique season of refreshing, empowering, and fruitfulness.  In revival, Christ was preached and the reality of the gospel was pressed upon the hearts of men and women in a unique way.  I would love to see a revival in our day, in Covenant Fellowship, and I believe it is something we should all be desiring and praying for.     

 

M’Cheyne started a weekly prayer meeting shortly after becoming a pastor.  He would first teach on something related to the outpouring of the Spirit, and then lead the congregation in a time of prayer, and then close the meetings by reading about the history of revivals. 

 

Three years into his pastorate, he went on a seven month trip.  While he was gone, God answered his prayers and revival broke out in Dundee and throughout Scotland.  There was one day where M’Cheyne’s friend, W.C. Burns, who was filling the pulpit at St. Peters, was preaching and, “the whole of the vast assembly were overpowered.  The Holy Spirit seemed to come down as a rushing mighty wind, and to fill the place.  Very many were that day struck to the heart…  The power of God seemed to descend, and all were bathed in tears…It was like a pent-up flood breaking forth; tears were streaming from the eyes of many, and some fell on the ground groaning, and weeping, and crying for mercy. Onward from that evening, meetings were help every day for many weeks; and the extraordinary nature of the work justified and called for extraordinary services.  The whole town was moved.”

 

Those were the reports that were reaching M’Cheyne while he was traveling.  How did he respond to these reports?  With bitterness and jealousy that he wasn’t at the center of this revival?  No: “They were such as made his heart rejoice.  He had no envy at another instrument having been so honored in the place where he himself had labored with many tears and temptations.  In true Christian magnanimity, he rejoiced that the work of the Lord was done, by whatever hand.”

 

As he returned, the revival continued for years to come. 

 

So much more could be said about M’Cheyne’s life and ministry.  God continued to use this single man who gave his life to holiness: a man who redeemed the time, pursued humility, treasured the Word, and longed for revival.  May his life spur us on to the same. 

By Rob Flood

 

On Sunday, August 23^rd, Jared Mellinger preached from 1 Thessalonians 5 on relationships in the church. (You can find the message here)  He highlighted three different types of relationships: relationships with our leaders, with one another, and with wrongdoers.

 

In the message, Jared referenced an article written by David Powlison from CCEF.  In an effort to serve you and provide the fullness of this content for you, CCEF has graciously agreed to make the article available to you.  You can download it at the bottom of the page.

 

Here are the two excerpts that Jared read on Sunday:

 

“Wise and timely flexibility is the fruit of 5:14.  Paul teaches us to understand our brothers and sisters in terms of their particular struggles, and then to respond appropriately. He never says, “Admonish the disheartened.” To acknowledge personal wrongs is not step one for the anxious. If you primarily admonish them, you only further discourage them.  In the same way Paul never says, “Encourage the unruly.” Helping them grasp that God loves them and will not abandon them is not step one for the willful. If you simply offer promises of kindness to the willful, you will only reinforce their impression that God, like you, is a sentimental dupe, and their confidence that they can get away with whatever they are doing.”

 

“Probably each of us who does ministry tends towards one of the characteristic forms of helping. It’s your gift. But left to itself, it remains unbalanced. That is part of why God has given us 5:14, to keep us from being blinded by our best gifts. We are called to broaden our vision, to work out of our comfort zone. A hammer thinks everything is a nail; a blanket, treats everyone as shivering; a wheelchair thinks everyone needs a lift. But wisdom sees people for what they are and gives what is needed.”

 

These thoughts matter.  Why?  How we relate with each other is a vital part of our mission.  As we treasure, proclaim and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we do so in relationships.  And our relationships prove to be a significant witness to the world.  Not primarily about how kind of a church we have…but how great of a God we have.

 

We live out our mission in community…not in isolation.  We live out our mission in relationships with the redeemed…the flawed redeemed…the sinning redeemed…the trying redeemed…the serving redeemed…the unruly redeemed…the faint-hearted redeemed…the weak redeemed…but the redeemed nonetheless. 

 

We encourage you to read the attached article, review the message from Sunday, and thank God for our church.  As members here, we have the wonderful opportunity to receive this kind of care…and to give it.  We have the distinct privilege of living our mission…together.

 

Download the CCEF article HERE.

 

This article is published in the Journal of Biblical Counseling, a publication of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). All content is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in any manner without written permission from CCEF. For more information on classes, materials, speaking events, distance education and other services, please visit www.ccef.org.

By Andy Farmer

A couple of Sundays ago we celebrated all God did at Youth Camp 2009.  During the service we had the chance to hear from a young man, Evan Wisneski, who received the saving grace of Jesus Christ during the camp.  At the end of Evan’s testimony he made a very profound theological statement.

“I never saw it coming, but I was saved at Youth Camp 2009"

As soon as he said this my mind went immediately back to that late night on February 10, 1981, when I was saved.  Like Evan, I never saw it coming.  I sat down in a college dorm suite lounge convinced that belief in God was “the opiate of the masses” (as my hero Karl Marx said it), and stood up a few hours later a follower of Jesus Christ.

The truth is, for all of us the fitting end of our testimony is, ‘I never saw it coming, but I was saved at…..’  The apostle Paul seemed to enjoy the irony of it all – his Damascus Road arrest by the risen Savior is a key part of the story he tells about himself to whomever will listen.  And he surely never saw that coming!  Essential to Paul’s Gospel is the idea that no one seeks after God.  It is God who seeks after us (Romans 10:3-26).  Repeatedly, Jesus tells us that he has come to seek the lost, not the searching; to open the eyes and ears of the blind and the deaf.  The very people in Jesus’ day who said they were longing for deliverance from God never saw it coming.

This doesn’t mean that people don’t search for something like God.  I was certainly searching back in 1981.  I’m sure Evan would say he was searching before he went to Youth Camp.  The world is full of searchers, and there are plenty of gods, both spiritual and temporal, that are easily found.  But no human searching can find God.  Sin has ruined the eyes that are essential to see Him, ears that are essential to hear Him, and hearts that are essential to desire him.  No, my brothers, if you have found Jesus Christ, it is because he revealed himself to you.  Admit it, you never saw it coming. 

Thank you, Evan, for preaching Gospel truth to us.  I’m glad he saved you when you never saw it coming.  I know what that feels like.  It feels right.

By Rob Flood

Each week, as I read through the headlines of daily newspapers and blogs, I keep an eye out for family topics.  Who knows what might end up being blog-worthy?  As I recently scanned some articles I had captured, there was a striking trend.  Here is a sampling of the headlines:

• Save the Planet: Have Fewer Kids
  • Point: Kids consume to many resources. 
• Having Babies Bad for Economy 
  • Point: Kids have ruined the economy.
• Number of Households with Kids Hits New Low
  • Point: Couples have wised up and found better forms of happiness.

Now, before you get yourself all upset, you’ve got to see this from the authors’ perspectives.  If this world is all there is and this planet must last for eternity, it makes sense at least posing some of these topics.  If our own personal happiness and comfort are primary and our riches paramount, it makes sense having these discussions.

After all, it wasn’t that long ago that having additional children actually increased the family income.  More children provided more labor for the fields.  Children were not a burden on the economy, but necessary for a healthy one.

Now, in our industrial, technological, and post-modern society, things have changed.  And, if pragmatism is going to win the day, then less children may be the best solution.

However, much to the chagrin of our newspaper authors, pragmatism will NOT win the day.  You see, as we evaluate our own lives and make our own decisions, we do not make them for this world.  There is another world, the right world, that holds our treasure and forms our perspective.

The God of the Bible…the God of the universe…tells a different story.  He says to us:

• Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
• The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry. (Proverbs 10:3)
• For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. (Psalm 50:10-11)

And then, lest you think that applying this to children is a stretch, this providing God removes all doubt:

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! (Psalm 127:3-5)

Children…bad for necessary resources?  …bad for happiness?  …bad for the economy?  Well, that all depends on which one you’re living for. 

And as for those who write such columns…don’t be upset with them.  Pray for them…that they would have the eyes of their hearts opened so that they could live with the right world in view.

By Trish Donohue

On our most recent date night, Jim and I found ourselves in the middle of a great conversation in the Acme parking lot of all places. It was raining and the drops on the windshield were reflecting and shimmering on everything in the car including us; it was a perfect movie scene, although instead of a tearful break-up or a spontaneous declaration of love, we were talking about gratitude—very un-Hollywood.

Jim was showing me how I can often enter situations looking at what needs to change instead of first seeing God’s grace and thanking Him for it. His observations were welcome ones since this is an area I want to grow in, and I have benefitted immeasurably from his help.

In my puny attempts to change, I’m happy to inform all you fellow ingrates that God has been extremely patient and hasn’t given up on me. There’s hope for us! As wives and moms, our countless menial tasks provide us countless opportunities to glorify God through gratitude. Here’s one thing I’ve been realizing as I’ve pondered the practical implications of gratitude.

We women often complain about situations that we actually love.

Sounds illogical, I know, but let me give you some examples from my own life:

• My daughter happened to get very sick the one night that Jim was away recently. I was up with her all night—I think I might have gone to sleep at 5:30 a.m. 

The temptation in that moment is self-pity, and yet the truth is that I love being a mom. I love my daughter and that I am the one who can comfort her. I love that Jim enjoys his job and gets to travel and that I can support him in that. If someone would offer to take this responsibility away from me, and thus the long night, I’d refuse in a second. The truth is that I’m tempted to complain about the situation…even though I love it.

• I’m walking past my sons’ room and the floor is once again littered with stuff. Didn’t I ask them to at least keep the floor picked up?

The truth in this situation is that I love having boys. They are a gift—a messy, dirty one sometimes, but a gift. These bug collections and dirty camo shorts and Lego guys represent the joys of their lives. Would I get rid of this "problem" if I could? Would I exchange them for a quieter, messless variety? Never.

So many of the minor irritations in our lives fall into this category—part and parcel of a job we wouldn’t trade for the world. Today as we feel our "last nerve" begin to tingle, let’s see if we can look past it to the broader gift of God, and praise Him for it…in gratitude.

By Jared Mellinger

Robert Murray M'Cheyne is a Scottish pastor from the 1800's.  I have been writing about his life and example the past few weeks.  These are the lessons I personally have learned from his life, and hope we can all learn from him.  What explains the humility and the eternal perspective that characterized this man's life?  At the heart of it all was M’Cheyne’s insatiable appetite for the Word of God.  In one letter, he described the Bible by saying, “One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.”  

His friend and biographer, Andrew Bonar, was aware of M’Cheyne’s love for Scripture.  Bonar writes, “His desire to grow in acquaintance with Scripture was very intense; and both Old and New Testament were his regular study…Three chapters from the Word was his usual morning portion.  This he thought little enough, for he delighted exceedingly in the Scriptures: they were better to him than thousands of gold or silver.”  As a 20 year old, M'Cheyne wrote the following journal entry: “Rose early to seek God, and found him who my soul loveth.  Who would not rise early to meet such company?”  This was typical of his morning entries. 

A lesson to learn from this: If your time in the word is never anything but discipline and drudgery and inconsistency and joylessness, something is wrong.  Christians are those who treasure the Word.  Reading God’s word is not always the first thing we may feel like doing, but we want to have a growing appetite for God's truth that will make us hunger and thirst for it in greater and greater ways as we go through life.  Over time there should be nights that you go to bed anticipating encountering God in His word the next morning.  Sometimes, this anticipation will even keep Christians awake at night. 

Do you treasure the Word?        

Here is an insightful lesson from M'Cheyne that has the potential to transform your relationship with God and your time in God’s Word: Turn the Bible into prayer.  He writes: “You do read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try and understand it, and still more, to feel it.  ...Turn the Bible into prayer.  Thus, if you were reading the first Psalm, spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel and pray, ‘O Lord, give me the blessedness of the man,’ ‘Let me not stand in the counsel of the ungodly,’ etc.  This is the best way of knowing the meaning of the Bible, and of learning to pray.”  

His love for the Word led to one of his greatest contributions and accomplishments, which came just three months before his death.  On Dec 30, 1842, M’Cheyne published a calendar for daily Bible readings throughout the year.  The Bible reading plan was called “Daily Bread.”  It led the reader through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and the Psalms twice during the course of a year.  Since then, it has been promoted and used by many great men: Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John Stott, and D.A. Carson.  D.A. Carson has written a 2-volume devotional entitled “For the Love of God” that accompanies M’Cheyne’s Bible reading plan.  It is the best devotional I am aware of, because it will deepen your understanding of the Scriptures through short, yet rich meditations.     

Let us together strive to treasure this holy Word.  “He would be a sorry student of the Bible," M'Cheyne writes, "who would not know all that God inspired: who would not examine into the most barren chapters to collect the good for which they were intended.”  God, spare us the rebuke of being "sorry students" of the Bible!  And help us to daily examine the Scriptures and mine them for all they are worth.

By Rob Flood

Spring was in the air and the sun was shining, but a chill went through his body.  The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention telling lies about the climate.  Brent Fisher tells the story this way: 

I received an e-mail several months ago from my pastor telling me that August 8^th would be my Community Group’s day for Second Saturday. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. How am I going to get the folks in my Community Group to agree to go out on an outreach? This group of senior saints is BUSY; they’ve got all their Saturdays filled.

As Spring turned to Summer and the temperature of the air rose, so did the hair on the back of Brent’s neck.  Carrying a burden to care for his group…and a burden to not be the cause of their angst, Brent…and the hair on the back of his neck…went into his next Community Group meeting.

I started to talk about how all the care groups were being asked to go on a Second Saturday outreach. Just then someone said, “ is that where they hand out water on the street corner”? I said, “Well, that could be one of the activities for the out reach.” Another one said man that would be a great thing for “them” to do since it is so hot. I quickly said, “Why don’t we do a water give away?” The long and short of it is we ended up with 11 people signed up to go and headed for Kennett Square.

On August 8^th, Brent arrived at Second Saturday with the hair raised on the back of his neck.  The hair whispered: What if no one else shows up?  How will you answer to your pastor?  You should leave now…before it’s too late?  Upon seeing eleven others from his Community Group, Brent continues the story:

Things started to feel much better as everyone began arriving for things like the car wash, Chester Bible give away, special out reach to a brother’s home, and a couple other places. Did you ever notice the hair on the back of your neck calms down when you see a lot more people are in this with you?  Our water outreach went wonderfully.  We met people in beautiful downtown Kennett and we even met some people that had attended Covenant Fellowship several times.

Brent survived…and so did the others from his group.  Just that morning, the lying hair was whispering at them.  Now, just hours later, there wasn’t a peep coming from it.  Brent reflects on why:

We had a great afternoon in Kennett. God met us in our labor and our joy. We all ignored the whispers of the lying hair and were blessed as much…perhaps more…than those we met in Kennett. 

When you are tempted to listen to the hair-whispered messages from the back of your neck, remember Brent and his Community Group.  And remember The Tale of the Lying Hair.  The truth of it is…your hair can’t always be trusted to tell you the truth.  That doesn’t mean your hair is bad…it’s just that constant truth telling isn’t its style.

By Jacob Young

I wrote this as a kind of journal entry a few months ago. While this was an intense but relatively short-lived trial, it produced some great fruit in my otherwise comfortable life. Maybe you can relate.

I had my second kidney stone come upon me today. The little guy is just 3mm big – and I’m still waiting for him to make his final appearance. The day went as follows: I went to the doctor in the morning because my pain and discomfort were getting worse; they confirmed it was a kidney stone; I went to another place for a Cat Scan to see where it was; went to work for a bit; came home because the pain was really bad; the pain got worse over the next two hours; I threw up because the pain was so bad; we went to the emergency room upon the guidance of my doctor; got an I-V of stronger pain medication; reflected on God’s goodness with Michelle in the ER room; and eventually came home with new medicine and feeling a lot better.

Anyhow, so below are a few thoughts upon this occasion: 

1. God has been so good to give me these kidney stones. They’re painful no doubt. Through it, I’ve seen so many vast caverns of grace he has put in my life. I’ve seen his glory radiating in my heart and life – and my wife’s as well in ways that are only particularly seen when the heat of pain is intensified.

2. Through the pain, I found my life being more conformed around God than I had expected. Though it was extremely painful, I found myself praying God’s truths to him, praying his Scripture to him, praying his character to him. However, it wasn’t like I was suddenly filled with joy at that moment. But I was preaching a universe-changing message to myself in a moment of dire pain – I was preaching the Gospel. I was thankful to be able to remember some Scripture that I could speak to myself – it’s an encouragement to memorize more Scripture, but also an encouragement that even the most random Scriptures can breath life to a weary soul (for example, I was reciting the first few lines of Ps. 36 to myself – not exactly a “hey, you’ll get better” text!). There is a power in God’s word and truth to always be working. It seems to me that even having a mind focused on God is not something for me to be praised for, but rather God, who’s given me that gift in this situation. I wouldn’t want to look at God when my body’s being destroyed, but God’s Spirit, who moves within me to look at Jesus, does.

3. God was good to prevent this stone from coming earlier. I had my first kidney stone two weeks ago to the day, just two days before we were about to leave on (essentially) two weeks of vacation. Thankfully it passed the morning we were leaving, and while I had a few bouts with the second during those two weeks, it never was debilitating. I remember feeling the second one coming on about half way through the trip when we’d come home for a couple days before our second leg of the vacation. Kidney stones feel a certain way, so it’s not just like a lower back pain. So upon feeling this, I bent down, and I quietly asked my Father to take it away. I felt his nearness, and went to bed knowing that he’d heard me either way. Obviously he didn’t take it away, but he did push it aside until the best time for me. What a great Father.

4. I look with a deeper affection on Jesus Christ with an anticipation of when these bodies will be glorified. As the pain increased, and in reflection, my knowledge and understanding that this body is decaying, that it is not perfect to sustain God’s work in me grows. That, in fact, in my weakness his strength is revealed. How often to I actually glory in my weakness? Folks, I’m a prideful man, so I like being strong. But I’m seeing how my weakness actually is God’s preferred instrument to display his might – and this doesn’t mean that I’m then given a Porsche body this side of heaven. This body is under a curse as with the rest of creation, but where as this is true from Romans 8:19-23, it is also true from the end of Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ for us (v. 35), and that all things work for our good (v.28). And what is this good?

5. It also gave me a taste for what Christ saved me from: Hell and God’s wrath. The pain was bad, but not to damnation – however, I caught a faint glimpse of the horrors of Hell, the screams of torment, the anguish of body that only faintly can reflect the wrath of God pressing in on a soul.

I pray that God fixes all these things on my mind to remember, to press on with, and to love him and his Gospel more through. I love God more now – I find myself loving the things of the world less. Oh God, write your Law on my heart through these small but intense trials that I might walk in your statues more closely to honor your name, to walk in the fruits of holiness that Christ bought me fore, that I might enjoy you more, and find Christ more and more satisfying!

By Rob Flood

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”

 

“Until death do us part” means something more…something greater…than staying together until you die.  Yes, it means that, but the vows of love made at a wedding surely are intended to be carried out in a way that honors love and reflects the fruit of the gospel.  While there is something admirable about a husband and a wife finishing together, it is far better…and God-honoring…if they finish well together. 

 

Enter Jonathan and Sarah Edwards.

 

Jonathan and Sarah Edwards had a marriage that was known for its unique sweetness, kindness, and sentiment.  His love for her was well known…and well documented.  So, how does such a great theologian, wonderful pastor, and deep thinker face the end?  Is there grace even for this marriage vow?

 

As he approached his final days, Jonathan Edwards sent a letter to his family with his youngest daughter, Lucy, as its carrier.  Contained within this letter were the following words:

"Dear Lucy, it seems to me to be the will of God, that I must shortly leave you; therefore give my kindest regards to my dear wife, and tell her, that the uncommon union, which has so long subsisted between us, has been of such a nature, as trust is spiritual, and therefore will continue for ever. And I hope she will be supported under so great a trial and submit cheerfully to the will of God. And as to my children, you are now like to be fatherless, which I hope will be an inducement to you all, to seek a Father who will never fail you."

Shortly after Edwards sent his farewell to the wife to whom he was avowed, he turned his attention to the Savior of his soul:

 

"Now where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing Friend?"

 

Finally, on March 22, 1758, he went to be with Jesus of Nazareth.

 

The picture, though, is not complete.  We know how Jonathan lived out his vow, until death do us part.  How would Sarah respond…would she have the same focus of appreciation, loss, and gratitude?  Would the gospel be as evident in her response as it was in Jonathan’s?  Her words speak for themselves:

"What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands upon our mouths! The Lord has done it. He has made me adore his goodness, that we had him so long. But my God lives; and he has my heart. O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be."

 

The parting of husband and wife is never easy…it is never meant to be easy.   However, though not easy, it can be glorifying to God and it can be gospel centered.  The Edwards show us this.  The Scriptures declare it:

 

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

 

Responding to this Scripture, in his book When Sinners Say I Do, Dave Harvey writes:

 

We don’t grieve as those who have no hope, because we do have hope—amazing, captivating, exultant hope.  The resurrection of the Savior has guaranteed that.  The fire of gospel hope burns deep, even when we feel incapable of feeding it. (p.176)

 

God is the designer of marriage.  He is the sustainer of it.  It is his grace that sustains both husband and wife…until death does part.

By Ramona Doyle

While leafing through pictures recently for a calendar we were having made, I came across a favorite of our family standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon.  Though a couple years have passed, I’ll never forget what it felt like to stand that close to the edge while a friendly passer-by recorded the memory with our camera.  I was dizzy, my knees were weak, and we were in awe of the grandeur.  Everything about that place was bigger than us.

Even though an experience like this can evoke a sudden and dramatic sense of how small we are in the scheme of things, if you think about it, we don’t need to live very long to realize that most of our life is bigger than us, as well.  If you, like me are seeing the end of summer coming and a new school year starting, you know how big the start of the school year can feel.  And this can be a recipe for worry and discouragement.  

But there is good news!  You see, we are small, and we are weak, but that is not a bad thing.  In fact, God made us this way in order to point us to Himself—to highlight and magnify His sufficiency, provision, and strength!  2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Our loving Heavenly Father who knows the ‘big stuff’ we are facing and “little stuff” we are made of; yet He meets us in the midst with His mercy and grace.  We can cast ourselves on the One who is sufficient and draw from his abundant storehouse. 

What a privilege!  How our lives would be different if we truly lived this way…  In our sin, confessing to the One who is faithful to forgive and cleanse (1 John 1:9); when enticed by temptations, going with boldness to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16); when struggling with doubt, calling upon the One whose plans are for our welfare to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11); in our weakness, casting ourselves upon the One who daily renews our strength (Isaiah 40:31); in our trials, drawing from the One whose mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23); in our uncertainties, seeking the One who has already recorded each and every one of our days (Psalm 139:16) and has promised to keep our going out and coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121:5)!

What a BIG, magnificent God we serve!

By Jared Mellinger

One of the great lessons we learn from the life of Robert Murray M’Cheyne is the importance of redeeming the time.  He is a man who truly desired to spend every day “Making the best use of the time” (Eph 5:16).

M’Cheyne lived with an awareness that life would not last forever.  On his 21st birthday, he mentioned in his journal that a friend had died at the age of 31, and then M’Cheyne reflected on the question of how long he himself would live.  In his culture, he had the experience of being surrounded with people who frequently became ill and passed away.  This served as a reminder of the brevity of life and the importance of eternal things.  When others died, he seized it as an opportunity to cultivate an eternal perspective on life. 

We never know how long we are going to live.  M’Cheyne didn’t know he was only going to live to the age of 29.  But had he known this, I don’t think he would have lived any differently.  He knew that a long life is not guaranteed, and it changed the way he lived.  It is doubtful that he would have accomplished as much good as he did during his short life apart from this wise perspective on life and death.      

One of the practices that helped M’Cheyne redeem the time was keeping a journal.  His journal reflected short but faithful entries.  He believed this played an important role in his spiritual health because “it ensures sober reflection on the events of the day as seen in God’s eye”.  It was a means of accountability, and it served him well. 

His biographer, Andrew Bonar, tells us that “after spending an evening too lightly,” M’Cheyne wrote the following in his journal: “My heart must break off from all these things.  What right have I to steal and abuse my Master’s time?  ‘Redeem it,’ he is crying to me”.  And on a different occasion he wrote: “Little done, and as little suffered.  Awfully important question—Am I redeeming the time?”  He believed that time itself was something entrusted to him by God.  We are stewards of time, and time is a precious gift from God that must not be squandered.  This doesn’t mean we don’t know how to relax, have fun, and enjoy vacations.  It simply means we live with an awareness that we will answer to God for our use of our time, and desire to please our Heavenly Father in all we do.   

He also redeemed the time by using all the resources available to him to grow in godliness: not only journaling, but also confessing sin, seeking out the counsel of his friends, living his life in community, studying passages of Scripture that were relevant to his particular struggles, and reading the biographies of men whose lives challenged him to grow.

M’Cheyne’s redeeming of the time resulted in much study of God’s word, much reading of good books, much evangelism, much care for the poor, much fellowship, and much prayer.  His life teaches us to make the best use of the time we have: to view time itself as a valuable gift from a generous Father, and to live with an awareness that our lives in this world will not last forever.  As those redeemed by Christ to receive adoption as children of God, we make it our aim to please him every moment of every day. 

Redeem the time!

By Ramona Doyle

 

It’s wonderful to see children inspired by the gospel.  To see them join in the mission of the Great Commission.  That is…until it makes you really uncomfortable. 

 

Recently, in Promise Kingdom, the children had a lesson from Luke 5:1-8…where Jesus called his first disciples to join him in his mission to save the lost and become “fishers of men.” Our eight-year-old daughter was inspired!

 

The very next day in a crowded doctor’s waiting room she approached a little girl about five years old and asked, “Are you a Christian?” The girl, connecting the question to the darker skin tones of our daughter and her brother whom we adopted from Latin America, responded with a huge smile, “No, I’m Chinese.” At that point, my daughter did what any young child who had just gotten herself in over her head might do…she asked her twelve-year-old brother to take over! He shared the Gospel…and did a pretty good job!

 

Looking back, I’m saddened by my actions that day. What a wonderful response my children had to what they had learned from the Word of God…and what a faith-filled step they took. But my first response was to look around to see who was watching and whether anyone felt uncomfortable. The little girl left the conversation to continue playing and we left for home with no further ado.

 

As we left, I was aware that I had missed a huge opportunity to live what my children were learning. I could have introduced myself to the girl’s parents and started a conversation. We already shared a common bond of adoption. Perhaps our “chance” encounter would have blossomed into a relationship that would give future opportunity for the Gospel.

 

As Jesus disciples, we are a part of a bigger mission. But all too often we get caught up in the business of our lives rather than looking for opportunities to testify to the hope we have within.  But the Gospel is for every day and should have the most prominent place in our lives. And our children, who are watching our every move, can learn and grow in their understanding of the Gospel as they see it lived out in the every day of our lives.

 

Though the mission is a big one…it is also a simple one.  So simple, that children can catch a vision for it, and even join it.  We are the ones who complicate it.  We distort its simplicity with high thoughts of public sensitivity and a desire not to offend.  Yet, when I boil off my fancy terms, I’m left with my fear of man.

 

How do I escape that?  How do I join in on this big and simple mission?  Among other things, Isaiah 11:6 prophecies that “a little child will lead them.”  Though I’m certain it was not referring to our recent doctor’s office visit, it seems to fit.  Faith like a child…who is inspired to be a fisher of men.

 

May the Gospel bear good fruit in the everyday situations of our lives!

By Andy Farmer

 

Note:  This is the ninth and FINAL in a series of posts on Christian liberty based on a pastoral letter written by John Newton in 1776.  For background on the letter see the 6.18.09 post.  You can read the letter in its entirety HERE.

 

When we get to the end of this letter we’d love a big payoff – a final zinger that would bring it all home.  Instead we get an odd warning about being careful in how we interact with our relatives.  Was Newton running out the door and needed to wrap this up quick?  Was he having some in-law problems that surface here? 

 

But as I’ve thought about it, this is a fitting end to his advice.  Newton lived in a time and place where family connections and relationships were crucial to social standing and financial security.  To fall out of favor with your family was understood to be a sign of poor character and untrustworthiness.  It was assumed that personal religion shouldn’t have the poor taste to infringe upon a person’s role in the extended family.  And certainly, evangelism of family members was considered very bad form. 

 

So the pressure to live a certain way in the world and another way in the family was pretty intense.  Newton was offering a godly, yet practical way to maintain the consistency of witness in our lives.  In considering our (extended) family connections we should seek to maintain them but be careful not to allow family obligations to require ‘concessions’ that we cannot make in good consciousness as followers of Christ.  In effect Newton is making a practical application of Jesus’ words to the disciples after the confrontation to the rich young ruler - ‘Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.  (Matt. 19:29)

 

To be a Christian is to undergo a profound change in family relations.  We move from a primary identification with a biologically created family to a spiritually created family.  And it is our place in the spiritually created family that should define and impact our behavior and identification with our biologically created family. 

 

As I’ve thought about this, I’ve realized this really is good Newtonian advice.  One of the hardest places to live out Christian convictions is among our natural relations.  They know who we ‘really’ are behind all that religious talk.  They’re not afraid to remind us with words, or maybe just with subtle looks, that they don’t ‘buy it’.  And we don’t like being talked about by other family members when we’re not around – ‘What’s his problem?  Does he really think he’s better than us?  Is he in a cult?  He used to be so much fun, now he seems so up tight.  Does he have to come to the Christmas party?’

 

I get the sense that if we can walk out our convictions in a humble and loving way among those who have known us since we were little tykes, and whose opinions of us have already been set,  we will be well prepared to stand for what we believe in the rest of our lives. 

 

So, that’s it from the pen of John Newton, Pastor and sinner amazed by grace, on the subject of Christian liberty.  Let his close be my close to this series.

 

I dare not be dogmatical; but I think what I have written is agreeable both to particular texts, and to the general tenor of Scripture.  I submit to your judgment. 

By Rob Flood

 

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”

 

Our wedding day was a happy one.  Much excitement and expectation.  Fancy clothes, fancy cars, and fancy parties.  On that day, we promised to be faithful, for better or for worse…but all we knew was better.  Who stands in the front of a church at their wedding envisioning the “worse” of the marriage vows?  And yet, we’ve promised before God and man.  So, when “worse” comes, what are we to do?

 

An Example

 

John Bunyan was a nonconformist preacher in the mid 1600s…a man of the Word and a lover of the gospel.  He was widowed with four children, one of whom was blind.  He then met and married his 2^nd wife, Elizabeth.  All of a sudden, this common but godly woman had 4 children under 10, one of whom had unique needs.  Though they remained poor, all seemed well.  Less than two years after their wedding, though, John was arrested for preaching the gospel.  Elizabeth was pregnant with their first child at the time, but the stress of the situation proved devastating to the little one.

 

For 12 years, this common but godly woman cared for her newly adopted family and fought valiantly for the release of her new husband.  On one occasion, as Elizabeth was being questioned by judges regarding John’s imprisonment, she was asked about her children.  Her reply…

 

"My lord, I am but mother-in-law to them, having not been married to him yet full two years. Indeed, I was with child when my husband was first apprehended; but being young and unaccustomed to such things, I being smayed at the news, fell into labor, and so continued for eight days, and then was delivered; but my child died."

 

And yet, she pressed on.  But what of John?  Though her thoughts and efforts were for John, were his equally for her?  Here is John in his own words:

 

The parting with my Wife and poor children hath often been to me in this place as the pulling of the Flesh from my bones; and that not only because I am somewhat too fond of these great Mercies, but also because I should have often brought to my mind the many hardships, miseries and wants that my poor Family was like to meet with should I be taken from them, especially my poor blind child, who lay nearer my heart than all I had besides; O the thoughts of the hardship I thought my Blind one might go under, would break my heart to pieces.

 

Both in anguish over their circumstances…both faithful.  They were faithful to each other and faithful to the gospel.  Upon his release, they were reunited and eventually enjoyed the blessing of having two children together.

 

When we say “I do” in the “better,” there is no way for us to know what the “worse” is or when it will be.  But it can often be encouraging to see the grace of God at work in someone else’s live…in someone else’s “worse.”  It can serve us as we are reassured of God’s faithfulness to us for the inevitable time when our “worse” arrives.  Thank God that he, too, is faithful…for better or for worse.

By Trish Donohue

Can you imagine being a vacation? Not going on one, but being one? A vacation’s job description is enormous and it all has to be accomplished in seven days, without fail. Here is what I usually want my vacation to do for me.

• Make me happier than I’ve been all year.
• Provide a round-the-clock atmosphere of relaxation even with a bunch of kids all living out of messy suitcases and ingesting vast amounts of sugar.
• Refresh my heart, soul, mind, and body so that when I come back home I will face my normal life with the music of a waterfall playing in my brain.
• Create family memories full of laughter and hugs and Kodak moments, ensuring that I look fabulous on all the pictures.
• Provide a tan with no sunburn, a feast with no weight gain, and self-indulgence with no sin.

Although I adore vacations and have files of precious memories from them, I’ve taken enough of them to recognize they can’t possibly live up to the tasks I’ve given them to accomplish. I’ve selfishly struggled that, while in utopia, I still have to do many of the jobs I do at home—feeding the hungry tribe, laundering the sandy clothes, and guiding the tempted hearts, beginning with my own. I’ve fought with the ever shrinking time left before returning home to the full inbox and empty refrigerator. I’ve grappled with a vacation’s sheer inability to produce the lasting tranquility I’m looking for.

Have you been there?

Here’s my conclusion. (You may have figured this out by now, but bear with me, I’m slower.) There are two ways to take a vacation. The first, my default, is to load it up with all the expectations I listed above, which should allow me to do the only thing left – relax. My job is to relax – not think about what God wants to do with my time, or the needs of others, or disciplines of any kind. This self-centered approach will pretty much 100% of the time dump me back into my regular life feeling deflated and worldly. And I blame my vacation for not doing its job.

The second is to enjoy a vacation as a gift from God, seeing his hand in all the beauties and blessings, and the opportunities to serve as well. In this situation, I’m not trying to escape from life, but to invest in the life and family God has given me. It’s not all about my own immediate pleasure, but the pleasure of living in God’s will. Instead of seeking the elusive cloud of “relaxation” (bring me a magazine quick!) I can rest in the goodness and sovereignty of God and enjoy what He’s provided without trying to make it something it can never be.

Can you guess which one brings more joy in the end?

Our vacations can do a lot for us. What can we do for them?

By Jared Mellinger

Humility is the area where I have most greatly benefited from the example of Robert Murray M’Cheyne.  M’Cheyne valued humility above all else, because he believed nothing brings more honor to Christ.  Again and again, at each point in M’Cheyne’s life, he walked the humble path. 

While he was in Divinity School praying through his desire for pastoral ministry, and weighing whether or not he was called, he wrote in his diary, “What should I fear?  If God [sees fit] to put me into the ministry, who shall keep me back?  If [I’m not fit], why should I be thrust forward?”  And once in ministry, his pursuit of humility showed itself in that he did not seek to gain a name for himself.  His close friend and biographer, Andrew Bonar, wrote the following of M’Cheyne: “Although naturally ambitious, grace so wrought in him, that he never sought to bring himself into view; and most cheerfully would he observe and take notice of the graces and gifts of others.” I need to remember that humility cheerfully takes notice of the gifts and graces of others. 

According to M’Cheyne, “the lust of praise” was his life-long besetting sin.  As a pastor and as a preacher, he faced a very real temptation to win the approval of others, to try to present himself in such a way that he attracted people to himself.  He said, “A man cannot be a faithful minister, until he preaches Christ for Christ’s sake—until he gives up striving to attract people to himself, and seeks only to attract them to Christ.  Lord, give me this!”

He considered himself a proud man, who, by the grace of God, was pursuing humility.  At the age of 19, he wrote a typical journal entry expressing his longing for humility: “Sept 9, 1832 – Oh for true, unfeigned humility!  I know I have cause to be humble; and yet I do not know one half of that cause.  I know I am proud; and yet I do not know the half of that pride.”  That is a sentence worth meditating on!  It should be that we are pursuing humility in a similar fashion. 

M’Cheyne lived with an ongoing, ever-increasing awareness of his own sinfulness.  Confession of sin was a regular practice for him.  Here is a journal entry as a 20 year old: “August 13, 1833 – Clear conviction of sin is the only true origin of dependence on another’s righteousness, and, therefore, (strange to say!)  of the Christian’s peace of mind and cheerfulness.”  There was a direct correspondence between his awareness of sin and his awareness of grace.  The more you are convicted of sin, the more you will marvel at the Savior!  

Let’s be like M’Cheyne and devote ourselves to the pursuit of humility.  Let’s celebrate the gifts of those around us, seek to attract people to Christ, and prayerfully cultivate an ongoing and ever-increasing awareness of our sin.  Let us be quick to confess our sin and receive the grace of God.  Our peace of mind and cheerfulness depend upon it!    

By Chris Radano

 

This past month our community group was on the schedule to go on a gospel outreach Let me admit it up front…I was pretty nervous and wasn’t looking forward to it with enthusiasm. This time, I knew I didn’t have an excuse to work late, be sick, or double book my schedule,…because, well, I’m the community group leader.  I can’t really “drum roll” the virtues of direct evangelism, send out the people in my community group while I sit elsewhere.

 

When I saw the date on the calendar, just like Moses at the burning bush, I began to tell God in my heart how slow of speech and tongue I was. And like Moses, I knew God wasn’t letting me get off the hook. You see, I have this little sin called “fear of man.” I know God wants me to overcome this fear.  Still, I became more and more fearful day by day.

 

The more I thought about the day, it became clear to me how self-focused I was becoming. As the night for gospel outreach approached, I became more wrapped up in how I was feeling, how I would do, and how the result was going to affect me. I’d missed the point of caring for the people in the same way God cares for them. Simply put, my view was inward not outward.

 

It was through a book on fasting, oddly enough, that the Lord revealed this to me. Specifically how fasting ought to consist not only the self-deprivation of food but also a desire to place that food in the mouths of the poor and oppressed. (Isaiah 58)  As I repented and moved the focus of my evangelism from self and placed it outward toward the lost, I began to see how privileged I was to be used by God in advancing the gospel, for the benefit of others. 

 

So how did the evening go? …Well for starters, the evening forecast called for rain, which tested my heart. And as I considered the option of cancelling the outreach, the Lord was kind and gave us a beautiful night. So we hit the streets and local parks and spoke to people about Christ.

 

We were able to share God’s story of salvation, our own stories of redemption, and why we enjoy telling the story to others. We were able to hear where people were struggling and share in their questions and confusions. But importantly, we were also able to point them to the solution to the problems and to the creator of their souls. I definitely wasn’t eloquent and was without question slow of speech and tongue. A couple times I was rejected. But I trusted that God could use a weak vessel like me to reveal himself to people He loves.

 

I really like how God challenges me in moments like these. It gives me assurance that He is at work transforming and sanctifying me. Even though it doesn’t seem like fun all the time (be honest with yourself), our church has provided great opportunities and teaching in direct evangelism.

 

I hope in some way my experience encourages you to go out and share the gospel with those He has called in advance; whether with your community group or even all by yourself.

 

 

Note:  This is the eighth in a series of posts on Christian liberty based on a pastoral letter written by John Newton in 1776.  For background on the letter see the 6.18.09 post.  You can read the letter in its entirety HERE.

By Andy Farmer

John Newton pastored a church in the heart of London bordered by the financial district on the one side and the theater district on the other – the Manhattan of the 18^th century.  His folks knew what was hip; every trend that was trendy was part of their cultural immersion.  And Newton kept his finger on the pulse of it all.  He was acutely aware of the winds of fashion and popularity, and the quirky human tendency to feel the need to be relevant to the world around us.

 

Newton understood that we are not truly free to exercise liberty however we choose.   What we want and enjoy is significantly determined by the culture we’re immersed in.  Perhaps our great concern is not throwing ourselves into the world in one great leap, but in being enveloped by it just enough so that it gains our allegiance.  He warns us,

 

The places and amusements which the world frequent and admire, where occasions and temptations to sin are cultivated, where the law of what is called good breeding is the only law which may not be violated with impunity, where sinful passions are provoked and indulged, where the fear of God is so little known or regarded, that those who do fear Him must hold their tongues , though they should hear his name blasphemed, can hardly be a Christian’s voluntarily chosen ground.  Yet, I fear, these characters will apply to every kind of polite amusement or assembly in the kingdom.

 

Newton’s antidote to cultural intoxication?  In considering what is culturally popular, we should have a ‘peculiar spirit’, carefully discerning those present day enticements which are particular expressions of the spirit of the age and not building lifestyle around them.  In talking about a peculiar spirit he is drawing on covenantal language that roots in God’s choosing of a people to be his own possession.  So we read in from Newton’s King James translation,

 

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.  (Deut. 14:2)

 

How do we maintain the peculiarity of our relationship to God in an enticing world?  Paul answers that question.  The Christian must apply the grace of ‘NO’ whenever he finds that the culture requires some kind of allegiance in our participation. 

 

Titus 2:11-15   ¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,  ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession (or in the KJV ‘a peculiar people) who are zealous for good works. 

 

Does playing the game of office politics at work require you to compromise your biblical testimony?  Does being a ‘true fan, require you to devote money, time mental attention and emotional energy to a team that would be more profitably spent elsewhere?  Do you need to be up on the latest movies, coolest bands, newest styles?  The truth is, there is no eternal value in being fashionable or hip.  It will produce nothing but vanity and wasted opportunity in our lives.  Any Christian who is out and about in life will get all the exposure to the world he needs.  But our value to God and our meaning to others is determined not by relevance but by our peculiarity. 

 

How can you indulge your peculiarity today?

By Rob Flood 

" To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”

 

Many of us say these words as young, healthy men and women full of professional and personal aspirations.  We mean them when we say them, but we make these vows with far more ignorance than knowledge.  And then the rest of our lives, as life overcomes our ignorance, we are called upon to keep the promises we made.

 

When life becomes difficult, knowing what to do isn’t often the biggest challenge.  We remember our vows…we know what to do.  The greater challenge comes in knowing how to do it.  How do you keep a promise that you made when you had no idea how costly those promises would become?  Sometimes, all we need is an example to follow.

 

An Example

 

B.B. Warfield was a seminary professor, theologian, and prolific writer.  At the outset of his ministry, with opportunity filling his future, he married his love, Annie Pearce Kinkead.  Shortly after their wedding, though, Annie became incapacitated and grew to be something of a recluse…eventually being bed-ridden.

 

What was this great, young, promising theologian to do?  Warfield would have been expected to travel much in his work.  How could he do that and care for his wife in her frail condition? 

 

Kim Riddlebarger writes about Warfield:

 

[Warfield] was to spend the rest of their lives together giving [Annie] "his constant attention and care" until her death in 1915.  B. B. Warfield could not have foreseen just how constant and difficult a demand this was to become, and how, in the providence of God, this would impact his entire career…

 

According to most accounts, Dr. Warfield almost never ventured away from her side for more than two hours at a time. In fact, he left the confines of Princeton only one time during a ten-year period, and that for a trip designed to alleviate his wife's suffering which ultimately failed…

 

In the mysterious providence of God, it was the nature of his wife's illness and his devotion to her, that ironically provided the greatest impetus for his massive literary output. Personally vital and energetic, "he did not allow" his wife's illness "to hinder him in his work. He was intensely active with voice and pen."

 

Warfield was not directed by his career ambitions…as Godward as they were.  He was not motivated even by his wedding vows…though clear and binding, they lacked the power to sustain him.  Warfield was motivated by the wonderful goodness of God’s sovereignty.  At rest in the hands of the Father, Warfield allowed the path of his life to be redirected.  He remained faithful…not just to his work…not just to his spouse…but faithful to his God.  There, sustaining power is never ending.

 

Some of you have been facing the reality of your wedding vows in a more tangible way.  What does it look like to keep those vows you made so long ago?  While there are many examples of faithful spouses in the face of sickness, we all have at least one in common now.  Such faithfulness can only be achieved through the One who is faithful to his people.

Editor’s Note:  Quotes were taken from “One Productive Life” – A Short Biography of  B. B. Warfield made known to me through Justin Taylor’s blog. 

Editor’s note:  This week we are sending off the folks who are launching the Brandywine Grace Church plant.  We all rejoice in what God is doing in our mission together in this new work, but we are also sending out dear friends and outstanding brothers and sisters who have contributed to the work of this local church in irreplaceable ways.  One significant example is Deb Demi.  Deb has blessed this church as a community group leader’s wife, through significant responsibility in our Compass home school program, in youth ministry and in her radiant example of godliness as a wife, mom, and woman of God.  Her numerous contributions to this blog have been creative and wise, and they resonate with godly humility.   The following is her last blog as member of CFC and it’s a great example of what she has given us over the past two years.  You may see her show up in the future as a ‘guest blogger’. 

 

By Deb Demi

 

I don’t like change.  When I’m comfortable, the last thing that I want is change.  In fact, the only things I really like to change are the position of my furniture or the color of my walls.

 

When we first began leading a community group about ten years ago, I remember feeling very sad that we were going to be separated from some of the people we felt closest to.  Then, when I saw the list of the people we were going to get, ones I didn’t know as well, I remember crying.  I couldn’t believe that it could possibly be God’s will for us to have these people who I hardly knew in our group.  Little did I know, however, that those people, to this day, would be my best friends.  

 

Then there was the time when that community group split three ways and several families moved out to West Chester.  We were left with seven people in our group.  I remember feeling discouraged.  If one family didn’t show up, it was just us and another couple.  How could this be God’s will?  However, in God’s sovereignty just two months later, because our group was so small, an entire Beta group found room in our group and in our hearts.  That group continued to grow to over 40 people and our lives were forever changed as we observed the amazing grace in these new believers’ lives.

 

We faced many other changes in the past 13 years that we have been at Covenant Fellowship.  And once again, I’m facing the challenge of change.  Our family is going on the church plant to Downingtown.  I’d like to say that I have been full of faith for the journey.  That immediately I remembered how God worked in the past, and then believed He was going to do another amazing work in the future.  But no, I cried once again.  How could I possibly leave the relationships that were forged over these years and begin to invest in new ones?  How will we fit in?  What will our kids think?  I was just getting comfortable with our new community group.

 

As I look to the past, why would I ever doubt God’s faithfulness to meet us where He leads us?  Although I’ve already faltered in my faith in this transition, I’m choosing to go forward in faith, pleasing God by trusting that He’s gone ahead of us.  Believing He’s preparing new, life-long friendships.  Believing He’s getting ready to show my family and me the power of the Gospel to transform lives. 

 

Maybe you’re facing change… changes in the church are affecting your relational network.  Changes in your income are affecting your budget.  Changes in your family are affecting your sense of purpose as a wife or mom.  Changes in your age are affecting your ability to do things you’ve always done.  May God grant us faith to accept what He has brought into our lives and look expectantly to how He is going to work it out for our good. 

 

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.  And I’m hopeful that the next time change comes knocking at my door – that I’ll embrace it with a smile!

 

Thank you Deb.  You make us smile in this change. 

By Jared Mellinger

 

Last week, I wrote about the singular focus of Paul.  This week, I want to reflect on the life of another man who had one great passion in his life.  His life has had a great affect on me personally, and on many Christians over the past 150 years.  My hope is that introducing you to this man will help spur you on to pursue a life of passion for God.  Never underestimate the power of biography.

 

Robert Murray M’Cheyne was a young Scottish Presbyterian pastor who lived in the 1800’s and died in 1843 at the age of 29.  He pastored a church named St. Peter’s Church of Scotland, in the town of Dundee, from 1836 until his death, in 1843.    

 

Born in Edinburgh on May 21, 1813, he was the youngest of four children, and had two brothers and one sister.  He was tall and energetic, eloquent, intelligent, and academically gifted.  He enjoyed drawing, singing and writing poems.  He loved the outdoors, walked often, and took in the “blue water, brown fields, and green firs” of the Scottish countryside.

 

When Robert was 18 his older brother, David, passed away.  Robert would always look back on that day, July 8, 1831, as the day he came to know Christ.  One year after David died, M’Cheyne wrote in his journal, “On this morning last year came the first overwhelming blow to my worldliness.”  Death has a remarkable way of opening blind eyes to the weight of eternity.

 

Four months after his conversion M’Cheyne enrolled as a divinity student at Edinburgh University.  During his time at the university, M’Cheyne read a lot about the life of Jonathan Edwards and was stirred by his biography.  “How feeble does my spark of Christianity appear beside such a sun?  But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me.”

 

At the age of 23, this gifted preacher was ordained at St. Peters, a church of 1,100 people.  This was his conviction: “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.  A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”  M’Cheyne stepped into ministry as a man who was passionate about living a life that demonstrated “great likeness to Jesus”. 

 

M’Cheyne frequently struggled with illness due to a heart condition.  After three years in pastoral ministry at St. Peters he went on a missionary trip for seven months, with the hope that a warmer climate would improve his health.  Toward the end of his trip, he received word of a revival that was breaking out in Dundee, at St. Peter’s.  The revival came under the preaching of W.C. Burns, the man covering M’Cheyne’s pulpit while he traveled. 

 

M’Cheyne returned to St. Peters, where he ministered for four more years before passing away at the age of 29.  He died, having never married, on March 25, 1843, after only seven years of pastoral ministry.

 

Reading about the life of Jonathan Edward’s led M’Cheyne to pursue the source of Edwards’ passionate Christianity.  Over the next four weeks, I want to examine M’Cheyne’s eternal perspective, humility, hunger for the Word, and desire for revival.  Our spark of Christianity may appear small, but the same Source is still open to enlighten us.