By Rob Flood

The more we learn about God, the more we know of ourselves.  For the more we know about God the more difference and distance there is between the goodness of his character and the goodness of ours.  …between the purity of his motives and the purity of ours.

And yet, oddly, this vast difference causes the children of God to worship.  It doesn’t instill mortal fear in our bones nor jealousy in our hearts.  We see the endless love of God and we raise our hands singing, “The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.”  We see the purity of his very nature and we fall to our knees singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  How can we worship when logic would say we should be quivering?  The only reason is “mercy.”

Mercy is an attribute of God that cannot be separated from who he is.  Mercy matters because without it, we would all perish under the holy justice of the Sovereign Judge.  Mercy matters because it is the mercy and love of God that explains the mission and victory of Jesus Christ. 

When talking about the mercy of God, A.W. Tozer says:

Mercy never began to be, but from eternity was; so it will never cease to be.  It will never be more since it is itself infinite; and it will never be less because the infinite cannot suffer diminution.  Nothing that has occurred or will occur in heaven or earth or hell can change the tender mercies of our God.  Forever His mercy stands, a boundless, overwhelming immensity of divine pity and compassion.
                  - The Knowledge of the Holy, pg. 91.

This is the mercy we experience from an infinitely merciful God.  And, if your mind is not yet blown away at such incredible grace, let’s take it one step further.  God invites us to get in on the action.

Luke 6:35-36 is an invitation that comes right from the lips of our Lord:

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

If you are like me, you quickly look at your storehouses of mercy, see the cupboards bare, and run as fast as you can from the burden of this passage.  We immediately know we don’t have what it takes to step into this verse with any faith at all.  We see the difference and distance there is between the goodness of God’s character and the goodness of ours.  …between the purity of God’s motives and the purity of ours.  …between the depth of his mercy and the depth of ours.

It is our very shortfall that makes the command a hopeful one.  We are called to be merciful with the endless mercy of God.  Tozer continues:

To receive mercy we must first know that God is merciful.  And it is not enough to believe that He once showed mercy to Noah or Abraham or David and will again show mercy in some happy future day.  We must believe that God’s mercy is boundless, free and, through Jesus Christ our Lord, available to us now in our present situation.
                   - The Knowledge of the Holy, pg. 92.

God has surrounded us with people who daily need mercy.  He has called us to represent him as we have mercy on others in his name.  He offers his very character to us as a resource without end.  Do you believe that God is merciful?  Do you believe he is merciful to you?  If so, an invitation has been extended:  Get in on the action!

By Rob Flood

In a blog from July 8^th, Al Mohler discusses a couple touchy questions:  Does having children make us happier?  Should having children make us happier?  And he does it by launching from a series of studies and articles from New York Magazine.

In her article titled, “All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting,” Julie Senior writes the following:

“From the perspective of the species, it’s perfectly unmysterious why people have children,” writes Senior. “From the perspective of the individual, however, it’s more of a mystery than one might think. Most people assume that having children will make them happier. Yet a wide variety of academic research shows that parents are not happier than their childless peers, and in many cases are less so.”

Mohler then summarizes some statistical findings from the article:

According to the data, parents are less happy than non-parents, parents of infants and toddlers are especially not happy, single parents are less happy than married parents, and mothers are less happy than fathers. Except, that is, when it comes to single fathers, who are the most unhappy of all.

Mohler never contends with Senior’s findings.  What he does is set them in the context of a Christian worldview:

The Christian understanding of children and parenthood just doesn’t fit these categories. The first problem is the isolation of happiness as the major concern. Interestingly enough, the Bible doesn’t seem overly concerned with human happiness.

The second problem is the fact that marriage and children now appear on our cultural screen as personal choices, rather than as the norm and expectation.

The third problem has to do with the changes in parenting that Jennifer Senior documents in her essay. From a biblical perspective, these are not healthy changes. When children gain control of the household, the home is robbed of order, health, and peace. The child is robbed of what he or she needs most — a loving parent who is undeniably in authority.

Christians must see children as gifts from God, not as projects. We should see marriage and parenthood as a stewardship and privilege, not as a mere lifestyle choice. We must resist the cultural seductions and raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and understand family life as a crucible for holiness, not an experiment in happiness.

And when it comes to happiness, we must aim for something higher. Christians are called to joy and satisfaction in Christ, and to find joy in the duties and privileges of this earthly life. Every parent will know moments of honest unhappiness, but the Christian parent settles for nothing less than joy.

It raises the question for us: Are we happy in our parenting?  If we’re not, could the very reason for our unhappiness be found in the words of New York Magazine?  …or even, perhaps, the small areas of wrong thinking that carry much weight in our joy? 

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

(Psalm 127:3)

Note: Mohler’s entire post is worth the read and can be found here.

Why Are Parents So Unhappy? by Albert Mohler

By Ramona Doyle

One of my sons recently completed a construction project for a school class: a soda straw and paper clip structure that would compete with those of other students to see which one could hold the most weight. Before he even started the project, I had already pointed out almost every potential mistake he might make, including his tendency to become distracted and procrastinate.

He finished his project on time. He won. He came home beaming with a $5 prize and I realized I had missed a huge opportunity. Rather than encouraging his efforts and cheering him on to do his best, I became the prophet of doom. Well not exactly, but I’m sure my admonitions weren’t very encouraging.

I am becoming increasingly aware of a subtle tendency to root my expectations for my children in things other than the Lord and his all-sufficient Word and work. How easy it is to do this… we spend each and every day with them. If we have large families, we’re surrounded! We can be so acutely aware of past experiences, disappointments and hurts, and their sinful tendencies, as well as limits to our own strength and ability to parent well, and we can allow these things to inform our expectations of them.

When we do this it affects the way we view them, and as a result the way we interact with them. We can make assumptions, have sinful judgments, self-sufficiently try to do what only God can do in them, and fail to recognize the Lord’s work in their lives and encourage them in it. This can lead to discouragement on both sides. And this doesn’t just apply to our children…we can do this with others around us—our husbands, our coworkers, and our close friends.

When we allow our experiences to inform our view of others, we are ignoring some wonderful, hope-filled truth from the Word of God. Ephesians 2 reminds us:

But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

The grace that pursued me in the midst of my sin is the same grace that is at work in my children as the Lord pursues them in the midst of their sin. The grace I know as a child of God is the same grace the Lord lavishes on my children as they come to know him and learn to walk in his ways. That is real gospel hope, and clinging to it affects the way I live and the way I encourage.

Let's daily fix our eyes on the source of our hope that we might live with great expectations. For God to work in us…and work in those around us.

By Jared Mellinger

One of the great lessons I have learned from Thomas Adam is the importance of fighting pride and cultivating humility.  Here are some more quotes from his journal, published in Private Thoughts on Religion.  These quotes continue to help me in my own ongoing pursuit of humility. 

Humility adopts the posture and belief that we have our hands full with ourselves:

“My great controversy is with myself, and I am resolved to have none with others till I have put things upon a better footing at home.” (p. 67) 

“One reason the world is not reformed, is, because every man would have others make a beginning, and never thinks of himself.”  (p. 138)

It is possible to pursue humility for the wrong reasons:

“I want humility; for what?  To be admired.  My pride will hardly let me believe this, though I fear it is the truth.” (p. 70)

Humility informs the way we think about receiving correction and criticism from others:

“When I see others astonishingly blind to their failings, I suppose it to be my own case, and should think that man my friend who helps to open my eyes.” (p. 71)

“We can take reproof patiently from a book, but not from a tongue.  The book hurts not our pride, the living reprover does; and we cannot bear to have our faults seen by others.”  (p. 132) 

Humility has implications for how we approach confessing our sins:

“When I return to a better temper, after having been under the impressions of black melancholy; that is, from being morose, sullen, discontented, impatient, quarrelsome; I cannot help saying, what a beast and a devil I was; meaning that I am no longer.  An open confession of this kind, is looked upon as a mark of great ingenuousness, when, in truth, it is nothing but self-deception, counterfeit humility, and a stratagem to reinstate myself in my own good opinion, or in the esteem of others.  The style of the confession should run in the present tense, ‘I am, I am, I am;’ for the nature is the same, though at present it may be smoothed over with a handsome appearance, as a filthy puddle is always the same, though it does not always smell alike.” (p 73) 

“The truly humble man is humble in secret; it is a pain to him to have his humility seen and observed; and whenever he has occasion to confess his defects, it is for no other end but to take shame to himself.” (p. 224) 

Humility transforms relationships and how we view others, especially their faults:

 “Whenever I spy a fault in another, I am determined to look for two in myself, and they will not be far to seek.”  (p. 145) 

“Pride is seeing the defects of others, and overlooking our own.  Humility is seeing, feeling, and lamenting sin in ourselves; not only past, but present sin; not only actual sin, but the root of it in an evil nature, and all sin without disguise or extenuation, in all its guilt and malignity.”  (p. 156) 

And, a few other quotes on pride and humility:

“Man would be intolerable to himself, and look out every way for help, if it was not for his pride.”  (p. 133) 

“If I bring my pride with me to the work of God, it will feed as sweetly upon it as upon any other distinction, and in the end fatally blast it.”  (p. 123) 

“The way to be humble is to look upwards to God.  If we think greatly of his majesty, purity, and infinity of all excellence, it will give us such a striking view of our vileness and absolute unworthiness, that we shall think it hardly possible for any to be lower than ourselves.”  (p. 109) 

“God never makes any man what he should be, without first making him know what he is.”  (p. 157)

“Humility is knowing that we are not humble.”  (p. 156)

By Rob Flood

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:25-26)

Paul has arrived at the conclusion that, for him, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If he lives, he continues to bear fruit in the mission Christ has set before him. If he dies, he rests from his labors in the eternal rest of his King and his Savior.

He becomes convinced that he will remain living and not die to be with the Lord just yet. But he remains, not out of resignation, but with distinct purpose. His life, lived in the fullness of the gospel, will be lived for the purpose of others. It will be lived for their progress in the faith and their joy in the faith. His words, actions, and affections will be sown into the Philippians for their progress and joy.

We have been joined with others in life. Some of us through natural birth, some through new birth, some through marriage and some through the birth of our own children. And, as Christ tarries, we know we will continue with all of these people in our lives.

As we labor daily for the health of our marriages, what will give definition to our efforts? As we learn new boundaries of our weaknesses and limitations in our parenting, will we allow God himself to define our purpose as parents?

When we live for the progress of others, we strive for their godliness and growth. We want what is best for them in the Lord and we want it for them. We do not pursue this so that our marriage or home is better, but so that they would know the true person and character of God more fully. But if we do this absent a goal for their joy, we run the risk of embittering them toward God. We risk setting up our love as an achievement goal rather than something that we freely offer. Wanting the progress of our spouse or our children is insufficient.

When we live for the joy of others, we strive for them to experience the gladness of God in their lives. We want them happy. We want them to enjoy the life they live. Again, not just because their happiness leads to our own, but because our love desires their joy for them. But if we do this absent a goal for their progress in the Lord, we run the risk of living lives defined by whether those in our lives are happy with us. We risk seeking their joy at the expense of their godliness.

Paul’s understanding of a life purchased by Christ led him to one conclusion: if Christ tarries, my life will be purposed for the progress and joy of others. Either one or the other might be a simple endeavor. But to accomplish both…that is a task of divine proportions.

When we continue with our children or our spouse for their progress and joy in the faith, we bring adjustment without anger. We bring concern without judgment. We bring levity and relatability without compromise. We fan the flame of the one without smothering the other. The call is not optional…we receive it if Christ, in his wisdom, tarries and leaves us remaining on earth.

While not optional, the call is humbling. It is far beyond us. So we must pray. We must repent when we breech the balance. We should fall on our faces in gratitude when we achieve the balance.

God graciously gives us this filter through which we may evaluate our motives and methods. Knowing that our lives are to be lived for others’ progress and joy in the faith gives us a wonderful tool. The result: those in our lives will have “ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus.”

By Andy Farmer

The Lord has always been faithful to visit our teens at Youth Camp. Many of our adult members are able to point back to a particular message, or moment, or interaction at a Youth Camp and say, ‘that’s where the Lord got my attention’.

This year was no different. In fact, it appears that there was an unusual outpouring of the Spirit on the youth throughout the week, but particularly on Friday night following Jared’s message. Upwards of 30 kids responded to the gospel for the first time or to recommit their lives to Christ. And many others who came up to pray for those teens were swept up in what the Spirit of God was doing and also affected. Many would have said they came into Youth Camp indifferent to the things of God were met in powerful ways.

As parents we can face a wonderful but perplexing dilemma in caring for our kids after an event like Youth Camp. We rejoice to see remarkable immediate changes in our kids and their perspective of God. But we don’t want to trust in the emotional response in a situation that is so unlike where they live day in and day out. Only God can ultimately establish a genuine work of the Spirit in a person. As parents we have been given responsibility by Him to wisely discern and shepherd our children’s hearts – and the grace to serve our children in this important ‘training up of our children in the way they should go’. (Prov. 22:6)

The following are some suggestions for how you as a parent can shepherd the activity of the Spirit that may have occurred in your teen’s life at Youth Camp. To keep things simple, they are going to flow along with the Camp them of ALIVE.

Accept that Youth Camp experiences are not typical experiences. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t authentic experiences. Rejoice that anything ‘more of Jesus and less of me’ is God at work. Never despise small beginnings. Emotions may fade, but every time our teens see their teammates, or sing songs from camp or look at pictures they will be reminded of what God did for them. At the same time don’t cast doubt upon your teens experience simply because you see them struggle in a familiar sin pattern. How many of us have been struggling for years with the same familiar sins.

Look for themes. Look for themes in the preaching that resonated with them and help them focus more in those areas. Look for themes in your teen’s experience that can connect with their lives before and after youth camp. For example, your teens might have been struggling with how they are viewed by others before camp – is there any experience they had where the Lord dealt with that struggle?

Invest in God’s agenda that was highlighted at youth camp. As parents we tend to have our own agendas for where our teens need to grow and change – more focus on studies; a better attitude at home, more diligent in responsibilities, better choices among friends, etc. These are all good to pursue. But Youth Camp is a good time to examine parental agendas. We can trust God that if we are investing in his agenda, then our agendas will take care of themselves. Consider reviewing the youthcamp messages in the months to come. Hearing the messages a second time can remind our teens of how God’s Word spoke to their heart and keep their resolve to follow the Lord strong.  http://www.covfel.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=51731

Value the stubborn grace of God. If the experience of youth camp seems to become a distant memory to your teen in the weeks and months to come, God isn’t frustrated that he gave it his best shot and it didn’t take. Be careful not to say things like, ‘what happened to you, you were so different after Youth Camp’! Youth Camp and real life are a lot different. The creature comforts are far superior at home; the distractions of the world are far worse. If your child went to Youth Camp the Lord is able to water the seeds planted there and bring them to full fruit. Remember their team leaders – most of them were where your teen is at one time, and the Lord has done incredible things with them.

Encourage your teen to some practical steps in response to what God did. A commitment to attend Cross Culture monthly meetings with you would be a great place to start. For your 9th -12th grade students, consider plugging into your Cross Culture small group again. Perhaps the Bridge is a good next step for them. Certainly helping them develop regular devotions is good. You may also need to help them think of something to turn away from – maybe in media or social networking. You don’t want to overdo changes – small steps in key areas can make a big difference.

Above all, rejoice that God visited your teen in Youth Camp! It was real, and it will matter.

By Rob Flood

A recent article came out in LifeScience referencing a study done on human personalities and whether they change over time or not.  The article is titled, “Personality Set for Life by 1st Grade, Study Suggests.” 

The article says flatly:

Our personalities stay pretty much the same throughout our lives, from our early childhood years to after we're over the hill, according to a new study.

The results show personality traits observed in children as young as first graders are a strong predictor of adult behavior.

So, join me on a little journey back to when you were 6 or 7 years old.  What were you like?  What things interested you?  How did you interact with others?  What was your perception of people?  … of work?  …of your teacher? 

Now, join me back in the present.  What are you like?  What things interest you?  How do you interact with others?  What is your perception of people?  …of work?  …of those in authority over you?

Now, consider the following statements from the article and see if you agree:

"We remain recognizably the same person," said study author Christopher Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Riverside. "This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts."

If you agree and see continuity between then and now, then praise God.

• He is the one who knit you together in your mother’s womb and made you in a fearful and wonderful way.
• Even the parts of your personality that you wish had changed, but haven't, serve as platforms for praise.  They keep you close to God and regularly aware of your dependence upon grace...not personality growth.
• God uses the personality He's given you for your good, the good of others, and His glory.

If you disagree and see discontinuity between then and now, then praise God.

• He is the one who orchestrated events to occur that have shaped you into the man or woman that you are now.
• You likely are seeing the impact of the gospel in your life.  Earth shattering truth like the foregiveness of sins and peace with God will change a person...even a personality.
• God uses the personality He's given you for your good, the good of others, and His glory.

The bottom line: God is still God.  I’m glad there are folks that study this stuff and write their findings.  I’m glad because, in all honest work that observes mankind, we can always detect ways to fall on our faces and worship God. 

Your personality…love it or hate it…is a creation from our God intended for his purposes.  Whether it is to draw you close or use you mightily, it is a tool in the hand of our good and gracious Creator…who knew what He was doing when He formed you.

By Rob Flood

As a church, we can often look to those who lead and teach us and see the fruit of their ministry. We are grateful for those leaders and we are thankful to God for the fruit we enjoy in our lives. What may be less obvious but no less real is the fruit that exists in the leaders’ lives because of the ministry of those in the church. Simply put, the lives of the members of the church are stronger because of their leaders…and the lives of the leaders are stronger because of the members of the church.

This is our story at Covenant Fellowship Church. And, as a church, we had a recent display of the fruit of our church’s ministry in the lives of one of their leaders: Dave Harvey.

As you may know, Dave has recently written a book called Rescuing Ambition. In addition to expounding upon the Scriptures, Dave has included many stories of many people from our church. These examples exist because of the faith and fruit that has resulted from members of this church living out the gospel in real life.

Well, on July 28th, Dave was the featured guest on Desiring God Live: a two-hour interview broadcast through www.desiringgod.com . If you saw it, you know that God was honored and the Covenant Fellowship Church was well represented. If you missed it, you can watch it below.

Thank God for fruit in the mission…both in the members and in the leaders. Truly, what do we have that we have not received? We are thankful to God for his faithfulness. May he use this interview, this book, but primarily the witness of this church for his glory in the mission. 

By Rob Flood

Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Psalm 3:8

Psalm 3 is said to be written by David when he was fleeing from his own son, Absalom.  This is the same man who, a few decades earlier, had been fleeing from the reigning king of Israel, Saul.  The same man who charged into battle against Goliath.  The same man who is said to have slain ten thousands in battle.  David knew something about dependence…and he knew that salvation belongs to the Lord.

Like David, we take nothing of worth to the case of our salvation.  All of our righteous deeds are like filthy rags ((Isaiah 64:6).  Any presentation of our own case works to indict us…not save us.  If we are to be saved, in any and every case, it is entirely because of God.  One song that captures this well is Augustus Toplady’s classic hymn, Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

When we get out of the way and stop trying to contribute to our own salvation, then we hide in Christ.  The most fruitful and appropriate action for us to take in salvation is to hide in Christ.  Only there can be we saved from the wrath of God.  Only there can we have our blood-stained garments washed pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Yet, we do try…don’t we.  We rest in the confidence of our own efforts, in the contribution of our service, in the depth of our sorrow over sin.  Our hands, our zeal, our tears are all wonderful when deployed in service to Christ, but useless in salvation.  If we are to be saved, it must be God alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

Lower…still lower.  Whatever perspective we have of our own sin…no matter how humbled we are by it…it is never low enough to be accurate.  Toplady declares the simple truth: We ought bring nothing in our hands.  All that we have…all the good that we’ve achieved…all comes from God.  Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 4:7 when he says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”  We come naked…we come helpless.  And we receive dress and grace.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

And when all of life is through, should we be given final moments of reflection, we will look back on the fruit and grace poured through us and see only the fingerprints of Christ.  We pass through death to eternal life and we rise to worlds unknown.  We do it on the merits of Christ.  We rest only in the work of Christ.  When we are at our best…functioning purely and totally in grace…we hide in Christ.

What a God we have to treasure.  What great news we have to proclaim.  When we know something of dependence, we share the same vantage point as King David.  We say humbly…we saw thankfully…we say with great jubilation… “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”  Our God saves.

By Rob Flood

 When we think of carrying out a mission, we can become pretty task driven.  For those of us who get serious about it, we can be caught putting our heads down, our shoulders to the grind stone, and get about the work of getting the work done. The problem with this, however, is that, when we look up, we can find ourselves carrying out the mission alone.

 There is an added temptation for those of us with families.  Why?  Because we can think that carrying out the mission with our family is the same as carrying out the mission in community.  As important as it is to labor in the gospel with our families, we need a vision that sees beyond that. 

 Let’s just take a moment to define the mission of our church for those who may yet be unfamiliar:

 We exist to treasure, proclaim, and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 When this clearly defined mission is being carried out in the context of community, there are two key symptoms that we will see:

1. Speaking the mission: When community is functioning in mission, we will talk about it with others committed to the same mission. Questions such as, " How are you treasuring God during this season?" will come up in conversation when you are talking with friends. Testimonies of times you’ve shared the gospel, even when it’s gone bad, will be common when talking with brothers and sisters in this church.  We will seek out discussion of specific areas of sin in our lives and solicit help from others.
   
   In short, when mission is functioning in community, we’re going to talk about it.  We’re going to live open lives before each other and seek help while we also offer help to others who are seeking help. 
    
2. Doing the mission:  Our shoulders ought never be the only ones set to the grindstone of the mission.  Too many of us have been called to labor together for any of us to labor alone.  Whether that means hitting the streets doing evangelism or whether that means pursuing prayer for a challenge at work or in your home, community means that we do it with others.
   
   We study the Scriptures, we parent our children, we pursue purity, we handle our finances, we resolve conflicts…together.  We do it in community.  This is how the mission happens when the mission happens well.

 There is a great obstacle that creeps up separating mission from community: pride.  In our pride, we don’t always want people knowing where we are weak, where we need help.  We don’t want to do street evangelism with someone because they may see just how scared we are.  We don’t want their help in parenting, not because we don’t need it, but because we’d have to admit we don’t know what to do.

 Just think…if the dam of our pride could just burst, the grace that would flow into our lives.  In each and every area of mission, community is an asset, not a liability.  It is what God intended when He saved us to the Body of Christ.  It is the only real way to treasure, proclaim, and grow in the gospel of Jesus.

By Ramona Doyle

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get stuck in a rut?  I’m not talking about making boring meals or getting stuck in daily routines.  I’m talking about the familiar ways we tend to respond to those around us—our kids, our husbands, our friends, our coworkers, or a boss—when we are affected by their actions.  I can do this so easily, especially in my family.  Their same old behavior—what they do or the way they relate to me— often triggers that same old sinful response in my heart.  It happens again and again.  I can easily recognize the pattern, yet somehow, change is often elusive.

When I’m stuck in this kind of a rut, I am finding it helpful to affirm what the Gospel has purchased for me, that because of the Gospel, I am a new creation and the power of sin over me is broken; therefore it is truly possible for me to obey God when I’m confronted by the same old sins.  And because of the Gospel I have the power in Christ to fight and overcome remaining sin that can continue to wage war in my heart.  Because of the Gospel I have access to God through Christ, and Christ dwells in me by his Spirit—what a very present help when I struggle!  These Gospel truths remind me of the completeness and sufficiency of His provision for me.

Often, I find that I am way too comfortable with those same old patterns in my life.  But if I am to change, I must hate my sin.  Making specific confessions of not only my behavior, but also my sinful heart behind that behavior, and reminding myself that it was these very sins that put Jesus on the cross helps me to do this.  I have found it so easy to see my sin, shoot up a quick prayer for forgiveness, and stop there.  But I’ve stopped way too soon.  When I truly grieve over my sin, this is the place where the Cross becomes precious—where my deep need points me to and causes me to hunger for the rescuing grace of Christ and turn to Him in new and deeper ways.

The Bible details a wonderful storehouse of grace available to me each day!  I love to take time during my devotions each day to memorize scripture and meditate on God’s promises and the many ways Christ makes his grace available in my need.  This helps me in those same old kinds of moments to choose God over my sin and live for something bigger than my sinful desires.  I find I am much more familiar with my sin than with how to apply God’s grace in the midst.  But God has promised that his Word does not return to him void (Isaiah 55:11), and as I consistently hide it in my heart, by his grace I am seeing change in areas where I was previously stuck in those same old patterns of sin.  Let’s not be content to live in the same old with such a gracious Savior!

The Everlasting God
By Rob Flood

Editor’s Note: This past Sunday, I preached the closing message of our recent series, Words of Comfort, listen here. As we seek to treasure, proclaim, and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ, here’s a section from the message that ought to help us all treasure the gospel of Jesus Christ…and the God of that gospel.

In the midst of their doubts, God is reminding Israel of who he is.  He’s done that so thoroughly in the previous section of Isaiah.  But here, in light of their doubts, let’s walk through what God highlights in his summary of who he is and what they…what we…need to focus on when we doubt God.  So let’s focus that lens.

~ The LORD is the everlasting God:  God existed before time...before trial…before sin…before all things.  He will exist after all things have perished and faded.  He was before the difficulty you’re experiencing and he will be long after your affliction is gone.

~ The Creator of the ends of the earth: Whatever comes our way happens inside of what God created…inside what he commands…inside of what he controls.  He is entirely above and beyond all we experience.  We cannot think of him as we do a creature.  He is not limited, he is not finite.  Anytime our thoughts of God resemble our thoughts of man, we must raise them, quickly.  We must call this truth to mind: God is altogether different than we are.  His ways are higher, his love is deeper, his power mightier, his mercy broader, his holiness holier, his goodness greater…not just greater than man’s, but greater than we can imagine.  Our everlasting God is the Creator of the ends of the earth.

~ He does not faint or grow weary:  Folks, he does not tire of hearing your pleas for help.  His patience is not worn by your many needs nor does he grow fatigued at carrying you.  He has been carrying you for 2 weeks through this trial… perhaps for 2 months…perhaps for 2 years…maybe even for 2 decades.  Yet, he has no less endurance now than the first steps you took together.  Perhaps you are more weary…he is not.  Your strength is fading.  It is to that degree that his strength will grow.  You receive a second wind in your strength…in your faith.  That second wind came from your God who does not faint.  Have there been times that you have fainted from sorrow…from fatigue…your God will never faint.  He will carry you…he will sustain you.

Covenant Fellowship Church, this is your God.  He receives our accusations and mercifully directs us back to who he is.  Even as we accuse him in our weak faith, his strength, his everlasting arms sustain us.  Deuteronomy 33 declares this truth with incredible force:

 26 "There is none like God,
    …who rides through the heavens to your help,
   through the skies in his majesty.
27The eternal God is your dwelling place,
   and underneath are the everlasting arms.

You are broken over the condition of your life?  The Everlasting God has his everlasting arms underneath.  Your finances seem out of control?  The Creator of the ends of the earth rides through the heavens to your help.  You feel like you cannot labor another step in your fight against sickness?  Your Savior does not faint or grow weary. 

Covenant Fellowship…

28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.

By Bill Patton

 

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, a Saturday.  The warm sun beckoned grandfatherly homeowners like me to step outside and get something done.  The grass didn’t need mowing.  West winds had yet to dislodge thousands of quivering yellow leaves from the maple trees; no need to rake.  So I decided to stow the garden hoses in the garage for winter.  As I finished winding-up the first hose something happened that shattered my Saturday afternoon repose.

 

Tires screeching, a young man shouted some terribly vile expletives at me from a passing car as it pulled away from the High School near my house.  Using great economy of words he told me what to do and challenged my masculinity.  As the car roared away my thoughts were retributive and angry:  “What’s wrong with winding up a garden hose on an autumn Saturday?”  You think I’m less of a man for doing that?  Is this your idea of fun -- to shout obscenities at gray-headed grandfathers without cause?  If I’m so feminine, why not curse me to my face, you insufferable little coward!”

 

In a flash, I imagined I was righteous Elisha being taunted for his bald head by some Hebrew youths.  Two bears came out of the woods and ate those teens for lunch.  It serves them right.

 

Then my imagination went completely over the top.  I suddenly became….  Jack Bauer, of TV’s “Twenty-Four.”  Jack is a grandfather too, you know.  In the real world I was peacefully hanging up a garden hose in my garage…but in my imagination I was driving an unleashed 4.6 liter V-8 Mustang GT, rapidly converging on an evil cell of obscene-word-bombers who terrorize old people.  I imagined that with my CIA back-up’s high-tech help, I found mister-hot-stuff teen driver just as he pulled into his driveway.  I must have threatened some kind of torture if he refused to divulge the location of his head-out-the-window, curse-the-grandpa, terrorist friend -- because the kid coughed out an address, trembling.  I jumped back into my Mustang to continue the chase.

 

A comment Sue made to me once, as I watched “Twenty-Four”, suddenly came to mind.  “Maybe you shouldn’t be watching that violent show.”  Righteous thoughts have a way of ending corrupt daydreams.  “OK Lord, please forgive my vengeful, angry spirit toward the cussing kid.  I’ll try to be more careful.  Only please…allow me to watch the next season of “Twenty-Four”. 

 

But then the Holy Spirit began a deeper work, bringing to mind a CJ Mahaney sermon, and the convicting words of a hymn:

 "Behold the Man upon the cross My sin upon His shoulders Ashamed I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers"

 

At that moment, imagination began to work with, rather than against, the gospel.  I saw my many sins as vile insults hurled at Christ.  I saw my disobedience repeatedly putting the Savior to open shame.  I saw my innumerable transgressions weighing him down so much, he could scarcely breathe.  I heard my mocking voice.  Then I heard him gasp a prayer for me.  “Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he does”.  

 

“Lord, I am so unlike you,” I prayed.  “I have mocked, insulted, and cursed you again and again.  Yet you have shown me unending mercy.  Lord, please extend your love and mercy to that boy who hurled profanity at me without cause.  Please, Lord, save him.”

 

As I stepped out of the garage to wind up a second garden hose, I marveled: How kind of the Holy Spirit to use a crude insult to remind me of the gospel -- and cause me to pray for a restless kid who needs a Savior.

By Doug Hayes

 

I recently read a book written by the president of a large Christian relief and development organization.  It was well-written and compelling.  I was moved to tears on more than one occasion as I read of the author’s personal transformation through the power of the gospel.  I agreed with nearly all of what he said and was personally challenged. 

 

However, the main point of the book, expressed concisely in its title – The Hole in Our Gospel – could be summed up in this way:  if we preach the gospel to a lost and dying world without engaging in good works toward the poor, there is a hole in our gospel.  The “whole gospel” includes not simply a call to repentance and faith in Christ, but also a corresponding lifestyle of compassion and justice toward the poor. 

 

Wow – that’s an attention-grabber to say the least!  But is it accurate to describe the gospel in this way?

 

I submit that it’s both inaccurate and unwise to speak of the gospel in this way.  The gospel is the good news that, though we are sinful people who will always fall short of God’s glory and moral standards, we can be forgiven and restored in our relationship to Him through faith in Christ alone.  The author makes it clear that he believes this to be true, yet says there’s a hole in our gospel if we fail to take action toward the poor. 

 

There are many things that are true of all genuine disciples of Christ, because of the gospel.  But the fact that they are true because of the gospel doesn’t make them part of the gospel.  For example, I am called to be a faithful husband and father to my wife and daughters because of my identity as a disciple of Christ.  This is an implication of the gospel that I cannot escape!  But it wouldn’t be right to say that the gospel includes this.  We don’t preach, “Turn from your sins, place your faith in Christ, become a faithful husband and father, and God will accept you.”  My faithfulness in these areas makes an important statement about the validity of my faith, but it is not the gospel itself.

 

This may sound like hair-splitting, but I believe it’s an essential distinction that we must preserve lest we dilute the gospel of its power and meaning.  The very essence of the gospel message is fact: Jesus has fulfilled the moral commands of God on our behalf, even though we have universally fallen short of this righteous standard.  His righteousness, not ours, merits our salvation. That’s what makes it such good news!  To say that the moral commands of God are included in the gospel clashes with its central meaning and erodes the “goodness” of the good news.    

 

So… does this spring us from our responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the poor?  If you know me, you will know that’s not what I’m saying! 

 

I believe with all my heart that God’s burden for the poor must find expression in the life of every Christian.  We would indeed have a hole in our Bibles if we denied this recurring Scriptural theme!  There would be a hole in our discipleship, if we denied our calling to reflect the many-faceted mercies of God toward those who suffer in poverty.  There may even be a hole in our faith, if our profession of Christ is not authenticated by a transformed life in the areas that are important to God (just read James chapter 2 if you doubt me on that one). 

 

But the gospel message remains unchanged, regardless of the degree to which we understand and apply its implications in our lives.  Let us be careful to preserve the borders of this glorious message, even as we work to embody all its essential effects in our lives.     

By Andy Farmer

I’m just finishing up a class at Westminster Seminary called ‘Counseling and Physiology’.  It has been a very helpful and timely course.  There may be no area of present day life that is more Gospel-resistant than the world of counseling and psychiatry.  This doesn’t mean that everything out in that world is evil or unhelpful.  In truth, to do effective biblical counseling we must not only have some familiarity with a psychological view of people and their problems, we should have a reasonable appreciation for some of the insights and perspectives that are developed from within that world. 

For one, the world of psychology is increasingly recognizing that people are a complex blend of the physical/mental-emotional/relational/and yes, even spiritual in some cases.  If we understand ourselves as the Bible describes us, we will recognize as well that we are integrated beings.  We cannot separate what happens to us physically from what happens to us mentally from what happens to us spiritually.  We are all three, all the time.  While we don’t want to get our understanding of who we are from psychology, we can glean insights into how we tick from these fields of study. 

Another example of how we can benefit from the study of human physiology and personality in the secular world is in the area of addictions.  For example, it is very helpful to know how different drugs affect the brain.  It would be easy to see addictive tendencies and substance abuse as simply a matter of moral choices.  But even a basic sense of how chemicals affect the brain tell us much about how people can struggle to free themselves of drug dependencies.  When we are trying to help people overcome cocaine addiction it can be helpful to know that it can take the brain up to a year and half to return to normal status after a cocaine episode.  And that there are so many different ways that alcohol affects the brain that it is virtually impossible to develop an effective treatment plan for severe alcoholism.

But even with this appreciation, we need to stand firmly committed to a biblical understanding of personhood.  And that means holding the idea of personal responsibility for sinful actions as the key to dealing with addictions.  When the world would say that the addicted person is a victim of bad genes or brain chemistry, we must stand on the biblical truth that all addiction is fundamentally false worship and can only be ultimately corrected by an encounter with the living God in the person of Jesus Christ.

Counselor Ed Welch helps us see the need to keep moral responsibility at the heart of addictions in his book Addictions – A Banquet in the Grave.  Welch writes,

Why is it important to talk about responsibility for both cause and cure?  First, because it is true.  We are sinners, even when we are not obviously sinning.  Until Christ returns, sin is part of our fabric (1 John 1:9). Second, because any other perspective would essentially nullify or limit the cross of Christ, the ultimate resting point for all Christian counseling.  It is impossible to get to the good news of the cross from a starting point that limits moral responsibility.  If we are born good and have been ruined by a dysfunctional environment or a biological abnormality, then any help we receive is intended only to heal.  The goal is to restore an addict to his or her original good state.  Jesus is there only to help us when we trip or to make us feel better about ourselves.

This, however, is not the gospel.  The gospel is that Christ died for sinners and then rose from the dead.  It is good news to people who sin and are sinners.  It is good news for desperate people, not nice people who occasionally do wrong things.  And its goal is a completely new person, not a person who has been cleaned up a bit.”  (Page 194-5)

Posted by Jared Mellinger

A question I’ve gotten from several folks as we’ve been in our series, “In My Place”, goes something like this:  “If we speak of the cross as the center of the Gospel, doesn’t that relegate the resurrection of Christ to secondary importance?”  This is an excellent question, one that I hope we address well in our series.  But I’d also like to recommend John Stott's book, The Cross of Christ, a masterpiece that should be read by every Christian.  In chapter 9, Stott has some great insights on this very question that have been helpful to me. 

First, "It is true beyond doubt that the death and resurrection of Jesus
belong together in the New Testament.  ...It would be seriously
unbalanced to proclaim either the cross without the resurrection or the
resurrection without the cross" (237).  Amen.  Jesus is a crucified and
risen Lord.  Let's proclaim both his death and resurrection. 

Second, "We are not to regard the cross as defeat and the resurrection
as victory.  Rather, the cross was the victory won, and the resurrection
the victory endorsed, proclaimed, and demonstrated" (235).  This reminds
me another quote I recently came across in Hugh Martin's book on the
atonement: "The cross itself is glorious; not from the subsequent
resurrection and enthronement, but glorious from itself.  It is itself a
chariot of triumph.  There is more agency and power in Christ's cross
than in all his work as Creator of the universe.  There is as much
spiritual glory in the cross of Calvary as in the throne of the Lamb in
heaven.  Christ crucified is - not after, but in being crucified - the
power of God" (The Atonement, 74-75).  We must know the victory, glory,
and triumph in the death of Christ. 

Third, "We need to be clear about the nature of the relation between the
death and resurrection of Jesus, and be careful not to ascribe saving
efficacy to both equally.  ...For it was by his death, and not by his
resurrection, that our sins were dealt with" (237-238).  Stott presents
the exegetical support for this by interacting with and citing some of
the key verses on the resurrection (1 Cor 15:12-14, Rom 4:25, etc) on
page 238.

Fourth, "The resurrection was essential to confirm the efficacy of his
death, as his incarnation had been to prepare for its possibility.  But
we must insist that Christ's work of sin-bearing was finished on the
cross, that the victory over the devil, sin and death was won there"
(238).  Understanding the truth about the death and resurrection of
Christ will not minimize the importance of either, but only clarify our
thinking and deepen our appreciation for every aspect of the
Christ-event: his birth, life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. 

Finally, "To sum up, the gospel includes both the death and resurrection
of Jesus, since nothing would have been accomplished by his death if he
had not been raised from it.  Yet the gospel emphasizes the cross, since
it was there that the victory was accomplished.  The resurrection did
not achieve our deliverance from sin and death, but has brought us an
assurance of both" (239).

This is why we emphasize the cross of Christ in our singing and our
preaching, and why our approach to the Christian life is
"cross-centered".  Let's strive to live with a cross-based awareness of
our victory over sin and death, and a resurrection-based assurance of
the salvation we have in Christ.   

Posted by Jared Mellinger

 

This coming Sunday we start our next preaching series, In My Place: Why the Death of Jesus Matters.  It’s a series on the doctrine of penal substitution – what the Bible has to say about Jesus Christ willfully enduring the wrath of God in our place, receiving the penalty for our sins on the cross. 

 

The pastoral team has been eagerly anticipating this series.  The message of the cross has been and will continue to be our treasure as a church.  It is our favorite subject at Covenant Fellowship, and I trust this will always be clear not only from our preaching, but also from our praying, our singing, our ministry, and our fellowship.    

 

But you might be wondering: haven’t we heard enough about the cross?  Do we really need more preaching on the death of Christ?  Aren’t there more urgent subjects that need to be addressed?  Why do we keep beating the same drum?  Enough on the cross already!

    

Just in case you’re wondering if I’ve really given thought to this, let me offer fifteen reasons why I think we need more preaching on the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross (and why I believe we will always need more preaching on this greatest of subjects!).  

 

We need to hear the message of penal substitution...

 

1.      Because our understanding and appreciation of the cross is directly tied to our maturity as a church, and is the ultimate measure of true spirituality.

 

2.      Because the cross in not merely the entry point into the Christian life, but the engine and ongoing source of all Christian growth.  

 

3.      Because the message of the cross is the source of all our joy, hope, peace, confidence, and comfort in this world.  No hope without it!

 

4.      Because we can become familiar with gospel language and still neglect digging deeper into gospel truth.

 

5.      Because nowhere do we see more clearly the transforming sight of the glory of Jesus Christ than in his substitutionary death.

 

6.      Because the message of the cross is the most important and only essential message in all of history.

 

7.      Because this most important message of the church is not now, nor has it been very often, the message for which the church is known in the world.

 

8.      Because the message of the cross is increasingly misunderstood and opposed in our day.

 

9.      Because we can’t understand true mercy and love, and true justice, until we understand the cross.

 

10. Because “Christ and him crucified” is the most recurrent theme of the apostles in the New Testament letters to Christian churches and is therefore the most urgent need of all believers and churches today.

 

11. Because the message of the cross is most powerful when it is preached in the context of the gathered people of God. 

 

12. Because penal substitution is the center of the gospel and the heart of the whole counsel of God. 

 

13. Because we cannot properly understand our Bibles, including the Old Testament, without a firm grasp on the substitutionary atonement of Christ.

 

14. Because the love Christ has shown us in his death surpasses all knowledge, and we will never exhaust its depths. 

 

15. Because eternity will be spent marveling at the cross, worshiping the Lamb of God who was slain in our place. 

 

As your senior pastor, I have a conviction that Covenant Fellowship Church should be well taught in the central message of Scripture: Christ died for our sins.  There is nothing more important.  I believe that the pastoral relevance and timeliness of the message of the cross is impossible to overstate, and I believe this is the right time for this series.  Let’s all eagerly anticipate how the church will be built as we experience together the power of the cross.     

Posted by Rob Flood

With the recent addition of Financial Peace University to our offerings of equipping and outreach, getting out of debt has risen as an important goal in the stewardship of our lives. And rightly so. Freedom from debt is freedom indeed.

But there is a debt we can never get out of…and we ought to stop trying. Though our homes are still full of sinners, many of our homes enjoy ongoing fruit of the gospel. It works its way through our own lives, through our marriages and then through our homes. It grows, despite our efforts, and bears fruit.

Jared’s message this week got me thinking along these lines. How, in our homes, are we vulnerable to drift from the gospel? I think it is a common trap for married Christians to allow the gospel to become secondary. When there is conflict, or when there is a difference of opinion, or when lives somehow begin to grow independent of each other, we can rely on a variety of things…in place of the gospel.

We can rely on our communication skills. If we just say something in the right way, or at the right time, things will be okay.

We can rely on our debating skills. Resolution is not the key, it is victory.

We can rely on our selfishness. As long as my way is the winner in the end, the means are justified and don’t much matter.

But most dangerously, we can rely on peace. If we just allow peace to be the governing body in our home, we’re a happy and “godly” family.

What happened to the gospel? And what has happened that has caused us to credit its fruit these lesser gods?

The gospel is the great leveler. It makes all other things, without exception, secondary. The joy we may experience in marriage is not because of our skill or our gifting…it is because of the gospel. The victories we’ve experienced over trials are not because of our fortitude, but because of the gospel.

Charles Spurgeon once said:

If there is anything that is a miniature picture of heaven upon earth, it is a pair of Christians happily united, whose children grow up in the fear of the Lord, and render to them increased comfort and joy every day. Oh, how much some of us owe to the gospel for the happiness of our homes!

And so, today, no practical tips will be given for marriage. They have their place, but not here today. Today, we turn our attention to gratitude. Sincere thanks for the fruit of the gospel in our marriages. For the fact that we have a spouse. For the fact that our spouse would even have us in marriage. And for the fact that a holy God, in an immeasurable act of condescension, would choose to reflect His glory in such a flawed example as our marriage. Truly and only God could do that. How glorious to belong to our spouse…and to our God who gives the unceasing, fruit-bearing gospel.