Jesus is the new and better Samson

Jesus is the new and better Samson. Who, before birth was also to deliver the people from captivity. (Samson – Judges 13:5; Jesus Genesis 3:15) However, unlike Samson Jesus lived the perfect life, and follow the law that was given to him. (Samson - Judges 13:4-5 “Nazirite vow”; Jesus Hebrews 5:8). Where Samson fell because he sought the things that was desiring to his eyes. Jesus followed the obedience all the way to death. Samson’s death began the deliverance from captivity from the Philistines, but Jesus’ death delivered the elect from death. Just has the Philistines gathered to rejoice cover the capture of Samson and believed they won, but ultimately this was the cause of death of the lords and 3000 plus Philistines. Satan believed that he has conquered Christ by hanging Him on the cross, but when Jesus shouted the words “It is Finished” there the great beast was brought to his knees and Jesus rescued His people from death, and brought them to an everlasting relationship with the Father.

D-Now or D-day

This past weekend at Summit Baptist church we had our Disciple Now (D-now) weekend. As Dave and I entered the week of D-Now a surprising and almost uneasy feeling came about us. What this feeling was is that Dave and I felt completely prepared for this weekend. YES! Fully prepared... We had homes for all 150+ students, we had college and adult help, all our master teachers where ready, the books and where printed and ready to go, people where even prepaying, and finally everything with Steve Fee was set up.

Now if you are ever in ministry you could understand that before any event there is not feeling prepared it just one problem after another. This is where this D-Now or D-Day paradox comes in to play. I began to become really nervous and anxious about the weekend I was waiting to get a call or see some thing to blow up.

Friday came no problem, Saturday came no problem... Here is why I blog about this anyway

This weekend I focused on what could go wrong, but not rejoicing over what went right. This weekend was without a doubt a work of the Sovereign Lord. As Saturday night rolled around I was able to take a step back and realize that; we just had 150+ students here being taught the Joy of Christ. We just had the Bride of Christ come and serve each other. The hand being a hand, and the foot being a foot from people serve and preparing food, or opening up their home for students to stay the night. The Bride was able to serve a family who have devastated by the flood a few weeks ago, but we were able to gather all types of necessity for survival. As my focus was only on what could go wrong I lost sight of how much was going right. I doubted my Savior the sovereign God who is in control of everything. That He could create such an event like this without any bumps or troubles. He doesn't need me but chooses to use me, and so the question is posed "Why do I even worry His glory will be shown?"

To conclude this weekend was absolutely amazing as we got to rejoice over the joy that has been brought to us through Christ and Christ alone. Many students went deeper into the Word of God, and have expressed a lot of interest on either having a relationship or diving deeper with God. That is why this weekend was amazing because God's glory and power was shown in many different ways. That is why we can rejoice! "His Glory IS my reward!"

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you….

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Many times I have heard this verse referenced during sermons, talks, or someone cited in their writings. However, reading the verse myself it shocked me how many times we leave out the rest of the text.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8 ESV)

When you read the rest of the verse if you are like me your mood changes. It is not just walking to God and He will draw near to you. But it is so much more. When we read the rest of this passage

9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4 ESV)

The passage seems to take an even more negative tone. We are supposed to morn…and turn our joy into gloom? How is this in any way making it appealing for me to draw near to God? If all I get is to lose my laughter and joy for gloom what is the point? Here is why we must read all of scripture, and as for those who are minister must teach expositional. Lets read verse 1-10

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask z wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? b Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit c that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But d he gives more grace. Therefore it says, e “God opposes the proud, but d gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. f Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 g Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. h Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and i purify your hearts, j you double-minded. 9 k Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 l Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:1-10 ESV)

This passages address those believers who are still in love with the world. James writes and calls who he is writing to adulterous people, murders, coveting people, spending foolishly what they have been given. In v.4 he says “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world make himself an enemy of God.” These people, even though they have been given the spirit (v.5), they still worship the world. However, the writer gives them the formula to be able to resist the devil.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” We are to submit to God the Father and the devil will flee. However, it will not be east. We are to wash our hands and clean purify your heart. We are to take our deepest desires that are engrained in us, and just wash them away. These statements remind me of when Christ proclaims, “that whoever follows me should take up his cross daily.” We are to take what pains us the most, what was the most degrading thing to human, and carry to follow Christ. Here James is calling to continue to wash and purify our hearts daily so that we can draw near to God. It is not just a peppy thing that someone says to encourage someone, but it is one of the hardest things that we can do. When we do this we are saying “I count all the things my heart desire as rubbish so that I can follow you God. Because I know you are greater than anything on this earth.” So take all your desire that you want…and through them out the window…yea this hurt.

So why are we suppose to morn? Because when you submit to God you realize the complete depravity of the human state, and you understand the true greatness of God’s wrath. So you become broken, and what once brought you joy (i.e. Sex, drugs, money, and what ever your heart worshiped) is actually what brings you death. So morn over the sin of the people, and weep because what they love and think is the savior of their life. Will actually bring about the eternal punishment.

However, we as believer are not suppose to walk around with our head down, and crying all the time. Here James write the comfort that we have. If we humble ourselves God will exalt us! THINK ABOUT THIS! God...The God…capital GOD…creator of the universe…will EXALT us!!!!! Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice because there is hope in our lives. Yes, we are to morn and pray for the lost and condemned. However, this should lead us to humility and joy. Because by the grace of God, He sent His Son to die on the cross and rose again, so that we now can even have purified hearts. Also has opened our eyes so that we can wash and purify our hearts and humble ourselves before Him. And in the end… we will be exalted for all eternity! I cannot help but thing of Psalm 150 read this and pray that with every breath we can praise the Lord for His redeeming love.

Being Refreshed

This past weekend Leon, Dave and I had the amazing privileged to attend a conference at Southeastern Seminary. It was a nine-marks conference with the main focus on expository preaching. We had amazing men of the faith speaking such as: Mark Dever, Danny Akin, and C.J. Mahaney. Who, by the grace of God, preached to us the importance of expository preaching. Now the intellectual knowledge and the encouragement that we received from these men cannot go without humbling you to worship. However, what was the most amazing part for me was the refreshing of the Spirit that came upon my soul.

As I have worked on staff at Summit for a little over a year I realize the importance of refreshing the soul. As anyone who works on a church staff can attest to this that Sundays are not always the most refreshing times during the work. In fact it is very much the busiest work day of the week. However, we try and compensate for this by taking one day during the week of to rest. Yet, the question still stands, where do we as ministers get feed? Where do we get the word proclaimed to us?

I believe that where we as minister get feed is by conferences such as the one the three of us attended. I would suggest that every minister find conferences, lead by solid, biblical and exegetical preaching men, and attend these conferences once or twice a year. As the congregation you should desire to send your pastor to these events. Not only to serve the pastor, but to better your personal bride of Christ. As the leader of the Bride of Christ you should want your Pastor to be refreshed, focused, and seeking the direction of the Spirit of Christ.

So as a charge to any minister attend a BIBLICAL conference (not just any conference) to refresh your spirit. As well to the congregation encourage/force your pastor to attend these conference so they to can be feed and even more equipped to lead you.

Father, how great is Your name. You are the I Am and because You are a graceful God, You have redeemed us so now we have the gift to partake in this relationship with You. So Father I plead to You, please continue to encourage myself and other men whom You have called to serve Your bride. That we will devote time to spend intimately with You so we can understand Your will and draw near and have great communion with the Spirit. That we will be equipped in season and out of season to share Your Gospel. If this minister seeks this from You may the hearts of the bride as well be to serve and trust the Pastor, and be willing to allow him to go and be served. Father, You are truly glorious and so we pray these thing by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the name of work of Jesus Christ, to You God the Father. Amen.

The influence you never knew you had...

I titled this post not to an individual who has had an influence on me. However, to each person that reads this post. To make you think about the influence one can have over another person, and you never knew you had it. A few days age a few friends and I were hanging out. We were all excited because everyone was back from school and it was the first time as a group we have all hung out since everyone has been back home. As one friend was explaining how s/he was applying for a job with "Invisible Children" s/he perked up and said "Channing. I talked you in my story!" So I preceded to ask what was the story about and how did you talk about me. Now this is where I was humbled, and the whole point of this post comes about. She began to say "I talked about and how God used you to help shape who I am today." I answered "WHAT!!! Are you kidding me... God used me to help shape you? How?" She explained how she just watched me, saw how I acted in different situations, if I did what I said, and how I served for the Lord. At this moment I was humbled and for a few reasons. 1) I saw God's sovereignty over everything, and how He was using me to help grow and set and example for someone else, and I didn't even know it. How wonderful is that. And to think that I become so frustrated sometimes because I didn't think that God is using me. However, it was the complete opposite, and I wonder how many more people are looking at other individuals, but the individuals who is being looked at are frustrated because they don't think God is using them because their service is not being seen my multitudes of people. Yet one of the greatest opportunities has already been given to us when we proclaim the name of Christ, and that is setting the example of Christ for those who are just watching. 2) How selfish and lacking in the faith to think that God was not going to use me... As I look now and see what that individual is doing as s/he is going on mission trips, leading bible studies, and now is leading other youth to fall in a deeper passion with the Lord. It makes me think because of my selfish desires and lack of trust how many different times have I lost the influence I never knew I had. We don't know how God works, so we should always be living as if we are in His work.... But lets be honest GOD SOVEREIGN we are always in His work so REJOICE! Philippians 4:4-7

Nothing really important

So I have no real deep thought today, but if you want a theological point from this video I guess it could be stay on track... or you will have to pay a lot on damages... just kidding

The Beauty Of Grace Makes Life Not Fair

-Channing

How should I teach?

So as I am coming up on the 6 months mark of working at Summit, and I still remember having the questions and doubts that I hear every minister has with his first job. The big one that continued to haunt me was "How should I teach?" when i say how should I teach I mean in the "style" of teaching...I don't know why this was a big one and as i look back i feel like a fool. So I began to think...i mean i could be a John Piper and loud and in your face, or maybe like a Francis Chan a funny and laid back kind of guy. All I desire is for the youth to like me, and want to listen. I want to be the serious, funny, deep but not to deep, knows the word but not a prideful show off, entertainment. As 6 month has gone by and me having this battle of style of teaching running in my mind i was blind sided by a verse. In 2 Corinthians 4:2 "But we renounced disgraceful, unhanded ways. We REFUSE to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God."

After reading this verse I was completely humble and broken. As I realized what I have been called to do. As a minister I am called to teach God Gospel....not to be showy, not to be liked by everyone in the world, or be "cunning" with my words, but simply teach his word. Here is where I began to find my foundation... I am to study His word, be faithful to His word, and teach only His word. Yes, I must teach and teach it well so anyone can understand, but does it mean I have to have the 3 points that all begin with the same letter, and have funny illustration from my own life. NO!!! Those are not the Gospel, those are not God's word. When we share the Gospel if we are not teaching the atonement, the cross, the blood, and Christ then we are not teaching anything but worthless banter and a false Gospel.

Now here I am blogging about this, and thinking...how many Churches in America have people preaching there life story and not the Gospel....It breaks me because i wonder if those youth will actually hear the real Gospel? If you are going into the ministry or involved in anyway (Sunday school teaching, or whatever) remember to study and teach the word. Do not compromise it for the sake that you can gain favor in their eyes. Or compromise it because it is not politically correct....

These points about the Gospel and what it is and how to teach it i feel is going to lead to some more blogs...

"The Beauty Of Grace It It Makes Life Not Fair"