That You May Believe! Our Series in John

We just finished our series in the gospel of John entitled "That You May Believe: The Signs and Sayings of Christ". What a rich time of learning about our wonderful Savior and finding fresh faith and fresh life in His name!

John 20:31 sums up the purpose and , I trust, our experience of this series: "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31, ESV)

Here is a summary table of our series listing the 7 signs and 7 sayings we looked at along with key memory verses. Enjoy!

Signs	Verses
The Wedding Miracle Sign 1, John 2	"and [he] said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him." (John 2:10-11, ESV)
The Sick Son Sign 3, John 4	"When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death." (John 4:47, ESV)
The Sabbath Healing Sign 4, John 5	"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44, ESV)
The Five Thousand Fed Sign 5, John 6	"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35, ESV)
The Blind Man Sign 6, John 9	"Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”" (John 9:39, ESV)
Lazarus Raised Sign 7, John 11	"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”" (John 11:25-26, ESV)
Jesus’ Resurrection Sign 2 & 8, John 2 & 20	"Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”" (John 20:27-29, ESV)

I Am Sayings	Verses
The Bread of Life I Am 1, John 6	"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:35, ESV)
The Light of the World I Am 2, John 8	" Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”" (John 8:12, ESV)
The Good Shepherd & The Door I Am 3 & 4, John 10	"So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep." (John 10:7, ESV) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me," (John 10:11, 14, ESV) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29, ESV)
The Resurrection and the Life I Am 5, John 11	"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”" (John 11:25-26, ESV)
The Way, The Truth & The Life I Am 6, John 14	" “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:1-2, ESV) "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, ESV) Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. " (John 14:9b, ESV)
The True Vine I Am 7, John 15	“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:1,5, ESV)
The I Am I AM of I Am's #8, John 8	"Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”" (John 8:58, ESV)
	Other key verses
The Word was God	" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1,14, ESV)
The New Birth	"Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”" (John 3:3, ESV)
The Ripe Harvest	"Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." (John 4:35, ESV)
The Promised Spirit	" On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”" (John 7:37-38, ESV)
The Summary	" Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31, ESV)

A Wonderful VBS

We had an exhilirating and exhausting VBS week July 7-11. We are so so thankful for God's blessing on our "Friendship Trek" VBS!

It was a huge success with almost 60 children attending and learning that Jesus is our “Forever Friend”. The message of the good news of Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and friend resonated throughout the entire week. The kids were very excited about what they were learning and doing and we believe the families were greatly blessed. A number of parents told me their hildren were so excited in telling their parents what they were learning each day.

We are thankful for the partnership of First Church of Christ, Bradford. We pray God's continued blessing on our friends as they know and walk with Christ, our "Forever Friend".

To our church family and all our friends at FCC Bradford and the greater Haverhill community, thank you so much for your hard work and prayers for our VBS. Thanks for your partnership in bringing this Christ-centered VBS to the children and their families! May everyone remember Jesus Christ, our true "forever friend"!

Let Us Never Forget

Here is a quote from my friend Jeff. He took this from JC Ryle and personalized it. Enjoy!

"Let me never forget this part of my Lord's character. Christ's loving-kindness to me never changes, and never fails. It is a deep well of which I will never find the bottom. It began from all eternity, before I was born. It chose, called, and quickened me when I was dead in my trespasses and sins. It drew me to God and changed my character, and put a new will in my mind, and a new song in my mouth. It has borne with me in all my waywardness and shortcomings. It will never allow me to be separated from God. It will flow ever forward, like a mighty river, through the endless ages of eternity. Christ's love and mercy was my plea when I first began my journey. Christ's love and mercy will be my only plea when I cross the dark river and enter home. Let me seek to know this love by inward experience, and prize it more. Let it constrain me more continually to live, not to myself, but to Him who died for me and rose again."

Adapted from "Expository Thoughts on the Gospels", Luke 5:17-26, by J.C. Ryle, 1856, Baker Book House, 2007, p. 144

Zion Bible College in Bradford!

We are pleased to welcome the new students moving into Bradford as part of the relocation of Zion Bible College from Barrington, Rhode Island to the historic campus of Bradford College.

Bradford College has a glorious heritage of Christian education dating back to the second great awakening. Ann Hasseltine Judson was educated here. It was next door where the first American Foreign Mission Board was started June 27, 1810. It is a great joy to see this heritage continued by Zion Bible College as they reoccupy the formerly vacant campus. May God greatly bless and prosper them in Christ-centered education and grant them an great and lasting heritage!

We hope we might have some opportunity to serve Zion students and faculty as they relocate to the Haverhill area.

God Bless!
Pastor Paul

A Book as Word Art

I found out about a cool program from Justin Taylor's blog. It's called Wordle. It shows the most prevalent words in any selected text in a collage.

Check out these examples:

The Gospel of John - ESV:


Romans - ESV:



This is one I did from Pilgrim's Progress:


The Psalms in Hebrew:















Great way to capture a book!

Marriage Book Reviews

As you probably can tell, I spent some time at the 9Marks site this morning. Lots of great articles, reviews and excellent biblical discernment. A number of folks have asked me about recommended books for marriage. My personal favorites are "When Sinner's Say 'I Do'" by Dave Harvey, "Sex, Romance and the Glory of God" by CJ Mahaney and "Love that Lasts" by Gary and Betsy Ricucci. I also think every husband needs a kick in the pants type book. "Reforming Marriage" by Douglas Wilson helped me that way.

Check out the comparison chart to learn the strengths and weaknesses of select marriage books.


Check out the full 9Marks article with reviews here.

30 Practical Ways For Pastors to Love Their Wives & Families

I got this from the 9Marks Website – great stuff for pastors and for any husband. I was very affected, freshly convicted and graciously inspired by this excellent list. Enjoy!

30 Practical Ways For Pastors to Love Their Wives & Families

Compiled by several pastors

The demands of pastoral ministry can be tough on the pastor’s wife and family. Not only do they tempt him to neglect his family, they can leave him void of good, creative, meaningful ideas on how to love and serve them.

Pastor, we cannot help you with the temptation to neglect them, other than exhort you to flee this temptation—Christ hasn’t neglected you, has he?! But perhaps we can help you with several practical ideas to help motivate you to love and serve your wife and children more effectively. Here they are:

IN RELATION TO YOUR FAMILY...

1. Take the initiative and establish a plan for family worship. Then follow the plan! (Don Whitney encourages “brevity, regularity, and flexibility” in family worship.)

2. Come home at the exact time you say you will be home; and prepare your heart to serve your family, not be served.

3. Take responsibility for your children’s education and discipline—don’t leave it to your wife to figure out.

4. Share with your wife and kids some of the good things that are going on in the church, and then thank them for helping to make that possible.

5. Use every hour of your vacation time. And take a vacation that does not involve extended family; restrict it to just your wife and kids.

6. Take a two week vacation.

7. Diligently guard your days off.

8. There are times when it seems like you have to choose whether to be a good dad/husband or a good pastor. Good pastors choose to be good dad/husbands.

IN RELATION TO YOUR WIFE…

9. Get up early and have your quiet time, so that you can take the kids in the morning while your wife has her quiet time.

10. Give her flowers and a hand written card when she least expects it.

11. Regularly schedule a date night and take the initiative on logistics, i.e. organize the baby-sitter, make reservations, and have a plan.

12. Make sure you know her favorite restaurant, meal, flowers, ice cream flavor, and movie.

13. Schedule a weekly time where you watch the kids and your wife gets out to do whatever she wants—not errands. When you can, give her a whole day off from the kids.

14. Decide together with your wife how many evenings you will be gone and honor what has been agreed upon.

15. On Sundays, leave for church a few minutes early to stop and get your wife her favorite coffee drink.

16. Ask your wife over a romantic dinner areas she wants to see you improve.

17. Take your wife to an encouraging conference.

18. Plan regular out-of-town personal retreats for just you and her. Plan time on your retreat to write down all the evidences of grace you see in one another’s lives and then share them with one another. Later, spend time writing down your hopes for ways you want to grow as husband and father over the coming year (she doing the same for herself) and then share them with one another.

19. Respect and seek her opinion on things concerning the church.

20. Go for long walks.

IN RELATION TO YOUR CHILDREN…

21. Have deliberate one-on-one time weekly with each of your children, probably to include playing, reading scripture, or praying.

22. Date your daughters.

23. Leave the church at church so dad can be dad at home.

24. Take a child with you on visits or short term trips.

25. Ask your children questions that allow you to shepherd their hearts, such as these (these questions were posted by Justin Taylor, and were originally devised by Pastor Rich Gamache of Sovereign Grace Fellowship)

* In your own words, what is the gospel?

* Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that you need my help defeating?

* Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?

* What’s daddy most passionate about?

* Do I act the same at church as I do when I’m at home?

* Are you aware of my love for you?

* Is there any way I’ve sinned against you that I’ve not repented of?

* Do you have any observations for me?

* How am I doing as a dad?

* How have Sunday’s sermons impacted you?

* Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?

* (On top of these things, with my older kids, I’m always inquiring about their relationship with their friends and making sure God and his gospel are the center of those relationship. And I look for every opportunity to praise their mother and increase their appreciation and love for her.)

26. Take an interest in what your children enjoy doing.

27. Read to them. Buy books they will enjoy. Take them to the library.

28. Sing with them.

29. Pray for them and with them.

30. Be careful not to put them in the spotlight at church (stop using them for every other sermon illustration!).

Contributors (all pastors): Bret Capranica (San Jacinto, CA), Brian Croft (Louisville, KY), Bob Johnson (Roseville, MI), Michael Lawrence (Washington, DC), Mike McKinley (Sterling, VA), Deepak Reju (Washington, DC), and Jeramie Rinne (Hingham, MA)

© 9Marks

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: © 9Marks. Website: www.9Marks.org. Email: info@9marks.org. Toll Free: (888) 543-1030.

ESV Study Bible

Hey guys,

I am very excited about the new ESV Study Bible coming out in October. This should be a study bible to keep for a lifetime. Not only is it based on a translation we have come to know and thoroughly enjoy but is now adds the following features and more:

• Over 20,000 notes.
• Over 50 articles aimed at key topics
• 200 color charts.
• Many new illustrations.
• Access to the free online ESV Study Bible.
• Contributions from 95 respected evangelical scholars including Andreas J. Köstenberger , Barry G. Webb , Bruce Ware, C. John Collins, Daniel B. Wallace, Darrell Bock, David Powlison, Doug Oss , Frank Thielman , Gordon Hugenberger, Gordon Wenham, Grant Osborne , Iain Duguid , J. I. Packer, John Piper, Leland Ryken, Mark Dever, Marvin R. Wilson, Peter Gentry, R. Kent Hughes, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr, Scott Hafemann , Thomas R. Schreiner, Timothy Tennent, Vern Poythress, Walter C. Kaiser & Wayne Grudem.

Check out these sample pages:

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

If you like it, you can pre-order. There is a special deal for Sovereign Grace Ministries folks.

Check it out and enjoy!

Serving the Church Overseas

We showed a video at church this Sunday on the work of "Gospel Translations".

Gospel Translations is working as a team using a "wiki" approach in translating many excellent biblical and theological works from English into a growing list of languages including Armenian, Boko, Cebuano, Chinese, Dutch, Ewe, French, German, Hungarian, Igbo, Korean, Luo, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu & Yoruba!

This is so exciting! What a wonderful opportunitiy to serve our brothers and sisters in the rest of the world with the excellent resources we all enjoy!

Check out their introductory video here:

The Glorious Ones

"As for the saints in the land, they are the glorious ones, in whom is all my delight." Psalm 16:3 (NIV)

Over the past month and a half I have been away from my office almost 14 days and I have been out of the King of Grace pulpit three Sundays. I am experiencing the "Rip Van Winkle" syndrome. Rip Van Winkle was away for 20 years (due to a very long nap) and returned home to find himself very confused and disconnected from the community and family once very familiar to him. I feel a bit like Rip some times after being away from home.

There is no better place to be in the whole world than around God’s precious people, particularly the ones you're called to as part of a local church family. They truly are the excellent ones. They are chosen ones so precious to God that he gave His Son for them. They are the regenerate ones, washed in the precious blood of Christ, counted righteous in the perfect God-man. They are the glorious ones who share in the Holy Spirit and eternal life. They are the ruling ones who will reign over all creation under Christ in the new heaven and earth. They are the lovely ones full of the love of Christ. They are my brothers and sisters and my friends. They are knit together with me by love into this local church body.

The rich and famous of this world have nothing on these folks. The leaders of the world don't compare to them. They are indeed God’s rich and famous. And to be around them is my amazing privilege.

I’m glad to be back home

My church family at a fireside gathering.

It's Only Just Begun

When the betrothed one is married to her beloved, the wedding day is not the end of it all; the putting on of the ring is the beginning, not the end. And so, when we believe in Jesus, we are saved, but we must not idly feel that "it is all done now." No, it has only begun. The life of dependence, the life of faith, the life of obedience, the life of love, the life of union has now begun, and it is to be continued forever.

Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892 via Jeff Haavisto

Gospel-Centered Parenting

I spoke at Grace Community Church this past Sunday. My good friend and overseeing pastor, Aron Osborne is the Senior Pastor of this church. They’ve invited me to share on “Parenting Teens: An Epic Adventure in Gospel-Centered Living”. This is certainly an area in which I have much to learn! I was glad to serve them by speaking on this topic. You can access the message here.

Preparing for this message brought fresh conviction on some areas I need to grow in as a parent. Peg and I have been discussing them and bringing some course corrections to our parenting. Thank God for fresh conviction and instruction from His word!

My preparation also made me aware that there are folks who are hungry for good gospel-centered parenting instruction and examples. So I put together a short list of resources. Please check them out and enjoy the life-changing fruit that God will give you as you depend on him in applying these truths!

God Bless,
Paul

1. Age of Opportunity – A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens – Paul Tripp
2. Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Tedd Tripp
3. Parents, Teens, and Reasonable Expectations – Grant Layman
4. Gospel- Centered Parenting – CJ Mahaney
5. Gospel Centered Parenting on the Web – Numerous Resources Here!

Expulsive Power of a New Affection

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

"A moralist will be unsuccessful in trying to displace his love of the world by reviewing the ills of the world. Misplaced affections need to be replaced by the far greater power of the affection of the gospel."

Taken from the sermon The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by Thomas Chalmers 1780-1847 via Jeff Haavisto

Take a look at this excellent truth expounded in Thomas Chalmers sermon. Understanding this will change your pursuit of Christlikeness!

God Bless,
Paul

Together for the Gospel

Well, we had a fantastic week at Together for the Gospel 08. Thank God for this wonderful conference, the men who lead it and the 5000+ church leaders who participated in it.

Jeff Haavisto, Phil Lowther, Chris Knowles and I attended and were very encouraged by the excellent teaching, fantastic fellowship and wonderful corporate worship. We came back really jazzed. May God prosper us in these truths to give away what we received!

Bottom line lesson for me: By God's Grace Keep the Gospel Pure and It Will Keep Us for God, His People and His Purposes in love, joy and all the fruit of the Spirit.

Check out the messages here:

T4G 2008

Tuesday April 15 - Thursday April 17, 2008
Kentucky International Convention Center | Louisville, KY

Session I Ligon Duncan - Sound Doctrine – Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry | Play Now|Download

Session II Thabiti Anyabwile - Bearing the Image: Identity, the Work of Christ, and the Church | Play Now | Download

Session III John MacArthur - The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability | Play Now | Download

Session IV Mark Dever - Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology | Play Now | Download

Session V RC Sproul - The Curse Motif of the Atonement | Play Now | Download

Session VI Albert Mohler - Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution | Play Now | Download

Session VII John Piper - How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice | Play Now | Download

Session VIII CJ Mahaney - Sustaining a Pastor's Soul | Play Now | Download | |

The Insanity of Doubt

What I am telling you is that it easier for us humans to believe and trust in everything else than in the man Christ, who alone is all in all, and more difficult for us to rely on Him in whom and through whom we possess all things.

Taken from the sermon that Martin Luther preached on the fourth Sunday in Advent 1532 from my friend Jeff Haavisto

A Reader's Hebrew Bible

Zondervan has come out with a Readers Hebrew Bible. I plan to get one asap. Check out this post from Justin Taylor on this:

Here's some more information (and an offer at the end):

Ideal for Hebrew students and pastors, A Reader’s Hebrew Bible saves time and effort in studying the Hebrew Old Testament. By eliminating the need to look up definitions, the footnotes allow the user to read the Hebrew and Aramaic text more quickly, focusing on parsing and grammatical issues. A Reader’s Hebrew Bible offers the following features:

• Complete text of the Hebrew and Aramaic Bible using the Leningrad Codex (minus critical apparatus)
• Shaded Hebrew names that occur less than 100 times
• Footnoted definitions of all Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less (twenty-five or less for Aramaic words)
• Context-specific glosses
• Stem-specific glossed definitions for verb forms (Qal, Piel, Hiphil, and so forth)
• Ketib/Qere readings both noted in the text and differentiated appropriately
• Marker ribbon

Featuring a handsome Italian Duo-Tone™ binding, A Reader’s Hebrew Bible is a practical, attractive, and surprisingly affordable resource.

Page Count: 1680

Size: 7.2 wide x 9.9 high x 2.1 deep in. | 183 wide x 251 high x deep 53 mm
Weight: 3.26 lb | 1477 gms

Available: March, 2008
Publisher: Zondervan

To see some sample pages, click here.

And here's an offer from Zondervan for readers of this blog: they will send a complimentary copy ($49.99 retail) to the first five people who (1) post a link to the Amazon page for A Reader's Hebrew Bible, (2) agree to write a blog review about the book after receiving it, and (3) email chris (dot) fann (at) zondervan (dot) com.

How Do New Englanders Come to Christ?

Check out this information via the Baptist Convention of New England and VNE:

Vision New England has recently conducted a study on how people come to faith in Christ in New England.

Pastors were contacted for names of recent adult converts in their congregations. About 200 recent converts were contacted and agreed to a ten minute questionnaire. These people had all been Christians for two years or less. This study has much interesting data for reaching New Englanders for Christ.* Here are the top twelve discoveries that were made through the study.

1. The Power of Relationships: 71% of the respondents said that a caring Christian was the most important factor in their coming to faith in Christ.

2. Conversion Process: 86% said they came to faith in Christ over a period of time. 32% took several months to a year, and 54% took several years. Only 14% responded to a one time presentation of the gospel.

3. God is Reaching All Generations with the Gospel: all age groups were represented in the survey: GenY - 21%; GenX - 36%; Boomers - 34%; Seniors - 9%.

4. A Major Disconnect: 80% of New England churches say evangelism is one of their top three priorities, yet only 2% of churches show ongoing adult conversions.

5. Church Service: going to church (63%) is second only to personal relationships in the process of conversion. This is especially true in smaller churches. 49% said meeting with the pastor was key; 45% said a class for adults was a strong factor; and 43% said coming to church with a need or a crisis was the turning point for them.

6. Alpha's New England Impact: 28% of new converts said they were reached through the Alpha course. This Bible study course has had a tremendous impact in New England.

7. Effectiveness of Classic Approaches: Only 14% of converts came to faith in a one time gospel presentation approach. It seems that "confrontational evangelism" approaches are not as effective in New England as "relational evangelsm."

8. Educational and Economic Factors: these do not seem to be a factor. People from all economic and educational levels are coming to Christ.

9. Church Involvement of Converts: 77% of new converts report attending church at least four times a month. Only 23% say they attend less than four times a month.

10. Mercy Ministries Help Hurting Find Christ: a life crisis softens the hearts of the lost and opens them to the gospel. Church ministries to hurting people help them come to Christ.

11. The Pastor's Role is Critical: a church will not develop a culture of reaching out to the lost without the pastor's leadership. He leads the way in developing personal relationships and by providing an example.

12. Spiritual Seekers: a group of respondents indicated that they were simply searching for something. This group represents all demographic levels. Even if a person has had a negative experience with church, he/she may be open to a friendship that will enhance his/her spiritual search.

*You are encouraged to purchase the full study from Vision New England by calling 978-929-9800, or by e-mailing info@VisionNewEngland.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The cost is $10.00.

Faith and Joy

Just as Abraham. in pure and strong faith, laughed for joy, so too, Mary and Joseph marveled, not from unbelief but with mighty faith and uncommon understanding. That is the unique nature of faith, that the firmer one believes, the more one marvels and the happier one is. In contrast, when faith is absent, there is neither joy nor enthusiasm.

Martin Luther from a sermon preached on the first Sunday after Christmas in 1531from Jeff Haavisto, King of Grace Church

Promises for a Repentant Sinner

The repenting sinner can go to God with boldness in prayer and look upon him not as a judge, but as a father. He is "born of God" and is heir to a kingdom (Luke 6:20). He is encircled with promises. He no sooner shakes the tree of the promise but some fruit falls.

Taken from the book The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson 1668 from Jeff Haavisto, King of Grace Church

Those That Live with a Broken Heart

I have heard of people dying of a broken heart, but I always bless God when I meet those that live with a broken heart, because it is written, "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalms 51:17).

If you have that broken heart within you, beloved, Christ came to cure you; and He will do it, for He never came in vain. "He shall not fail nor be discouraged" (Isaiah 42:4).

With sovereign power, anointed from on high, He watches for the worst cases. Heart disease, incurable by man, is His speciality! His gospel touches the root of the soul's illness, the mischief that dwells in that place from which all the issues of life spring Prov. 4:23).

Taken from the book God Loves You by Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892 from Jeff Haavisto, King of Grace Church

Be Often Among the Godly

Be often among the godly. They are the salt of the earth, and will help to season you. Their counsel may direct, their prayers may enliven you. Such holy sparks may be thrown into your breasts as may kindle devotion in you. It is good to be among the saints to learn the trade of godliness: "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise"(Prov 13:20).

Taken from the book The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson 1666 from Jeff Haavisto, King of Grace Church

Checkmate!

The following is an excerpt from Derek Tidball's 'The Message of the Cross' appropriate for Easter week. Enjoy!

Jeremiah Wright tells about a group of tourists who visit a London gallery and view a painting entitled 'Checkmate.' In it, Faust's king is held in checkmate by Mephistopheles. The group continue their tour of the gallery without noticing that they left one of their number behind. This man paces back and forth in front of the picture. Two corridors later the peace of the gallery is shattered as they hear their forgotten companion cry, 'It's a lie! It's a lie! The king has another move!' The masn was a Russian international chess champion and could see the move others had failed to notice. Wright comments, 'And the same thing is true when it comes to the King of kings. The King always has another move.'
That was certainly true when the King of kings died on the cross. His next move, his resurrection, vindicated him; and a further move will follow when one day he comes on the clouds of heaven so that all may see his final vindication.[1]

Our King has checkmated sin, death and Satan and won the game for all his people!

Happy Resurrection Day!

---

[1] Derek Tidball, “The Message of the Cross”, Inter-Varsity Press, 2001, p. 144

Here is a great resource for growing in loving the lost and proclaiming Christ boldly!



We will be starting this course in our small groups this month!

Thanks Proclaim Course friends!!

A Plea to Be Bold

Thom Rainer's book, "The Unchurched Next Door" addresses our need to be unashamed of the gospel and to build bridges of genuine friendship. Check out this plea to be unashamed from a recent convert.(see my previous post to understand the U4 designation.)

Hey Thom, I just finished reading the material on the U4’s. Boy, could I identify with those people. I was probably aU4 just about five years ago. I never was antagonistic toward the church and Christians, but I was resistant to anyone trying to convert me.

I look back on those years, and the best way I can describe it was that it was a time of fog. I didn’t think or see much clearly in those days. Most of the time religious matters were not at the top of my agenda, but they were kind of hanging in my conscience. I guess the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention.

The most amazing thing about that period is that I can’t recall one person over several years who ever said anything to me about Jesus or even the church. I had Christian neighbors who never opened their mouths. I had Christian coworkers just two offices down from mine. Never a word from them.

Looking back now, I think I would have welcomed a word from a Christian. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was hurting deep inside. And I probably would have put on some act of bravado to let people know I didn’t need God as a crutch. But I still would have loved to have heard something from a Christian.

I guess I moved to a more neutral position, what you call a U3, after watching a Billy Graham crusade on television. I bet if someone invited me to church then I would have gone. You know the rest of the story. I finally visited a dynamic church in town and became even more receptive to the gospel. Finally someone from the church asked me to lunch. Mike, who is now my best friend, shared with me how to accept Christ. A few months later I did pray to receive Christ.

But do hear what I am saying. I had to go to a church before someone talked to me one-on-one! For the first 42 years of my life, on one witnessed to me or invited me to church. I pray that I will never make that mistake. You know, the mistake of keeping my mouth shut. No, it’s more than a mistake, it’s a sin.

Thom, I pray that your next book will be used of god to open some mouths that are sinfully shut. If I had to depend on most Christians in America for hearing the good news, I guess I would still be hell bound. Please let your readers know that most of the unchurched people out there would welcome a word from a Christian. Please tell them before it’s too late.

May God fill us with love for Christ and others that overcomes our fear! God grant us your boldness and wisdom to share!

Afraid of the Unchurched?

Thom Rainer has written a number of very helpful and encouraging books. One that is impacting my life is "The Unchurched Next Door". In this book Thom categorizes unchurched folks in five categories, U1-U5, depending on their receptivity to things of Christ. They conducted 306 interviews with folks from diverse backgrounds. Here is the breakdown:

Level	Attitude Towards Christianity	Percentage
U5	"Antagonistic"	5%
U4	"Resistant"	21%
U3	"Neutral"	36%
U2	"Friendly"	27%
U1	"Very Friendly"	11%

One key result was that of all the folks interviewed 82% said they would visit church if a friend invited them. Wow! I often see it the other way around, thinking 82% of folks would refuse to be my friend anymore if I invited them to church. Have you ever thought that way? I think we need help!

Christ and Culture

I listened to a message by Tim Keller entitled "Being the Church in Our Culture." I was very blessed and encouraged by Tim's understanding and heart to be the church and influence the culture for the kingdom of God. Drawing from Matthew 5:16 he urged us to be fully engaged in our culture modeling the life of Christ and his kingdom through our vocations, gifts, friendships and entire lifestyle. Certainly we are called to do this for the glory of Christ, for our joy in Him and for the good of the church. But living under the King in all aspects of life and culture also has a profound evangelistic effect. Check out Dr. Keller's quote:

"Non Christians need to see Christians who so inhabit their city and so inhabit their neighborhood and so inhabit their profession so that by looking at them they have a picture of what they would be like if they were Christians. ..... They want to see people who are smart as they are, as saavy as they are and yet different, really different, a lot happier, a lot more thoughtful, a lot less selfish, see, they've got to see themselves and yet not see themselves. In other words the Christian church has got to be a dynamic counter culture, it's got to be an alternate city, it's got to show the rest of the city what they would look like if Jesus were Lord." - Tim Keller

May we so live by the gospel and so appeal to the lost that they see in us what it looks like to be a follower of Christ in their world and are compelled to follow too!

The Wine of Joy in Jesus

We are looking at Jesus' miracle at Cana of turning water into wine this Sunday. It made me think of the wonderful inheritance we have in him. All who belong to Christ partake of the wine of joy he supplies! Check out Sarah Edwards account of such joy during a wonderful season in her life. Remember, right now it is even better for Sarah than she experienced during that time! The same and better is in store for all of us in Christ! See you at the great wedding feast!

"The word of one of Mr. Watt's Hosannas powerfully affected me; and in the course of the conversation, I uttered them as the real language of my heart with great earnestness and emotion. 'Hosanna to King David's Son, Who reigns on a superior throne.' And while I was uttering the words, my mind was so deeply impressed with the love of Christ and a sense of His immediate presence that I could with difficulty refrain from rising from my seat and leaping for joy. I continued to enjoy this intense and lively and refreshing sense of divine things, accompanied with strong emotions for nearly an hour; after which, I experienced a delightful calm and peace and rest in God until I retired for the night; and during the night, both waking and sleeping, I had joyful views of divine things, and a complacent rest of soul in God. " [1]

[1] excerpt from Dwight, Sereno. The Works of President Edwards: With a Memoir of His Life. Vol. I. New York: G. & C. & H. Carvill. 1830. 171-186. also see "Memoirs of Eminently Pious Women of Britain and America" by David Francis Bacon, p. 313 available at google books.

The Center of Our Orbit

Let us aim at greater simplicity in our own personal religion. Let Christ and His person be the sun of our system, and let the main desire of our souls be to live the life of faith in Him, and daily know Him better. This was St. Paul's Christianity. "To me to live is Christ." (Phillipians 1:21).

Taken from the book Expository Thoughts on the Gospels by J.C. Ryle 1856

A great quote. Thanks Jeff! May we keep the Son at the center of all other orbits! Often heresy or distorted Christianity is merely shifting the center from Christ himself to some aspect of doctrine that is mean to point to Christ not itself.

Study the Word!

Study therefore, oh, study the Scriptures much, for thus the Lord will pour wine and oil into your bleeding wounds, and in due time you will say as David did, "In the multitude of my thoughts, O Lord, thy comforts have comforted my soul," (Psalms 94:19).

Taken from the book A Lifting Up For The Downcast by William Bridge 1649

Desperate for Grace

Another good one from Jeff:

There is enough within your soul, O Christian, though you are one of the best of saints, to destroy you in an hour unless the grace of God guards you and keeps your passions in check, and prevents your stubborn will from asserting its own rebellious determinations.

Taken from the book God Loves You by Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892

His Name Means Savior

Another quote via my friend, Jeff....

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

The name Jesus means "Savior." ...It is given to our Lord because "He saves His people from their sins."...He saves them from the guilt of sin, by washing them in His own atoning blood. He saves them from the dominion of sin, by putting in their hearts the sanctifying Spirit. He saves them from the presence of sin, when He takes them out of this world to rest with Him. He will save them from all the consequences of sin, when He shall give them a glorious body at the last day.

Taken from the book Expository Thoughts on the Gospels by J.C. Ryle 1856

Mortification of Sin

Another quote from a Puritan father via my friend Jeff Haavisto:

"The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business, all their days, to mortify the indwelling power of sin. (Romans 8:13)"

Taken from the book The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 1656

Advent Bible Readings

There are a number of places you can find bible readings for the advent season. After searching around for a list that was concise and meaningful I found the following at teachingmom.com. I think it is very good and I hope it serves you as you prepare your heart to celebrate the birth of the King!

Thoughts from the Puritan Fathers

Once again, sorry for my lapse in blogging. As you may imagine it is a lower priority for me among the many facets of life as a husband, dad and pastor.

Anyhow, I thought I would start to feature some of the many quotes my friend Jeff Haavisto regularly sends me from his readings. Here are five posts from John Flavel. Enjoy!

The remembrance of former providences will minister to your souls continual matter of praise and thanksgiving, which is the very employment of the angels in heaven, and the sweetest part of our lives on earth.

There are five things belonging to the praise of God, and all of them have relation to His providences exercised in us:

1) A careful observation of the mercies we receive from Him (Isa. 41:17-20). This is fundamental to all praise. God cannot be glorified for the mercies we never noted.

2) A faithful remembrance of the favours received. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (Psalms 103:2). Hence the Lord brands the ingratitude of His people, "They soon forgot His works" (Psalms 106:13).

3) A due appreciation and valuation of every providence that does us good (1 Sam. 12:24). That providence that fed them in the wilderness with manna was a most remarkable providence to them; but since they did not value it at its worth, God had not that praise for it which He expected (Num. 11:6).

4) The stirring up of all the faculties and powers of the soul in the acknowledgement of these mercies to us. Thus David: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless his holy name” (Psalms 103:1). Soul-praise is the very soul of praise: this is the very fat and marrow of that thank-offering.

5) A suitable recompense for the mercies received. This David was careful about (Psalms 116:1). And the Lord taxes good Hezekiah for the neglect of it (2 Cor. 32:24-25). This consists in a full and hearty resignation to Him of all that we have received by providence from Him, and in our willingness actually to part with all for Him when He shall require it.

Taken from the book The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel 1678

Thanks Jeff!

John Newton's Calvinism

I was meditating on James 3:13-18 today. It speaks of recognizing Godly wisdom versus worldly wisdom with a particular application to teachers (see context ie James 3:1.) Check it out:

"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. "

James 3:13-18 (ESV)

As I thought of the qualities of Godly wisdom versus worldly wisdom in this passage I thought of John Newton, the 18th Century pastor, theologian and hymn writer who displayed the meekness and purity of Godly wisdom James talks especially in how he held his "Calvinism"¹.


Check out this quote:

“I believe a too hasty assent to Calvinistic principles, before a person is duly acquainted with the plague of his own heart, is one principal cause of that lightness of profession which so lamentably abounds in this day, a chief reason why many professors are rash, heady, high-minded, contentious about words, and sadly remiss as to the means of Divine appointment [they deny means of grace]. For this reason, I suppose, though I never preach a sermon in which the tincture of Calvinism man not be easily discerned by a judicious hearer, yet I very seldom insist expressly upon those points, unless they fairly and necessarily lie in my way.” ²

I want to hold and live out truth with the same humility, sober self-examination and gracious God-centered intent! Oh God, help me to avoid arrogance masquerading as doctrinal discernment and measure my orthodoxy by gentle and gracious Christlikeness according to James 3:13-18.


1. Calvinism, simply put, is the conviction, derived from the bible, that God is the ultimate source and final reason for our salvation in Christ.
2. John Newton as quoted by Josiah Bull in BUT NOW I SEE, Josiah Bull, Banner of Truth Trust, 1868 & 1998, p. 212-213.

Grieving the Holy Spirit and GameCube

I was reviewing my notes from Communion with God and came across this quote:

“We can also grieve the Holy Spirit in his work as Comforter. As Comforter, the Spirit seals us, anoints us, establishes us and gives us peace and joy. We grieve the Holy Spirit, firstly by placing our comforts and joys in other things and not being filled with joy in the Holy Spirit.” John Owen¹

I was challenged to consider how I recreate and relax and whether some of my pursuits may grieve the Spirit, not because they are high-handed sin, but because I pursue them apart from fellowship with the Spirit. The extra time on GameCube last night didn't seem to be fellowship with God but trying to get to the next level in the game. Oh God, help me to always walk close to you in all things - even GameCube!

May you know joyful fellowship with the Holy Spirit in all your pursuits today!

God Bless,
Paul




1. John Owen, Communion with God, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991, p. 114

My Team??

I have been a Patriot’s fan my whole life. I even had a shirt as a kid with “Boston Patriots” on it. I played linebacker and guard in high school cheering for my heroes, 3 time Pro-Bowler Steve Nelson and Hall-of-Famer John Hannah.

I have celebrated all the recent success along with so many other Pats fans - three Superbowls, a team famous for teamwork more than individual stardom, the amazing comeback of Tedy Bruschi and one of the best coached teams ever.

I think it is entirely appropriate for us to enjoy sports and celebrate God's common grace on display through athletics. As part of this reality, I believe we love to cheer for teams not merely because they are athletically gifted but because they represent something greater than just raw talent. We love to cheer for teams because they represent God-given virtue. We love teams that represent honest hard work, selflessness, teamwork, tenacity, innovation and success. Take away these virtues and there is less to cheer about. I have particularly enjoyed the Patriots because until recently they seemed to embody the best of these qualities in professional sports.

The recent “Videogate” scandal along with Rodney Harrison’s suspension for HGH use puts a serious damper on my enthusiasm for the team. Owner Bob Kraft has stated, “We have spent 14 years developing and building a franchise that people could embrace and support. The loyalty of our fans has been the most rewarding aspect of owning the team. I am deeply disappointed that the embarrassing events of this past week may cause some people to see our team in a different light.” This has certainly been true for me.

Let’s hope that the organization will recommit themselves to something even more important than winning games. Let’s hope they recommit themselves to being a team that through integrity and virtue wins our loyalty, respect and enthusiasm once again.


Photo courtesy www.sportsposterwarehouse.com

The Flaw of the Excluded Middle

    I have been recently reading a book given to me by a friend on evangelism. In it the author points to an article by the late missiologist Paul Hiebert entitled “The Flaw of the Excluded Middle”. The article is about how people live life at three levels.

    The bottom level involves those aspects of life directly encountered with the senses. At this level we plant and harvest crops, build homes, take out the garbage, fix broken stuff and other seemingly simple things.

    The top level deals with those things which are beyond what the mere senses can grasp, the things that are transcendant such as the meaning of life, destiny, true beauty and the infinite nature of God.

    The middle level is that between the bottom and the top where we deal with more immediate yet still profound questions to do with the past, the present and the near future. Things like accidents, tragedies, serendipitous discoveries and unexpected turns of events occupy the middle and it is here that much of life is interpreted and experienced.

    Many people experience their Christianity in the top level but not in the middle or bottom level. Heibert himself found this to be a challenge in his work in missions in India. He found that professing believers would often turn to shamans and luck charms when it came to dealing with life in "the excluded middle." I have found it a challenge at times in my own life to experience God in "the excluded middle." "Can I really trust God to provide for my children's college education?" "Will I be able to perform well in my vocation over the long haul?" "Will I have to endure this arthritic knee and locking shoulder for the rest of my life?" "Why do I feel depressed in the morning so often and how can I change?" Do you identify? I don't think I'm alone.

    Yet, the testimony of scripture is that God is present in the bottom, the top and the middle and calls us to invite him to bring the experience of salvation and the truth of the gospel into every level of life. His word is replete with this invitation both implicitly and explicitly.

Psalm 139 says,
“ ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.”

And Mt. 28:20 - “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age!” .

And the cry of the Seraphim in Isaiah 6:3 -
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
(note - the whole earth, not just the transcendent!)

    So much of the exhortations in scripture that flow from the context of the grace of God have all three tiers in mind. Take a look at Ephesians and watch how Paul masterfully blends the transcendent with the seemingly mundane and everything in between. The celebration of the glorious grace of God, his eternal decree in election and the revealing of his great mystery in Christ flows into the call to practically love and enjoy our church, our families, our spouse, our employees in every aspect of life. All of life is to be worship and the experience of God.

    I have found two things to be very helpful in this – remembering the gospel & prayer. In every situation and challenge I am learning to ask “What does the gospel say about this?” "Do I need to apply the forgiveness purchased by Christ's atonement?" "Is their a promise inherent in the gospel that I must cling to?" "Is their a truth about God and myself from the gospel which I must understand?" There are a number of these sort of “gospel questions” we can ask. I recommend Mike Bullmore’s article and teaching entitled, “Applying the Gospel to All of Life” to get a more complete picture of this.

    And the other thing is prayer – learning to take all things – whether issues at the bottom, middle or top of life and bringing them before our ever near God in prayer, crying out to him and depending on him, seeking his presence. As I have been able to do these two practices, with the help of the Holy Spirit and those around me, I have been able to avoid living life without God in the normally, “excluded middle.”

Hope this helps!

God Bless,
Paul

Summer Has Ended (more or less)

Hey everyone,

Haven't posted in a while - sorry. But, you can catch some of our Sunday messages at http://www.kingofgrace.org/sundaymessagetable.htm . I am very excited about our current series in James. Thank God for this wonderful book!

I hope to post some more soon. For now, here are some pictures of our summer - we had a very full summer. But, we are looking forward to starting our year and enjoying early fall here!

God Bless!


We had a wonderful summer of ministry including a great VBS in early July!


And a youth outreach team visit in early June! (also two youth conferences in Aug!!)

Enjoyed lots of times with friends - here with the Rosses in the mountains, Mid July 07



Caleb went to Worldview Academy July 07
some crazy cliff jumping near Mt. Washington, NH - mid July 07


The biggest pickerel I've ever caught! mid July 07


Celebrating Mary's birthday at Canoby Lake Park, late Jul 07

And a new member of the family, Lilly the kitten - late Jul 07


As always, lots of time at the beach 20 minutes away - mid Aug 07


Hanging out in Plymouth with our long-time friends, the Gordons. Aug 07


Tubing on the Merrimack with the Benvenutis - late Aug 07


The end of a wonderful afternoon on the Merrimack with the Benvenutis late Aug 07


And now for September with all its blessings!

What is Walking?

(This is the 3rd part in a series on King of Grace's mission statement:

       Wholeheartedly loving God and one another
        by Worshiping, Witnessing and Walking in
        the good news of Jesus Christ for all of life.)

Walking is an image the bible uses to portray am ongoing action of relating to someone or something. In Genesis 5 & 6 the patriarchs are described as "walking with God." Later, in the New Testament, we are exhorted to "walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:4 ESV), and "as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him," (Colossians 2:6 et al.) Furthermore, the bible teaches us that our walk is not an individualized walk, but a walk with Jesus Christ together with the people of God. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7 ESV)

So for us, walking is a convenient word that portrays the call of God to walk with him as a corporate people - as his church. Our walking with God together involves connecting with the church family & building relationally around the good news of Christ, growing together in Christ likeness, caring for one another according to our different needs and with our various gifts, and serving together in our church and in our community and beyond.

Please come and visit us and check out what we mean by walking with God together.