A Prayer Gem of Spurgeon

This prayer of Spurgeon was a particular blessing and challenge to me this morning.

O GOD! we would not speak to Thee as from a distance, nor stand like trembling Israel under the law at a distance from the burning mount, for we have not come unto Mount Sinai, but unto Mount Sion, and that is a place for holy joy and thankfulness, and not for terror and bondage. Blessed be Thy name, O Lord! We have learnt to call Thee "Our Father, which art in heaven"; so there is reverence, for Thou art in heaven; but there is sweet familiarity, for Thou art our Father.

We would draw very near to Thee now through Jesus Christ the Mediator, and we would make bold to speak to Thee as a man speaketh with his friend, for hast Thou not said by Thy Spirit, "Let us come boldly unto the throne of the heavenly grace." We might well start away and flee from Thy face if we only remembered our sinfulness. Lord! we do remember it with shame and sorrow; we are grieved to think we should have offended Thee, should have neglected so long Thy sweet love and tender mercy; but we have now returned unto the "shepherd and bishop of our souls." Led by such grace, we look to Him whom we crucified, and we have mourned for
Him and then have mourned for our sin.

Now, Lord, we confess our guilt before Thee with tenderness of heart, and we pray Thee seal home to every believer here that full and free, that perfect and irreversible charter of forgiveness which Thou gavest to all them that put their trust in Jesus Christ. Lord! Thou hast said it: "If we confess our sins, Thou art merciful and just to forgive us our sins and to save us from all unrighteousness." There is the sin confessed: there is the ransom accepted: we therefore know we have peace with God, and we bless that glorious one who hath come "to finish transgression, to make an end of sin," to bring in everlasting righteousness, which righteousness by faith we take unto ourselves and Thou dost impute, unto us.

Now, Lord, wilt Thou be pleased to cause all Thy children's hearts to dance within them for joy? Oh! help Thy people to come to Jesus again today. May we be looking unto Him today as we did at the first. May we never take off our eyes from His Divine person, from His infinite merit, from His finished work, from His living power, or from the expectancy of His speedy coming to "judge the world in righteousness and the peoplewith His truth."

Bless all Thy people with some special gift, and if we might make a choice of one it would be this: "Quicken us, O Lord, according to Thy Word." We have life; give it to us more abundantly. Oh, that we might have so much life that out of the midst of us there might flow rivers of living water. The Lord make us useful. Do, dear Savior, use the very least among us; take the one talent and let it be put out to interest for the great Father. May it please Thee to show each one of us what Thou wouldest have us to do. In our families, in our business, in the walks of ordinary life may we be serving the Lord, and may we often speak a word for His name, and help in some way to scatter the light amongst the ever-growing darkness; and ere we go hence may we have sown some seed which we shall bring with us on our shoulders in the form of sheaves of blessing.

O God! bless our Sunday schools, and give a greater interest in such work, that there may be no lack of men and women who shall be glad and happy in the work of teaching the young. Do impress this, we pray Thee, upon Thy people just now. Move men who have gifts and ability also to preach the Gospel. There are many that live in villages, and there is no gospel preaching near them. Lord! set them preaching themselves. Wilt Thou move some hearts so powerfully that their tongues cannot be quiet any longer, and may they attempt in some way, either personally or by supporting some one, to bring the gospel into dark benighted hamlets that the people may know the truth.

O Lord! stir up the dwellers in this great, great city. Oh! arouse us to the spiritual destitution of the masses O God, help us all by some means, by any means, by every means to get at the ears of men for Christ's sake that so we may reach their hearts. We would send up an exceeding great and bitter cry to Thee on behalf of the millions that: enter no place of worship, but rather violate its sanctity and despise its blessed message. Lord! wake up London, we beseech Thee. Send us another Jonah; send us another John the Baptist. Oh! that the Christ Himself would send forth multitudes of laborers amongst this thick standing corn, for the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. O God! save this city; save this country; save all countries; and let Thy kingdom come; may every knee bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Our most earnest prayers go up to heaven to Thee now for great sinners, for men and women that are polluted and depraved by the filthiest of sins. With sovereign mercy make a raid amongst them. Come and capture some of these that they may become great lovers of Him that shall forgive them, and may they become great champions for the cross.

Lord, look upon the multitudes of rich people in this city that know nothing about the gospel and do not wish to know. Oh! that somehow the poor rich might be rich with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And then, Lord, look upon the multitude of the poor and the working classes that think religion to be a perfectly unnecessary thing for them. Do, by some means we pray Thee, get them to think and bring them to listen that faith may come by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Above all, O Holy Spirit, descend more mightily. Would, God, Thou wouldest flood the land till there should be streams of righteousness; for is there not a promise, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground." Lord, set Thy people praying; stir up the Church to greater prayerfulness.

Now, as Thou hast bidden 'us, we pray for the people among whom we dwell. We pray for those in authority in the land, asking every blessing for the Sovereign, and Thy guidance and direction to the Parliament, Thy benediction to all judges and rulers as also upon the poorest of the poor and the lowest of the low. Lord, bless the people; let the people praise Thee, O God! yea, let all the people praise Thee, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Amen and Amen.

An Appeal to Both "Sides" of Fundamentalism

I have commented before on the state of fundamentalism in my area, but would like to appeal to the wider movement, as I see it. Of course, I will be seeing much of this through the lens of my particular experience in this area, so it might not all fit. There seems to be great debate and battle lines being drawn between the “young fundamentalists” and the “established fundamentalists.” (I will refrain from using the label “old.”) :-) I’ll refer to the groups as “YFs” and “EFs” from here on. (I recognize the limitations of any designation, so please don’t take me to task over these. If you think about it for a bit, you will probably understand what I mean by them.) This post will be name-free, though some will probably put faces to the stories and examples.

I am getting the impression that many of the “EFs” have the idea that the “YFs” are simply rebellious individuals who are questioning widely held beliefs and opinions just for the sake of questioning them and expressing their disapproval of those matters by doing so. They are also characterized as having done no real thinking on the subjects, and having nothing substantive to add to the matters debated. In short, they are not fundamentalists.

On the other hand, many of the “YFs” see the “EFs” as harsh and inflexible, holding beliefs and practices without completely substantive reasons for doing so, unwilling to truly face the objections and questions to those beliefs and practices.

I have seen examples of both. My advice to YFs is essentially what I have posted before, but…YFs—

• We need to check our attitude out. To claim that you are simply responding in kind is the argument of the second-grader on the playground! “He did it first!” Comments disparaging someone because of their hairpiece really have no place in meaningful discussion. Some of us need to grow up!
• We need to check our argumentation out. Is it really responsible? Do we have valid objections against a particular practice? Are our concerns in a matter grounded?
• We need to check our attentiveness out. Are we really hearing what the other side is saying? Are we seriously considering their points? Don’t fall into the same pattern of dismissiveness you may think you see in others. These men usually have done much thinking about and studying of the issues in question. More than some of us are willing to give them credit for.
• We need to check our application out. Do we only have pot-shots and objections, or do we have some idea of where we are going with what we are saying, how we might implement it, and what potential impact such application may have.

EFs (I am not saying that all of you do these things)—

• Please don’t jump to conclusions about our attitude. There are rebels in our number. Not all of us are, though.
• Please don’t try to intimidate us. Intimidation is the province of bullies. We don’t need your resume each time we discuss something. You have degrees and experience in ministry that we do not. Let’s get to the issues.
• Please don’t dismiss our objections and ideas out of hand. Some of our arguments are stupid and flawed. Point that out. However, some of us have done quite a bit of thinking about the issues, the Biblical texts in question, and the application of those texts.
• Please don’t misrepresent us. As I cite this example, I am not stating my personal stand on music. Most of the “YFs” who advocate a more open view of music do not claim musical styles communicate nothing. They claim that what a style of music communicates can be very subjective and may also change with time. By the way, most of us have never even considered “O That Will Be Glory for Me” as a song better suited to the roller skating rink than the choir loft or angelic hosts! :-)
• Please don’t be too quick to push us out of the fold. Some will leave. That is certain. But many of us are truly committed to an “earnest contention for the faith once for all delivered unto the saints”! In my experience, most of us are fundamentalists.

I close with a final appeal to the “YFs” who are thinking about jumping ship. Carefully consider where you are going. Don’t leave fundamentalism because of some errors you perceive in the movement and then fall for much greater errors that are found outside the movement. I for one am staying, by God’s grace. And those of you who leave fundamentalism as a movement- please do not leave fundamentalism as a philosophy. It is possible to not be associated with any segment of the current movement and still be a fundamentalist, but probably not easy!

(I agonized over publishing this one. It may place me in the middle, taking shots from both sides!) :-)

A Remembrance Meditation

This is a meditation I had the privilege to give on Remembrance Day 2002 during the Township of Innisfil ceremonies.

Remembrance Day is but one day that we set apart to dwell upon those people and events that have given to us that which we enjoy every day of the year. Simply because we set only one day aside specifically for this purpose should not mean that it is only at this time of year that we ever should think upon these matters. Unfortunately, this is the very real situation in many people’s lives today. Many of us can never really remember in any true sense the four great conflicts that this day commemorates (the Boer War, The Great War, The Second World War, and The Korean War). But we must never let this become the excuse for failing to dwell upon the sacrifice that has brought us the peace, freedom, and safety, of the world in which we live.

Remembrance Day is not a day set aside for the glorification of war. We do not relish war. We as Canadians have a reputation as peace-makers and peace-keepers. Yet we as Canadians also understand that there is a peace that can only be found at the end of a sword. It is understood that no war, in fact, no human effort no matter how noble can ever bring about infallible, everlasting peace. But this should not stop us from preserving what freedom and peace that we do have.

Today, we think of those who have done just that. We remember those who have gave of the best years of their lives. We remember those who gave of their health. We remember those who gave of their wealth and time. We think of those who paid the prices of war. Those whose physical health was taken. The strong made weak. Those whose mental health was taken. The stability of the mind left shaken and even in some cases destroyed. Those whose friends were taken. Those whose loved ones were taken. Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their very lives.

We humbly bow before Our Holy God, knowing that every good gift, including freedom, is ultimately from His hand. We understand that He, not us, is sovereign over the affairs of this earth. Few passages explore the truth of God’s sovereignty like Psalm 33.

Psalm 33
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

And so today we stand together in awe, humility, and praise before our Almighty God.

We also stand together with a debt of gratitude to those who gave of themselves that we may be free. To those of you who stand here today as veterans of these conflicts, you are to be honoured. “Thank you.” You stand before us as a link that connects the past with the present. We who gather with you salute you.

Today, may each of us pledge that in God’s providence, we ourselves will become a link that connects the present with the future. May we pass along the memory to the next generation, that in gratefulness to those who have given of themselves so that we may be free, their memory will not be forgotten.

The Challenge of Our Culture- Part 3

The final mindset I will mention is the presence of conspiracy. This is seen in so many areas that mentioning all of them would be next to impossible. Translations and translators, denominations, banks, various ethnic groups, and UFOs are all groups that I have heard blamed for widespread conspiracy to control men and destroy the world or intentionally prepare the world for the Antichrist! If these were just the pet theories of some odd ducks in the back pew, we would face enough of a challenge. However, this is unfortunately not the case. Each of the groups mentioned above has been blamed for these widespread conspiracies by men in positions of teaching and preaching authority in my own hearing!

Conspiracy theories are hard to refute, largely because those believing them will ignore any other possibilities regarding their observations or ideas. For example, a man may believe that the Illuminati have installed the photo monitering at the local intersection so that they can track the movement of independent Baptists. When you tell him that the Department of Transportation did so he narrows his eyes and tells you they are simply pawns in the hands of the Illuminatti. When you state that the cameras are there to catch those who would speed and run traffic lights he marvels at your naive thoughts. After all, any fool could tell you that if they simply wanted to do that they would post a policeman at the intersection. Your reply that the police staff is stretched thin with the growing population and the technology in question allows them to be deployed in other important places of duty is met with disdain. Don't you know that the ratio between crimes committed and policemen in service is two to one? Surely the police can handle that much crime! Your objections that not every officer is on duty at the same time and that not every officer is "on the beat" and that investigating crime is not the only task of the staff go nowhere as well. They have officers which you are not aware of..., etc.

I do not have the answers to dealing with this mindset, except to say that I have noted the churches which have solid expositional preaching are much less likely to harbour these theories in their midst. Perhaps if our worldview is gleaned more from the Bible than the Daily Reporter or National Enquirer...?

Challenge of Our Culture- Part 2

The second cultural myth I wish to address is the inevitability of success. This myth leads many to believe that if certain conditions are met and procedures are followed, success is certain to come. One huge problem with the mindset is how "success" is defined. Unfortunately, it is often seen as something Big. Do you want to have a big church? Follow these steps. Do you want to have a big building? These are the procedures. Big offerings? Here is how it is done. Huge missions budget? This is the way to get it. Big revival? Follow this plan. So the story goes, sprinkled liberally with stories (often embellished) of how Brother Steadfast got to where his ministry is running 2,000 in attendance with 45 buses (or more), 400 saved each week, 30 baptized :-), 500 missionaries supported, etc.

So there is a significant problem with how success is defined. However, the myth states that this is possible to anyone and everyone who will just do x, y, and z. Tremendous pressure is placed on some to live up to expectations that are entirely unreasonable, and possibly undesirable! I remember one famous preacher who spoke at my home church when I was in high school. The occaission was an annual conference hosted by our church. At that time he was being invited every few years. One of those years on the final night of the conference the man spoke about building up a church. Toward the end of the message he looked out at the hearers, many of whom were pastors, and said that he would not come back if my home church was not running a certain number in two years. Now my church was and is one of the largest independent Baptist churches in Canada. Even so, it fell far short of the attendance the visiting speaker desired. I know that nearly every visiting pastor had congregations of far less. What an incredible burden to place upon a servant of God. As though only a church which ran a certain number was worth speaking at! I remember the event vividly. It left a very bad impression upon my mind. Interestingly enough, when the time had elapsed and the man was invited back he came even though we did not meet the numerical standard he had imposed! How many times has a pastor faced serious problems with discouragement that arises from comparing himself and his ministry to another man and that man's ministry? This belief in the inevitability of success encourages these unwise comparisons.

Another monumental problem with this mindset is its view of man and God. You see, this mindset suggests that God's work is really man's work! Those who espouse this mindset almost always have a small view of God and a big view of man.

We must realize that we are called to strive mightily for souls. We are to labour and toil in the work of God. But there is no man-contrived formula which can guarantee this type of "success" suggested by many! Let us return to a Biblical view of success. Let us return to a Biblical view of God and man. Let us cease from foolish comparison. And let us remember the words of Paul, "I planted, Appollos watered, But God gave the increase!"

Challenge of Our Culture

In an article found in the very useful compendium The Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching Rick McKinnis describes three cultural myths or mindsets that make ministering in the United States challenging at times. His article caused me to ponder the prevalence of the same or similar attitudes found in much of Canadian fundamental movement. Over the next few blogs I intend to post my thoughts on the mindsets he identifies. I will, of course, adjust or adapt them to fit the movement with which I am familiar.

It seems that within much of our movement we have the ingrained belief in the supremacy of the simplistic. This mindset reveals itself in these interrelated ways-

• The use of pithy and trite statements to speak to areas of great complexity in life. Just one example of many possible. If I had a quarter for every time I heard, “Let go, and let God,” I would be quite a bit closer to the support level I need! Not that the statement is without its truth. The problem is that it is just blurted out like so many other clichés, none of which are explained with reference to the situation at hand. What does it truly mean to “let go?” How does one go about “letting God?” Most people who hear the statement in church have absolutely no idea. I dare say that many who utter the statement in the churches have no idea. Yet this sagacious advice is tossed out to speak to just about any trial of life! Much the same could be said about the many Christian clichés in our common vocabulary.
  
• The sermon content in many of our pulpits. Serious exposition of the Bible is often jettisoned for the sake of a easier message for the people. Though it may retain hearers in the present, this does no favours to those hearers in the future.
  
• The aversion to the deeper doctrines of the Word of God. This aversion is shared by those in pulpit and pew alike. The attitude seems to filter down from the pulpit. How many times has the misuse of Scripture Itself been used to justify this attitude? “These doctrines will corrupt you from the simplicity in Christ!” You wonder how some of these individuals would articulate such doctrines as the Trinity, Virgin Birth, or the Hypostatic Union!

This mindset is incredibly damaging. I am all for stating teaching and doctrine in understandable terms. The problem is being simplistic. Comprehensibility is the key. The simplistic mindset does not promote comprehension. It misses this by treating complex matters in such a surface manner that no understanding is possible, or by assuming that a matter is not necessary to be understood. Several possible results of this mindset await. One, as people are faced with the rigors and complexities of life they find that the simplistic does not adequately address their trials. Disillusionment is a very probable consequence. Two, too much “junk food” ruins the appetite for a hearty meal. Third, the pastor and people alike have little or no grasp of fundamental doctrine. This leaves them unable to answer the objections of those who would contradict. It also leads to an incorrect understanding and application of separation. Not knowing what is truly fundamental brings a church and pastor to the point of identifying as fundamental that which is merely preferential or often political.

So what ought we do in light of this?
1. Recognize the complex nature of the “real world.”
2. Shy away from the use of trite expressions. If one is to be used that does have practical and theological merit, clearly explain what is meant rather than assume the hearers have this understanding.
3. Preach the Word! Preach it in all of its beautiful and unified, but also divisive and difficult truth. Make the truth clear to your people, don’t sacrifice it!
4. Do not despise doctrine! May your delight in it overflow into the lives of your people.

Why Don't I Post More?

In response to some who have asked and perhaps others who have wondered why I do not post more blogs on the site, I think I should explain. First, I do not want to be consumed by blogging. There are others who seem to be able to post prodigously and carry on both family and ministry life. At this point, I have not developed the talent! And to be quite honest, this is not that high a priority! Second, pre-field ministry makes blogging a difficulty. It is very difficult to spend time doing this on a different computer (your host's) from night to night. Perhaps if I had a better laptop with the whole internal wireless high speed modem thing and an attending high-speed wireless internet plan spanning North America, it would be easier. Third, every time I do blog my father's sagacious definition of a fool resounds in my memory. Don't know where he got it from, but it is good! "A fool is someone who has nothing to say and says it anyway!"

Having said this, my upcoming schedule seems to be lending itself more to spending time doing this. I plan to crank out at least three posts a week for the next couple of weeks. I hope that in doing so I do not prove myself a fool! Another of my father's sayings is "Better to remain quiet and have everyone think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!"

Some Thoughts from Blaise Pascal

“We never keep our minds on the present moment. We remember the past, as though we wanted to slow down the passage of time. And we look forward to the future, as though we wanted time to accelerate. We wander about in times that do not belong to us, and do not think about the only time that does. We dream of times past and future, and flee from the present. The reason is that the present is usually painful. We push it out of sight because it distresses us – only on those few occasions which are truly enjoyable are we truly sorry to see time slip away. We try to reduce present pain with joyful hopes of the future, planning how we are going to arrange things in a period over which we have no control and which we cannot be sure of reaching…The past and present are our means, and the future alone is our end. Thus we never actually live, but hope to live. We are never actually happy, but constantly planning how to become happy.”

Hypothetical Question

Here is an email message that I sent to a number of friends several months ago. It generated some interesting responses.

Here is an entirely hypothetical question. Let’s say that you had to move and minister elsewhere. You could only take a Bible and five books. Let’s say you are going to an English speaking area. What do you bring? My list-

1. Bible- The King James Study Bible (Nelson Publishers). It has my Bible of choice for the last seven years. Excellent, conservative, and largely dispensational (derived, not imposed) study notes. Great book backgrounds. Very readable font. Excellent footnotes.

2. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament by Cleon Rogers, Jr. It is filled with an incredible wealth of material. Really a library in itself. I have used my copy so much since I got it a few years back, that it is falling apart. And the book is not shabbily constructed!

3. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Basically an incredibly huge book of cross-references, a few explanatory notes, and other study aids. Its value is in the vast cross-references. The Bible is the best commentary on itself!

4. A Vision for Missions by Tom Wells. A short book, but one that is rich in God-soaked theology. My favorite book on missions, and one that I am always reading. It warms my heart every time that I read it.

5. Preaching that Changes Lives by Michael Fabarez. It is not the largest book on the subject, but it is the most practical and challenging that I have encountered. One to continually read and reference.

6. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Complete in One Volume by Tolkien. I think that I would want a book for diversion, and this one is so large and complex that it would still entertain for many years of re-reads.

Some that did not make the list, but were definitely in the running-
Strong’s- the ultimate find it.
The Pleasures of God by John Piper. His best, in my opinion. Edifying, challenging, and comforting.

Another kind of list-

Bible- Either The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures or The Word on the Street

The Christian Religion by Friedrich Schleiermacher
Self-esteem: the New Reformation by Robert Schuller
Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays by Bertrand Russell
Thus Spake Zarethustra by Nietzsche
Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre

Catch the irony of Sartre and Schuller on the same list?

Truth, Baseball, and the Postmodern Mind

"Pilate saith unto Him, 'What is truth?' (John 18:38)"

I recently read this story in the book Emergent Hope. Three umpires are discussing balls and strikes. The first umpire says, "I call them as they are." To which the second replies, "Well, I call them as I see them." Umpire three, obviously annoyed, says, "You guys are both all wrong! They ain't nothing 'til I call them!"

The Wonder of His Love

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! (I John 3:1a)"

"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)"

I will never forget the 2003 Christmas that my family and I spent with my parents. Times were very hard for them at that time. Regular, long term work was difficult to find. In fact, during the couple of weeks that we spent together my father was laid off from his job at the hardware store an hour away. With a lack of consistent employment, my parents were struggling to start a couple of businesses, hoping that one would "pan out." At the time, none of those businesses had come anywhere close to providing much more income for the family.

Christmas came, and with it the old familiar traditions- the reading of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, a time of expressing gratefulness to God for the wonderful Christmas gift of Jesus, prayer, and then the unwrapping of gifts. Toward the end of the giving and recieving of gifts, the time came for my mother to open her gift from my father. It was a large and surprisingly light box, wrapped beautifully. Knowing my father's lack of wrapping skills and the fact that he had personally wrapped the gift himself, I knew that he had taken extra care and attention to the gift this Christmas. As the paper and ribbons were removed and my mother opened the box, she burst out laughing. Roll after roll of toilet paper was packed neatly, apparently filling the entire box! Mom explained that Dad had told her he wouldn't have much money this Christmas and might be only able to afford toilet paper. The house filled with extra family made this gift a timely one! Mom set the box to the side, still laughing, not looking for or expecting anything else from him.

Then Dad said, "You might want to look a little deeper." At first Mom did not understand. As she realized that there was more, she reached for the gift and began removing rolls of toilet paper. One layer of rolls was removed. Another layer was removed. Yet another. The bottom of the box also held rolls of toilet paper, but in the center of that final layer a couple were missing and in their place a small box. Mom reached for the box, and as she lifted it from between the rolls of toilet paper her breath stopped. For probably a full ten seconds she did not take a breath, and the moment she finally did, the tears started. She struggled for words, but only sobs came.

Dad had realized that he was likely to be laid off that winter. He knew times were tough. He also knew that there was a beautiful Eos Rebel SLR camera at the store that Mom would really love. He had literally sacrificed time and health for love of my mother. Dad put in all the overtime he could and saved every penny he could for months just to give Mom a gift that showed her he loved her with a passion undiminished by time and circumstance. It stole her words away. The gift was great, but the love behind that gift undescribable.

My earthly memory resonates with Heavenly parallel. Explanations and proclamations of our Father's love are necessary to our Christian faith and walk. Yet how inadequate our words! How precious are those times when the wonder and the joy of it all leaves us speechless.

Traditional Fundamentalism in My Area and My Thoughts Thereon

Traditions in Fundamentalism in my Local Experience

I have taken a little time recently to ponder the role of tradition within my own particular life and experience in the independent fundamental circles with which I fellowship in Canada. I have come to several conclusions regarding tradition in this context-

1. Tradition is not simply alive, but promoted and thriving in our indy-fundy circles.
2. Tradition often preserves the movement from the excessive and ungodly pragmatism rampant within professing evangelicalism.
3. Tradition often promotes an excessive and ungodly pragmatism that is somewhat peculiar to indy-fundyism.

That tradition is alive within these circles is to me quite manifest. Recently I have heard a number of leaders speak out for a continuance in the exact same pattern of ministry as has been the norm for some time (30 years or so) within this segment of fundamentalism. Their appeals have been twofold. First, this is who we are. That is, our practice or belief within the recent past in this area of the world is definitional of what fundamentalism is and should be. Now they would not use the term "recent", but their illustrations of great men of the past in reference to our movement are either entirely inappropriate, using men who would never have considered themselves as part of the local movement, or are illustrations that only go back to the early 1970's. Now I can see a degree to which a movement can be identified with its pattern of ministry. The second argument is a quick utilization of "proof texts" for fundamentalism. Even in this the appeal to tradition is utilized as the Scriptures are given an assumed meaning without specific exegesis of the passages and demonstration how they interact with the time at hand or the pattern of ministry utilized. This is not to say that the traditional understanding is always wrong, but the passage is often never truly interacted with in determining why the position is held. Thus tradition replaces exegesis. Much more could be said to reinforce my belief that tradition is alive and well.

I have noted as well that our movement is to be commended for its refusal to jump into every pragmatic program that is to be found in evangelicalism today. Our movement is not driven by contemporary evangelical fads. In many cases, the preserving force is tradition. We have not done it that way before, so we should not do it now! Now as I look at the depths that many in the contemporary evangelical scene have sunk, I am thankful for the preserving force of tradition. There is a movement in evangelicalism that seeks to loose itself from all moorings in practice and even theology, it seems! The result is that much of evangelicalism has lost the evangel- the message of the Gospel itself. When I look at those extremes I am much happier to be aligned with our movement than with that element of evangelicalism! However, as I will comment on a little later, the belief that "if you are not in our group (even our specific element of fundamentalsim), you're in that one" is seriously misleading!

How is tradition a promoter of certain ungodly pragmatic elements? When the traditions are themselves pragmatic! There are certain practices within our segment of indy-fundyism that have no clear root in Biblical imperative or principle. Their driving root is largely pragmatism. Not that all the motivations for the practices were wrong. The original thought may have been- "What can we do to get more people into church?" or "What can we do to get more people saved?" Not entirely wrong motivations, but still flawed foundationally. The failure seemed to be not asking and answering all the "why's?" before proceeding with the "what's?". In this I must be careful not to be too critical. I think that we all have this tendency, to some degree or another. However, I now see certain practices (some bus ministry practices, altar call techniques, and Gospel presentation models) which are beyond evaluation in our segment for no other reason than tradition. They are "God-honouring" in people's minds simply by default of tradition, particularly when many of them are found almost exclusively within our movement! The same is held to be true with respect to certain theological beliefs.

What Now?

As a young fundamentalist, I propose that our generation respond in several ways-

1. Recognize the existence of tradition. It is the reality of our movement. To suggest otherwise is to really be burying our head in the sand.
2. Realize that not all tradition is wrong in and of itself. There are some who have thrown it all away, leaving the movement and everything that characterizes it behind them. The baby is laying screaming in a puddle of soapy water outside the bathroom window!
3. Recognize that the "if you are not completely of us, you are against us" mentality is oversimplified and not in keeping with reality. There are many strata of fundamentalists, including some who would not claim the label. I think that in many cases the us versus them mentality has caused some of my generation to run to a ridiculous extreme because they have been taught there is no middle ground and have believed it! Having become disillusioned with our segment of the movement, they jump to the other extreme.
4. Return to the truly Biblical tradition of semper reformanda. The Reformers and Christians of years past had the motto semper reformanda, "Always reforming!" Their goal was not just a continual change for its own sake, but rather a mindset that tenaciously sought to bring every thought to the captivity of Christ by honest evaluation in light of the Scripture. They did not always get it right, and neither will we. But we will be a lot closer to the right if we regularly and honestly consider every aspect of our life and ministry. This mindset will also help to guard our own hearts against erroneous adherence to traditions of our own making!
5. Reach out to the lost with passionate, God-honouring proclamation of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. Just because we may have seen some approaches to evangelism that were less than God-honouring does not give us the right to simply take pot-shots at their pragmatism without obeying the imperative of Christ upon our own lives! It is our duty and priviledge to make much of Christ, and it should also be our joy. Also, the older generation of fundamentalists seems to appreciate a zeal for "soul-winning," as they call it. From my experience, they will respect and even support a zealous and evangelistic young fundamentalist even if they do not entirely agree with him.
6. Realign yourselves with the original intent of the true early fundamentalists, but take the necessary steps forward. In reading the early fundamentalist writers and those who have studied their lives, the intent of early fundamentalism was to both aggresively preserve and promote Biblical Christianity. We ought not shirk from this task. It is our duty to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. However, there are some steps we must take beyond those already taken. We must seek to know and articulate what is truly fundamental to Christianity. This is admittedly a difficult task, but to stand for the faith we must know what is essential to the faith. We find fault with the older generation of indy-fundies for their willingness to separate over non-essentials without personally understanding what the essentials really are. It is not just enough to know what is not a fundamental, we must seriously ponder what beliefs or lack of beliefs change orthodox Christianity into non-Christianity. This leads to the next step we must take. We must then personally and/or collectively develop a separation paradigm. Separation is essential to fundamentalism. There may be differences in degree or intensity of separation, but it remains separation. And separation remains both a Biblical command and a practical necessity.
7. Respectfully and Biblically articulate your position when challenged. Younger fundamentalists have sometimes been characterized as disrespectful rebels. I feel that this has often been very unjust. It has been like the impression that some people have of motorcycle riders. Because they have encountered a few donkeys riding bikes, it is assumed that all bikers are donkeys. I know that the logic is seriously askew, but that is the context in which we find ourselves! Most of the men who would challenge us are really worthy of respect, though they do not agree with us on every position. They have served God faithfully for years and been Godly examples in many areas. If we are to be prepared to give an answer to the lost with gentleness and reverence, surely we should be willing to extend the same courtesy to our brothers in Christ. However, this does not mean that you have to simply conform because of their objections and prominence in the movement. We must Biblically articulate our position. If we are convinced by the Word of God regarding a certain position, personal conformity to a different position is wrong. If you are forced to choose between conviction and conformity, conviction must be held. This is not to say that we cannot fellowship or work with those who do not share all of our beliefs. Of course, this goes back to the separation paradigm. But we cannot and must not change our position or conviction simply out of conformity to personality and tradition.
8. Realistically seek peace with all men. We are admonished to pursue peace with all men. As much as lies within us, we are to live at peace with others. Peace ought to be our goal in interaction with others within fundamentalism. But that must be tempered with reality. Good men disagree. Good men sometimes disagree strongly. Sometimes good men disagree so strongly that cooperation is an impossibility. Remember Paul and Barnabus? There are times when despite our best intentions peace cannot be maintained. Let us just do our best that unless in issues of very grave theological and practical importance, the lack of peace comes from the other side. I once had a discussion with a brother whom I considered a friend (I still do) over a certain issue that is a hot one in indy-fundyism in this part of the world. The other became very upset with me. Our conversation ended on a very sour and angry note, with him essentially accusing me of a lack of love for and adherence to the Word. I knew that I would see the man again. I also knew that from my perspective he was still my friend and brother in Christ and that the issue in question was not one that made separation necessary. The next time I saw him I made a definite point to speak with him and by both my demeanor and words demonstrate my regard for him. I praise the Lord that even though we have significant disagreement over the issue in question, we remain friends. However, this does not always happen. And we have to be prepared to face that fact with courage.
9. Remember the Audience of One. Our ultimate ambition is to be pleasing to Him. In light of that the importance is not really on whether another man considers us a fundamentalist or is willing to fellowship with us or is openly in favour of our lives and ministry. They do not search our hearts. They will not stand before the Bema Seat in our stead. May we take heart that if it must come down to a decision between tradition and conviction and our decision ostracizes us, we never really stand alone. Conviction, not conformity, marked the historic fundamental movement. May it ever be the same!

On the Deputation Trail

Tomorrow Sarah and I will be rising early, packing our van, bundling our two little children into that van, and taking off for a long “road trip” that will take us from our home in Canada to Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. This will be the first extended trip that we have made as a family since our little boy, John, was born. These extended trips are part and parcel of the process that we call deputation.

Deputation is essentially the process that most missionaries go through in seeking to raise the financial support that is needed to minister in the field to which they are going. This is the essence of deputation, but if a missionary looks at it from this perspective alone, I believe he will quickly become disheartened.

There are several difficulties that a missionary on deputation encounters. First, the traveling itself can be hard on a family. Sometimes trips to churches will find us traveling as much as ten hours in a day. The driver has to balance his desire to arrive at the church at the right time with the need of children to get out and run around! Second, deputation can be hard on the family physically. In traveling from church to church the family is exposed to every sickness that is out there, it sometimes seems! There is also very little physical activity and much food! I returned from a trip a couple of months ago to realize that I was weighing over 230. This was not all muscle! Thankfully, I have had a little more time at home lately with the birth of John and was able to eat a little healthier and get some exercise. I dropped over twenty pounds and feel great right now. I can expect my weight to go up a little over the next several months, but hopefully not too high! I know that some missionaries have gained over fifty pounds on deputation. Third, deputation almost always takes a missionary longer than they expected. A missionary hears stories of how some missionaries raise their support in less than a year and will sometimes secretly expect that it will not take them a whole lot longer than that. Then as months go by and the support level does not jump as quickly as they had hoped, there is a temptation to be discouraged. This is one of the reasons why a missionary should not look at deputation as a just a support-raising venture. Fourth, the family often has to sacrifice their privacy for extended periods of time. They essentially live under scrutiny for weeks at a time, not just because of staying in other people’s homes, but also because of simply being in a place of prominence in church after church and feel as though they have to be nigh unto perfect or their support may not come in!

Now if the deputation was just about the last paragraph, it would be pretty harsh! Thankfully there is a lot more to it. First (maybe not in importance), deputation does allow you to raise the money needed to work on the field. When the process is done, the missionary can devote his time to the work of the ministry, rather than having to spend most of it working in secular employment. Second, it solicits the prayers of God’s people. God accomplishes so much through the prayers of His people that we will never understand this side of Heaven. A missionary is powerless without prayer in his own life, and is incredibly aided by the prayers of others on his behalf. Third, it enables you to meet many fine men and women of God that you would not have otherwise been able to meet. Many of these people will continue in contact with you. God often uses these people to encourage you by their sending an email at a key time, just letting you know they still think and pray for you. Fourth, it allows you to regularly and publicly emphasize the needs and opportunities of the field that God has burdened you for. Fifth, deputation gives you opportunity to encourage and challenge people for the great cause of world evangelism. I often pray that God might in some way use me to encourage someone to give their life to missions. Sixth, since you are “in the spotlight” at churches it gives the incomparable privilege to show Christ as the only all-satisfying Treasure of life.

These are a few of the challenges and privileges of deputation. It has been a testing and rewarding experience in which God has shown Himself incredibly gracious over and over again. That being said, I don’t want to do the deputation thing forever! :-) It is not the end, just a means to it.

The Blessing of God-centered Friends

"Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17

"I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts." Psalm 119:63

"And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God." I Samuel 23:16

I am very thankful for the influential friends that God has given me. They are not all alike in every respect. Their ages range from late teens/early twenties to late fifties. Some are athletic or interested in sports, others are not. Most hold to varying degrees of Calvinism, others are decidedly opposed to that doctrinal position. Most are Baptistic in their view of church government, some hold to a Presbyterian view. Most would hold to a form of Dispensationalism, some would be more Covenantal in their hermeneutic. Some are veterans in the field of God's service, others are preparing to give their lives in "full-time" serice, still others magnify Christ daily in secular employment. And there are many, many more contrasts that could be drawn! The number that could be listed in the group of influential friends could be counted on two hands; the closest of these on one hand.

Friends are important as "iron sharpeners," encouragers, strengtheners, and even rebukers! As I consider this, I am often a little dismayed by the types and levels of friendships that many professing Christians seek out. It is not uncommon to be among a group of Christians for an extended period of time and not hear a single element of edifying conversation. I do not suggest that every element of conversation must focus on Scripture, soul-winnin', and sanctification! It is a little troubling, however, when the spiritual and Scriptural is never spoken of. I do not claim any sort of perfection in this area. I know that too often I am fixated on the trivial, temporal, and foolish to the diminishment or exclusion of important, eternal, and wise. Yet I know the influence of friends, and by God's grace I desire to cultivate friendships with those who would influence me in the right way.

Those friends in my life that have the greatest and most meaningful influence in my life are the ones who exhibit a God-centered focus on life. These men fear God and strive to keep His precepts. They focus their lives in a passionate pursuit of His glory. And it is they who sharpen my countenance in a proper manner, and truly strengthen my hands in God by their encouragement, and even rebuke. Faithful are their woundings, examples, and encouragements, for by God's grace they encourage me along the path of sanctification for the treasure of knowing and following Jesus.

How Does One Magnify Christ in Death?

Few stories had impressed themselves upon my memory more than the story of the dying joy of Roy Orpin. In 1961, Roy married his sweetheart Gillian and shortly thereafter they moved to what is today known as Thailand there to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people living in the jungles. The work was hard. They were treated rudely. Some disagreement even arose among the missionaries working in the area. Still they continued to serve and seek to proclaim the message. Gillian became pregnant with their first. As the time of her due date approached, the Orpins decided that it might be best for Gillian and the baby if they were to go to a more modern area until the baby was delivered. Roy made the difficult decision to stay and work with the natives. After taking a trip into the more modern populated areas, Roy was dropped off by bus as close to his place of service as possible. He would then have to make the long hike back into the jungle to the village where he ministered. Shortly after getting off the bus, Roy was accosted by robbers who shot him in the process of robbing him of a very insignificant amount of money. Roy was discovered and taken to hospital where he seemed to be recovering. However, the internal injury that he had sustained was greater than what the doctors realized. After three days, some of Roy’s internal organs began to fail. It became apparent that Roy would die. Gillian was at his side when he asked her to recite the words to the hymn “Jesus, I Am Resting.” She leaned over and whispered in his ear-

“Jesus, I am resting,
Resting in the joy of what Thou art.
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.”

When she finished, Roy smiled and said, “How good God is.” Moments later he had fallen asleep in Jesus.

How could Roy say that God was good in the midst of those circumstances? Roy was only recently married, looking forward to a lifetime with Gillian. Roy had only just started in ministry, and was looking forward to serving God in Thailand for many years to come. He was expecting his first child, and no doubt looking forward to watching that child grow up. All of this was being taken from him in death. How could he have such joy in Jesus when he was losing all of this?

I believe that Roy could have this joy because he had the same mindset as Paul. Paul wrote, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:20-23)” To be with Christ was not only better than life-it was far better. Roy lived and died to magnify Christ, and the evidence of this is that he gave his life in Jesus’ service and looked forward to being with Him more than anything on earth. To Roy, God’s lovingkindness was better than life, and he praised Him even in death (Psalm 63:3).

May God give me a passion for Him that is greater than my desire for anything on this earth. This is a passion and purpose to live die with!

Some Books That Have Influenced Me- Part 3

No compilation of books that have influenced me would be complete without John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. I was given a copy by my sister and brother-in-law but did not actually read it until about five months later. I am glad I did not put it off even longer!

Five Big Reasons Why the Book Impacted Me:

1. Piper's book stands on a solid theological and Biblical framework. The arguments and appeals of the book are rooted in Scripture properly divided. (One exception, in my estimation, is his thoughts on fighting Satan on the biological front.) Page after page brings forth the demands of Scripture upon a person's life.
2. Piper shows the importance of Christ-centered living in practical everyday contexts. Two chapters in particular, "Living to Prove He is More Important than Life" and "Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5," are much needed in the contexts with which I am familiar. Too often the appeal to live a life devoted to passionate service for Christ is directed toward those who would enter "full-time service."
3. Piper emphasizes the needs and opportunities that exist in world evangelism, particularly in "frontier missions," preaching Christ where He is not named. I had a pre-existing burden for these areas prior to the book, but the burden greatly intensified with the reading of his words on the subject. I am thrilled to see what God is doing in these areas in my generation. It is not all happening in the indy-fundy circles that I am in, but groups like To Every Tribe Ministries are seeing some incredible progress and commitment of late. May God use them and a multitude of others to bring His Gospel where Christ is not currently named.
4. Piper's prayer at the end of the book is overflow of a spirit of love for and commitment to Christ. The authenticity of it has often caused me to consider my own prayer life, not out of a desire to simply emulate Piper, but having seen (read) a prayer of such passion and power, a desire to consider the level of my own power and passion in communicating with God.
5. Piper's writing style is fantastic. He writes with the heart of a poet and the head of a theologian. I believe that this is one of the key gifts that God has given Piper and is using in him.

Consciences Bound to...Popular "Christian" Opinion?

Professing Christianty is in some pretty bad shape right now. Specifically, professing evangelical Christianity is in pretty bad shape right now. Writers like Phil Johnson (and a good many others) have noted this. Phil has begun to weigh in on the subject with posts like this. I look forward to his thoughts in the upcoming days.

I had the misfortune today to experience firsthand a little of the doctrinal ignorance and compromise that seems to be indemic to much of evangelicalsim today. I had just purchased "Through the Gates of Splendor" at the local Christian bookstore when a kind lady that has worked there for years struck up a conversation with me. She attends another church in the area which church two of my sisters and one brother-in-law attend. I have some differences with certain pragmatic philosophies espoused by the church, but there is still much that is good about it. I told the lady that I was happy to know that the pastoral staff had cancelled a speaker they had scheduled recently. The lady said that she did not understand the reason for the cancellation. I told her that the man had been asked not to come because he had recently returned to the Roman Catholic Church.

The woman still expressed some confusion about why they would not have the man. "After all, he seems pretty good to me, and my husband enjoys his radio broadcast." I pointed out that the man now espouses an unbiblical, damnable view on justification. I reminded her of the Bible's teaching on justification in the books of Romans and Galatians. She considered that for a moment and said, "Well, I am sure that there are many Catholics who really love God." My reply was that if they truly do, they are not good Catholics! They cannot truly hold to the church's theology and be lovers of God in truth.

She seemed a little troubled at this point pointand brought up the recent death of Pope John Paul II. She mentioned that Dr. James Dobson had spoken of the pope in glowing terms and said that he was a godly man. She also mentioned something about Dr. Billy Graham's comments which unequivocably numbered the former pontiff among the redeemed. I told the lady that I was extremely disappointed with the doctrinal compromise and error expressed by these men regarding the apostate Roman church. The lady seemed very shocked by my reply and quickly said, "Well, we don't know these people's hearts." I told her that the beliefs they express both in word and action surely mean something. If what they are saying and doing is what they believe, then they are unregenerate. They must be lovingly corrected and pointed to a Christ Who saves and satisfies completely apart from the deeds of the law. At this point the woman began returning to what Graham and Dobson had said, and how we must not judge. As we continued speaking it seemed that Paul had nothing on these guys! (OK, I am overstating things a bit!) She seemed so hesitant to contradict these men, even when confronted with very plain Scripture.

One could write this off as coming from a person within a compromising church, but the church elders had taken the right stand on the issue. I am finding this mindset in churches across the evangelical spectrum. I even recently had an individual in an ostensibly Reformed Baptist church say something similar!

May God give us the grace to say with Luther, "My conscience is bound to the Word of God."

Some Books That Have Influenced Me- Part 2

Important details of life such as the birth of my son John Thomas have kept me from blogging for a little bit, and I now wish to return to this series regarding books that have influenced me.

After graduating from college I admit that I had a misguided view of preaching. The fault did not lie with my college classes alone, though I do think that my homiletics class presented the applicational aspect of preaching as perhaps too small a portion of the whole. I had the view that preaching was to be, above all, informational. My overemphasis on the importance of the didactic element led me to often compose an entire sermon with little or no thought to what change the truth presented should require of the listener. As I matured a bit my preaching did, too. I began to include applicational elements into sermons, but even at this point I knew that there was more that was needed.

In the Fall of 2001 I was called to be interim pastor of a small church near my home town. As my preaching ministry took shape week after week for the first several months I saw serious shortcomings in my messages. I was presenting life-changing truths, but not seeing life-changing results. As I evaluated myself, I realized that I was not presenting those truths as life changing truths. That is, I was simply bombarding my people with the facts without clearly pointing out to them how these facts were to impact their lives.

Sometime in first part of 2002 I was perusing books in the local Christian book store and came across Preaching that Changes Lives by Micheal Fabarez. I held off on buying it for a week due to the price, but finally caved after browsing it several times and seeing its important and relevant subject matter. The book was a Godsend. It hit the very issues and deficencies I was struggling with.

Fabrez very convincingly makes the case that the goal of preaching is transformational, not just informational. He shows the Biblical necessity of constant change in the life of the minister himself. He tackles difficulties that must be understood by the preacher and addressed by his preaching in our day, including the matter of postmodernity's difficulties with authority.

Fabarez impacted me very much philosophically regarding preaching, but some of his most important contributions are in very practical chapters regarding preparing life-changing sermons. From prayer to specific attitudes in Bible study to outlining to time allotments to understandability to Christ-centeredness to doctrinal foundations to church involvement through study to follow-up application Fabarez very practically sets forth brief, yet comprehensive manual on Biblically grounded, applicationally driven preaching. This book is important enough that I believe every preacher should have a well-worn copy on his shelf.

A Great Thought

Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. (Mark 10:28-31)

“For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice that I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and in such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a forgoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.
- David Livingstone on December 4, 1857 to the students of Cambridge University

Some Books That Have Influenced Me- Part 1

There is little doubt in my mind that Tom Well's book, A Vision for Missions is one of the most influential books that I have ever read. I treasure the book and its message so highly that I bring it with me on every trip (deputation or otherwise) that I take. I have read it probably six or seven times, and I am always in the process of reading it.

So what makes the book so special? It is the clearest presentation of a God-centered, passionate approach to world evangelism that I have ever encountered. Recently, (within the last five years) John Piper's book Let the Nations Be Glad has made a big impression in certain segments of fundamentalism. Yes, we fundamentalists are a bit late! Piper's book was published in 1993 and made a pretty big splash in general evangelicalism at that time. I am very thankful for Piper's important contribution to the subject. His opening paragraph in the book is probably the best articulation of the proper place of and reason for missions. As good and important as Piper's book is, I find Well's book to be even more so.

A Vision for Missions has two important theses. First, God is worthy to be known and proclaimed for who He is, and that fact is an important part of the missionary motive and message. I believe that we fundamentalists have long suffered under an inadequate impetus for world evangelism. So often the appeal to become involved in this great task has been that many around the world are dying and going to hell, and that if we do not involve ourselves in light of that then we are truly heartless individuals. Or the appeal has even come across (like A.W. Tozer said) as though God's great love and mercy has painted Him into a corner that He cannot extricate Himself from! With such flawed motivations and anemic views of God that often accompany them, it is no wonder that few today feel any lasting desire to become involved in world evangelism wherever that might take them! The greatness and sovereignty of our God is motivation at its highest. God is worthy to be known! How that knowledge should propel us into His harvest fields! Not only is it motivation, but it is also an important part of the message. The God that we proclaim to the world is worthy to be known! He is not some weak and helpless being that awaits man's sovereign assent. He is the sovereign, immutable God!

The second thesis of the book is those who know the most about God are the most responsible and best equipped to tell of Him. It is one thing to point out the flaws in another's theology and look down upon them as they present God in an incomplete and inadequate way. It is quite another to take a proper and complete view of God into the work and labour to turn men's eyes to that God ourselves. I find this thesis particularly challenging. I am one of those who can spot an unworthy God a mile away. But do I take the knowledge that I do have and use it to tell others of the true and living God, or do I simply look down my nose at the ones who proclaim God in an unworthy way? I fear that far too often my zeal for proper theology eclipses my zeal for the God of that theology. That is, I can discern, dissect, stew over, and debate the errors that I see in a person's theology and view of God; but how often I do not proclaim the message of God himself to the world that does not know Him! Well's book is an important reminder to me that zeal for theology may not necessarily be a zeal for God.

Wells writes about certain of God's perfections and how they are both motivation and message for missions. One of the best chapters in the book is "Glory...in the Face of Jesus" where he demonstrates that a God-centered theology of missions is a Christ-centered theology of missions. He also has an excellent chapter about God's glory and human need, showing that a God-centered philosophy does not eliminate an emphasis upon human need, but rather puts it into its proper place.

Several chapters of the book demonstrate how these great truths impacted particular missionaries when brought to bear upon their lives. The lives of David Brainerd, William Carey, and Henry Martyn provide vivid and accurate examples of these truths in action.

All in all, I cannot recommend this book too highly. I am thankful to God for bringing it to my attention, and pray that He would continue to burn its truths into my heart that I might live out my life in passionate pursuit of His glory.