Hope is a Glorious Grace - John Owen

“Christ in you the hope of glory”—Colossians 1:27

Hope is a glorious grace, whereunto blessed effects are ascribed in the Scripture, and an effectual operation unto the supportment and consolation of believers. By it are we purified, sanctified, saved. And, to sum up the whole of its excellency and efficacy, it is a principal way of the working of Christ as inhabiting in us: “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Where Christ evidenceth His presence with us, He gives us an infallible hope of glory; He gives us an assured pledge of it and worketh our souls into an expectation of it. Hope in general is but an uncertain expectation of a future good which we desire; but as it is a gospel grace, all uncertainty is removed from it, which would hinder us of the advantage intended in it. It is an earnest expectation, proceeding from faith, trust, and confidence, accompanied with longing desires of enjoyment. From a mistake of its nature, it is that few Christians labor after it, exercise themselves unto it, or have the benefit of it; for to live by hope, they suppose, infers a state not only beneath the life of faith and all assurance in believing, but also exclusive of them. They think to hope to be saved is a condition of men who have no grounds of faith or assurance; but this is to turn a blessed fruit of the Spirit into a common affection of nature. Gospel hope is a fruit of faith, trust, and confidence; yea, the height of the actings of all grace issues in a well-grounded hope, nor can it rise any higher (Rom 5:2-5).

Now, the reason why men have no more use of, no more benefit by, this excellent grace, is because they do not abide in thoughts and contemplation of the things hoped for. The especial object of hope is eternal glory (Col 1:27; Rom 5:2). The peculiar use of it is to support, comfort, and refresh the soul in all trials, under all weariness and despondencies, with a firm expectation of a speedy entrance into that glory, with an earnest desire after it. Wherefore, unless we acquaint ourselves by continual meditation with the reality and nature of this glory, it is impossible it should be the object of a vigorous, active hope, such as whereby the apostle says “we are saved.” Without this we can neither have that evidence of eternal things, nor that valuation of them, nor that preparedness in our minds for them, as should keep us in the exercise of gracious hope about them.

Suppose sundry persons engaged in a voyage unto a most remote country, wherein all of them have an apprehension that there is a place of rest and an inheritance provided for them. Under this apprehension they all put themselves upon their voyage, to possess what is so prepared. Howbeit some of them have only a general notion of these things. They know nothing distinctly concerning them and are so busied about other affairs that they have no leisure to inquire into them; or do suppose that they cannot come unto any satisfactory knowledge of them in particular, and so are content to go on with general hopes and expectations. Others there are who by all possible means acquaint themselves particularly with the nature of the climate whither they are going, with the excellency of the inheritance and provision that is made for them. Their voyage proves long and wearisome, their difficulties many, and their dangers great, and they have nothing to relieve and encourage themselves with but the hope and expectation of the country whither they are going. Those of the first sort will be very apt to despond and faint; their general hopes will not be able to relieve them. But those who have a distinct notion and apprehension of the state of things whither they are going, and of their incomparable excellency, have always in a readiness wherewith to cheer their minds and support themselves.

In that journey or pilgrimage wherein we are engaged towards a heavenly country, we are sure to meet with all kinds of dangers, difficulties, and perils. It is not a general notion of blessedness that will excite and work in us a spiritual, refreshing hope. But when we think and meditate on future glory as we ought, that grace which is neglected for the most part as unto its benefit, and dead as unto its exercise, will of all others be most vigorous and active, putting itself forth on all occasions. This, therefore, is an inestimable benefit of the duty exhorted unto, and which they find the advantage of who are really spiritually minded.

"Hope" - from A Puritan's Mind

—From The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded, John Owen, The Works of John Owen, vol. 7, pp. 321-323, reprinted by Banner of Truth.

Dr. Mohler's Fidelitas

Missions at Risk: A Failure of Nerve
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

America's evangelical Christians are facing a critical testing-time as the twentieth century draws to a close. Among the most important of the tests we now face is the future of missions, and our faithfulness to the Great Commission.

Just as doors of opportunity are opening around the world, the Church seems to be losing its voice. A virtual re-paganization of Western culture is occurring, indicating that the failure of the American Church is evident at home as well as abroad. What is the root issue?

At base, the issue is a failure of theological nerve--a devastating loss of biblical and doctrinal conviction. The result is retreat on the mission fields of the world and regression on the home front. Since mid-century, the mainline Protestant denominations have been withdrawing from the missionary enterprise, some even declaring a "moratorium" on the sending of missionaries charged to preach the Gospel. Among these denominations, the total missionary force is now a fraction of the force at mid-century, and many of those who remain on the fields have been assigned duties far removed from conversionist witness.

This loss of theological nerve is a fundamental failure of conviction. Put bluntly, many who claim to be Christians simply do not believe that anyone is actually lost.

The essence of this belief is universalism, the belief that all persons will be saved, whether or not they have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Universalism presents itself in many forms, including modern inclusivism, pluralism, and our pervasive relativism. In its boldest and most honest form, it is the absolute declaration that all persons will be saved (if indeed there is anything from which to be saved). By this account, all religions have an equal claim to truth which underlies the "religious" character of humanity.

In its more romanticized forms, universalism is the belief that God would not actually sentence rebellious human beings to eternal punishment, in spite of what He reveals in Holy Scripture. These persons believe in a God of their own devising, and not the God of the Bible.

Universalism also presents itself in a naïve form, by which Christians refuse to deal with the issue and simply declare no position or conviction on the issue. Their stance betrays their lack of conscience and conviction. Their conscience is uncluttered by concern for the lost.

The believing Church down through the ages has steadfastly resisted the universalist temptation, because universalism is so directly opposed to the clear teaching of Scripture. The Bible presents Jesus Christ and His atoning work as the only means of salvation; His gospel as the only "good news" for a lost world; and the gospel as the global mandate of the Church.

There is no room for universalism--whatever its form--in the evangelical churches. By rejecting the finality of Jesus Christ and the integrity of His gospel, those who promote universalism are witnesses to another gospel, as the Apostle Paul warned.

Given their commitment to the gospel, could evangelical Christians allow universalism to make inroads into their ranks? There are signs that this is now well underway. In the evangelical academy, some are advocating views well in line with the liberal Protestant arguments of the mid-century. The challenge of pluralism has found many evangelicals with weak knees. The pattern of evangelical compromise is also evident in those who seek to reduce the unique claim Christianity makes to truth, and also among those who promote the idea of a second opportunity for saving faith after death.

The pattern is not restricted to the academics, however. The most dangerous trend may be found in the pews of evangelical churches, where more and more Christians are willing to reject or compromise the uniqueness of Christ and His atonement, citing the apparent "sincerity" of those who worship other gods, or no god at all.

Where will the Church stand? A recent report indicates that at a recent Urbana missions conference (bringing together thousands of college-age evangelicals), only a third of the participants indicated their belief that "a person who does not hear the gospel is eternally lost." As one missionary veteran responded: "If two-thirds of the most missions-minded young people in America do not affirm the lostness of mankind, the Great Commission is in serious trouble!" Should these trends spread within the Southern Baptist Convention, we will be in serious trouble indeed.

Let us make our convictions clear. We stand for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone has atonement for our sins. We believe in justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This is the sum and substance of the genuine gospel.

The missionary impulse logically follows, for we are called to bear witness and to make disciples of all nations. Southern Seminary--always a leader in the training of missionaries--is now multiplying that commitment through an unprecedented partnership with the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. This new partnership is demonstrated in the development of two new degree programs designed to meet the unique needs of missionaries. A new masters program is now underway, and beginning in the fall, Southern Seminary will become the first Baptist institution to offer the Doctor of Missiology degree. This will augment the Ph.D. in missions already offered through the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth. In an era when commitment to missions is at risk in other quarters, Southern Seminary is determined by God's grace to advance, and never to retreat.

© R. Albert Mohler, Jr. - All Rights Reserved

Here is the Article

Fidelitas may be reproduced in whole or in part, but must include the attribution statement printed above. For further information, contact the Office of the President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40280. Phone 502.897.4121, Fax 502.899.1770. Or, contact by e-mail at presoffice@sbts.edu

Nigeria - VOM

Nigeria has known only one decade of an elected government since it left the British Empire in 1960, until President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected to office in 1999. He was reelected in 2003. Obasanjo has promised reforms, but a culture of greed and corruption runs deep.


Religion: Christian 52.61%, Muslim 41.00%, Traditional ethnic 5.99%, and non- Religious/other 0.40%

Ideological Influence: Islam

Head of State: President Olusegun Obasanjo, a committed Christian, has wisely and tactfully moved to bring about change while endeavoring to preserve national unity. The former ruling elite have put forth efforts to frustrate and discredit his administration.


Persecution: Islam has been given preferential treatment over Christianity in the past. Shariah Law has been implemented in 12 of Northern Nigeria’s predominately Muslim states. Christian leaders are hopeful Obasanjo’s government will continue to crack down on Muslim fanaticism. In 2005, violence against Christians continued. Believers were killed; churches, Christian schools, homes and businesses were burned and destroyed. The government in the past has turned a blind eye.


Missionary Opportunity: The church in Nigeria is strong, but there is concern over the rise of foreign cults and the mixing of Christianity with the country’s traditional fetish beliefs. Nigeria has become one of the major missionary-sending countries of the developing world.

In the Beginning

School starts for me tomorrow! I have band camp at 7:00 am! That is earlier than the start of school! I have been up to the high school and it is a disaster. Be grateful if you get the new campus, AHS. When the battle was raging last year if the seniors should get the option to attend or not, I was satisfied that HHS would not be that bad. Now I am convinced that nothing can be worse. I do not know how I am going to get from class to class in seven minutes. I went to check in and I had to walk over exposed pipes and wood planks for walkways. Our band hall has rats living in it and things are literally rotting out. It makes me really sad. Someone said that we are special because no one will have the memory of their high school under construction. Who wants that memory?

Anyway, I apologize about the complaints. I know that God has a plan for all of this mess, but that does not raise my school spirit any higher. It will be very frustrating with my brother at AHS with several of my favorite teachers on campus. (Yes, Kathy, that includes you.)

Phil 4:11

Do You Thirst for God? - Donald S. Whitney

"Lord, I want to know You more," sang Mike, just before the sermon. One of my seminary professors from years back, who was guest preacher at our church that Sunday morning, sat next to me on the front pew and listened transfixed. As Mike continued to sing, I could hear my older friend sigh occasionally. When the song was over, T.W. sat motionless for so long I thought he had forgotten that he was now supposed to preach. As I turned to remind him I saw his shoulders lift and fall with the slow draw and release of his breath. Finally, he opened his eyes and stepped thoughtfully to the pulpit. He looked down for what seemed to be a full minute before he could speak. And then, "Lord, I do want to know you more." Departing from his prepared words for awhile, he spoke of his thirst for God, his longings to know Christ more intimately, to obey Him more completely. Here was a man who had followed Christ for more than fifty years still captivated by the sweetness of the quest. In his second half-century as a disciple of Jesus, the grace of growth still flourished in him.

It's been ten years since that Sunday morning. I've seen T.W. at least annually since, and the things of God have not diminished their magnetic pull on his heart's aspirations. Two months ago I found myself sharing a shuttle bus ride with him from a denominational convention back to our hotel. Though nearly seventy now, and weakened by cardiac surgery, his eyes flashed as he talked half an hour about what he was learning about prayer. Even as his body decays, his longings for God display the growing strength of his soul.

The Apostle Paul must have similarly impressed others in his day. Despite all his maturity in Christ, all he had seen and experienced, late in life (in Philippians 3:10) Paul wrote of the passion that propelled him: "that I may know Him." What is he talking about? Didn't he already know Jesus more closely than perhaps anyone else ever will? Of course he did. But the more he knew Jesus, the more he wanted to know Him. The more Paul progressed in spiritual strength, the more thirsty for God He became.

With a similar thirst, the writer of Psalm 42:1-2 prayed, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" Does this describe your thirst for God? If so, be encouraged: whatever else is transpiring in your Christian life, your soul-thirst is a sign of soul-growth.

http://www.spiritualdisciplines.org/thirst.html

Creation

Psa 33:6
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Le Repos

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.


Venez à moi, vous tous qui êtes fatigués et chargés, et je vous donnerai du repos.

Mathew 11:26

Sighs of relief part 2

I got my schedule changed!

I dropped the classes that I did not need for college!

God is so good to answer my prayers and help me to follow through.

Sighs of relief

Today, God allowed me to speak at the girl's get-together on truly knowing Christ. I selected Hebrews 1 to discuss and it was refreshing to revisit the first chapter of my ongoing bible study. I was very excited. It went remarkably well, I do not remember exactly what came from my lips. I know that it must have been God speaking, which was an answer to my prayers.

Due to the devotion, I have been asked to lead a small group on Wednesday nights. I was asked what grade level and this I know not. I am not sure what age I can teach or which group I would like. I will be praying for God's guidance.

Also, I am going to be praying for the opportunity to disciple another. If it is God's will for me to disciple a young girl, I will contact Jessica. I need God's guidance.

If he points me to these areas of ministry, I will need to definitely cut two of my hardest classes, which I believe is God's will anyway. Instead of filling my plate academically, I will fill it with the things of God. I want to put my yes on the table before the question is even asked.

People Groups

I want to adopt a people group to pray for. I am thinking about the Nigerians living in France. They are classified as a "Last Frontier" group in France.

"Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 176th on 177 countries in the 2004 Human development index of the United Nations Development Program. Close to 70% of Niger's 11 million inhabitants subsist on less than a dollar a day. Only 43% of Nigeriens have access to drinking water and barely 6.5% have access to electricity. Life expectancy at birth is 46 years, and one child in five dies before age five."

http://www.peoplegroups.org/Detail.aspx?PID=42478

Missions - Some Thoughts

Since I am on the missions team at my church, I am looking for organizations and ideas to spark an interest in local, national, and world missions in my youth group. Please pray that for my last school year, that God will allow our youth group to do mighty things in the world of missions. Pray that my youth group will grow deeper in love with Christ and see the world with His eyes.

Really Big Goats

I know that this is completely random, but I had a dream last night about giant goats and I decided to find several pictures of goats to share. I did not know goats could be this big!

I also like the moose.

Disclaimer: No animals were harmed in this blog and I am not responsible for the actions of others.

College - Time is Slipping Away!

AHHH!

I am very weary of going to college, nit because I know not what God has called me into, but WHERE!

I have looked at several colleges and language schools and right now I do not have peace about any of them. I am the first as far as I know in my family called in foreign missions.

I have a passion for French and I want to pick up other languages to be fully global. I know that God is in complete control but that does deny the fact I am only human and I cannot fathom what his plans are for my life much less tomorrow.

Please pray for me in my endeavors that I may find the center of the Lord's will.

Every Tribe and Tongue

Revelation 5:9-10

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

(From Purgoturio)
http://purgatorio1.com/?p=442

Creation's Groans and the Saints' Sighs

"We know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
—Romans 8:22-23.

We were once an undistinguished part of the creation, subject to the same curse as the rest of the world, "heirs of wrath, even as others." But distinguishing grace has made a difference where no difference naturally was; we are now no longer treated as criminals condemned, but as children and heirs of God. We have received a divine life, by which we are made partakers of the divine nature, having "escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust." The Spirit of God has come unto us so that our "bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost." God dwelleth in us, and we are one with Christ. We have at this present moment in us certain priceless things which distinguish us as believers in Christ from all the rest of God's creatures. "We have," says the text, not "we hope and trust sometimes we have," nor yet "possibly we may have," but "we have, we know we have, we are sure we have." Believing in Jesus, we speak confidently, we have unspeakable blessings given to us by the Father of spirits. Not we shall have, but we have. True, many things are yet in the future, but even at this present moment, we have obtained an inheritance; we have already in our possession a heritage divine which is the beginning of our eternal portion. This is called "the first-fruits of the Spirit," by which I understand the first works of the Spirit in our souls. Brethren, we have repentance, that gem of the first water. We have faith, that priceless, precious jewel. We have hope, which sparkles, a hope most sure and steadfast. We have love, which sweetens all the rest. We have that work of the Spirit within our souls which always comes before admittance into glory. We are already made "new creatures in Christ Jesus," by the effectual working of the mighty lower of God the Holy Ghost. This is called the first-fruit because it comes first. As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life which we have, and all the graces which adorn that life, are the first gifts, the first operations of the Spirit of God in our souls. We have this.

I do not know a more beautiful sight to be seen on earth than a man who has served his Lord many years, and who, having grown grey in service, feels that, in the order of nature, he must soon be called home. He is rejoicing in the first-fruits of the Spirit which he has obtained, but he is panting after the full harvest of the Spirit which is guaranteed to him. I think I see him sitting on a jutting crag by the edge of Jordan, listening to the harpers on the other side, and waiting till the pitcher shall be broken at the cistern, and the wheel at the fountain, and the spirit shall depart to God that made it. A wife waiting for her husband's footsteps; a child waiting in the darkness of the night till its mother comes to give it the evening's kiss, are portraits of our waiting. It is a pleasant and precious thing so to wait and so to hope.I fear that some of you, seeing ye have never come and put your trust in Christ, will have to say, when your time comes to die, what Wolsey is said to have declared, with only one word of alteration:—

"O Cromwell, Cromwell!
Had I but served my God with half the zealI served the world,
he would not, in mine age,Have left me naked to mine enemies."

Oh, before those days fully come, quit the service of the master who never can reward you except with death! Cast your arms around the cross of Christ, and give up your heart to God, and then, come what may, I am persuaded that "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." While you shall for awhile sigh for more of heaven, you shall soon come to the abodes of blessedness where sighing and sorrow shall flee away.The Lord bless this assembly, for Christ's sake. AMEN.


Charles Spurgeon

See the full sermon at http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0788.htm

Prayer Requests

China (China Aid Association)

May 27th and 28th, 2006, 30 house-church leaders from Langzhong City, Sichuan Province were arrested and forced to pay fines. Eyewitnesses and family members of the victims reported that the arrests happened from 11 a.m. on May 27th until 9 a.m. on the 28th during a fellowship meeting. Fifteen members of the Public Security Bureau in six police vehicles raided the meeting. Eyewitnesses say that during the arrests and interrogations, Christians were abused inhumanely by constant heavy beatings. Though some of those arrested were released on the 28th, on morning of the 29th, 14 house church leaders received criminal detention notices. They are:

Li Ming
Wang Yuan
Li Jinbo
Li Chengxi
Shi Zhihe
Gou Yongcai
Jin Jiyun
Wang Shuhua
Gou Qingju
Ke Xiufang
Sun Changfen
Hu Yongju
Zhang Shulan

Liao Zhoulan Pastors Li Ming, Wang Yuan, Li Jinbo and Jin Jiyun are major leaders of the Chinese House Church Alliance which was established in 2004. It is made up of approximately 300,000 members from various house church movements scattered across 21 provinces. CAA also learned that in recent weeks a number of house churches from Beijing, Shangdong and Guangdong were forced by the local authorities to close.

Pray Jesus will draw close to the prisoners with His loving comfort. Pray God will protect them from further beatings. Pray their faithfulness to Jesus will inspire Christians everywhere to seek a closer walk with our Savior and Friend.

Prayer Update from Voice of the Martyrs

Lend Me Your Ears . . .

When choosing a new church, one looks for good biblical preaching. What is good biblical preaching. Here is what "9 Marks" as in the nine marks for a living church has to say.


What are the different kinds of preaching?

Anecdotal - a sermon in which the preacher primarily tells engaging stories with a moral lesson.

Biographical - a sermon in which the preacher traces the life of a biblical character and draws contemporary moral implications.

Topical - a sermon that has a topic in mind prior to consulting the text, and then searches for one or more biblical texts that address the topic chosen beforehand.

Textual - a sermon that refers often to a particular Biblical text, but does not take the main point of the text as its own.

Expositional - a sermon which takes the point of the text as the point of the sermon

Expositional preaching expounds what Scripture says in a particular passage, carefully explaining its meaning and applying it to the congregation. It is a commitment to hearing God's Word and to recovering the centrality of it in our worship.

God's Word gives clear primacy to exposition. Many preachers and pastors today question whether the Bible really gives us any reason to think that expositional preaching is the best way to preach. But the prophetic nature of preaching and the performative nature of God's Word reveal exposition to be best suited to unleashing the power of the text. Exposition is primary because preaching is prophetic. To say that preaching is prophetic is not to say that it is either predictive or ecstatic utterance - preachers are ambassadors, not prognosticators; and their source of revelation is God's mediated written word, not His immediate verbal word. It is rather to say that preaching is about receiving God's word and communicating it to God's people in a way that is faithful to God's intention. Preaching is prophetic because it conveys God's Word to God's people. Exposition best handles the prophetic nature of preaching because the expositional sermon is unique for taking the point of the passage as the point of the message. It is therefore the best way to remain faithful to the content and intent of God's Word in any given text.

Preaching often becomes like taking pictures with a disposable camera - no zooming, no panning, focus isn't guaranteed, and panoramics are unlikely. Expositional preaching is like graduating to a telephoto lens - it gives you the ability to take a wider diversity of Scriptural snapshots from new angles and more perspectives with higher resolution, richer texture, and variable scope.

Visit the website to see the other nine marks - http://www.9marks.org/