TO BOTH OF MY FAITHFUL READERS

I’m sorry that I haven’t posted for a while. I know how frustrating that must be for those of you who view this blog as a necessary part of your daily goof off time.

I realize how irresponsible it is for me to be so lax in providing this mighty weapon against spiritual wickedness and non-Chevy products. I have been pretty busy lately, but I plan to do better in the near future.

Hopefully, I will soon be able to post some pictures of the ‘68 Nova that I recently aquired.

Oh yeah, and I plan to say some nice things about Jesus too.(Note to self: Work on your priorities, dude!)

STAY TUNED!

A MONERGISM TEE SHIRT GOES TO REAL ESTATE SCHOOL

This week and next week I am in real estate school. Yep, I sell real estate too. This is a required 45 hour continuing education course that also gives me the 1st leg of my GRI.

On Wednesday night I received a Father’s Day gift from my son Steve. The package contained a Martin Lloyd-Jones book and a Monergism.com tee shirt. The shirt has a small Monergism logo on the front left (where the pocket would be ) with the phrase “After darkness light” in both Latin and English. On the back it has pictures of Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and Spurgeon with the 5 solas of the Reformation.

So, on Thursday, I wore the tee shirt to school and it created a small stir. I’m not sure if it was all about the shirt. It easily could have had something to do with my manly physique being shown off in a tee shirt, but anyhoo, it got some attention. One person asked, “Is that Latin? What does it mean?” I said,” It means after darkness light. It refers to the Reformation.” Puzzled look. I said, “It’s Christian….” Look of horror! Varoooom! Gone!

Another asked and again I explained and this one said, “Whose are the pictures on the back?” I gave the names and she responded,”I used to be a Lutheran , but now I’m a Methodist.” I said, “Oh? That’s interesting”(Hoping to find out if the change was for doctrinal reasons, and thereby opening an opportunity for spiritual discussion). To which she responded, “Yeah, the Lutheran church was way across town and the Methodist was just down the street, so we became Methodists.” Side note: Apparently in religion as well as real estate it’s :LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

Another who overheard said, “I’m Christian Science, I think that the problem most people have is that they take the Bible too literally.” I said, “Yep, I’m one of ‘em.” “You are?” “Yep, I preach it verse-by-verse. I take the point of the scriptural passage as the point of my sermon.” She said,”One thing I don’t do. I don’t discuss religion or politics.”

Long story short, the Monergism tee shirt didn’t make any converts. Maybe next week I will be able to get at least one person to bow his / her head, repeat the 5 solas, and receive John Calvin as their personal theologian.

THOUGHTS ON BOOKS AND READING

Recently, while eating breakfast with a friend who has been in the ministry for many years, he shocked me by saying :”I really don’t like to read that much.” I replied:”Then you’ve got to force yourself to read!”

It would be impossible for me to over-emphasize the impact that reading good books has had on me personally and on my ministry. Study and preparation are part and parcel of the gospel ministry. My caution to young men who are about to enter the ministry is: “If God didn”t give you a desire to study, He probably hasn’t called you to preach.”

There are many authors and books that have radically influenced my life and ministry. The following is a partial list of the books and authors that have been the greatest blessing in my own ministry.

A.W. Tozer-”THE PURSUIT OF GOD”. I can trace a spiritual transformation in my life back to this book. It lead me to read every thing I could get by him.

Leonard Ravenhill-”WHY REVIVAL TARRIES”

E.M.Bounds-All his books on prayer.

A.W.Pink

C.H.Spurgeon

John MacArthur

THE LIFE AND DIARY OF DAVID BRAINERD by Jonathan Edwards.

Jonathan Edwards

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

John Piper

R.C.Sproul

J.I.Packer-Particularly “KNOWING GOD” and “EVANGELISM AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.”

Mark Dever-”9 MARKS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH.”

More recently I am being blessed by the writings of C.J.Mahaney.

I haven’t read a lot of Calvin other than his commentaries, but I am definitely influenced by many who have been influenced by him.

As I said, this is not an exhaustive list of all the beneficial books I’ve read, but these are the books and authors that I consider to have been the most helpful. I’m sure that most of you are avid readers also. What are some of the books you consider to be most influential in your life and ministry?

THOUGHTS ON OLD CHURCH BUILDINGS

This past Sunday afternoon, my wife and I decided to take a little R&R. So after making arrangements to leave the evening service in the capable hands of Bro. Jim Core, and inviting our friends (Louie and Cathy Human) to go with us, off we went to St. Augustine, Fl.

St. Augustine is the nation’s oldest city and a popular tourist spot. The city was named for… you guessed it! Augustine, bishop of Hippo and one the heroes of those of us who love the doctrines of grace.

On Sunday evening, we went to the Ancient City Baptist Church. We didn’t know anything about the church, so we didn’t know what to expect. However we were greatly blessed as we heard the pastor, Dr. David Rice,preach an expository sermon on the 31st Psalm.

On Monday morning, we took one of the trolley tours through the old part of the city.At one point we got off the trolley and walked through the Memorial Presbyterian Church. This church was estabished in 1824 and the present building was dedicated to the glory of God on March 16th 1890.

I am always impressed by these old church buidings. The architecture, design, and lay-out say so much about the congregation and their leaders’ perception of God as well as their attitude toward worship.

The sanctuary of this particular church is arranged in the shape of a cross. The the pulpit is to the right side while the lecturn (where the Bible is always present and always open, and from which it is read) is in the center, indicating the centrality of the Word of God. These are subtle, or not so subtle indications of the focus of the original planners and builders of this edifice. No expence was spared in their efforts to make it beautiful, for they obviously believed that the God they intended to worship in this place, deserved the very best they could give Him.

Although there was no congregation in attendance on a Monday morning, no choir singing praises, nor was there one reading or preaching the Word; there was no doubt about the purpose for which this building was designed. Just to walk in and look around, you know that this place is meant for the worship of a high and holy God.

This is a far cry from the design of many of our modern church buildings. Some are more reminiscent of a movie theater or a play house than a place of worship. Some congregations build a gymnasium that they use all week as a recreational center. On Sunday they retract the basketball hoops, set out the folding chairs, and bring in the portable pulpit and PRESTO! It’s a church! This too speaks volumes about the congregation’s view of the worship of God. The testimony of their design and architecture can be boiled down to this: They deserve the best and God gets what’s left. It often appears, to me at least, that it is more about pragmatism, seeker friendliness, and great fun than about worshiping the God of the Bible.

I am not so naive as to believe that all congregations that meet in circumstances like those described above are failing to worship God. Nor do I believe that every congregation meeting in a perfectly desingned edifice is truely worshiping God. There is much more to true worship than just the design of the building in which we meet. However, the way we arrange our worship space does say something about us and our view of God.

ANOTHER AMAZINGLY GRACEFUL OLD CHEVY

This is my favorite make, model and year (‘66 Chevelle). It’s painted my favorite color (hugger orange), and it’s sittin’ on my favorite wheels (American Torque ThrustII). It also has my favorite engine(396).
How do you like this one Terry?