At work... 

Practical Theology: The Needed Diet

It is easy to see that in this day and age there exists a vast disconnect between believers' faith and believers' practice. What has caused this and more importantly, why has this happened? There are a number of reasons for this occurrence.

It's easy to blame the usual suspects of modernism, liberalism, and feminism infecting the church. The effects of these human institutions are no doubt strongly felt in our churches. However, ultimately, pastors, preachers, and teachers of the Gospel are to blame. By accepting the role as shepherd of a flock, pastors also accept the responsibility of the actions of their flock. The flock is going to follow the pastor's lead and practice. Now, there will be the occasional wanderer who strays from the flock but even then it is the pastor's (and the church's) responsibility to rebuke, love, and reconcile the stray lamb.

The first way to begin mending this break the church has suffered of our faith and practice is for proper preaching from the pulpit to take place. Preaching is a combination of explaining, convincing, illustrating, exhorting, convicting, and applying the Word of God into every soul. It's easy for pastors to choose one of the above and focus on that one aspect of preaching. The result can be disastrous. Some preaching is all condemnation and no love. Some preaching is all application and no meat from the text. Some preaching is all explanation and no application leaving the person in the pew to wonder "What can I do about what you're telling me?"

It is the job of the pastor to feed his flock and then instruct them on how to eat correctly and, more importantly, how to eat healthily and how to exercise properly. It is not healthy for sheep to eat all day and then lay around all day and get fat. No, they have to graze here and there in order to work off what they have eaten. Christians are much the same way as they cannot just listen to sermons and "amen" them without putting their faith into practice or they will likewise get fat and lazy. Also, preachers who don't feed their flock text-driven sermons will have a flock that is thin and weak and not willing to exercise because they havent been given the needed food to exercise. It's up to the pastor to make sure their flock has proper food, a good diet, and a work out plan (spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, reading the Bible) and detailed instructions on how to do them. Following this work out plan will lead to a closing of the gap between theology and practice. More to come soon about how to carry out these practices...

The Easy Yoke of Christ: Why We make it "Un-easy"

Jesus tells us in Matthew 11: "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." If this is true why do so many Christians not feel this way when it comes to their daily walk with Jesus? Rather than feeling like they are carrying a light napsack many feel as though they are carrying the whole weight of the world on their shoulders - much like a modern day Atlas.

The answer to this question can be discovered in verses 29-30 of the same chapter: "...learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest in your souls."

We as Christians, and as Westerners, do not particularly delight in being meek and humble. The world tells us that greatness is being proud of who you are and being famous among men. After all, our world teaches us that we should flaunt our individuality and showcase our talents. But being a follower of Christ means dying to the world and living in Him. "For I am crucified in Christ, and no longer live..." Therefore when we accept Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer, we should remember 1 John 2:15-17:

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

We have a decision to make: we can conform to the world and have a miserable tension between following Christ and following our culture which changes with the wind, or we can submit ourselves to God in a life-saving act of humble obedience.

Is it any wonder that some of the most miserable people are those that have experienced the Salvation of their souls but at the same time cling to their worldy ways? Non-believers do not know what it is like to have their lives calibrated towards Christ; believers do. This is our biggest tension in life: How can we live in the world, be salt and light for it, and at the same time not conform to it? Simply by humbling ourselves, obeying God's Word, and confessing Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and wish to do so pray with me this prayer. Dear Lord, I realize that I am a sinner who is lost without you. Sin cannot abide in Heaven where You are so I recognize why you sent your Son as the sacrificial lamb - that through Him all can be saved. I ask you to come into my life and redeem me from my transgressions. I also ask you to help me live for You - for without You, nothing would exist. I wish to dwell with you forever in your Eternal Kingdom thanking you for your grace. Amen.

Those were the days

Me and my amazing wife from several years ago while we were in college...we'll get a recent picture soon.