St. Augustine on Christmas

Dr. Albert Mohler posted this quote from one of St. Augustine's Christmas sermons. It encouraged me, so I thought I would share it with you! Merry Christmas!

He, through whom time was made, was made in time; and He, older by eternity than the world itself, was younger in age than many of His servants in the world; He, who made man, was made man; He was given existence by a mother whom He brought into existence; He was carried in hands which He formed; He nursed at breasts which He filled; He cried like a babe in the manger in speechless infancy -- this Word without which human eloquence is speechless!

Understanding Bible Translation

A few people have asked questions about why some Bible traslations are better than others. Here is a short and easy to read article on understanding Bible translations -- Moving through the Maze: Understanding Bible Translation. Let me know what you think.

Andrew loves his little brother!

Some of you have asked for more pictures!
You can check out The McGinnis Message for more!

Christmas Weekend News

I wanted to remind you that we are having two worship services this weekend to celebrate the birth of our Savior. I hope you can join us at both of these services!

On Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. we are having a joint Christmas Eve service with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. We will be meeting in their sanctuary at 4980 Hancock Rd. (Click here if you need a map.)

On Sunday morning we will worship in our sanctuary at 2303 Double Churches Road. (Map is here.) We will begin our worship service at 10:30 a.m.

Christmas Thoughts

Today in the comic strip B.C., Johnny Hart defines "Yuletide" as "the tsunami of the Christ." In many ways he is right. As we celebrate Christmas, may these passages encourage us to allow Christ to flood our hearts with His glory and grace:

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. -- Isaiah 40:11

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." -- Matthew 1:21

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. -- John 1:14

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. -- John 3:16-17

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. -- John 12:46

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. -- I John 4:9

Merry Christmas!
All Scripture on this site is from the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Luke's First Pic

Wednesday, December 14th

6:50 pm

8 lbs. 6 oz.

20-3/4 inches

Making Sense of Narnia

Polly Toynbee, in the UK Guardian, reviews "The Chronicles of Narnia." See her complete review here. Ms. Toynbee thinks the movie is OK, but thinks that "unbelievers should keep a sickbag handy" because the Christianity of C.S. Lewis represented therein will make one sick.

Here are two quotes from Ms. Toynbee regarding Christianity:

Of all the elements of Christianity, the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?

Without an Aslan, there is no one here but ourselves to suffer for our sins, no one to redeem us but ourselves: we are obliged to settle our own disputes and do what we can. We need no holy guide books, only a very human moral compass. Everyone needs ghosts, spirits, marvels and poetic imaginings, but we can do well without an Aslan.

(If you are not familiar with the world of Narnia -- Aslan, a lion who represents Christ, lays down his life so that sins might be forgiven and then miraculously rises from the dead to defeat the White Witch, representing Satan. )

Ms. Toynbee cannot image a world where she might NEED a savior. I do know a world where I need a savior -- and so does Ms. Toynbee and everyone who has walked on this earth, other than Christ. Ms. Toynbee is offended that Christ did not ask her permission to die for her sins. One of the beauties of the Gospel is that Christ did not wait for our permission, but "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

In the second quote above, Ms. Toynbee is right that without Aslan ("Christ") "there is no one here but ourselves to suffer for our sins, no one to redeem us but ourselves." That is a burden that we cannot carry -- thankfully, Christ has paid the price for our sins as we are told in Romans 8:1-4:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (ESV)

Ms. Toynbee, none of us have any hope without "Aslan." Christ is the only hope for sinners who need a Savior. My prayer is that we all might see our own sinfulness and our need of a Savior! May God open our eyes so that we hunger and thirst for His mercy and love and might treasure Christ above all things.

I Was Wrong

Sunday, during my sermon, I mentioned that Mary is to be "adored" by us, yet not worshipped by us. I got the first half of that one wrong. To adore is to worship -- those two things are the same. I think it is appropriate that we respect and admire Mary and see her as a role model because of her faith. Remember, though, that when we look to the actions and life of Mary we should be moved to worship and adore God, who chose her and gave her the faith to trust Him in the most unusual of circumstances.

Wanting to Help A Soldier?

Looking to send support to a soldier in harm's way but not sure of what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it? Check out this website.

Praying In A Time Of War

As I was thinking about the worship service yesterday, I decided that I should seek advice on how to pray for the military more effectively, especially in a time of war. John Piper offers the following thoughts:

Paul teaches us to pray for peace among nations for the sake of the gospel...It is not our business to decide the sovereign purpose of God in ordaining that some wars happen. Our business is to pray that justice, peace, and the proclamation of the gospel prevail.

As we pray for the military I think it is also appropriate that we pray for the safety of the soldiers, the stability of their families and that God would use world events and even wars for the advancement of the gospel and His own glory throughout all the world.

I know that many of you are in the military, have served, or have family that serve or did serve. I would love to hear your thoughts on how we should offer Gospel-saturated, God-honoring prayers to God for the military in times such as these.

Are we countercultural?

On Tim Keller's new blog he is reflecting on Jeremiah Chapter 32. He quotes Phil Ryken:

“Do you have the faith to act on God’s promises, even if some of them will not be fulfilled until the end of history? Jeremiah…made a major life decision based on what God promised to do seven decades later….Some Christians move into the city. On purpose. Some Christians feed the homeless or tutor…Some Christians reach across ethnic and economic barriers to form friendships….Some Christians give away 10 percent of their income—or more….All these behaviors seem strange to the pagan mind. The strongest countercultural movement in twenty-first century America will be the church of Jesus Christ.” (Courage to Stand, p.159-160)

I hope and trust that God will give us the faith and courage to be countercultural!
Tim Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were able to travel down to Thomasville and visit with Jawan's family. She goes back to the doctor tomorrow for her, now weekly, check-up to see if she is progressing toward labor. We will let you know if anything starts happening -- but I think that we are still a few weeks away from having the baby.
On the PCA Web Magazine (byFaith Online) there is a Thanksgiving sermon from a few years ago by John Piper. Here's a snippet, but it is worth the few minutes that it takes to read through the entire text (click here):

Proud people don't say thanks. But people who believe these three truths do, from the bottom of their heart. The truth that we are utterly dependent creatures. The truth that we are depraved sinners. And the truth that we are redeemed and utterly forgiven through contrite faith. If these three truths penetrate to your heart this morning they will empty your heart of pride and fill it with thankfulness to God.

I am thankful that I get the privilege of being your pastor!

So, What Is A Blog?

Some of you have asked the above question, so here is some info. "Blog" is short for "Weblog" which is "internet-speak" meaning "an online journal." Are there enough "" in that sentence for you? :)
Here are a few things to notice about this "blog":

• If you click on a dark red word or phrase you will be taken to another web page containing information about that subject. For example, if you click on the following word, Blog, you will be taken to an online encyclopedia that explains that term in detail. If you click on the title to this book, Desiring God, you will be taken to a page where you can order the book.
• On the right side of this page you should see a list of "links." If you click on one of those you will be taken to the webpage for that ministry, an online bible, etc.
• If you click on the word "comment" below each "post" you can add your thoughts or comments for everyone to see by following the directions on the page that comes up when you click that link.
• If you have private comments you can always send me an email by clicking here: Mitch.
• Also, the reason you have to type in all those jumbled letters to leave a comment is because people have created computer programs which automatically go to blogs and leave comments which are not always "wholesome." So, it's worth the trouble!

Praying for Your Pastor

I am reading The Heart of a Servant Leader. This is a book of letters that Jack Miller, the late pastor and founder of World Harvest Mission, wrote to fellow ministers and missionaries over many years. It is very encouraging and I recommend it highly.

Today I came across this passage:

Basically I am convinced that men who do not make praying their first priority in life and ministry should not preach or pastor. As preachers they will be confusing models of a Christian man, and as shepherds they will not show willingness to die for the sheep. Their spirit will inevitably drift in the wrong direction... I do think the chief thing in effective ministry -- as a total endeavor -- is the presence of the Spirit in the man -- changing him through the gospel, breaking down our idols, and building us into the glorious image of Christ.

I need your prayers. Please pray that I will be a man of prayer and that I will be overwhelmed with the greatness of the Gospel in my own soul, so that I might be empowered to lead you to the same end, that God might be glorified in all that we do and that Christ might be treasured above all things!

Thoughts on Worship

I was extremely encouraged by the worship service yesterday. I was nervous about not having a piano player and the concept of singing without accompaniment, but I had been praying that it would be a refreshing time for us. It was refreshing!
I long to have accompaniment -- I do think that it adds to the worship service! At the same time, I think that God uses occasions such as this to remind us that it is not the excellence of the different elements of worship that make us successful worshippers (although we should always strive for excellence in every way). The success of worship depends upon the Spirit of God ministering to us as we gather together in His name. He has promised to be there when we meet in His name and He is faithful!
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Although I think the service went well yesterday, we are still in need of a piano player who can serve us by playing every week. Please pray that God will provide someone soon and keep thinking about people you know who might help us out in this area.

A Prayer For Thanksgiving

As we approach Thanksgiving and focus our thoughts on being thankful to God in all situations and circumstances, this prayer from The Valley Of Vision should prove helpful!

Praise and Thanksgiving

O my God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

The Valley of Vision is published by The Banner of Truth.

Cultural Impact

I saw this article by Gene Edwad Veith in a recent issue of World Magazine. I thought that it was relevant to us in light of Sunday's sermon on how as Christians we should fill our minds with thoughts that bring glory to God.

I thought this quote (and comment) was particularly interesting:

Mr. (Jonathan) Bock quotes Disney mogul Michael Eisner: "We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective." If this is true, Christians can use the power of the marketplace to influence the marketplace of ideas.

Worship This Sunday

As I am preparing for worship this Sunday, I thought I would let you in on what I am thinking as I plan the worship service. My prayer is also that as you read this you will prayerfully prepare yourself for the worship of our Lord this week, contemplating the different elements of worship and how they are designed to draw you into a conversation with God.

We always start with a few minutes to prepare our hearts for worship. This week we are using part of a prayer from "The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers." The prayer is an acknowledgement of our sinfulness and ends with the line: "Keep me always clinging to thy cross!" Let that be your prayer as you enter worship this Sunday and everyday!

The Call To Worship is a Scriptural invitation from God Himself to come and worship Him. This week our Call is from Isaiah 55:1. It is especially relevant this week as God reminds us on Communion Sunday that it is not those who have worldly wealth who come to the table to purchase salvation. The ones who find fulfillment at the Lord's Table are those who have already been purchased by Christ at the cross.

The Hymns and Praise Songs help us relive the story of our salvation. This week we sing "Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy" being reminded that it is God who invites us and that we are not worthy of His love. We will then sing a prayer: "Change My Heart, O God." That chorus is followed by another proclaiming the supernatural longing of a changed heart in "Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down."

Our Confession of Faith this week comes from the first question of two different sources. The Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us that are chief end is to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever" and the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that our only hope in life and death is that we belong in all our being to Jesus Christ. We will follow our confession by confessing in song that Christ is the "Rock of Ages," the anchor for our hope at all times.

Our Pastoral Prayer this week will focus on confession as we prepare for Communion and we will also spend a few moments praying for Christians around the world that are being persecuted as this Sunday is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

The Sermon this week is from Philippians 4:8-9 where we will see that we should be consumed with thinking about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy. We will see that the one thing in the universe that fits that description is God. Our goal should be to have thoughts that never fall short of His glory. Of course we will see that we are to rely completely on His grace and mercy for acceptance and forgiveness when we fall short of this goal.

We will celebrate Communion together, feeding on Christ by faith and celebrating that Christ has taken our sins upon Himself and given us His righteousness!

We will end the service singing "Nothing But The Blood" where we express in song the truth that is contained in the sacrament -- that nothing outside of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins brings reconciliation between God and man.

The benediction that always closes our service is God's blessing to us from His Word as we depart to worship Him in all of life.

I look forward to seeing you in church this Sunday and hope that this helps you to grow in grace and to prepare for worship.

I love being your pastor.

This Saturday Night

Often we talk about loving our neighbors and being "one" with Christians around the world. This Saturday night we have a great opportunity to put our words into action -- very easily. This Saturday at 6:30 p.m. we will share a meal and a time of worship with the Spanish congregation that meets in our building each week. Just by showing up we will communicate to them that they are valuable to us as brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of the people that attend the service each Saturday night speak little or no English, so there may be communication difficulties and other social barriers to getting to know one another, which is why just being present will speak volumes to these brothers and sisters in Christ. A large portion of this group drive all the way from Eufaula to worship with like-minded believers!
I believe that God may use this evening to expand our vision for ministry in Columbus and around the world as we get to meet with and worship alongside believers who don't share our culture or language yet worship God with the same passion and fervor with which we worship!
My hope is that you will attend this Saturday evening and that you will come prayerfully expecting God to call us to repentance and deeper faith because of this time in fellowship and worship with our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in Christ!
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"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands," -- Revelation 7:9 (ESV)

A Quote from Martin Luther

"God’s true nature is to love people who are troubled, have mercy on those who are broken-hearted, forgive those who have fallen, and refresh those who are exhausted. (The Gospel) calls us to trust in God’s mercy and goodness alone. It encourages us to believe that God is on our side even when we feel abandoned and distressed." -- Martin Luther, By Faith Alone.

(This quote came to me through "Graced Again" -- you can visit them at www.gracedagain.com)

Broken Hearts

During Sunday School a few days ago I illustrated a point by mentioning (in a very unclear & possibly careless manner) that parents are able to help their teenagers gain perspectives on a broken heart because we have been there and seen that in the broad scheme of life these broken hearts are not as bad as they seem at the time. Because I did not share my thoughts clearly, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on experiencing a broken heart...

1. Broken hearts hurt. As we go through life there are many times where our hearts will be broken. The occasion might be the death of someone close to us, the death of a relationship, the loss of a job or genuine disappointment in life itself.
2. God cares about our broken hearts and desires to heal us. Therefore, we should comfort those around us who are brokenhearted. The fact that Jesus died on the cross means that our failures (or the failures of relationships, jobs, etc.) are not fatal and we must be hopegivers, reminding people (including ourselves) that the Gospel is true.
3. Broken hearts take time to heal. We must allow ourselves time to grieve over the pains that cause our hearts to break. We must remember, though, that it is God who heals our hearts. He may use other relationships, other jobs, etc. but ultimately we must trust that God will heal our broken hearts.
4. Every relationship we go into may ultimately result in our hearts being broken, but we must trust that God will protect us and that if we are hurt, that our pain will not be fatal.

Finally, we should point people to the Gospel as the only hope for broken hearts. The Gospel is true and it offers rescue from a broken world (and broken hearts) through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why a blog?

My prayer for this blog is that I will be able to provide encouragement, teaching and information for the people of Westminster Presbyterian Church. As I study, read and pray I'll be sharing things with you that will hopefully provide you insight into the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how you can apply it to your lives on a daily basis. Please let me know what you think would be most useful for you in this space. ENJOY!