The Puritan Theologians Knew Their Stuff

"A life of godliness is our living unto God as God, as being absolutely addicted to him."

"The pleasing of God being also our end, and both of these (enjoying him and pleasing him) being in some small foretastes attainable in this life, the endeavor of our souls and lives must be by faith to exercise love and obedience; for thus God is pleased and enjoyed."

"All things in religion are fitted to the good of man, and nothing to his hurt: God doth not command us to honour him by any thing which would make us miserable; but by closing with and magnifying his love and grace." --Richard Baxter

Christian Guys and Dating

God has put many young guys in my path I can be a godly example to and be an influence to, and I'm thankful that He's done this because, for one reason specifically, I see a lot of guys have no good foundation or understanding for 1) the purpose of dating; and 2) the role of maturity. So, this is to all my Christian brothers out there; this is all based off of Scripture, not my own personal philosophy or mindset.

1) Purpose of dating is: marriage.
<> If marriage is not something you considered when beginning a relationship, or are thinking about it now: CAUTION. Why are you dating her? Most likely because it's a fling and not something God has put together.
<> Dating and Marriage are serious and sacred; you'd be hurting yourself and her by stirring up something improper or at the improper time.

2) Godly men must be seeking maturity, otherwise you are forfeiting God's command for you to not only grow but to lead.

Here are some concerns I have:

First and foremost, Christian male, if you're considering or are dating a non-Christian woman, there's something wrong.

<> The Bible gives an example of how a Christian marriage should look: a godly man leading a godly woman, with Christ as the center of that marriage. Now, if dating is supposed to lead to marriage, then it should have the same type of model: two godly people (male and female) in a Christ-centered relationship (**Ephesians 5:21-33**). Now think about this: if you date a non-Christian, is Christ really at the center? No. It'd be like her saying God is a part of her "wheel of life," while the guy is saying God is the center of his "wheel of life," meaning that Christ has changed him (**2 Corinthians 5:17**) and He is the basis of all moral and life decisions. She has just thrown God in the mix and thinks that He holds the same weight as school, money, and clothes. Jesus said a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Guys, this type of girl is not for you: God has not saved her, and according to **Ephesians 2:1-3** she's still living by her original, sinful nature--a child of wrath. How on earth could you think that dating her would be okay? Missionary dating is found no-where in Scripture and cannot be backed up. **2 Corinthians 6:14-18** - righteousness has no fellowship with unrighteousness.
<>Basically, this is not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, and you need to repent.

Secondly, if you are not spiritually mature enough to begin or sustain a godly relationship, then don't start it or get counsel FAST.

<> Dating, according to the world, is a fling.
-- Never think it is okay to meet a girl on Friday and be dating her by Sunday night. It's clear you're being led by your hormones and not God. Plus, you barely know her and she barely knows you. This is very immature and shows that you are still acting like a child and not a growing male.

<> Dating, in a biblical standpoint, must be led by a godly, spiritually mature male.
--Are you a new Christian? You shouldn't be dating. You don't know how to lead a woman because you don't know how to lead YOU. **1 Peter 2:2**

--Are you focused more on maturity or finding that girl? **1 Corinthians 14:20, Ephesians 4:5, 2 Peter 3:18** If you're more focused on maturity, then you are seeking God first and not circumstances. You focus on how to be a mature, godly man, and God will open the doors that need to be. Don't think that you can force a girl to like you, or drop her breadcrumbs to make sure she's following you; that's not treating her like a sister in Christ, you're treating her like a dog. Godly women are not objects, they are treasures; don't demean them.

--Praying about it? How we pray shows our dependency on God; are you praying and seeking out His will? Are you telling God what to do? Are you resisting his counsel? **Matthew 6:9-13**

--Seeking out wisdom from the brethren? If you're flying solo in all or any of the process, then a "red flag" should be thrown up. You get counsel from godly men, you get godly perspectives; it's foolish to think you have all the answers and that you know what you're doing. True godly men are gonna tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear. **Proverbs 12:15**

--Are you basing decisions off of assumptions, emotions, or feelings? **Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death** The emphasis here is "basing." Did you start wondering if a relationship could be possible only because she's hot? or because she makes you feel good? CAUTION. Just because you feel attracted to her or think she's hot DOES NOT MEAN that God wants you to start dating her. Let's be honest: if you did that, then you would be running through relationships like a madman. **Psalm 139:23-24** Check your motives before the Lord and before making rash decisions: is it godly & from the Lord, or is it your own personal search for satisfaction?

CONCLUSION:
i. The purpose of dating: marriage
ii. If you aren't maturing, then only maturity should be your focus--not dating or marriage.
iii. Don't think you deserve a relationship/marriage based on your maturity...it's all up to God's timing, not yours. You can't rush nor convince Him when you're ready: He knows when the time is right.

Degradation of Self

I want to run far, far away from problems,
but they just don't seem to go away.
They come and go,
filling my life with pointless voids.
Promising life and pleasure
they deceive and wound my soul.
I know I shouldn't return
but there's an inward pull,
a pull towards safety, towards security.
A dog would not knowingly return to the pound
if it knew it was only a temporary holding cell
until they would put it down.
Why then must I return to sin and get sucked
into the promise of safety and security,
when I know all too well I will be highly disappointed?
Why must I return to the dirty water
when my Savior has promised me living water?
Why do I prefer that which I can obtain now?
My soul aches for God, yet I suppress it,
selfishly wanting what I want right then and there.
My intimacy with my Savior is lacking,
I cry out to thee, my Lord.

Receive with Meekness the Implanted Word

James 1:21-25
(21) Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
(22) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
(23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
(24) For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
(25) But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

A.W. Tozer once wrote, "The meek (humble) man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto."

Meekness: humility; submission to God's will; this is opposite of being prideful or arrogant. That is, open the mind and heart to instruction and to the truth.

So we must receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Back in verse 18, James says, "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth." Before we became Christians, we had to hear the Gospel, we had to hear the truth. Romans 10:14 "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" As Christians, we received the absolute truth of Jesus Christ, and now His word is within us. So James says "we were brought forth by the word of truth" and we are to receive in humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Granted, we have already been saved; but, we are continually being saved everyday. THIS IS NOT going through the process of salvation. We are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). Here is what this means, 2 Cor. 2:15 "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." So how are we being saved? From our flesh; from temptation; from wickedness; from the world; we are daily being saved from what we used to love, which now haunts us.

So all of this means what? In humility we must come to God daily to receive the Word of God. Here's why we must:
(22) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
(23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
(24) For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

We know Bible verses. We can quote hymns and Christian songs. But if we aren't living out what we hear and know, James says we are deceiving ourselves. We deceive ourselves in many different ways: "I'm not driving that fast" or "I'll study an hour before the test and I'll be okay" or "I'll just use a little bit of my savings to buy a couple things I want." All the while we know what we're doing is wrong: We're speeding, breaking the law, and have a high probability of getting pulled over; we're gonna fail that test we didn't study for; and all of a sudden you've spent $1,000 on clothes and shoes with what you were supposed to save."

We must not deceive ourselves in thinking that just because we are saved, we can miss a couple days in the Word, or prayer, or fellowship, or evangelism, etc. You wouldn't flat out say, "I'm just not going to be an obedient Christian today." Being a hearer of the word and not a doer implies that there's no real connection or relating with God and His Word. You're in, you're out. Read a chapter, then off to class without no meditation of the Scriptures whatsoever. If you're shaving, or tweezing your eyebrows you will be looking very intently at your face to make sure you didn't miss a spot. I used to gel my hair, and so I would stand in front of the mirror and wouldn't leave until it was perfect.

We must have this approach to God's Word. We must take the Bible seriously. Dive into the scriptures: learn new things, remind yourself of things you already know. Preach the gospel to yourselves daily. Your time in God's word directly affects your day.

This is important to remember: God still loves us even when we sin. If we neglect His Word, He doesn't neglect us. He's faithful even when we're faithless. God wants you to grow. He wants you to be salt and light to this world.

Don't Flatter Me

Flattery: False praise; commendation bestowed for the purpose of gaining favor and influence, or to accomplish some purpose; often denotes insincerity.

You ever come across someone who you feel acts fake around you? Maybe an individual has directed one of these things your way:

• fake smile
• Asks "how are you doing" but you know they really don't care; that they've just tagged that phrase together with "Hey." Most of the time this happens while he/she walks by and continues to walk by without stopping, hence you're just a hindrance to their destination.
• "We never see each other anymore; we should hang out," yet again that seems like another phrase to "break the ice" because they don't know what to say.
• People who sound like robots, who just repeat something they were told by someone else.
• Maybe all that happens when you get around certain people is just quoting movies, television shows, etc.
  

Christians, we know that we desire true and open relationships with others in the body of Christ. Our longings are not just for the Lord, but for pure fellowship with each other. Why then must anyone go about "flattering" each other? This is fake encouragement. This is fake fellowship. If you want to encourage me, don't do it of mere duty; do it out of love.

Now I know there's a plank in my eye; there are people that I tend to do this around, and I am sincerely working on it. But I'll be honest and say most people really don't recognize that they do this.

The reason I write this is for both you and me. To quote Larry Crabb, "Robot Christians warm friends about as much as a flight attendant gives good wishes to passengers." The call here is to be authentic. Don't ask me how I'm doing unless you really want a sincere answer. If need be, be ready to sit and listen for 5 minutes while I tell you how I'm doing. We must admit that whenever we ask someone "how ya doing" we automatically wait for "good" or "great" or "blessed" but whenever the phrase "not so good" or "man, i'm struggling" comes out, we become astonished and maybe even sometimes frightened. We think "wow I might have to actually sit down and listen to this person." Hence, the hypocrisy has hit the surface.

I didn't want this to be long, but I had to make my point. This cannot be taken as "well I guess I better not ask certain people how they are since I either don't get along with them or I just don't know them." Christians we must love as God loves us. Repent, and look at the life of Christ to see how He desperately cared for the lives of, not just His disciples, but the numerous that He healed and came into contact with everyday.

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life" Proverbs 10:11a

Is Time Killing You?

Ephesians 5:15-16
(15) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
(16) making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

I've come to the realization that this statement reigns true: "Comfort Kills Christians." What do you think? How is comfort a part of your life? As I drove home December 15, listening to sermons by John MacArthur, I had envisioned an awesome time at home: spending much time with God, working a little bit, and resting from this past hectic semester. Unfortunately, after one week, resting and relaxing turned into laziness and I found myself compromising in many areas. My time with God was absent as I sat in front of the TV, spent countless hours playing video games, and many more sitting here on my laptop. How could this outcome have occurred? What happened to this vision of rich time with God? Comfort, my friends...

Com-fort (n): (Webster 1828)
1. Relief from pain; ease; rest or moderate pleasure after pain, cold or distress or uneasiness of body. The word signifies properly new strength, or animation;
2. Relief from distress of mind; the ease and quiet which is experienced when pain, trouble, agitation or affliction ceases. It implies also some degree of positive animation of the spirits; or some pleasurable sensations derived from hope, and agreeable prospects; consolation.

Com-fort (n): (Merrian-Webster 2008)
1. Strengthening aid: a) assistance, support "accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy" b) consolation in time of trouble or worry
2. a) A feeling of relief or encouragement b): contented well-being "a life of ease and comfort"
3. a satisfying or enjoyable experience

There are similarities between these two versions, but I think you should notice one major difference here, mainly 2a & 2b of the '08 version: these are paradoxes. While I myself am not much of a wordsmith, I think the definition of comfort has dramatically made a shift. Comfort is supposed to bring strength, not laziness. And by the very definition of the word, if you are living a lifestyle of comfort, that means you have a content well-being...should this be so? Christians, we must steer from the Osteen "Best Life Now" fallacy; we must never think that we should always be in comfort.

Jesus said "in the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). This means times of hardship. I'm not saying that comfort is necessarily a bad thing, but in our context today we need much caution; moderation is imperative. I told numerous individuals I looked forward to relaxing over the break...maybe you pondered the same thought. What came to your mind as you thought about it more? Sleeping 14 hours every day? Catching up on your "Grey's Anatomy," "Entourage," "24," "Price is Right," or "The Office" television shows? Playing "Warcraft," "Call of Duty," or "Guitar Hero?" Where was God in the picture? Maybe, like me, He was at the start but somehow drifted as other things became more desirable. Curiosity kills the cat, comfort kills the Christian.

Much exegesis and studying of Ephesians 5:15-16 is not required to understand the basic concept of how much time we waste. If you're wise, you'll make good use of the time; if you're unwise, time is going to help you waste away;

<> Ecclesiastes 9:12 "For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them."
<>Psalm 39:5 "Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!"
<>James 4:14 "...you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
<>1 Peter 1:24-25 "for 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, [25]but the word of the Lord remains forever.'"

It is a foreseeable reality that our life here is only a mist. How then must we spend our time? Certainly not wasting it. "We're on borrowed time all the time, and all the time we got is all the time we got, and one day all the time will stop" (Unknown Christian rapper). Maybe you've had a great break; maybe your time with God has been rich and has made you stronger & wiser, if so praise Him. But for those of you who, myself included, who have just been wasting your time, either over this break, this past semester or any duration of time, take a look at yourself and see what's been accomplished.

Will you yield Solomon's grief?

Ecclesiastes 2:11 "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind..."

OR

Will you take on Paul's wisdom?

"Look carefully then how you walk...as wise...making the best use of the time..."

I pray you have been encouraged,
T-rav

Proverbs 14:27 "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death."

Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! (2) Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (3) Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (5) For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Philippians 4:6-8 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, (17) pray without ceasing, (18) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1) Praise God for who He is

• He is good
• His steadfast love endures forever
• His faithful to all generations

2) Praise God for what He has done

• He made us, and we belong to Him

3) Thank God in all we do

• Rejoice always
• Pray without ceasing
• Give thanks in all circumstances
• Not to be worry about anything
• Pray and make requests to him with thanksgiving
• The peace of God will rest upon you

Randomness

I run to you, yet I turn back around;
forgetting how your grace abounds/
Broken cisterns fill my heart,
as I attempt to find life apart/
from the Lord my God who paid it all,
that I might abide in him and tear down the wall/
of hostility that separated Him from me.

A million times I've fallen short,
yet His mercy never fails;
for this wretched sinner,
God's redeeming love prevails.

A Christian's Regeneration and Love

It's apparent in the world today that many people have been hurt by the church and Christians. Why is this so? We really take a look at ourselves and see how our lives are affecting the people around us, because it's either positively or negatively. Countless numbers of people have walked away with this faint few of what Christianity is by what they see in the actions of those proclaiming to live with a regenerated heart; about 80% of America claims to be Christian, but can this reign true if the poor in this country aren't being helped or children being disregarded and not properly cared for or even an individual who walks away from the belief in God all because someone decided to not be Christ-like in a certain area (or maybe he/she was never Christ-like at all to begin with, hence Jesus saying that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit). Two things must happen: each individual person must ask themselves honestly whether or not he/she is truly saved by the grace of God--an honest, inward look at his/her heart, life, and decisions in life. Secondly, if someone truly is a believer, one must ask his/herself if they are "considering others better than themselves" and "looking not only towards their own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Php 2:3-4). I've run into numerous people, as I'm sure you have as well, who have completely disregarded Jesus because they ran into hypocritical people either in the church or somewhere in their life.

As Christians, we have been regenerated by love for love. How so?

Regenerated by love:

• "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
• "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
• "In love he predestined us for adoptions as Sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will." Ephesians 1:4-5

Regenerated for love:

• "A new commandment I give to you, that you love another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
• "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." John 14:21
• "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God." Acts 9:8, 11
  

Thoughts on the Election

So I decided not to vote this election year...please, don't give me any crap because of my choice, especially the ones who think that I'm un-American for not choosing. I don't know all the answers to our country's issues, but I don't think either Obama nor McCain are putting out the right solutions. And in a country where majority rules, voting for someone else is just as similar as not voting at all, in my opinion.

I see faults on both the republican and democratic sides; trickle-down economics leaves the poor behind, but I don't think the government should be controlling that; socialism has the possibility to work, but not America is a capitalist country; as the church, we should be doing our part to reach out to those in need, and be Jesus to all: this means giving up time and money so that others aren't lacking in anything. Obama's universal health care essentially means that the government and/or one private organization controls the price, aka "monopoly" aka "they can charge you whatever price they want; also, this healthcare plan would cost $65 billion...I thought we were trying to cut spending in lieu of our enormous deficit...let's dig an even bigger hole shall we?" McCain's answer to health-care is to give tax credits so that it will be more affordable, but if people are struggling to even put food on the table, they're going to need more than a tax credit.

Those are just a couple of examples, but I feel no conviction for not voting; I follow Jesus, not men nor their opinions. So if someone wants to talk politics, I am more than willing to open up and listen to opinions that are similar and different than my own. I tend to lean toward the conservative side, but the Spirit was holding me back from making a clear-cut decision as to who to vote for. I still should have filled out the ballot for approving/disapproving amendments and also my vote for Jack Kingston as my House representative. I failed in that aspect, but again, I was led to not cast my vote for a president; so, I didn't.