With the upcoming presidential election, I decided to purchase Politics According to the Bible by Wayne Grudem. Here are my reflections.

Grudem argues that there are five wrong views concerning government.

1. Force Religion

The first wrong view is that government should compel religion. In other words, the nation should follow a specific religion. An extreme case is Muslim countries who practice Sharia law. This is not the view of the Bible.

2. Exclude Religion

This view states that religion must be completely excluded from the public sphere. The Ten Commandments should be removed from government buildings, holidays such as Christmas must be removed, prayer in classrooms, etc.

3. Government is Evil

This view states that government is of the devil. We should have nothing to do with government because it is ruled by Satan.

4. Do Evangelism, Not Politics

This view states that the church has nothing to do with politics. In other words, preach the gospel and let the nation burn.

5. Do Politics, Not Evangelism

This view goes to the opposite end of the spectrum of the previous view. It states that salvation will come from political involvement. This is the theology of the "social gospel" or "liberation theology".

The view Grudem endorses is that Christians should influence the government. In other words, we must be responsible citizens in seeking the well-being of society. Jesus did not only preach the gospel, but he healed people physically. God has instituted government as a divine institution to punish evil doers and enforce justice (see Rom 13). There have been many historical examples of Christians influencing government for good: (1) abolition of slavery, (2) the Roman Gladiator games, (3) education reforms, (4) infanticide in the Roman Empire, etc.

A common question gets raised during this election among Christians: Should Christians vote for a non-Christian? John MacArthur and even Wayne Grudem have argued that it is ok to vote for a non-Christian because you are not voting for the pastor of a church, but an official who will exercise justice for the nation by punishing evil.

Taken from John Stott's Contemporary Christian...

1. Know the Sheep

Know them by name. Open your home to them. Greet them. Acknowledge them. Pray for them.

2.Serve the Sheep

This means strengthening the weak, healing the sick, binding up the injured and bringing back the straying.

3. Lead the Sheep

Walk in front of them, call them, and lead by example. We must set a consistent and reliable example.

4. Feed the Sheep

Feed them through the Word of God. Pastors eat, live, and breathe Bible. And Pastors are suppose to give the Sheep Sound Doctrine from the Bible. Jesus told Peter to "Feed my sheep."

5. Oversee the Sheep

Sheep need guidance. They need direction. Be a pastor of vision.

6. Guard the Sheep

Shepherds watch out for false prophets. He is aware of wolves dressed in sheep clothing. Pastors protect people from error. They guard sound doctrine.

7. Seek Lost Sheep

In other words, do evangelism! Christ seeks the lost, so must we!

I'm currently reading the new nine marks journal on Discipling in the Church http://www.9marks.org/journal/discipling-church, and here are some great ideas I want to implement in being a better disciple-making disciple:

1. Give Ministry Away

In other words, DELEGATE. I like this acrostic, Determine the ministry, Examine the duties, Lay out the leadership selection, Educate the leader, Guide the leader, Authorize the leader, Trust the leader, Evaluate the leader (taken from Pastoral Ministry, pg. 244, Alex Montoya's Article on Leading). I should let some of the younger men lead the discussions on Friday Bible Study, let some of the elders lead the Prayer meeting, and let other mature godly men teach the Sunday School.

2. Celebrate Grace in the New Disciples

Encouragement goes along way. Look for evidences of grace in people's lives.

3. Be a "gospel-father" and by discipled by a "gospel-father"

Imitate your leaders. Paul imitated Christ. Timothy imitated Paul who imitated Christ, and so on (Heb 13:17; 1 Cor. 4:15). We look for men to "gospelize" and men to "goseplize" us. Find a godly man in the church and imitate his example. My example is my very own Pastor Ed.

4. Teach Other Elders to Model Disciple-Making

Exhort other Elders to teach and preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:1-2), show hospitality (love of strangers) to church members and strangers, counsel and shepherd people in difficult situations with the Word of God, and let others see their lives in the "everyday" so that they can see how the grace of God is at work in them not only in the church, but also in the home and workplace.

On my vacation in San Francisco, I have been reading through Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. Romans 11:36 stuck out to me, "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." In Galatians, Paul reminds us that we should not abandon the gospel of grace. We have been saved and justified through faith alone in the sacrifice of our savior. In Galatians 6:14, Paul says that he will not boast in anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The cross is a symbol of death to sin, our sinful flesh, our separation from the world system in rebellion against God our Creator.

But tonight in my devotions, I read Ephesians. A church member recently has come up to me asking for insight into the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I am blessed that this member seeks wisdom and wants to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. So I've been thinking lately on what a Spirit-filled believer looks like in everyday life. Ephesians 5:15-21 gives us the answer:

    [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. [17] Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. [18] And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, [19] addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, [20] giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, [21] submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-21 ESV)

1. A Spirit Filled Person understands the will of the Lord (vv. 15-17)

He seeks to know the mind of Christ through the Word of God. In other words, he lets the "word of Christ" dwell in him richly (Col. 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit is the One who guided the process of revealing divine scripture (2 Pet. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). If we want to be spirit-filled, then we must be Bible-saturated believers.

2. A Spirit Filled Person exercises self-control (v. 18)

Paul says in Galatians 5:22 that a Spirit filled person exercises self-control. Here, specifically, it is applied to abstaining from alcohol.

3. A Spirit Filled Person sings praise to God with church community (v. 19)

Instead of putting down people, gossiping, or slandering others, a spirit-filled person communicates words of truth. Specifically in this passage, singing hymns and spiritual songs to one another. When is the last time I sang a hymn or spiritual song while driving with my wife? Or sang some hymns out of spontaneous praise to God with other church members?

4. A Spirit Filled Person Gives Thanks (v. 20)

It says give thanks always and for everything. I need to thank God for good times and bad times. Right now, I thank God for vacation in SF. I thank him for new friends in Oakland. I thank him for giving us the gift of marriage. I thank God for celebrating the union of Brian and Irene Lum. I even thank God for my own marriage and my precious wife. On the other hand, I thank God for conflicts in marriage. I thank God for burdens in ministry to grow me in patience. I thank God for brokenness. I thank God for showing me my sin so that I can repent.

5. A Spirit Filled Person Submits (v. 21)

A Spirit Filled Person submits to others. I need to submit to Christ first and foremost. Then I need to submit to my wife in loving her and cherishing her. Then I need to submit to my parents in honoring them. I need to call them more often and think about evidences of grace in their lives instead of putting them down (Eph 6:1-2).

These are the marks of a truly Spirit-filled person. Amen.

I have been noticing a pattern in my life that I am not pleased with. Listening to sermons and reading The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies has confirmed this pattern in my life that I want to repent of. What I am not pleased with is that at many times I notice that technology controls me. In other words, technology has become an idol in my heart.

You might think that this is too extreme, but let me give you a few examples:

1. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to check my android phone. I check my email, bank accounts, mint.com, and facebook. Two hours later, I check again. One hour later, I check again. Go read a book, I check again. Take a shower, I check again. Helen comes home from work, I check again. Something is going wrong here....

2. Whenever I sermon prep, I get distracted by the Internet. I check the latest scores of a paintball tournament, log on to facebook, check out CNN, click to AOL news, and check out my wife's blog. In other words, I can't focus on the Word of God because I am distracted. Although I have set aside 4 hours for sermon preparation and study, in reality I've have only studied less than 2 hours.

3. My wife and I have got into arguments because we ignore each other because of our technology. I confess that in the past I have ignored my wife while she has had a conversation with me because I check my phone or I am on the IPAD checking out Les Miserables youtube videos. Likewise, we have talked about limiting our technology/internet/blog in the evening so that we can spend quality time together.

4. I personally confess that I have been guilty of checking paintball scores and videos during a church business meeting even though I am one of the pastors of the church! Lord, forgive me!

I believe these patterns in my life have not been pleasing to the Lord. The Holy Spirit has been convicting me that I need to use my time better because the days are short (Eph 5:15-18).

In his book, Tim Challies argues that technology is part of God's creation mandate given to man. Man is to be fruitful, have dominion over, and subdue the earth (See Genesis 2). And man creates technology to fulfill those ends. However, the Fall in Genesis 3  shows that technology is subjected to the Curse. No longer does man use technology to glorify the Creator, but he can use it to dishonor God and be enslaved by it.

Technology is neutral. However, technology can be used for good or for evil. You can use your iphone or android to read the Bible or you can use your iphone or android to view porn. You can use your facebook to tweet insightful quotes from great Christian authors or you can use your facebook to slander or complain. You can use your twitter to tweet some bible verses you are memorizing or use your twittter to talk about irrelevant information. In short, you can either use your technology to glorify God or dishonor Him (1 Cor 10:31).

Here are some specific applications that I am resolved to limit the control of technology in my life. I want to control technology and not be controlled by it. 

1. Instead of checking my phone in the morning, read the bible or pray.

Why not start off the day reading God's word instead of checking someone's facebook status that has absolutely no eternal signficance?

2. Instead of checking the internet multiple times a day, do something productive.

I can use all that wasted time to either work out, eat lunch with a friend, study Hebrew and Greek, call my wife to tell her I love her, memorize bible verses, or read some good books.

3. Instead of checking the internet uselessly, browse with a purpose.

I need not waste time browsing when I can check the internet with purpose. I need to check to respond to church emails. Or make sure certain checks are written out for rent or my tithes. I need to think about why I need to use the internet.

4. Give thanks to God for allowing technology in my life to better glorify Him!

How can I better glorify God with the internet? Facebook? This blog? Lord thank you for giving us the internet with tons of information! Thank you for a social network that allows us to communicate instantly! Help me use the internet and technology wisely. Help my glorify you by exercising self-control in this area of my life and please forgive me for wasting your precious time while I can be seeking the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33).

I am currently reading through Shepherd Leader and Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching for summer leisure. In these books, I have been blessed by many helpful and practical lessons on pastoral ministry and expository preaching.

1. Shepherding 101

Good pastors are shepherds. In pastoral ministry, you will always have to go after lost sheep, rebuke straying sheep, help weak sheep, and lead healthy sheep (see 1 Thess 5:14). A good shepherd will lead the sheep by example in his own personal life, feed the sheep through the word of God, know the sheep by doing both public and private ministry, and protect the sheep from false teaching and building them up with the word of God.

2. The Preacher as Herald

A preacher is one who heralds the good news of Jesus Christ. In the ancient world, the herald would be commissioned by his master to announce whatever He commanded. The herald was simply to be faithful and obedient to the desires of his master. He was not suppose to alter the message in anyway regardless of the response of the audience.

3. Baxter's Example

The Reformed Pastor is a classic work on pastoral ministry. What made Baxter's ministry so effective was that he not only preached the word faithfully in public, but he also preached the word faithfully in private (from house to house). He would personally catechize families during the week. Furthermore, Baxter warns preachers to make sure they preach to their own hearts before they preach to others.

4. Expository Preaching

What is expository preaching? My simple definition would be simply "communicating God's Words to God's people." I know this is simplistic, but it helps me understand two important principles in expository preaching. First of all, preaching must come from God's word or the text itself. This comes from exegesis, understanding the cultural and historical background, looking into the geography of Israel, trying to understand the original author's intent to his original audience. Second, preaching the text of scripture must apply to the hearts of the people. This comes through persuasion, good homiletics, passion, and faithfulness to the text of scripture. It is not enough to do exegesis. Exegesis is a means to an end: to transform the hearts of the people of God so that they would give glory to God by the application of Scripture in their lives.

5. Cultural Challenges for Preaching

D.A. Carson argues that the rise of multiculturalism, biblical illiteracy, shifting epistemology, and pace of change are some contemporary challenges for preachers. I found Carson's reflection on biblical illiteracy insightful because many people in our culture do not have biblical concepts of sin, grace, justification, God, etc. We must not be so isolated from the world that we fail to communicate the timeless truths of Scripture.

6. Other thoughts

How can I be a better preacher? I need to always make sure my heart is right before the Lord and I am going deep in the scriptures. I also need to pray for the Spirit's illumination to make the text of Scripture clear to me. I need to understand the authorial intent and seek to bridge that with the hearts of God's people today. I must also submit and believe that the Bible is relevant today because it ultimately comes from God himself.

In The Shepherd Leader by Timothy Witmer, he argues that Shepherds must know their sheep. If I am going to be a pastor, then I must know the people I pastor. It seems overwhelming to think of this sometimes because I feel like I can't go after every member. But I guess this is why there must be a plurality of leadership to go after people together. I was rebuked in this reading because I have been negligent in caring for the sheep. I focus all my attention on new believers that I neglect the sheep under the care of CFBC. Lord, please forgive me for not caring for your sheep. Here are some practical applications on my reflections on knowing the sheep.

1. Repent.
2. Know who is or who is not on your membership roll.
3. Call people. Ask how they are doing? Prayer requests>
4. Share the load with the deacons/elders.