How Do You View God as your Father?

"You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one's holy Father.

"If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all."

J. I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 182; submitted by Aaron Goerner, Utica, New York

From the Pastor's Heart...

The Diary of a Pastor

(Page 1 - Entry 1)

Sunday has come and gone. An entire week of preparation and prayer had gone into the message. Now, the service is over and all that is left is the fear, the wonder, the doubt, the hopes, and faith.

The message had a specific subject, in other words, it was about something specific. The message had a definite purpose. I didn't just "phone it in." I put my heart and soul in the preparation and the delivery.

All I can do now is trust God to quell my fears that His people may have missed the main point of the message. I can only pray that God will overcome my doubts of whether I was clear and precise. I can only hope and have faith that the Holy Spirit will supersede my inadequacies and use the Word to do a work of grace in the hearts of God's people.

Mondays and Tuesdays are rough! Can I love these people any more? Can I hope for them and want any more than I do now for their passion for God? Could I have said anything more that would increase their delight in their God?

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

Epaphras: An Effective Envoy

Acts 28:16 says, “…when we came to Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him.” Acts 28:30 says, “He (Paul) lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and preaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.


 During his trial in Caesarea by Festus Paul appealed his case to the Emperor Nero in Rome. After a long and arduous voyage which included a devastating shipwreck on the Island of Malta Paul arrived at Rome and was placed under house-arrest in a home he rented. He was allowed to minister and entertain those who came and went.

A man influenced by Paul came to him for help.. This man was named Epaphras. Epaphras is not a well-known figure in history. We discover by reading the things recorded for us in the Scriptures particularly by the Apostle Paul  that Epaphras was a pastor who was faithful to his Lord.

Epaphras was the pastor of the church at Colosse, or as I would like to think it was called the Colosse Bible Church. It is quite possible that Epaphras was responsible for one or more of the several churches in what we know as the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor.

First, we need to state that we have absolutely no information on who founded the churches in the Lycus Valley. We do not know who started or began the church in Colosse, Laodicea, Heirapolis, Patmos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Pergamum, or Smyrna.

We know that Paul did not found the church at Colosse. Paul identifies Epaphras as a Colossian (4:12) and that Epaphras was an "envoy" commissioned by the other churches in the valley (4:13) to see Paul. Paul stated that the Colossian church heard the word of God from Epaphras (1:7.)

Epaphras probably met Paul in Ephesus when Paul was preaching and teaching. He became a student of Paul and then an able minister. Epaphras probably left Ephesus and went back to the Lycus Valley and preached the gospel resulting in the founding of at least the Colossian church. Epaphras probably began this church some seven to ten years prior to Paul writing this letter, around AD 53-55.

When we read the letter to Philemon we discover that Epaphras was a fellow-prisoner of Paul, verse 23. We do not have any details of his arrest. Apparently for some reason unknown to us Epaphras was placed under house arrest with the Apostle Paul.

What do we know of this Epaphras? He is mentioned four times in the New Testament. What we do know of him comes to us from Philemon 23; Colossians 1:7, 4:12, 13.

First, Epaphras was a preacher and teacher of the Lord Jesus Christ. (1:5,6) The gospel had come to Colosse. Epaphras taught the gospel in Colosse.

Second, Epaphras was a co-laborer with Paull. (1:7) Paul and Epaphras were harvesters in the same harvest. They served Christ together - yes in different fields, but they both preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third, Epaphras was considered a faithful servant or worker for Jesus Christ. (1:7, 4:12) Faithfulness is a wonderful attribute and a magnificent way to be thought of or summarized by.

Fourth, Epaphras loved his people and missed them greatly. (4:12) Even in Paul's letter he had to say something to them, he had to greet them. He wanted to encourage his people and let them know he was OK.

Fifth, Epaphras was careful for his people.  (4:12) He prayed for his people and was concerned about the spiritual warfare he knew they were facing back home. He was gone from them and couldn't be there to watch, help, minister, and to protect his beloved people. Epaphras prayed diligently for his people as he prayed for their spiritual well being.

Sixth, Epaphras was a man of zeal for his people. (4:13) Epaphras was very zealous for the people at Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. Epaphras was quiet spunky. As a matter of fact the word used in our text is αγωνιζομαι (ag-o-nid’-zom-ahee) It means to fight or to strive fervently. It was used for contestants who contended or fought in gymnastic games. He loved his people and was very mindful of the spiritual warfare that his people were engaged in and he contended for his people.

Seventh, Epaphras was a man who knew when he was out of his league. At some point in his ministry false teachers invaded his church and the churches in the Lycus Valley and brought into the church damnable doctrines of demons. The teachers and teaching were beyond his abilities to deal with them. Epaphras having somehow heard that Paul was in prison in Rome traveled from Colosse to Rome to share with Paul the dangerous teaching that was molesting his people.

Paul had already had an encounter with a runaway slave from Colosse by the name of Onesimus.  How and why this slave named Onesimus and Paul were brought together is unknown to us. However, we do know that at least one reason God sovereignly arranged this meeting with Onesimus and the Apostle Paul. Onesimus had become a believer.Imagine that, you and I will spend eternity in heaven with a runaway slave who stole from his master and yet was graciously redeemed by our heavenly Father!

Paul wanted to keep Onesimus with him and more than likely train and disciple him. But he knew that Onesimus was the rightful property of Philemon. Paul wrote Philemon a letter asking him to receive this slave, not merely as a runaway slave, but to receive him as a brother in Christ. Paul was sending Onesimus and Tychicus to Collose with this letter to Philemon.

Paul decided to write a letter to the church of Colosse addressing the issues that Epaphras had shared with him. Paul wants these believers to ignore these false teachers and teachings and to press on to maturity in Christ by continuing in their battle against sin, pursing holiness, and learning to live distinctively as Christians. Paul intended for Tychicus to take this letter and deliver it to the Colossians. By the way, since Onesimus and Tychicus had to travel through Ephesus to get to Colosse, Paul decided to write to the church at Ephesus and to the other churches in the Lycus Valley.

Epaphras, a great pastor who loved his people dearly came to Paul for help. He needed help to defeat dangerously deceptive and destructive false teachings that plagued his dear people. Paul, under house arrest and able to receive all those who came to him, received Epaphras and ministered to him. For some unknown reason Epaphras was arrested and placed under house arrest with Paul. Paul decides to send Tychicus, his companion to Colosse with a letter dealing with these demonic doctrines.

The Christian Life Viewed As Sonship (Part 1)

SERMON            GM14-022

SERIES:              Christian Living in a World of Chaos & Contradiction

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM

SUBTITLE:        The Christian Life Viewed as Sonship      (Part 1)

SCRIPTURE:     1 John 2:28-4:6

SUBJ:                  The evidence of Sonship

(Theme/Topic)

SUMMARY:       The claim of being a son of God is supported by specific evidence

(Thesis)

SCHEME:           That Christians evaluate the evidence for their claim of being a child of God.

(Objective)

Jerry Bridges on Imputation and Righteousness

It is important to realize that our Lord Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the law of God, both in its requirements and its penalty. He did what Adam failed to do render perfect obedience to the law of God. Then by His death He completely paid the penalty of a broken law. So, from the standpoint of obedience to the law and of paying the penalty for breaking the law, He perfectly fulfilled the law of God.

Therefore when God justifies us, or declares us righteous, He does not create some sort of legal fiction, calling something righteous that is not. Rather, He declares us righteous on the basis of the real, accomplished righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is imputed or credited to us through faith.

~ Jerry Bridges, 

The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness

Happy Independence Day!

Careful Elton John, Your Ignorance is Showing

I never thought I would write about Elton John in my blog. Since the singer has made news this last couple of days I find that I am compelled to set the record straight. Pity that Mr. John won’t get a chance to read this blog. I can’t help but believe he would be extremely enlightened and benefited if he were so privileged.

It should come as no surprise that most people who speak on biblical issues who have not, read the bible, nor studied an issue in its proper context. The singer may have read the bible at one time or many times. I am certainly not privy to his habits. However, since he does not possess the Holy Spirit he has no “unction” or “anointing” within him to teach and convict him of what is truth or what is lies.

I take issue with his comment, “If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen,” John said. “He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together. And that is what the Church should be about.”

First of all, he is obviously ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ is alive today. He is alive and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Second, Jesus Christ was not just a person, nor was he just a great person. He is both man and God. John has no idea of what theological necessity the hypo-static union of the God-man is.

Third, God is love, and as God and as perfect man, Jesus Christ revealed perfect love. What Mr. Elton John does not know is that the perfect love revealed by Christ, spoken of by Christ, taught by Christ, and exemplified does not nullify sin but loves in spite of sin. This great love also includes the plan and the means of satisfying the wrath of God against sin. This love Mr. John is so fond of and relies upon to justify his sin is not a love that after finding a man in sin, leaves a man in that sin.

Fourth, it was God the Father that determined homosexuality to be a sin. As God’s Son, the perfect God-man would never violate the character, nature, and standards of His Holy Father. Therefore, as Jesus demonstrated His love by His sacrificial death, He never contradicted the will and the standards of God.

The love of God, the compassion of God, and the forgiveness of God is available to those who repent of their sin. It is not available to those who want to remain in their sin. It is not available to those who want to “legitimize,” “legalize,” or “liberalize sin.”

Finally, the true church is compassionate, loving, and forgiving. However, all that the church is in these things, they are so in their proper context. The true church is all about magnifying, revealing, and imitating the Holy character of God. The true church is not about bringing people together in their sin.

Sorry, Mr. Elton John, you are patently incorrect in your understanding of the God-man Jesus Christ. I implore you to reject the philosophy of this world, repent of your sin, and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and cry out for forgiveness. Otherwise, you will discover both the truth and the reality of your ignorance at the Great White Throne Judgment.