"For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given... and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Rejoicing in the best gift -Jesus Christ!
Have a blessed Christmas,
4:12 Team
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
I want You to Serve at Church
by Josiah Bennett
We at 4:12 want you to serve at church because
we as teens need to break out of our comfort zones and be involved in servant
leadership in the church today so that we can be the world changers of
tomorrow.
First Corinthians 12:7 says, “To each is given the manifestation
of the Spirit for the common Good.” 1 Peter 4:10 says "As each has received a gift
use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” We all have gifts. And as Ephesians 2:19 says “You
are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” we are
a body, and all different members. We need to help build the church. Josh Harris says in Stop Dating the Church “Serving is the fasted way to feel a sense
of ownership in your church. It’s also the best way to build relationships.
Membership in the church must not be spectatorship. No part of a body can
merely observe the work of others –it has to contribute.”
Some think that it is the job of the paid workers at church to do
all the work but Robert E. Coleman says in the Master Plan of Discipleship “It was not their place to do all the
labor themselves, but rather to train the people for the task… by so doing the
members of the church are built up to a place of strength and maturity.” It is
our privilege to serve.
There are many benefits to serving at church. When we don’t serve we miss out on the
blessing of seeing God work. As we
follow God and serve Him, we are filled with the Joy that comes from serving
Him. I have gotten to see God work in others, through myself, and my friends. Serving
also provides opportunity to meet new people, serve with other youth, and serve
with older men and women who become mentors. When you serve with fellow
Christians you experience fellowship which is serving Christ together. Serving
in the church now will help you later in life.
You will learn skills, responsibility and receive a servant heart.
So how does one serve? Well, here are several ways:
Do small things: as Alex and Brett Harris say “Small things
most often occur behind the closed doors of our homes, schools, or churches.
They are rarely new or exciting, and they are often repetitive –even tedious.
Small things happen on the level at which we normally live our lives –the
‘stuff’ that makes up every day living.” Don’t be afraid to do a task, even if
it seems small or doesn’t seem rewarding.
Do it and do it well. Learn to be faithful in the little, because Jesus
says in Matthew 25:21 “… well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been
faithful over the little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your
master.” Alex and Brett Harris say “The
truth is that huge gifts are often hiding in those small packages”
Always be
willing to serve: Now, you won’t be
able to do everything, but you should be willing to do anything… Josh Harris
says in Stop Dating the Church “A
passionate disciple is always asking ‘what can I do to serve God and others
with what He has so generously given me? We shouldn’t withhold our gifts at
church. We shouldn’t even wait to be called upon to exercise them. Instead we
should humbly present our gifts to our leaders and offer to serve the needs of
the whole body in whatever way would be most helpful.”
Do something
you love to do: Do you like
playing with little kids? Join the nursery. Do you enjoy playing an instrument
or singing? Join the worship team. There
are so many different places you can serve at church- find where your gifts are
and minister there. But, don’t be afraid to try something new.
Serve with
your friends: There are few
better ways to hang out with your friends then to serve with them at a conference
or dinner.
Also remember who you are serving: You
are serving God through serving others. Even if you are serving someone who
doesn’t have a very good attitude remember that you are serving God. Remember why you are serving: We don’t serve because
it will earn us heaven; we serve because we love Jesus.
Maybe you would love to help out, but think
you are too busy. Alex and Brett Harris
encourage their readers of Start Here to ask “what type of busy am I?
Are you intentionally busy with purposeful, fruitful work? Or are you busy in
the sense that you are always doing something, don’t have extra time during the
day and feel tired or irritated a lot? Being disciplined and organized in how
you spend your time is one of the most important small hard things that allows
you to do some of the bigger things that God has called you to do.” Be the
right type of busy –productive
Ask God where he is calling you to serve. You will be given a lot of opportunities to
serve and they’ll be good! But you can’t do all of them. Alex and Brett say in Start Here, “We realized we didn’t have
to do everything in order to serve God. We actually make ourselves more
productive when we learn to say ‘no’ and ‘yes’ to the right things.”
So the next time you hear about an opportunity
to serve at church consider volunteering. So instead of being a recipient and
follower, become a servant leader.
from fellow servant leader,
Bibliography
Coleman, Robert E. (1987) Master plan of discipleship
Harris, Alex and Brett (2008) Do hard things
Harris, Alex and Brett (2010) Start here
Harris, Josh (2004) Stop dating the church
Monday, November 14, 2011
A Call to Prayer -1
by Andrew Kasahara
I ask whether you pray, because prayer is absolutely needful to a man’s salvation.
Young men, do you understand the importance of prayer? I plead with you to consider your private prayer life. Private prayer is a very good test of your motives. Because our heart is very deceitful, we can do "good" in a way that serves no one but ourselves. Though we give to the poor, we seek our own glory. When we serve, we look for the praise of men. When we tithe, we desire to look spiritual. This is not so with private prayer. Private prayer is an outpouring of the heart with no other goal than to plead for the presence and power of God in our lives. No one will recognize you for your private prayer life. It is one of the best ways to examine our hearts. The content of our private prayers are also good indicators of our spiritual health. Do you hold fast to God and His promises, or do you pray only to soothe your guilty conscience? Do you pray for ease, or do pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit? It is necessary to understand the importance of prayer in our life to comprehend a seriousness of a call to prayer.
Before going on any further, I would like to define what I mean by private prayer. By private prayer, I mean what Jesus says in Matthew 6:5-15. ""And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil."
Jesus warns us about being hypocritical in public prayer. He wants us to pray not to be seen by others, but by our Father who is in secret. In private prayer, God calls us to pray for ourselves and for the nations. First, in private prayer, we pray for God to hallow His name. For a long time, I wondered what the word "hallowed" meant. Only recently did I learn through Pastor Piper what it means. It means, "set apart." It means that we pray that God’s name would be more valued than anything else in our life. Food, sports, and friends – all take a backseat to God’s name. By praying that His name would be hallowed, we pray that His name would be treasured above all things, and that we would make choices that make the joy we have in Him manifest. (Thanks, Pastor Piper) The next part of the passage pleads that God’s kingdom would come, that He would reign as supreme in all the nations. It means praying in a way that longs for the day when every tongue, every people, every tribe, and every language would join around the throne of the Lamb, saying, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" It also means praying for our needs and the needs of others. It says in Ephesians 6 that we need to make supplications for all the saints. So in your private prayer, don’t neglect to pray Matthew 6 over yourself, your church body, and the nations.
J.C. Ryle argues that prayer is absolutely necessary for our salvation. No one was ever saved by just reading the Bible, nor was anyone saved by just the public proclamation of the good news. There is no such reference in the Bible of anyone being saved without asking for salvation. Not that prayer saves you. J.C. Ryle makes that very clear. He says, "I can find that nobody will be saved by his prayers, but I cannot find that without prayer anybody will be saved." Salvation is a gift, but a gift that must be asked of God. Undeniably, God sovereignly chose His own before the creation of the world, but He requires that we ask for salvation in our human responsibility.
J.C. Ryle then gives an analogy that I thought was very helpful. He compared prayer with our physical needs as humans. Eating, drinking, and sleeping –these are things that you must do for yourself. Similarly, you are the only one that can turn yourself from wickedness to God (speaking from man’s perspective), confessing your need of Him in prayer. J.C. Ryle states, "To be prayerless is to be without God." Ponder the seriousness of prayer, especially relating to salvation.
Andrew K.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Men's Retreat Recap
The focus of the Men’s Retreat this year was “The Man of God’s Word.” Though all of the messages were good, the one that touched my heart the most, considered the role of the Bible in prayer. Pastor Burk demonstrated to us the power of offering up the Word to God as praise and exultation, yet he didn’t separate worship from supplication. He turned the Bible into prayers of praise such as Psalm 100. Here is my application of what he taught us in praying God’s Word back to Him:
Psalm 100
Father, I will make a joyful noise to You, O LORD my God. May I will serve you with gladness, and enter
into your presence with singing! Know
that the LORD, he is God! It is he that
made me and I am his. I am part of your
people, and a sheep of your pasture. Father, may I enter your gates with
singing and your courts with praise! Oh
soul, give thanks to the LORD; bless his name!
For I know that the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness continues to all generations.
He also demonstrated to us praying for one another while
lifting up these Psalms to His name.
Father, I pray that
________ would bless the LORD.
Let all that is within him bless Your holy name. Let him not forget that you forgive his
iniquity, you heal all his diseases, you redeem his life from the pit, and you
crown him with steadfast love and mercy.
Father, satisfy ______ with good so that his youth is renewed like the
eagles.
Sometimes, I find that my prayers can get dry and
repetitious, absent of heart felt passion.
I found that this was a great way to pray God’s Words back to Him and
over someone who needs them. And more
than that, I have found that it is easier for the person to turn back to those
Scripture texts when he needs them. I
hope that this encourages all of you to continue to use God’s Word. I would encourage all of you to go back and
listen to Pastor Burk’s message (LINK).
Recently, I was given a book that focuses on this
topic. A Call to Prayer, by J.C. Ryle is a powerful book that speaks not
only of the benefits of prayer but also the necessity of prayer. I would encourage you to join me as we delve
into this book.
Andrew K.
Monday, October 17, 2011
2011 Men's Retreat
Hello, fellow men,
We would like to invite you to the 2011 Men's Retreat at Bethlehem Baptist Church being held on October 28-30, at Lake Beauty Bible Camp. This retreat offers great food, "guy" activities, and an environment where fathers and sons can connect with each other and other fathers and sons. This year the theme is‘The Man of God’s Word.’ Our speakers are Kempton Turner, Bud Burk, and Jack Delk. Our retreat leader is Aaron Davitch.
For more information refer to http://www.hopeingod.org/event/bethlehem-2011-mens-retreat
We hope to see you there!
We would like to invite you to the 2011 Men's Retreat at Bethlehem Baptist Church being held on October 28-30, at Lake Beauty Bible Camp. This retreat offers great food, "guy" activities, and an environment where fathers and sons can connect with each other and other fathers and sons. This year the theme is‘The Man of God’s Word.’ Our speakers are Kempton Turner, Bud Burk, and Jack Delk. Our retreat leader is Aaron Davitch.
For more information refer to http://www.hopeingod.org/event/bethlehem-2011-mens-retreat
We hope to see you there!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Keep the Fire Going
To: Fathers who
attended the 4:12 Conference
From: John Donaldson (a father who also attended 4:12)
Re: Keeping the fire going . . . or "Just do something"
What a blessing it was to see so many fathers, sons–and even granfathers–at the 4:12 Conference in August! (Watch and listen online to 4:12 Conference Sessions HERE)
I do believe that the investment of time that we made will be paid back tenfold in terms of a platoon of men who have a greater desire to walk in all of the Lord's ways and to raise up sons who desire to do the same.
If you're like me, however, it is easy to slide down from the mountaintop experience of a conference like 4:12–with best intentions of putting into action what we learned–to find that several weeks later that the mountaintop experience is a distant memory and that you have done nothing to spread a passion for God in yourself, in your sons, or in those around you. Like a fire left unattended, the flames that once seemed so bright will fizzle out quickly if the fire isn't continually stoked. Passivity is the work of our adversary–Satan – who "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. . " He wants nothing more than for you to forget and be distracted by anything and everything else and take no action. If this describes you, you may be asking yourself – "So what can I do about it?"
As 1 Corinthians 16:13 commands us – "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith and act like men"– which means taking action! Pastor Turner challenged us in the Friday night session – you cannot have a collision with Jesus Christ and come away unchanged. If you collided with Jesus at all during 4:12 – if He moved your heart in any way – if He caused you to think about how you are living your life or how you are leading your family or how you are discipling your sons – you have been given a call to action.
Here is one simple thing you can do to re-stoke the fire you may have felt at 4:12 – it shouldn't take you more than 2 minutes. Write down on a piece of paper three things:
Don't let the "fire" that began at 4:12 go out. Take this simple action and use it to stoke a fire for living a life that is holy and pleasing to God. Don't succumb to Satan's desire for you to do nothing – keep the fire going!
Your brother in Christ,
John Donaldson
From: John Donaldson (a father who also attended 4:12)
Re: Keeping the fire going . . . or "Just do something"
What a blessing it was to see so many fathers, sons–and even granfathers–at the 4:12 Conference in August! (Watch and listen online to 4:12 Conference Sessions HERE)
I do believe that the investment of time that we made will be paid back tenfold in terms of a platoon of men who have a greater desire to walk in all of the Lord's ways and to raise up sons who desire to do the same.
If you're like me, however, it is easy to slide down from the mountaintop experience of a conference like 4:12–with best intentions of putting into action what we learned–to find that several weeks later that the mountaintop experience is a distant memory and that you have done nothing to spread a passion for God in yourself, in your sons, or in those around you. Like a fire left unattended, the flames that once seemed so bright will fizzle out quickly if the fire isn't continually stoked. Passivity is the work of our adversary–Satan – who "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. . " He wants nothing more than for you to forget and be distracted by anything and everything else and take no action. If this describes you, you may be asking yourself – "So what can I do about it?"
As 1 Corinthians 16:13 commands us – "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith and act like men"– which means taking action! Pastor Turner challenged us in the Friday night session – you cannot have a collision with Jesus Christ and come away unchanged. If you collided with Jesus at all during 4:12 – if He moved your heart in any way – if He caused you to think about how you are living your life or how you are leading your family or how you are discipling your sons – you have been given a call to action.
Here is one simple thing you can do to re-stoke the fire you may have felt at 4:12 – it shouldn't take you more than 2 minutes. Write down on a piece of paper three things:
- How did I "colliide" with Jesus during 4:12 – what did He put on my heart that He wants me to pay attention to as a man/husband/father?
- What's one thing that I will commit to? Will I memorize a verse related to what God has put on my heart? Will I commit to reading a certain section of the Bible that deals with this?
- Who will I tell about this commitment?
Don't let the "fire" that began at 4:12 go out. Take this simple action and use it to stoke a fire for living a life that is holy and pleasing to God. Don't succumb to Satan's desire for you to do nothing – keep the fire going!
Your brother in Christ,
John Donaldson
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Sessions are now Available
You can now watch the 4:12 sessions!!
Kempton Turner http://vimeo.com/27633007
Jason Meyer http://vimeo.com/27633202
Panel Discussion http://vimeo.com/27634545
Jon Nowlin http://vimeo.com/27635113
Kempton Turner http://vimeo.com/27633007
Jason Meyer http://vimeo.com/27633202
Panel Discussion http://vimeo.com/27634545
Jon Nowlin http://vimeo.com/27635113
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Thoughts for Young Men -4
Hey Guys,
This is the final chapter of Thoughts for Young Men. I hope you enjoyed reading through the book.
Chapter 4: Special Rules for Young Men
This is the final chapter of Thoughts for Young Men. I hope you enjoyed reading through the book.
Chapter 4: Special Rules for Young Men
- For one thing, resolve at once, by God’s help, to break off every known sin, however small.
- Resolve, by God’s help, to shun everything that may prove an occasion for sin.
- Resolve never to forget the eye of God.
- Be diligent in the practice of your Christianity.
- Resolve that whatever you are you will pray.
I do not want anyone to misunderstand me concerning the fight against sin. It is not the fight that saves; it is because we are saved that we fight sin. As we have heard from the pulpit: apple trees do not become apple trees because they bear apples; rather, it is a proof that the tree is an apple tree. In the same way, works serve to prove that our faith is real. I plead with you this day to consider your own heart. At the judgment, I pray that you do not hear that your life was a “whitewashed tomb.” Instead believe on the Lord Jesus who died to pay the price for our sin and rose again triumphantly to prove that sin was conquered. Because of his death, we may truly say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" The price has already been paid; the chains already broken. Believe and you will be saved. Jesus Christ has promised to give us life through his blood. He promised to make us perfect and complete someday. In this light, I hope to discuss our fight against sin: not as a means to grace, but as an evidence of grace.
Allowed sins will ruin the immortal soul. The call to Christians is to fight ALL sin not just the big sins. Pray daily for the strength to fight the sin that dwells in your heart. Pride, selfishness, lust, bitterness, anger, malice, envy, scorn –all these contribute to the destruction of our souls. Reading the list of sins one must do away with in Ephesians 4 can be very discouraging. My first response was: “OK, Paul, now how many do I really have to put away?” But Jesus calls us to do the impossible so that in our weakness, His strength may become clear. Paul says that, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” And remember Jesus’ promise to us through Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Never quit fighting the small sins in your life, for God will give you the strength to continue fighting. Another way God strengthens us to fight our battles with sin is godly fellowship. Godly fellowship contributes to our soul’s welfare by allowing others to see our blind spots. For the past few years I have benefited greatly from the accountability offered by both my parents and my small group. Young men, do not scorn the accountability to your parents. It will serve you both in this life and also the life to come. If you, or I, feel a lack of easy communication to our parents, the answer is not to turn elsewhere. The answer is to honestly discuss with them our need for a stronger relationship. Oh, that fathers would turn their hearts toward their children, and that we would seek their help!
Does this mean that I would say that all peer accountability is bad? To the contrary, I feel that many of my friends have added to my spiritual well-being rather than taking away from it. For the past several years, I have met every two weeks with a small group of brothers for the express purpose of holding each other accountable. It has been a refreshment and a joy to draw closer to God together while helping each other see the blind spots in our lives. I am so thankful to God for them.
The final point that I wanted to mention is the importance of prayer. I don’t feel that this can be emphasized enough. Jack and Daniel have prepared our hearts to come before Him who answers before we call, yet each of us has the responsibility to pray for God’s blessing on the conference. Make it a priority to look to Jesus and ask Him to be with us and with the speakers as we continue to prepare for the conference. At times, we may feel small and inadequate for the task ahead, weighed down by the cares and responsibility of leading each of our areas. God calls us to look past the physical challenges, to His support for those who are in His will. This makes me think of the story of Elijah and his servant when they were surrounded by their enemies. Elijah did not fear the physical obstacles and enemies that were seen before him; instead, he looked past them to the God that was on his side. He trusted in a good God who was sovereign over all things. This God will be the same for you as he was for Elijah. As we prepare for this conference, pray diligently that the Lord of hosts would be pleased to shower His grace on this effort and that we, as His servants, would seek to glorify His name above all other names.
In Christ,
Andrew
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thoughts for Young Men -3
Hey Guys,
This week I decided to turn the third chapter of Thoughts for Young Men into bullet points to emphasize the main points.
Try to get a clear view of the evil of sin
Think what an awful change sin has worked on all of our natures
Think what it has cost Christ to make atonement for sin, and to provide a pardon and forgiveness for sinners
Think what sin has already done on the earth
Think of all the misery and sorrow that sin has caused, and is causing, to this day
Isn’t it amazing to think that, although sin has destroyed everyone who holds fast to it, it still woos us to believe that it is the source of pleasure. Sin rarely comes to us clothed in immorality or violence, but often comes offering peace or pleasure. In a culture that blames the circumstances, it is easy to blame all the wrongs on sinful surroundings. But how many people have been unjustly wronged by sin? The answer is NONE. When judgment comes, it will not be fair to blame anyone but yourself for your sin.
Seek to become acquainted with our Lord Jesus Christ
It is not the mere knowing of Christ’s name that I mean. It is the knowing of his mercy, grace, and power; the knowing of Him not only by the hearing of the ear, but also by the experience of your heart.
To live in Christ, to draw all from Christ, to do all in the strength of Christ, to be ever looking to Christ; this is the true secret to spiritual prosperity.
Never forget that nothing is so important as your soul.
No friend, no companion deserves your confidence, who makes light of your soul’s concerns. The man who hurts you, your property, your character only does you temporary harm. Your true enemy is the one who plots to damage your soul.
The day is fast coming when the soul will be the one thing men will think of, and the only question of importance will be this, “Is my soul lost or saved?”
Remember, it is possible to be a young man and yet to serve God
The path to heaven is always narrow, whether we be young or old. There are difficulties, but God will give you the grace to overcome them.
He never gave commands to man which He would not give man the power to perform.
Determine that, as long as you live, to make the Bible your guide and adviser.
Read it [the Bible] with the prayer that the Holy Spirit’s grace will help you understand.
Read it reverently, as the word of God, not of man, believing implicitly that what it approves is right, and what it condemns is wrong.
Read it regularly. This is the only way to become “mighty in the Scriptures.”
Along with all these points, JC Ryle insists on the importance of good friends. He says that a “Good education, early habits of morality, sermons, books, all, he [Satan] knows well will avail you little, if you will only cling to ungodly friends.” How easy it is to become like those we hang out with! It is far easier to become more like the world than to become more like Jesus Christ. “Depend on it, bad company in this life is the sure way to procure worse company in the life to come.”
This week, as we wrap up Thoughts For Young Men, try to apply a principle to your life. It will never do any good to just read his words; it takes effort to make them of any benefit to our souls.
In Christ,
Andrew
This week I decided to turn the third chapter of Thoughts for Young Men into bullet points to emphasize the main points.
Try to get a clear view of the evil of sin
Think what an awful change sin has worked on all of our natures
Think what it has cost Christ to make atonement for sin, and to provide a pardon and forgiveness for sinners
Think what sin has already done on the earth
Think of all the misery and sorrow that sin has caused, and is causing, to this day
Isn’t it amazing to think that, although sin has destroyed everyone who holds fast to it, it still woos us to believe that it is the source of pleasure. Sin rarely comes to us clothed in immorality or violence, but often comes offering peace or pleasure. In a culture that blames the circumstances, it is easy to blame all the wrongs on sinful surroundings. But how many people have been unjustly wronged by sin? The answer is NONE. When judgment comes, it will not be fair to blame anyone but yourself for your sin.
Seek to become acquainted with our Lord Jesus Christ
It is not the mere knowing of Christ’s name that I mean. It is the knowing of his mercy, grace, and power; the knowing of Him not only by the hearing of the ear, but also by the experience of your heart.
To live in Christ, to draw all from Christ, to do all in the strength of Christ, to be ever looking to Christ; this is the true secret to spiritual prosperity.
Never forget that nothing is so important as your soul.
No friend, no companion deserves your confidence, who makes light of your soul’s concerns. The man who hurts you, your property, your character only does you temporary harm. Your true enemy is the one who plots to damage your soul.
The day is fast coming when the soul will be the one thing men will think of, and the only question of importance will be this, “Is my soul lost or saved?”
Remember, it is possible to be a young man and yet to serve God
The path to heaven is always narrow, whether we be young or old. There are difficulties, but God will give you the grace to overcome them.
He never gave commands to man which He would not give man the power to perform.
Determine that, as long as you live, to make the Bible your guide and adviser.
Read it [the Bible] with the prayer that the Holy Spirit’s grace will help you understand.
Read it reverently, as the word of God, not of man, believing implicitly that what it approves is right, and what it condemns is wrong.
Read it regularly. This is the only way to become “mighty in the Scriptures.”
Along with all these points, JC Ryle insists on the importance of good friends. He says that a “Good education, early habits of morality, sermons, books, all, he [Satan] knows well will avail you little, if you will only cling to ungodly friends.” How easy it is to become like those we hang out with! It is far easier to become more like the world than to become more like Jesus Christ. “Depend on it, bad company in this life is the sure way to procure worse company in the life to come.”
This week, as we wrap up Thoughts For Young Men, try to apply a principle to your life. It will never do any good to just read his words; it takes effort to make them of any benefit to our souls.
In Christ,
Andrew
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thoughts for Young Men -2
Dangers Facing Young Men
Young men pay special attention to the dangers we encounter now and in the future. These traps may ensnare us all and it would pay to "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13) J.C. Ryle challenges us to be aware of these different pitfalls: pride, love of pleasure, thoughtlessness, contempt of Christianity, and the fear of man's opinions.
Pride - man's oldest and greatest downfall, too often reigns in the heart of the young man. The story of Rehoboam adequately demonstrates the consequences of pride. It not only caused a loss of the kingdom but also a loss of strong fellowship with God. JC Ryle challenges us to avoid pride by becoming "aware of our sinful tendency toward pride and not falling into the temptation to be proud of our own abilities, strength, knowledge, appearance, or cleverness."
One of the ways we can overcome our sinful, proud tendencies is to look to Jesus and His example. In fact, one of the last fighter verses we memorized
was Philippians 2:5-8. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Let us continue to fight pride by being aware of our sin nature and being on our knees pleading for Christ-like humility, acknowledging that our gifts and strength come from God.
Another sin that we as young men fall into is the love of pleasure. As J.C. Ryle states "all the fruit this love of pleasure produces, and all the ways in which it may do you harm" cannot be listed. We must be alert and intentional if we are to guard against the dangers of the love of pleasure. There are three things that we could do to guard against this:
1) Flee from the opportunity of it
2) Flee from the company of those who might draw you into it
3) Flee from the places where you might be tempted to do it.
As Job made a covenant with his eyes, so we should be ready to act and guard against people, situations, and places that, make us vulnerable to fall into the love of pleasure. Proverbs 7 simply describes the young man as one "lacking sense." Interestingly, that is the last we hear of him before Solomon describes him as one going to the slaughter. Take all of the warnings of destroyed lives to heart: many have fallen simply because they did not fight this sin. So then let us be actively fighting this tendency so that we may not fall, by God's grace.
The last sin I wanted to touch on was the fear of others opinions. It is very difficult to set an example in the way we are called by God to live, when we are always checking over our shoulder, looking for our peers' approval.
Never be afraid of doing what is right because you feel alone or alienated. JC Ryle states, "how thankless is this fear! No one will really think better of you for it. The world always respects those the most who act boldly for God." Pursue the same attitude as Gardiner who said, "I fear God, and therefore I have no one else to fear."
Brothers, we have a high calling to resist these worldly temptations and to pursue godliness to the end. So then, let us not be ignorant of these dangers and pray earnestly that God would be pleased to spare us from these traps.
Young men pay special attention to the dangers we encounter now and in the future. These traps may ensnare us all and it would pay to "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13) J.C. Ryle challenges us to be aware of these different pitfalls: pride, love of pleasure, thoughtlessness, contempt of Christianity, and the fear of man's opinions.
Pride - man's oldest and greatest downfall, too often reigns in the heart of the young man. The story of Rehoboam adequately demonstrates the consequences of pride. It not only caused a loss of the kingdom but also a loss of strong fellowship with God. JC Ryle challenges us to avoid pride by becoming "aware of our sinful tendency toward pride and not falling into the temptation to be proud of our own abilities, strength, knowledge, appearance, or cleverness."
One of the ways we can overcome our sinful, proud tendencies is to look to Jesus and His example. In fact, one of the last fighter verses we memorized
was Philippians 2:5-8. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Let us continue to fight pride by being aware of our sin nature and being on our knees pleading for Christ-like humility, acknowledging that our gifts and strength come from God.
Another sin that we as young men fall into is the love of pleasure. As J.C. Ryle states "all the fruit this love of pleasure produces, and all the ways in which it may do you harm" cannot be listed. We must be alert and intentional if we are to guard against the dangers of the love of pleasure. There are three things that we could do to guard against this:
1) Flee from the opportunity of it
2) Flee from the company of those who might draw you into it
3) Flee from the places where you might be tempted to do it.
As Job made a covenant with his eyes, so we should be ready to act and guard against people, situations, and places that, make us vulnerable to fall into the love of pleasure. Proverbs 7 simply describes the young man as one "lacking sense." Interestingly, that is the last we hear of him before Solomon describes him as one going to the slaughter. Take all of the warnings of destroyed lives to heart: many have fallen simply because they did not fight this sin. So then let us be actively fighting this tendency so that we may not fall, by God's grace.
The last sin I wanted to touch on was the fear of others opinions. It is very difficult to set an example in the way we are called by God to live, when we are always checking over our shoulder, looking for our peers' approval.
Never be afraid of doing what is right because you feel alone or alienated. JC Ryle states, "how thankless is this fear! No one will really think better of you for it. The world always respects those the most who act boldly for God." Pursue the same attitude as Gardiner who said, "I fear God, and therefore I have no one else to fear."
Brothers, we have a high calling to resist these worldly temptations and to pursue godliness to the end. So then, let us not be ignorant of these dangers and pray earnestly that God would be pleased to spare us from these traps.
Join me this next week as we read Chapter 3.
Andrew K.
Andrew K.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thoughts for Young Men- 1
Thoughts for Young Men
Chapter 1: Reasons for Exhorting Young Men
• For one thing, there is the painful fact that there are few young men anywhere who seem to have any genuine religion
• For another thing, death and judgment are facing young men, even as others, and they all seem to forget it.
• For another thing, what young men will be, in all probability, depends upon what they are now, and yet they seem so easily to forget this.
• For another thing, the devil uses special diligence to destroy the souls of young men, and yet they seem not to know it.
• For another thing, young men need exhorting, because of the sorrow it will save them to begin serving God now.
J. C. Ryle encourages us to have genuine religion, meaning that we are led by the Spirit, on the narrow way that leads to life, setting affections upon things above, and taking up the cross and following Christ. This genuine religion has one main unspoken goal: the magnification of God’s name. The question arises: what does total commitment and reckless abandon for God’s sake look like? It means living life in the reality that there is death and judgment. God deems death for both the old and the young. While this is a tragedy, what is even more tragic is our apathetic attitude toward death. I see a need in my own life to be sober-minded and watchful, knowing that my adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Therefore, I need to submit myself to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and he will draw near to me (James 4:7-8). I found the following verses in Galatians (Gal 6:7-10) powerful: "7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Wow! God considers our saying, “Why can’t I enjoy life now and serve him later?” mocking the King of the universe! How quickly do I live for the now and pay no attention to the consequences! The mess that I so often find myself in is just the corruption that I deserve. May we, as young men, seek to sow to the Spirit so that we may reap from the Spirit eternal life. The second part of that verse is so easily stated, yet so difficult to realize. As this conference gets closer, let us not grow weary of doing good, not only in the high-visibility jobs, but also in the tedious behind-the-scenes jobs, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. In this way, God plans good for us so that we may live without regrets.
May all of the glory in our attitudes, in our actions, in our work, and in our fellowship, be to His honor and glory,
Andrew K.
Chapter 1: Reasons for Exhorting Young Men
• For one thing, there is the painful fact that there are few young men anywhere who seem to have any genuine religion
• For another thing, death and judgment are facing young men, even as others, and they all seem to forget it.
• For another thing, what young men will be, in all probability, depends upon what they are now, and yet they seem so easily to forget this.
• For another thing, the devil uses special diligence to destroy the souls of young men, and yet they seem not to know it.
• For another thing, young men need exhorting, because of the sorrow it will save them to begin serving God now.
J. C. Ryle encourages us to have genuine religion, meaning that we are led by the Spirit, on the narrow way that leads to life, setting affections upon things above, and taking up the cross and following Christ. This genuine religion has one main unspoken goal: the magnification of God’s name. The question arises: what does total commitment and reckless abandon for God’s sake look like? It means living life in the reality that there is death and judgment. God deems death for both the old and the young. While this is a tragedy, what is even more tragic is our apathetic attitude toward death. I see a need in my own life to be sober-minded and watchful, knowing that my adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Therefore, I need to submit myself to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and he will draw near to me (James 4:7-8). I found the following verses in Galatians (Gal 6:7-10) powerful: "7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Wow! God considers our saying, “Why can’t I enjoy life now and serve him later?” mocking the King of the universe! How quickly do I live for the now and pay no attention to the consequences! The mess that I so often find myself in is just the corruption that I deserve. May we, as young men, seek to sow to the Spirit so that we may reap from the Spirit eternal life. The second part of that verse is so easily stated, yet so difficult to realize. As this conference gets closer, let us not grow weary of doing good, not only in the high-visibility jobs, but also in the tedious behind-the-scenes jobs, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. In this way, God plans good for us so that we may live without regrets.
May all of the glory in our attitudes, in our actions, in our work, and in our fellowship, be to His honor and glory,
Andrew K.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Please Pray for the Young Men's Conference
1. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would get all of the glory in every aspect of this conference.
2. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would prepare the hearts of all of the young men, fathers, grandfathers, and mentors who will attend this conference to see, accept, and act upon YOUR call to young men.
3. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would prepare the hearts of all of the speakers to give the appropriate messages for YOUR glory.
4. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would use the young men leading and serving at this conference to be lights of truth and vessels of mercy through everything they do.
. . . in Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen
2. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would prepare the hearts of all of the young men, fathers, grandfathers, and mentors who will attend this conference to see, accept, and act upon YOUR call to young men.
3. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would prepare the hearts of all of the speakers to give the appropriate messages for YOUR glory.
4. Heavenly Father, we ask that YOU would use the young men leading and serving at this conference to be lights of truth and vessels of mercy through everything they do.
. . . in Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen
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