Those who believe confess that Jesus is the Son of God. This is more than just saying one believes it. This is actually believing and confessing it, which is a product of abiding in Christ through the supernatural work of the living faith given to us at salvation.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:4-10 (LSB)
For the first 20 or so years of my Christian pilgrimage I was in a very immature spiritual state. I was utterly convinced during that time that my worth as a disciple depended upon my performance, my learning, my obedience…my righteousness. With that mind-set it was a very horrible experience at times since I was on a roller coaster ride of obedience and backsliding. What amazed me during that period was that I was looked at as one of the more mature believers at our church. I knew better. That all changed in 2004 and 2005 as God drew me into the light and drastically changed that ‘mind-set.’ It was as I learned and held to the truth that our salvation is all according to God’s will not ours that I began to have peace and freedom. He chose us according to the good pleasure of His will, not according to our abilities or any other inherent attribute we may have and that we are righteous in His eyes because He has imputed Christ’s righteousness to us. With this remaking of my mind-set came the beginning of the end of that cycle of obedience and backsliding. It was as if it had been put to death or that it had lost traction.
During that wounded period of my Christian walk I thought that I was abiding in Christ while I was obedient, but not abiding while I was backsliding. That was a misconception on my part for those who abide in Christ are those who remain in Him.  All genuine believers abide. The Greek word translated as “abide” in John 15 and 1 John 4 is μένω (menõ). It means “to remain” or “to dwell.” In John 15 the command to abide in Christ is in aorist tense, imperative mood, and active voice, however, the description of our abiding such as in v5 (I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.) is a present active participle. This means it is describing continual repeated action. However, present participles are used to signify action that is contemporaneous with the leading verb in the phrase. What is the leading verb in this passage?  There is only one verb in this passage and it is translated as “bears” in the LSB. The KJV translates this verb as “bringeth forth.” This Greek word is φέρω (pherō). It means “to bear” or “to bring” or “to sustain” or “to uphold.”
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God continues to show his faithfulness even though I certainly don’t deserve it. He continues to provide, he continues to bless, and he continues to reveal his goodness to me. Yet, fear still works in my thoughts. Though I’m safe in his hands, I still wonder how things will work out. I know that in this fallen world, not everything will work out fine. There will be heartache, there will be loss, and there will be times I struggle to see his goodness.

I began the day with a heavy and stressed heart. I had to lead a meeting that would most likely be confrontational and intense. All morning I prayed for the Lord to take care of it in a way that only he can.
“Lord, I don’t know what to do, and I don’t know how this will turn out. Give me the wisdom and courage to lead well. Give me knowledge and discernment to make the right decisions. Give me boldness when the right decision is difficult. Bless and anoint for your glory.”
The meeting went as smooth as it could. Everyone responded with kindness and the things that needed to be addressed were addressed. I left feeling relieved and thankful. God had come through…again.
The Lord doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want. He always does what is good and right, but that can look differently in various situations. Sometimes, he makes the meeting we pray for go smoothly. Other times, we may have to face adversity and be faithful in the midst of difficulty. However, whether he answers our prayers that way we want, we know that he promises to be with us, help us, and give us wisdom and strength.
The Whole Story
While reading The Dawn Treader, I couldn’t help but wonder why the characters in the story are often uncertain or afraid. Even when they are unsure of where they are sailing, even when the storms threaten to capsize the ship, and even when they are met with unfriendly islanders, don’t they realize that Aslan is going to help them? Why fear?
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I only know Jesus because God wrote it in the book. But, Jesus is not a book, daddy. The book describes Jesus as 100% man like any man and 100% God like the only God. And that 200% is a funny number. You said 100% truthful is like a cup all the way up. All man; all the way up. All God; all the way up. That cup sure is full. That sounds like one cup being fuller than two cups. You can know him 200% by living with His people, when we pray and sing and talk about him at the table– you listen, and you’ll start hearing how he is both but only one person.

Daddy, where is Jesus? I can’t see him. 

He returned to his father, and sent the Spirit to us.

I don’t like that, daddy. If Jesus loves me, I should see him. 

Jesus said it was better if he left and we couldn’t see him till later.

But how will I know about him, the things he did? 

The way I do, sweetie. God taught men; they teach me; I teach you.

But how will I know that he became a man, a real man, a man man?

The way I do, sweetie. Almost everything Jesus did is the same as me.

Watch me. Watch mom. Even watch the sour grouch who lives next door.

He did NOT just do what everybody does. A lot looked the same, but the OTHER stuff . . . And, the other things– remember that word from Thursday dinner, “trans-fig-u-ra-tion?” Well the best I could do was read what Scripture says and be pretty amazed-curious-wondering– just like any other child. Mark used that word, and it helps with the shining and the clothes and face-too-bright and the cloud. And Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah– just like people do.

Peter was scary scared. And the cloud told him to listen. I bet he had a headache after that.

Daddy, is all your knowing Jesus from the Bible?

I only know Jesus because God wrote it in the book.

But, Jesus is not a book, daddy.

The book describes Jesus as 100% man like any man and 100% God like the only God. And that 200% is a funny number.

You said 100% truthful is like a cup all the way up. All man; all the way up. All God; all the way up. That cup sure is full. That sounds like one cup being fuller than two cups.

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Even though she made a mistake, God had a judgment of charity for Sarah. We too can say, “Lord, please bless this mess I made.” Sarah had her bad moments—don’t we all? Perhaps you have been hurt by the church or individual Christians in some way. It is good to have a judgment of charity in the church as much as possible, just as God had for Sarah. The Lord has a city that he has prepared for every believer, and one day all of God’s saints shall arrive there safely in glory.

Sarah had to wait until she was in her nineties to give birth to her son, Isaac. We can learn much from Sarah (formerly called Sarai) in the book of Genesis regarding what walking in faith in the promises of God looks like in real life.
1. In Genesis 11 we learn that Sarai is barren.
Because Sarai is barren, she is unable to participate in the promise of Genesis 3:15 that God would provide the seed that would crush the head of the serpent. In the culture in which Sarai lived, her husband Abram possibly could have divorced her on grounds of barrenness.

And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. (Gen. 11:29-30)

2. Sarah is not mentioned in Genesis 12-15 as the mother of the promised child of Abraham.
In God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 12 and 15, there is no mention of Sarai:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:1-3)
And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own sonshall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:3-6)

3. In Genesis 16 Sarai tries to participate in the promise of Genesis 3:15 through her servant Hagar.
Because she is advanced in years (in her 90s) and hasn’t provided Abram with an heir yet, Sarai gives Hagar to Abram as a wife in Genesis 16. Since nothing was mentioned in God’s promise about the heir coming through Sarai in Genesis 12 and 15, Abraham maybe thought taking Hagar as a wife was a reasonable “plan B.”

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain childrenby her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. (Gen. 16:1-3)

4. Sarai is acting out of faith, but she does the wrong thing.
In Galatians 4, Paul makes the point that Abraham and Sarai were trying to assist God in bringing his promise to fulfillment, adding a human ingredient in redemption, but God doesn’t need our help.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. (Gal. 4:21-23)

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Written by Mark D. McIntyre |
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that God is the One True Owner who owns everything. All blessings flow from him. As believers, that means we are stewards of whatever God blesses us with, including financial resources. The Bible is full of financial advice.

I used to call my former financial advisor every few weeks to ask him, “What am I worth today?” My advisor is a great guy, and he performed a superb job of growing my investment portfolio for twenty years, but he never appreciated the irony of my question.
A person’s worth, of course, should never be given a dollar value.
That said, for the first five decades of my life, I idolized money. Even as my “worth” grew beyond my own expectations, the boldface number atop my financial statement was never quite large enough. The carrot at the end of the string remained just out of reach—and I knew why.
Measuring a Successful Life
Growing up, my father was my primary influence. He valued physical fitness and financial security and passed along those values to me. That’s why I spent much of my adult life thinking that the key indicators of a successful life were a flat stomach and a fat bank account. As a result, I was never quite fit enough or rich enough.
But in recent years, after surrounding myself with friends who follow Jesus and immersing myself in scripture, I have learned that true security comes only from an eternal perspective. I have learned that freedom—including financial freedom—comes from knowing that I am a son of the King and being content with whatever he bestows.
Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that God is the One True Owner who owns everything. All blessings flow from him. As believers, that means we are stewards of whatever God blesses us with, including financial resources.
Stewards, Not Owners
The Bible is full of financial advice.
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The freedom of the church is the freedom to demand that its members and ministers adhere to its own biblical standards. The church is not the state (nor is it backed by the state’s power) and has no power of enforcement or compulsion except to declare truth and declare who is a member. 1  “It would, indeed, be an interference with liberty for a church, through the ballot box or otherwise, to use the power of the state to compel men to assent to the church’s creed or conform to the church’s program. To that kind of intolerance I am opposed with all my might and main.”

But if the existing Protestant church organizations, with some notable exceptions, must be radically reformed before they can be regarded as truly Christian, what, as distinguished from these organizations, is the function of a true Christian Church?
Machen believed that “true” churches were increasingly rare in his day, but he also believed such churches (all far from perfect) were still the most important institutions in the world. He went on to remind his readers what such churches were to be doing and how they should be doing it.
Ned B. Stonehouse, Machen’s biographer, dubbed him posthumously (after the Bunyan character) “Mr. Valiant-for Truth par excellence.” Here Machen says the church must be radically for the truth:
In the first place, a true Christian Church, now as always, will be radically doctrinal. It will never use the shibboleths of a pragmatist skepticism. It will never say that doctrine is the expression of experience; it will never confuse the useful with the true, but will place truth at the basis of all its striving and all its life. Into the welter of changing human opinion, into the modern despair with regard to any knowledge of the meaning of life, it will come with a clear and imperious message. That message it will find in the Bible, which it will hold to contain not a record of man’s religious experience but a record of a revelation from God.
Because he believed the Bible was true, perspicuous, and sufficient Machen warned his readers against the wiles of those resembling other Bunyan characters like the pragmatic Mr. By-ends and Worldly Wiseman. The church, armed with divine revelation, would be radical.
The truth would set the church free, but the church would never be free to do or believe just anything she wanted. The truth demanded intolerance:
In the second place, a true Christian Church will be radically intolerant. At that point, however, a word of explanation is in place. The intolerance of the Church, in the sense in which I am speaking of it.
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Recently, as I was preparing to teach a seminary class, I became interested in researching the history of Christianity in Delhi. However, it shocked me how few resources I could find on this important topic.
As I dove into the few materials available, it surprised me to learn that Delhi’s first known Indian Christian received baptism only in 1852. This is around 1800 years after Christianity first came to India! Not only did the gospel take almost two millennia to reach Delhi, but it also means Christianity has had a short history in our nation’s capital.
The fact that Delhi now has an estimated 6 lakhs of Christians and thousands of churches means that the growth of Christianity in Delhi in the last 170 years has been nothing less than stunning.
Additionally, it surprised me to learn about the incredible life of Ramchandra, Delhi’s first known Indian Christian. He was a famous mathematician and a central figure in the 19th-century movement, the Delhi Renaissance.
Indian Church History Matters
Ramchandra was the de facto leader of the church in Delhi from his baptism in 1852 to his death almost 30 years later. We may justifiably call him the father of Christianity in Delhi. Yet, in my nearly 20 years of ministry here, I had never heard his name!
Learning about Ramchandra’s life has reminded me how much we lose when we neglect the study of history.
Below, I share a brief sketch of Ramchandra’s remarkable life. However, apart from the fascinating details of his story, my larger goal is to interest my fellow Indian believers in studying the history of Christianity in our country.
History provides us with a deeper understanding of where we are today. It gives us a broader perspective on what God has been doing in India and inspiration from those whose shoulders we stand on. We miss out on all these things when we neglect to study those who came before us.
The Early Life of Ramchandra
Ramchandra was born in 1821 into a family of the Kayasth caste. His father served in the government as a tehsildar (revenue collector) in the Delhi district. He was the eldest of six brothers.

Satan will try intensely to divert your gaze. He will make you feel there’s no time to do such nonsense as to “meditate” on God when all the problems are so pressing. When there are so many “interesting and important” things to look at. So many things more “entertaining.” But refuse his demonic temptations. Mature, Presence-centered men and women have learned to find their center in heaven at the foot of the Throne all day long. 

What do you do when …

The world is going crazy?
The culture has lost its mind?
There seems to be chaos and anarchy all around us?
Evil men seem to be prospering?
All of this is affecting you and your family?
Your heart is gripped with fear at where it is going?
Personal tragedy comes your way?
You’re in a problem that seems to have no resolution?
You are confused about God and what He seems to be doing, or not doing?
You feel overwhelmed and defeated?
You are in deep grief?

The man or woman you are or will become is determined by where you look. The eyes of your heart determine the condition of your soul. The Psalmist gives us a model. He looked up.
PSALM 77
10 So I say, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders.
12 I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.
13 God, your way is holy. What god is great like God?
14 You are the God who works wonders. You revealed Your strength among the peoples.
15 With power You redeemed Your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Notice the verbs that describe his deliberate actions. Each of these takes time and intentionality.

I will REMEMBER (twice)
I will REFLECT
I will MEDITATE

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During this time, as far as my presbytery was concerned, I was not seen as a brother in crisis; I was just a problem. I suspect in many other presbyteries ministers are going through rough times. These brothers are experiencing a crisis in their lives.  Please do not look at them as a problem, but as brothers who need your personal presence and help.

I graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Jackson in the late 1980s, was ordained in the early 1990s, and pastored PCA churches in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Like most other ministers, I served on presbytery committees, many Committees of Commissioners at General Assembly, and on a GA Permanent Committee. I was a minister in good standing for over 25 years. I did not side with either the right or left of the PCA, I was in the middle, voting sometimes right and sometimes left.  I loved the PCA.
So, here I am writing this personal reflection some 15 years after my departure from the PCA as a Teaching Elder. Why? I write this with the hope that what happened to me will not happen to others. Right now, I am in a great place, God has been so faithful to me; I can joyfully sing His praises. I understand that during that dark time in my life, God was conforming me into the likeness of Jesus (Roman 8:29). Even now I am coming alongside some pastors who are in very difficult times both in their ministries and on their home front. I am not a counselor; I just am a brother who cares. We all know that ministry is hard and lonely.
Several years ago, my life and ministry, which had been for the most part vibrant, blew up in a matter of three weeks. I found out my wife was an addict, after she had been arrested for DUI. Unless you have dealt with an addict, none of this will make any sense to you. For years I thought my wife had medical problems and was under the care of doctors. Little did I know the extent of her addiction. How true I came to find this statement: “How do you know if an addict is lying? Their lips are moving!” In a matter of a few weeks, I lost my wife, my ministry, my income, and had to move to a different city and state to protect my children. Needless to say, it was a dark time. This is just a back story; I don’t need to go into more details.
During the next year, I slipped into situational depression. Depression is the real deal; if you know of someone in your family, church or presbytery who is going through this, reach out and love on them. While in this type of depression, simple tasks become difficult. All I wanted to do was climb into a dark cave and flee from everything.
This is what I would like to address: During this time, as far as my presbytery was concerned, I was not seen as a brother in crisis; I was just a problem. I suspect in many other presbyteries ministers are going through rough times. These brothers are experiencing a crisis in their lives.  Please do not look at them as a problem, but as brothers who need your personal presence and help. Set aside the Book of Church Order (BCO) and reach out to them.  In my circumstance, I felt like a lost sheep, no one reached out from my presbytery (which was my church), and as I was finding my way back, I was hit hard in the head with the BCO. One predominant member of my presbytery told me that I was causing great problems for our presbytery.
If you perceive someone in your presbytery is going through a tough time, maybe you can take the time to encourage him, praying with him before the beginning of the formal business. Search out others and spend time with each other outside of the regular meeting times. If they are like me, they have no idea what to say or share. Perhaps the business of Presbytery becomes so pressing that we forget to care for each other.  I attended well over 25 General Assemblies in my life, the last 10 or so the PCA looked like it was going to split or worse. However, each time God kept the PCA together. The PCA is his church; he will take care of it as he always has. Theology and good order are important, but so is caring for each other.
These numbers may not be exact, but they are close to the mark. Today in America, church attendance is trending downward. Around 40% of those in their 40s are regularly in church; 30% of those in their 30s are in church; 20% of those in their 20s are in church; and 10% of those in their teens and lower are in church. Why? Could it be the church is more concerned with the business of the church? Or focused on making sure the BCO is followed? Or that we are not looking to out for each other as a fellow laborer?  Could it be we have forgotten why we are in ministry? Maybe we’ve stop caring for each other because others are not on my side of the aisle?
Remember what Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Maybe if we did just that, the church attendance trendline would turn around. Yes, this is hard work, but if we do not care for each other then who will?
I still love the PCA. I have no bitterness towards anyone in it or my former presbyteries. I just believe we can all do better! It may be possible that there is a minister not too far away from you who desperately needs someone to love on him as Jesus loves him. Please, be that person!
Anonymous. A personal and encouraging word from a recovering pastor.
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Written by J. V. Fesko |
Friday, August 30, 2024
The only symbols that should be present are those that belong to Christ—word, sacrament, and prayer. I used to hide the American flag, therefore, so that my congregation knew that as a congregation we belong to Christ and no one else. I’m sure that the idea of removing the American flag from the sanctuary might fray a few feathers. But think of this from another perspective. What if you were visiting a legitimate church in another country, say Romania. How would you feel to see the Romanian flag unfurled in the sanctuary? How would you feel if the congregation, in celebration of a national Romanian holiday, began to sing their national anthem? Would you feel out of place?

I believe I am a patriotic American citizen. I pay my taxes, love my country, and my family has paid a costly price to preserve the freedom we all enjoy. I have a posthumous Bronze Star with a Combat “V” and a Purple Heart that hang in my home—a small memorial to my namesake, a family member who was killed in action. That being said, a few members of my congregation over the years noticed a peculiar habit of mine. Not many in the church noticed this, but long before our worship service started, I walked up on stage (we met in a Middle School auditorium), and I moved the American flag behind the curtains out of sight. Once the service was over and we were cleaning up, I moved the American flag back into its prominent place. Over the years I had a few people ask me why I hid the flag.
I certainly didn’t hide the flag because I was unpatriotic or ashamed of my country. Rather, I didn’t want the congregation to be confused. Our church, though it met in the United States of America, wasn’t an American church. Every church of Jesus Christ belongs to him, it is his body. Hence, no one country or people group can lay claim to his people. Far too many American Christians forget this.
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