Author: pastorjonathan

Christian,Husband, Dad, Pastor, Mentor, Volunteer.

Who defines good? (ecclesiastes 2)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, spiritual disciplinesLeave a comment

Chapter two starts out with Solomon’s practical experiments in the pursuit of pleasure (2:3). In the end it didn’t provide him with lasting satisfaction (2:11).

Solomon then sets his sights on wisdom. However, Solomon can’t escape the fatal statistic that ultimately is the leveler of all men: everyone dies! Wisdom in this life Has the same problem that riches, pleasure, knowledge, and a hard days work have… They have no merit or worth beyond the door of death.

Solomon stumbles on to a sobering reality… There is no getting ahead in life when you are racing to your death. We all ultimately have the same destination.

Often we judge ourselves compared to how others are doing. We imagine we are living well if we are living better than others (morally, in the way we handle money, etc.) We might be able to draw a small measure of pleasure from the fact that we are “ahead” in life. Yet when we consider the end or destination, these things really matter very little. It’s at this point that Solomon begins to point to a greater purpose in trusting God (Ecclesiastes 2:24). Though we live in a temporal and fallen world, God has not removed all pleasure. The base line for judging our lives and determining our purpose isn’t what others are doing… It comes from “the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24). We also know that the standard of goodness isn’t what I call good, but what is good in God’s sight (Ecclesiastes 2:26).

Application: Who defined “good” & “right” for you? Are you looking at others to determine where you are in life or are you truly looking to God for guidance and wisdom on what is good?

What are your thoughts on Ecclesiastes 2?

Grasping for Air

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, spiritual disciplinesLeave a comment

Wow this chapter is really depressing. I’d like to see Joel Olsteen preach on this one. I was in a good mood until Solomon reminded me that nothing changes (1:10), Generations come and go (1:4), and work is pointless (1:3).

I get it. I cut the grass last week and now I have to do it again. I help pick up toys I never play with. I wash my clothes only to find them dirty and in need of washing again. I eat a meal only to realize I’m hungry again and need another meal. Taken like this it is easy to understand that the meaning of life cannot be found in the simple mundane facts of out existence. The truth is I’m not the first person to exist and if the Lord should tarry I won’t be among the last.

So what’s the point?

That’s it exactly! That is the question that Solomon is asking. Why are we here? What is our purpose? How should we live our lives in order to live them to the fullest (all 3 the same question asked in different ways)

Application: grasping for air… what are you living for? Some things in life we must do to live, but they are not our purpose. A friend of mine used to always say, “do you live to eat? Or eat to live?” I’m a big guy and the point was obvious.

If we are not careful we can mistake the gifts of life for our purpose.

What are your thoughts on Ecclesiastes 1?

Living Godly in an Ungodly Wolrd (Titus 3)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleship1 Comment

My pastor posts a daily devotional thoughts most every day on the passages of scripture he is reading.  I follow along by reading the same passage in the morning and some time later catching up with his thoughts.  Today is the third and final day in Titus. I don’t know what aspects of the passage he is going to flesh out.  Hopefully this will be complimentary to his blog post.

Living Godly in an Ungodly World

In a perfect world just knowing sound doctrine would be good enough to effect the way we live, but the truth of the matter is that we live in an ungodly world.  It is difficult to put into practice the things that we know are right.  We can find ourselves justifying wrong behavior.  We justify cheating on our taxes because we disagree how the money will be spent.  We talking bad about our boss because we find ourselves on his bad side.  We justify not disciplining our kids because we have had a long day at work.

So then, how do we live Godly in an ungodly world?

We submit to the authorities that God has placed us under (Titus 3:1) – We are good citizens.  We didn’t used to be (Titus 3:3).  We don’t take offense at having leadership placed over us.  We look for ways to serve those who lead us, sometimes even while we disagree.

When teaching on leadership one time I wanted to illustrate how leaders have to make decisions based on the best interest of the people they lead.  Sometimes the majority vote is wrong.  To make the point I let the kids decide where to eat.  They said, “Chick-fil-a.” I said it wouldn’t work.  They said, “KFC.”  I said it wasn’t a good choice for the group.  I kid you not they said, “Churches Chicken.”  I finally said, “you need to make a decision that’s good for the group.”  They asked, “What’s wrong with Chicken?” The answer was that one of them was allergic to chicken.

Sometimes we may think that those we are called to submit to just hate chicken, but I bet if we give them the benefit of the doubt we will find out that more often than not they are making wise decisions for the group.  When we place the interest of others ahead of our own we are ready to hear that.  Its while we are self absorbed that we most often rail against  the Authorities in our lives.

We do good works (Titus 3:1, 8) – We shouldn’t be godly in our speach only, but in our actions as well.  When God has blessed us we need to give of our time, effort, and money to help others along the way.  Sometimes that is helping our brothers in Christ along the way.  Sometimes that is going out of our way to help people meet Jesus.

We Avoid foolish controversies and toxic people (Titus 3:9) – Some people never get it.  We are to lovingly reach out once or twice, but not give audience to those who are seeking a division.  This may sound strange or out of character, but the truth is some people  thrive of having people listen to what they are saying and so they invent controversy.  The best way to deal with someone who is creating controversy for controversy sake is to reason with them once or twice and then deal with them like the little boy that cried wolf.

There isn’t profit in continually giving someone an audience who is bent on folly.  You are only feeding the folly.  The godly thing to do is cut them off so they will learn of their sin and quickly repent.  The last thing you want to do is be seen in the middle of a church scandal while trying to invite your lost friends to meet Jesus.

Application: Living Godly in an ungodly world… What are you doing to submit to the authority in your life? How are you blessing the leadership in your life? What kinds of good works are you involved in or can you be involved in today?  Who can you bless?  Who do you need to avoid?  What situations do you need to remove yourself from?

Which of the 3 is hardest for you?

What are your thoughts on Titus 3?

If you liked this post, you may like these as well:

When Church People Do Bad Things

When Church hurts

7 Steps of a Unified Group

God Cannot Lie, but People Can (Titus 1)

Sound Doctrine Produces Godly Living (Titus 2)

Teaching Our Kids to Take Risk

On By pastorjonathanIn Family, Just Thinking, parentingLeave a comment

There are 2 kinds of danger when it comes to being a dad.  There is the danger that fills our world and we must make provision to protect our children.  We protect and provide for our kids by plugging up electrical sockets with those clear plastic things and placing cleaning chemicals beyond reach.  We train our children to hold our hand, to be suspicious of strangers and to stay away from stray neighborhood pets that “might” secretly hate children.  We scare away the nightmares and wipe away the tears.  We teach our kids to wash their hands.  We tell them if they are lost to find a police officer or a woman (women are slightly less likely to be child predators than men… I know its profiling and I really don’t care when it comes to the safety of my child).  We teach them to be safe.

Then there is the other kind of danger.  Its the danger of being too safe.  Its the danger of teaching our kids to  stay close to home and not take risk.  There will be times when my children will need to take risks. I’m failing as a dad if I do not push my kids out of the nest at some point and say, “You have to ride the bike with out the training wheels.”  Other wise I end up with a 30 year-old kid stuck living at my house who cries at the injustice of running out of cheerios for breakfast.

The reality is that most things worth doing in life involve taking calculated risk and being dangerous.  To ask my wife out on our first date I had to risk rejection.  To keep a few people with me safe from harm I had to risk my life or bodily injury (thankfully I won the gamble on that one).  To share the gospel with people in one of our inner cities I had to risk exposure to an area with a high crime rate (I grew up in rural America).  To follow God’s call on my life I had to risk selling our house in a down market and move an hour away to another city.

Sometimes risk is good.  Sometimes we fall on our faces even after taking well thought through and calculated risk.  I guess the line  between risk and safety comes when “right” or “reward” enters the equasion.  I asked my wife out because of the possible reward of finding a wonderful marriage partner (by the way I am glad I did). I stood between a man recently released from jail and two young ladies he was threatening because it was the right thing to do.  I would rather my kids do the right thing than the safe thing, I would rather them risk in pursuit of worthy goals than never have them attempt anything worthwhile.

Perhaps the hardest part of parenthood is giving our kids the right to fail and the freedom to take risk.

How do you teach your kids to interact with a dangerous world?

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Sound Doctrine Produces Godly Living (Titus 2)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, Ministry, spiritual disciplines, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’m trying something new.  My pastor posts a daily devotional thoughts most every day on the passages of scripture he is reading.  I follow along by reading the same passage in the morning and some time later catching up with his thoughts.  Today is the second day in Titus. I don’t know what aspects of the passage he is going to flesh out.  Hopefully this will be complimentary to his blog post.

Sound Doctrine Produces Godly Living

Truth about God is called doctrine.  Sound doctrine is having true truth about God.  False doctrine is when some one says, “This is true about God” and it isn’t.  Like when some people in Crete said you had to be circumcised in order to be a follower of Jesus (Titus 1:10).  That was a lie and it didn’t lead people closer to God, it actually separated them from God (Titus 1:16). Sound doctrine however causes us to grow in godliness.

So how do you apply sound doctrine to your life?

Submit to authority (Titus 2:2,15; 3:1) – I know it sounds weird to submit.  Saying the very word submit brings back memories of playing “mercy” (you may have called it “uncle”) and watching wrestling on TV. Submission, however, is really less about being defeated by someone and more about accepting authority.  Submission to godly authority actually protects us from error and helps us to grow in our relationship with Christ.  Being under authority is actually a gift from God and we need to be thankful for our pastors and teachers.

As an adult it is easy to see why children really need to submit to their parents.  When I discipline my daughter I remind her that God has given her great parents to protect her and guide her as she grows up.  The authorities that God has placed in our life have come to bless us and help us grow in godliness.

Learn from those who have gone before (Titus 1:4-5). Older women are to teach the younger women.  There is great value in learning from someone who has been where you are and walked with God through it.  We don’t have to blaze the trail anew each time we come to a junction in life where we have never tread.  It is great to get godly advice and leadership from people who walk close to the Lord and have tread the path before us.

The Grace of God (Titus 1:11-14).  God’s grace has a way of transforming us.  The power to overcome sin and temptation in our lives flows from the overwhelming nature of God to secure our salvation and draw us near to Himself.  We have been considered righteous because of what Christ has done, not a work of our hands.  Yet, now what motivates us to give ourselves wholly to Him is that he has given so much for us.  We give our all now, not because we could even begin to repay him by our deeds, but because He satisfies.  What we have in Christ is so much better than the short-lived pleasures that this world has to offer.  We desire for others to know Him and celebrate His goodness.

Application: Sound Doctrine Produces Godly Living… What are you doing to actively live out Truth about God in your life?  Who do you submit yourself too? Who are you learning from?  How has the grace of God transformed how you live?

What is the hardest part about submitting to others?

What were your thoughts on Titus 2?

If you liked this post, you may like these as well:

When Church People Do Bad Things

When Church hurts

7 Steps of a Unified Group

God Cannot Lie, but People Can (Titus 1)

God Cannot Lie, but People Can (Titus 1)

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, Ministry2 Comments

I’m trying something new.  My pastor posts a daily devotional thoughts most every day on the passages of scripture he is reading.  I follow along by reading the same passage in the morning and some time later catching up with his thoughts.  Today we start Titus and so I thought I would post along.  The catch is that I don’t know what aspects of the passage he is going to flesh out.  Hopefully this will be complimentary to his blog post.

God Cannot Lie, but People Can.

There are a few things that God cannot do.  The list is short, but on the list is “lying” (Titus 1:2b).  God has a clear record.  He Doesn’t lie.  People, however, don’t always tell the truth (Titus 1:10-13).  And worse they don’t always tell the truth about God.

So how do we hold on to truth and discern lies?

Preaching (Titus 1:3) – I know it seems outdated.  Especially in the days of television.  But then again we just witnessed the final episode of LOST and it seems like no one really knows what that show is about.  Sometimes we need someone to point to the very words of God and say, “this is what God said and this is how we should respond.”  Maybe it doesn’t have the same kind of feel good approach, but it certainly clears things up.

I forget where I got this story, but imagine back when they first found out that we could create an electric spark.  People were trying to figure out how to get the spark from point A to Point B.  I’m sure that a metal wire looked cold and lifeless and didn’t appear as a viable option for carrying electric current (after all the spark was lively and vibrant, metal just looks dead).  So they experimented with prisms.  Prisms sparkled and carried light.  The initial thought was that they could carry electric current.  Of course today we houses that are “wired” and prisms are relegated to the neat little things you can look at in science class, but carry no practical value for conducting electric current.  So it is with preaching.  Though other forms of communication may be more flashy, God has chosen the simple method of preaching to carry the profound word of Life.

Pastors also known as Elders (Titus 1:5) – These guys are qualified by living out the principles in God’s word.  Its not that they live to a higher standard than God’s word.  They model how we all should live.  Read Titus 1:5-9… are there any traits in that passage that we shouldn’t all be living up too?  They not only preach the message, but they should live the message.

If they are following the Truth, they have the ability and calling to confront those who are in error and leading others astray (Titus 1:9).  Its not that they are superhero’s or anything, but that they are called to preserve the truth.  The fact is that people lie (Titus 1:12).  Pastors are to hold false teachers accountable for their false teaching.  Not only does false teaching lead others astray (Titus 1:10-11), but it perverts the gospel.

In the book of Titus the issue was relying on some work of the flesh like circumcision to save in addition to the work of Christ. These people needed to be confronted and reminded that God is not pleased with the circumcision of the flesh as much as he is the circumcision of the heart (Titus 1:15).  The heart is the issue.  If you are working out of a heart that loves God and is following him, it doesn’t matter what has taken place in your flesh.  Marking your body doesn’t save or sanctify you, Jesus Christ saves and the Holy Spirit works in us for our own sanctification.  But these false leaders showed by their actions that their heart wasn’t right.  They weren’t believing God and worse they were telling lies about God.

Application: God cannot lie, but people Can… are you obedient to God?  Are you entrusting yourself to sound biblical teaching?  Are you found where you can hear from God (in the bible, in prayer,  in fellowship with other believers, in a Bible believing and teaching church) ?  Are you quick to judge people on appearance rather than their heart (tattoos, smoking, dress)? Most importantly do you believe God (He never lies) and following Him in a way that produces genuine Christlike character in your life?

What is the hardest part about trusting God for you?

What were your thoughts on Titus 1?

If you liked this post, you may like these as well:

When Church People Do Bad Things

When Church hurts

7 Steps of a Unified Group

Why Pentecost

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleship, Missions2 Comments

We just passed the day of Pentecost on the calendar.  In the Evangelical circles in which I run the day is largely ignored.  It doesn’t carry the fanfare that Easter or Christmas receive.  It doesn’t even get the acclaim of holidays like Mothers Day or Fathers Day.  Generally speaking most Christian’s don’t even know the day has come and passed.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not advocating a new holiday, but I desperately don’t want to forget the message of Pentecost.  Pentecost is about waiting on God to move.  It’s about fulfilling the great commission.  It’s about taking the gospel to the nations.  It’s about how the story goes on long after the ascension of Christ.  I challenge you to look deeper into the day of Pentecost. (By the way you can catch some helpful background on Pentecost here by reading a brief outline I wrote in 2007).

Review: Dad’s Bible (NCV)

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

Dad’s Bible: The Father’s Plan (affiliate link) is a NCV Bible with special notes written by Robert Wolgemuth geared towards fathers.  There is also a NCV Mom’s Bible: God’s Wisdom for Mothers (affiliate link) written by Bobbie Wolgemuth geared for mothers.  I really enjoyed reading my Dad’s Bible this past week.  The Bible is very user-friendly assuring that it is a good gift for dad’s who are new to reading the Bible.  The New Century Version is a very easy to read version and there are several explanatory notes that help the reader to understand cultural nuances.  The Articles by Robert Wolgemuth do a great job of illustrating the main principle of the text.

I would highly recommend this Bible to new dads and dads who are new to reading the Bible.  I imagine that it will make a great father’s day gift for dad’s who are just beginning to get interested in spiritual things.  It also makes a great reading bible, though I wouldn’t suggest it for in-depth study.  Originally I was planning on giving my copy away, but I ended up liking it so much I may end up using it on a regular basis as a reading Bible.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Dad’s Bible: The Father’s Plan  (affiliate link), the retail price is $29.99 (Hardcover), and is worth every penny.  It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $19.79 (affiliate links).  I gave it four stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book (affiliate link) free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: An Army of Ordinary People by Felicity Dale

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

I had a chance to read An Army of Ordinary People: Stories of Real-Life Men and Women Simply Being the Church by Felicity Dale this weekend.  It was an engaging and thought provoking book all the way through.  I really appreciate Felicity’s passion and engaging style of writing. Each chapter is a different story of how God used ordinary people to start house churches.  Each chapter also happens to illustrate a principle or two that has been learned through the process of developing house churches or simple churches as the author calls them.

The truth is that stories connect and this book could easily become a manual for how to begin and develop a network of house churches in your area (I’m guessing this was part of the author’s intent).  She did a great job pulling the reader in and offering great advice from someone who has “been there.”  However, there were several portions of the book where the hermeneutics employed to gain and understanding from a particular passage were a bit off the mark.  To my knowledge this didn’t lead so much into theological error as much as it was a misguided interpretation of the passage.  This most often occurred with a loose definition of church. Many of what the author calls churches I would be comfortable calling community groups or bible study.  In fact according to her definition I have been a part of several house churches in my life time.  Never the less its a minor difference, but one worth noting.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of An Army of Ordinary People, the retail price is $14.99 (Paperback).  It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $10.19.  I gave it four stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

3 Things You Should Know About My Mom

On By pastorjonathanIn About Jonathan1 Comment

I haven’t always been the best son.  I have a better mom than I deserve.  She has been and continues to be a great mom.  I’m all grown up now, but I will never miss a chance to get one of her hugs.  Next to my dad she has had more influence on my life than anyone else.  There are 3 things she does with her influence that radically shapes my life.

1. She Prays for Me

Growing up I remember that she prayed for me in family devotional time.  I also remember passing by my parents room and hearing my parents pray for all of us children.  I remember as a teenager coming home drunk one night and passing by her room and hearing her call out to God on my behalf.  One time she got with some ladies and asked God to birth a desire in me and provide a way for me to go back to school (and He did). I wasn’t there, but I’m sure my mom prayed for me before I was born (maybe even before I was conceived).  I believe God answers prayers, I’ve seen Him answer my mothers time and time again.  I am thankful for a mother who asked God for me and clung to promises when I was in the midst of rebellion.  I haven’t always been the best son.

2. She leads me to love the Bible

I remember a kids devotional book with a raccoon on the front (I don’t have a clue why a raccoon was on a kids devotional book).  My mom made sure that in addition to our family devotional time that I began to develop a daily time in Gods word through the aide of this little book.  Later it would be the purchase of an “encounter” teen bible complete with devotionals in the back.  It was in this Bible that I would first document that I thought God might be calling me into ministry.

Beyond equiping me, she was in God’s word every morning too.  Often getting up early to read the bible and do her woman’s devotionals.  I remember several mornings waking up to use the bathroom and find my mom in the living room spending time reading her bible.  I knew she wanted me to get in the habit of reading God’s Word because she was in the habit.  I have a better mom than I deserve.

3. She speaks truth

Several times my mother has spoken with a prophet’s voice in my life.  The time I remember the most was the 16 hour car ride down to college.  She knew I was going into student ministry and took a moment to challenge me.  She said, “Jon, there are a lot of student ministries that are built around games and just hanging out, don’t lead one of those student ministries.  You teach the word.  Love people enough to tell them about Jesus.”  I really took her advice and a study of God’s word is what ultimately brought me to my own true conversion and trust in Christ.

I can imagine that there were countless times as I was growing up that my mom was biting her lip wondering If I would get it.  If I would really listen.  If I would receive the blessings she was giving me.  I am sure there were times that she felt like she was defeated.  I was a very strong willed child.  But she has always had the last say.  Her words even now hang in the air and influence me long after she has said them.  She has been and continues to be a great mom.

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: (Proverbs 31:26-28 ESV)