Tag: Devotional

50 Reasons: To Please His Heavenly Father

On By pastorjonathanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The other day I mentioned that I would be reading Piper’s book “50 Reasons why Jesus Came to Die” between Easter and Pentecost. You can get the scoop here.

To Please His Heavenly Father

Today I am reminded that it was God’s plan to crucify Jesus for my sins. I guess too often I struggle with believing God would want to save me. I know all too well just how much of a sinner I am. I am aquointed with guilt. I have a hard time imagining that God would plan out my salvation or that Jesus would willingly embrace suffering on my behalf.

But there it is in Isaiah 53 that it was the will of God. God desires to rescue me from my sins!!! It is His plan! Where I have fallen short, Jesus was perfectly righteous. He has stood in my place, embracing suffering even from the hand of God.

I wonder if It Is Gods will that many of us might suffer for the sake of spreading the gospel. I am reminded of Dr. Piper’s message entitled “Doing Missions When Dying is Gain.” Take time to listen if you haven’t already.

Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you that Jesus would be obedient, even obedient to the point of death. I feel so unworthy most days.  Thank you that where I was disobedient, Jesus was obedient.

Easter Book Club (50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die)

On By pastorjonathanIn blogging, books, Devotional, discipleship, spiritual disciplinesLeave a comment

I want to invite you to read a book with me and take a deeper look at why Jesus came to die.  Over the course of 50 days I will be reading a 127 page book (not exactly an overwhelming task).  In the process I will be blogging my response to what I have read each day and posting it here.  You are invited to participate.  Read along in the book, read my comments and share some of your own.

We will be starting on Easter Sunday.  Below is the scoop on the book, why I chose Easter, where you can get a copy of the book, and the schedule so we can read along together.

A few years ago John Piper wrote a book entitled, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.  Each chapter is approximately 2 pages in length and covers one of the fifty reasons.  I must warn you that though the chapters are brief, they are not always easy to process.  I have found in the past that reading one brief two-page chapter a day helps me to process the content of each chapter before moving to the next.

Easter is the time where we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost is the time we celebrate when the Holy Spirit came and empowered the followers of Jesus to bear witness to his death, burial and resurrection.  Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally) there are 50 days between Easter and Pentecost.  This provides a great time to read Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die and meditate on the reasons Christ’s death (and resurrection) were necessary.

I will read a chapter a day according to the schedule and posting my response here on this blog.  I want to invite you along on the journey and share your thoughts here as well.  You will need to obtain your own copy of the book.

The following is a PDF of my schedule for reading: 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die – Reading Guide.

Tell Me About Your Blog

On By pastorjonathanIn blogging2 Comments

One of the reasons I started blogging was to interact with a wider audience.  I enjoy getting to know people.  At the same time I have some ideas that I hope are an encouragement and blessing to others.  That is the nature of blogging.

Today I have decided to expand my blog a little and include some links to other blogs.  Many of you who read and check by here have blogs of your own.  I would love to know about them, check them out, and possibly add them to a blog list on my site.

So Leave a Comment about your Blog

All I need from you is your URL and a little information about your blog.  Is it a blog about books? Nascar? a Family blog? etc.  Later in the week and as I have time to check out blogs I will create a page with the list of blogs. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing your blogs.

Unfinished Books, Unframed Pictures, and Eternity

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, Time ManagementLeave a comment

This is a guest post by Jesse Campbell.  He is the Student Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida and is the Director of Percussion at Tate High School.

I am a jumbled mess of the right idea and good intentions. This is probably way too much information, but the counter next to my favorite toilet is piled high with open books; each stacked precariously on another so as to keep my places in each of them simultaneously.

One is the memoirs of a Marine Lieutenant, another a dissertation on quantum physics that I don’t really understand, another John Eldridge’s latest attempt to stretch yet another book out of the same idea that spawned Waking the Dead, another Lee Strobel’s incredible The Case for Christ, and the miserably wrinkled bottom of the stack is a registry guide distributed by Wal-Mart to parents to be. How do they know when you’re about to have a baby and do we really need two Pack & Plays? In our foyer hang sepia tone pictures of complete strangers. A few rooms over, in my garage, sit dusty boxes with ready-to-assemble shelving systems and three surfboard racks that have yet to make it onto the walls. My house has quite a few half-finished projects. So did my mind until recently.

Even highly organized people will embark on a project of some sort, only to be diverted by…well, life. The unfinished projects in my head remained so for similar reasons. I never truly nailed down my stance on the whole Calvinism (the philosophy that God predetermines who will be saved) issue until this year. I carried unanswered questions regarding God’s perspective on the dimension of time through three years of vocational ministry. I couldn’t really answer the tough questions about God’s perspective on man’s prayers until I was married (which is funny because marriage is the kind of thing you pray about A LOT). Now, it’s not as though these questions were unimportant to me. Like my partially assembled garage door opener, I knew they were of great significance to my everyday life. But, the resolution of some tough questions was interrupted by my need to compose the music for Tate Drumline’s show or pull together the final details for our ski trip. This may sound extreme, but this kind of distraction is the work of Satan in our lives. It’s not that these distractions are inherently evil in and of themselves. Rather, it’s that they are not as important as the big questions in our lives.

How did the universe come to exist from absolute void? Where do you stand with God? Is Hell a real place? Do the rebuttals to the theory of evolution hold water? If so, what does that mean for you? Why do bad things happen to good people? With all the religions of the world holding claims to the truth, how do you know which one is true? These are examples of unfinished projects that even brilliant and highly educated people will carry around in their minds for decades.

Work out the unfinished projects because your soul may hang in the balance. Take the time to put these questions on the front burner and have the objectivity to follow the evidence wherever it takes you. Letting them slip into the obscurity that life can bring could be catastrophic. One wrong turn nullifies every turn that follows it and we’re not guaranteed tomorrow. So, go back and investigate as if your eternity in Heaven, Hell, or existential void depended on it because it does. Consider the risk you take by never fully resolving these issues or never giving them a fair chance in your heart. Is adherence to atheism (the belief that nothing spiritual exists) worth the risk of being wrong? Don’t take the easy way out and put a quick fix on a paradigmatic life issue. That’s like duct taping the garage door opener to the ceiling, buying the first set of tires you see, or drilling into a wall and just hoping you hit a stud…not that I’ve done one of those things. I’ve spoken with hundreds of atheists who base their beliefs about God on false assumptions or lies about Christianity. They think that science and Christianity are mutually exclusive and some have never even heard of the field of study called “apologetics.” They cite the writings of biased and bitter “former Christians” who do not personally take the very risk they so vehemently endorse. I’ve spoken with many agnostics who, by their own admission, have simply never taken the time to adequately ponder or investigate God’s existence. With these examples in mind, does my theory about Satan’s sabotage sound a little less crazy? If there is an enemy to God, then isn’t it in his best interest to keep people distracted from the big issues like Jesus and what you truly believe about Him?

I know that, if you were to really and truly put these questions on the front burner and commit to objectively follow the evidence to wherever it takes you even if that means dramatically changing your stance on something, you’d investigate your way to Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one can come to God except through Him.

It all comes down to what you believe about Jesus. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Would you put aside the less important things in your life to make this Jesus guy and your beliefs pertaining to Him a priority? Heaven is a real place. So is Hell. Jesus loves you and that’s eternally more important and worthy of contemplation than is the plot of the aptly titled show “LOST.”

5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow – Give Away

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

Last month I wrote a brief book  review of 5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow, a book written by R.C. Sproul.  This month I have decided to give away a copy on the blog.  To enter for a chance to win all you need to do is read my Review and then come back here to briefly share about why you want the book (even if you want to give to someone else).  Then on  Monday (March 1st, 2010) I’ll draw a name by random and announce the winner in the comments section on this post.

If you win I will also contact you via e-mail so I can make arrangements to get you the book (so make sure you fill that part out when leaving a comment).

I have answered some frequently asked questions about the Wednesday book give away in earlier post and you can find it here.

Review:”5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow”

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow by R.C. Sproul is a great book.  Sproul does a great job of introducing 5 comon “means of grace” or tools that God uses to help us grow.  Each chapter is written in an engaging style.  Sproul uses an insightful story to draw the reader in, puts forth a solid case based on Scriputre, while pointedly drawing out application for Western believers.

The book is quite brief at 135 pages, but the content serves as a great introduction for new believers and a compassionate reminder for those of us who may have lost track.  This book seems like a great discipleship tool and aid to those who are longing to grow deeper.  The Sproul’s writing style is simple yet engaging.  This is a great book to give someone who wants to grow in their faith.  The books brevity and engaging style ensure that you don’t have to be an accomplished reader to get through it in a timely manner.

I suggest using this book as a discipleship tool. Maybe reading it for yourself and then passing it on to someone else.  I highly recommend it to anyone interested in growing deeper in their faith.  5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow is an excellent resource. The retail price is $15.00 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $11.70. I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: A PDF of this book was provided for review by Reformation Trust Publishing. They will send me a complimentary copy after they see my revies.  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

5 Things Every Christian Needs to Grow – Book Give Away

Review: “Using Old Testament Hebrew in Preaching”

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

Ok to be perfectly clear on this and up front.  I do not enjoy Hebrew, but I enjoyed reading this book.  Using Old Tesament Hebrew in Preaching did challenge me to be dilligent in continuing my Hebrew studies as well as give me hope that I might use my Hebrew skills for years to come.  It is a very down to earth, practical and motivating book.  I applaud author Paul D. Wegner for bringing  such a relavent and timely book to my aid when I was doubting the relavance of Hebrew in my future ministry.

The book is made up of five brief chapters that are full of encouragement and motivation for Hebrew students to press on in learning the language.  All along the way Wegner is sure to provide tools, references, and recomendations to support and encourage the student in his or her pursuits.  Above all else, he challenges the reader to press forward in studying and using a language that can be very confusing and tricky (at least to this student).  He does a great job of taking a very large challenge and stripping it to bite sized chunks.

The retail price is $17.99 (Paperback). It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $7.70 (Which is a great deal). I give it 4 stars.

Book Review: “Living Life in the Zone” by Kyle Rote, Jr. & Dr. Joe Pettigrew

On By pastorjonathanIn books, Devotional, Manhood1 Comment

Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Game Plan for Men by Kyle Rote, Jr. and Dr. Joe Pettigrew is a great book  for men who are looking to jump-start their devotional life.   Through out this book the authors challenge the reader to be a real man of Christian Character. The authors share keen insights and interviews from legendary sports figures from around the world of sports.The book is intended to be read in 40 days.  Each section is comprised of seven days worth of material that follows a common theme for the week.  Sections are geared around the various relationships in a man’s life such as his wife, children, friends, and work. ( The last section is noticeably shorter at 5 days.)

The author’s have taken careful pains to maintain a rigorous order of steps for each day’s reading.  Making each devotional similar in style, but unique in substance.    Overall the book is very readable, very organized, and authentically sports oriented.

I especially enjoyed reading this book as a devotional in the morning.  It took only a few minutes to read and provided real insights with great questions.  I can see it being used as a stand-alone devotional or used by a group of men for accountability purposes.  My over all impression was that it was a great book.  The only reservation that I have is that the scripture section at times can seem a bit light due to the topical nature of the book.

This is a very practical and readable devotional book for men.   Living Life in the Zone is an excellent resource. The retail price is $14.99 (Paperback), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $10.19. I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: As a blogger I received a free review copy from the Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program  (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ).  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for the reviewer to call it like they see it.

Resources for Developing a Bible Reading Plan

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, discipleship, spiritual disciplines1 Comment

One of the best habits you can develop is to daily read God’s word.  Listed here are a few  great resources for reading the Bible. 

If you are looking for community and interaction check out pastor Chris Aiken’s blog.  He blogs daily from one chapter of Scripture and a Proverb.  Its a great place to read along, gather insights, and share thoughts.  I have been following along for nearly a year now and have been greatly blessed.

For study and prayer purposes I have found the free and easy to use E-sword program to be an invaluable aid.  It is a Bible study software program that you can download to your computer.  You can also down load a variety of translations, commentaries, devotions and other Christian works.  (All free, easy to use, and adaptable).

The image above is a picture of the MacArthur Daily Bible that I have used for the past several years.  It contains selections from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs each day.  It also contains a brief devotional and explanatory comments about the scripture passages you are reading.

There are several other plans to read through the Bible, but rather than repeating a bunch of information I have listed a link to a few great resources on reading the Bible through.

ewordtoday.com – I recommend the ESV Chronological or Historical track

doxologypress.org – this is a great place to hear the audio Bible and keep track of your reading/listening. (though you need to sign up for an account) It’s also a great place to hear great works of literature like John Owen’s Mortification of Sin (though I admit it’s not for the faint of heart).

If you are new to reading the Bible or haven’t had much sucess in being consistent.  I highly reccomend Pastor Chris’ Blog above the other resources.  It is simple interactive plan that can be easily maintained by most anybody.  I hope all goes well with your adventure in journeying deeper into God’s Word this year.  Here are a few more articles that you might find useful.

My Top 5 blog Posts of 2009

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I’ve been blogging right at a year now.  I really didn’t get serious about it until later this year some time around September.  My original purpose was to open the door to share the gospel and encourage others in their relationship with Jesus Christ.  So far I have been blessed beyond imagination to start conversations and interact with people I haven’t seen in years or have never met face to face.  I have lots of plans about blogging in the new year, but before we go there, I thought I would do a little research and share some of the most popular posts of this past year.

1. 3 things I’d tell my teenage daughter after watching “New Moon”

2. A Few thoughts on Fatherhood

3. My Story (An introduction) … You can catch the rest of the series by following the links

4. Why Santa Clause Doesn’t come to Pensacola

5. 3 keys to a good Disciple Now Weekend … You can catch the rest of this series by following the links

My goal for 2010 is to refine my blogging to three main areas.  Based on the response to these blog posts and others I hope to focus on Family, Ministry, and Book Reviews.  While none of my book reviews independently made the top 5, I had several that were close and book reviews do make up a great deal of my traffic.  Hopefully I’ll get a chance to try some new things in 2010 like contests and giveaways.  I look forward to the new year and all that it has in store.