Spain Day Four

We had dinner with all of the men again. Chuck and Markie and I ate with the Swedish contigent. We had great conversation with a few national Swedish pastors and their American counterpart. We talked music, worship, kids, family and the things of the Lord. We laughed...a lot. Markie has been crowned the king of fried food. Anything fried looks American to him and he is all over it. They serve wine with our dinner every night--as much as we want--no worries, we don't want that much--though the Irish missionaries are a type of wine expert and a lot of fun to be around.

It has been interesting to see how our worship evolved quickly from a mixture of hymns, psalms and choruses to mostly hymns and psalms. You have got to hear these men sing the psalms. Tonight, I read Romans 5 to the men through verse 11. I shared a story about my dad's love for us--even to a fault. I related my dad's love to the love of God and the love each of these men have for their own children. God loved us so much more than we love our own children. He loved us so much that while we were still his enemies he gave his son over to us to die for our hatred. After I read Scripture we sang How Deep the Father's Love for Us. This song resonated with the men as they sing it in their own churches and deeply appreciate the theological depth to a modern song.

Today, the three Amigos (Chuck, Markie and Myself) walked along the Mediterranean Sea yesterday for a few moments of sunshine. Previously, I was feeling very homesick and was typically worried about the future travel plans. I sat down and prayed in my room. I asked the Lord for peace. A few minutes later, the rain stopped, the clouds broke and the three of us were able to get outside, laugh and just debrief with all that we were learning. What a direct answer to prayer.

God really has been good to us even in the small things. The conference will be coming to a close tomorrow and the three of us will be taking in some of the sights.

Spain Day Three

It is now day three. Even since yesterday, my relationship with some of these men has grown past "hi". What I am learning is that the pastors of the churches in Eastern and Western Europe are a microcosm of what the American church will be in 25-50 years. They are struggling with the same issues that pastors in America struggle with. How do we stay relevant without dumbing down the Gospel? Why are there less people in the American churches? One quote from a Scottish preacher was that only 5% of Scots are in a church. One pastor has a large Scottish church of 300 people (tiny by American standards)! The churches are in a truly secular world that is bogged down in rationalism and nominalism. And yet these men press on.

What grieves my spirit is that I see all of the same signs in America. I see the lights in the American church going dark. They are going dark because many large churches do not preach the Gospel. Sure, they have some numbers but they are not faithful to God's Word. What good can come of this?

As I sit here right now and hear the preacher expound on Elijah on Mount Carmel (I Kings 17) I am encouraged because I remember once again that God can and will have victory in his church. He can do it in an instant or he can do it over much time. We can never stop preaching the Word. Even if the prophets of Oprah are in the hundreds and thousands and the disciples of Osteen/T.D. Jakes and other health, wealth and prosperity heretics continue to lead people astray, we cannot ever compromise. We must stand here on Mount Carmel and KNOW that God will reveal himself to even the most pagan of people. God is not a domesticated God. He will not be held in a false prophet's box.

No. Our God scoffs at the wickedness of men (Psalm 2). He is Holy, holy, holy who instills fear in the godliest of prophet's. He causes men to fall down as though dead. He cleans house when his house has been corrupted. I do not fear for the invisible church of God. I fear for those who are outside of it.

Spain Day Two: Are We Still Amazed

Worship went very well this morning because these men love to sing God's praises. We opened with Psalm 122 to the tune of an old hymn. You should have heard these men sing! I was wondering if they would sing on songs like, Blessed Be The Name of the Lord"...no worries there. Like I said, we are all a bit similar.

But it is the message that I heard today that I want to tell you about. A Scottish missionary/pastor, David Meredith spoke this morning on I Kings 17:7-24. It was amazing to hear God's word preached. At one paint David preached that we often become deists in the Reformed Faith. We believe God has wound up that world and now sits back and watches. He wondered if we believe that God can do amazing things.

I wonder the same thing. Do I believe that God does work in miraculous ways and that he is completely involved with me, with my family, with my ministry, with our church? I wonder. We often want to do things ourselves and God allows us to set up our pride and our idols and we never get to experience the work of God in his amazing way.

Well I was truly blessed and can't wait to see what the Lord will teach me next.

Spain Day One

I have never been on a different continent before. Here I am, in Europe, in Spain. Our first day was full of future sermon illustrations. From jetlag, to customs, to interrogations by Spanish police. Then there was the taxi ride which proved to me how safe flying really is!

Chuck and I are wondering how things will go tomorrow. We have met several of the missionaries and our main speaker and are excited to worship with them. There are men here from Bulgaria, the Ukraine, England, Ireland, Scotland (the Glorious Republic of Scotland we were reminded), France and many other countries. And yet what I realize is how similar we all really are. These men have many of the same struggles and battles that I have in the ministry.

It is incredible to see how small the world really is. I am on the Mediterranean Sea yet I feel as if I am just across the street. Spain is beautiful (except for their Customs headquarters!). The people are laid back and pleasant and it seems as if time is a little slower here. That could be just the jetlag, but these are my first impressions.

Looking forward to worship and the word in the morning. I hope that the Lord blesses you this week as you press on for the Gospel in your own context.

FOUND Part VII: Rewired

Pastor Dan's sermon from 4/6/2008
Scripture Reference: II Corinthians 7:9-13 & Acts 16:16-40
Click here to listen.

See as God Sees

Be transformed...this is the instruction of Paul in Romans 12:2. Be transformed. What will happen when we are transformed? We will know what God's will is. What does this mean to us? We will see as God sees. In respect to what? We will see God, ourselves, sin and righteousness in a new light as we live a new life. This is the walk of repentance.

Repentance often has bad connotations. When we are told to be transformed and to walk a life of repentance we conjure up visions of whipping our backs and mourning all of the time. Although we are to mourn over our sin we are not to live a life of sadness but rather of joy. When we are transformed we have an understanding of walking a joyful life of repentance. We are transformed when God implants new life and we respond by placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. We understand that we cannot do what Christ has done. As a result we live a faithful life of repentance. We see the world the way God sees the world.

In respect to God he is now the loving Father and not the one we hate. We were once the enemies of God (Romans 5) but now are loved by him and love him. We approach the throne with humility and confidence (Hebrews 4). God is to be worshipped when we are transformed.

In respect to ourselves we come to an understanding that we were once lost in sin (Romans 3) but now have been rescued (Galatians 4). We were once lost and in need of salvation but are now found and awaiting glory.

In respect to sin we now hate it with all that we are. We still sin. In fact, when we are redeemed the battle has just begin (Romans 7). Sin has been dealt a mortal wound yet we continue to do battle until the day that we are present with Christ Jesus in heaven. Yet our view concerning sin changes. When we do sin, we confess it to the Lord and desire to never do it again. Our consciences are no longer seared and scarred (Romans 1).

In respect to righteousness we now crave to be made so. We understand that nothing we do makes us righteous. No, it is by faith that we are justified, not by observing some code of conduct (Romans 4, Galatians 2). Being justified we have been made righteous in the sight of God by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Have you been transformed by the renewing of your mind? Are you walking a life of repentance? It is then that you will know what God's good, pleasing and perfect will is for you.