Three Rivers Grace Community Church

As another earthquake has just hit Haiti this morning, we are saddened by the further devastation in the midst of this tragedy. The question that comes to mind is, What is God doing? We know that He is in control. What is His purpose?
We don't know all of God's ways, of course, but these cataclysmic events should certainly be a vivid reminder to us that a day of judgment is coming. And therefore the question that should be on each of our minds is: Am I ready for that day? Am I repenting of sin and trusting in the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that on that day God will be for me and not against me?

Albert Mohler's commentary on this event is very insightful, and I encourage you to read it.
Does God Hate Haiti?

On this second Tuesday of the month, we as a church are praying and fasting as we seek the Lord together. It is our desire to see more of His glory, and to see His grace sanctifying us and regenerating unbelievers. It is our sincere longing to see genuine revival in our personal lives, in our church, and throughout this city and region.
This quote from Iain Murray's book Revival and Revivalism is a helpful reminder of what exactly we are hoping for, and the theological foundation for it.
"In speaking of the meaning of revival it is also essential to note that what Davies and his brethren believed about revival was not something separate from, or additional to, their main beliefs; it was, rather, a necessary consequence. Such is man’s state in sin that he cannot be saved without the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration, and the faith that results from it, are the gifts of God. Therefore, wherever conversions are multiplied, the cause is to be found not in men, nor in favourable conditions, but in the abundant influences of the Spirit of God that alone make the testimony of the church effective. No other explanation of revival is in harmony with the truths that are ‘the essence of the Christian scheme—the utter depravity of man, the sovereignly-free grace of Jehovah, the divinity of Christ, the atonement in his blood, regeneration and sanctification by the Holy Spirit.’ " (21-22)
Revival is not something we can manufacture. It is a sovereign work of God. That is why we should pray to Him, asking Him to work in mighty ways among us.

To accompany our study of missions, I encourage you to listen to this passionate message by John Piper.
Doing Missions When Dying Is Gain
He is speaking to a group of students at Wheaton College in 1996. Interestingly, I was a student at Wheaton at this time, but sadly I missed this event. I don't think I had heard anything about John Piper until after this. But then I heard his name a lot, as this talk caused quite a stir on campus.

Last Sunday in our adult Sunday School class we were discussing the Kingdom of God as it relates to missions. An interesting question came up about the nature of the disciples' faith during Jesus' ministry. Did they understand Jesus? Or were they utterly confused and hard-hearted? This is a fascinating question, and one that I am eager to pursue further as I begin a sermon series through the Gospel of Mark in January.
It seems that they did have faith in Jesus, although they were also confused by many things and hard-hearted. They had a faith that would be accompanied by much clearer understanding following Jesus' resurrection.
This comment by Mark Dever was helpful to me: "The disciples are symbolized by the blind man whom Jesus healed in stages. Jesus first put spit in the man's eyes, and the man responded, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around' (Mark 8:24). The disciples' vision, like this man's vision, was half-formed, and the effect was sometimes comical, sometimes tragic. As with the blind man, Jesus had to keep working with them." (Mark Dever, The Message of the New Testament, pg. 66)

On Sunday I finished a sermon series through the OT book of Job. Last week my wife read a powerful testimony that was posted on one of her favorite blogs, and it is a great illustration of some of the key truths portrayed in Job. The testimony of this family's trials and the way it exposed sin and brought them to repentance is just what we see happening to Job. Job's suffering revealed subtle sins in his life, and finally, humbled by the power and holiness of God, Job repents. I encourage you to read about God's goodness to this family as He worked similarly in their lives. Grace in a Recession

Several months ago Jim Gibbs, who attends our church, introduced me to the music of Shai Linne, a Reformed Hip-Hop artist from Philadelphia. I was very encouraged and excited by what I heard as I listened to his album entitled "Atonement." One song especially caught my attention. It's called "Mission Accomplished," and it clearly defends the doctrine of definite atonement.
Whether or not you like the style of music, we should all rejoice that such a theologically rich message is being communicated through this medium.
When I went to the 9 Marks website yesterday, I was intrigued to find this interview with Shai Linne. I enjoyed listening to it very much, and it makes me excited about what God is doing! It also made me want to listen to some of Shai's music again, which I did this morning.

For all who will be teaching classes in VBS, and for those assisting in various ways, and for all of us who will be praying for the children involved, consider this helpful essay by Jim Elliff on "Childhood Conversion." VBS is a great opportunity to proclaim the Good News to young people, but we must be careful not to push for "decisions" or to grant immediate assurance of salvation to children who have professed faith.

We should tell kids the truth about God, sin, Jesus Christ, and faith and repentance. Then we should simply wait and pray and watch to see what God does in their hearts. When a child professes faith in Christ, we should encourage them and continue to teach and instruct them. But we should not hastily assure them that they are saved, for that has the potential of doing great harm later in the child's life. He or she may not bear any genuine spiritual fruit but still look back to that prayer that was prayed in VBS as an assurance of sins forgiven and life everlasting.

Therefore, I commend Jim Elliff's response, which is applicable in the home and in the ministries of the church. He writes, "Our response to our child’s expressions that he is now converted should always be positive, encouraging and sincere. We should help the child see the basis upon which he can have assurance of new life rather than take it upon ourselves to offer him an immediate assurance not ours to give. Say something like this, “I’m thrilled that you are repenting and trusting in Christ. More than anything we want to know that God has really changed your life. The way we will know is if you continue repenting and trusting and if you act like a true Christian—that is, you have a new heart that loves to obey God. Sometimes we do not know that until we are in a place where it really costs us to be a Christian. Maybe you will not know it until you face the choice between your friends and Christ. Let’s see what God does. We’ll watch and pray about it. As questions come up, we’ll talk.”

You can read the article in its entirety here.

Our fighter verse for this week, as we're going through the Sermon on the Mount, is Matthew 5:31-32. This addresses a very sensitive issue which requires thoughtful and prayerful study of the Scriptures. I am attaching this paper from Bethlehem Baptist Church for your consideration. As you'll see in the paper, the leadership of BBC is not entirely agreed on the issue of remarriage after divorce. Some believe it is permissible in certain cases, others believe it is not permissible as long as the spouse is living. I encourage you to consider both positions. And if the issue of remarriage applies to you personally you should seek out the counsel of other believers and church leaders as you seek to discern the Lord's will for your life. The article from Bethlehem Baptist church is here.

When should a child who professes faith begin to partake in the Lord's Supper? Because of the severe warnings concerning eating and drinking in an unworthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27-32), it is important to consider whether a particular child is mature enough for the appropriate self-examination that is necessary in coming to the table.
Here is a helpful article that I encourage you to read, especially if you have young children.
It is an article by David Michael, one of the pastors at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Why Can't I Have a Snack Like Everyone Else?

Are you concerned about money these days? The economic news is mostly gloom and doom. But could it be that God will use these circumstances to wean us from our addiction to wealth and comfort? Could it be that God will release us from the grip of selfishness and greed and free us to give generously and joyously and sacrificially? I pray that it will be so.

As John Piper points out in a recent sermon on missions, the problem is not that we have insufficient funds to support missionaries, but rather we have become obsessed with our excess of money! He says, "No, it isn’t for lack of money that there are 1,568 peoples with no missionaries. It’s because we have so much. The comforts of the West have made us soft and cautious and fearful and indulgent and self-protecting, instead of tough and risk-taking and bold and self-controlled and self-sacrificing."

You can read or listen to the sermon here.