Proud to be a dog!

So I just got back from two trips.

The first was a Mission Trip/ Vacation. We went to Maryland to help a former pastor of mine that is now over Mid-Maryland church planters.

Matt accompanied on this trip and was a great help. We got there on Thursday night. We left early so we could miss a storm that was coming through that night.

Friday Joel took us on a tour of the area and told us about Howard County. It is the third most affluent county in the nation so reaching the needs of the community is very different.

That evening we went to Medieval Times and cheered for the Red and Yellow knight, but the loser died on us.

Saturday we went and helped a church with their community outreach by playing games with the children and presenting the story of Christmas.

Later that day we went to Baltimore. I hate Baltimore. There is nothing in Baltimore for fine upstanding people. We got lost in the ghetto for thirty minutes and I really thought I was going to be killed. We got our tails out of there as fast as possible.

Sunday we to church with the Amy Rainey and it was one of the coolest Sunday School classes that I've ever been in. We went to Washington D.C. but only spent about 30 minutes at the Smithsonian. That night we presented the Armor of God for a children's group. We were supposed to leave Monday, but decided to stay a few extra days to do some fun stuff.

Monday we went to Washington again. That was cool though we spent way to much time on the Metro.

Tuesday was the kicker. We had heard that NYC was only three hours away so of course our first thought was Rent on Broadway. So we left about 7 am and arrived about noon. I now know why New Yorkers cuss so much. I think I handled myself pretty well for a first timer in NY traffic though.

We had to pay 30 bucks for parking and like $50 for all the tolls. If you haven't figured it out we are really pushing our luck for money. we find the theater and find out that they have a lottery for tickets that night for $20 tickets. We figured it was worth the risk. So we spent the day walking around NYC and Matt made a comment about wanting to be in a television audience and a second later (literally) we heard a guy looking for folks to be on DaySide on Fox News. I got to ask a question and we just had a blast.

We went back to the theater at 5:30. And we won the lottery. Not only were the tickets $20 they were also front row. It was freaking awesome. It was probably one of the best days of my life.

We drove back to SC on the day the ice storm hit apparently we brought it back with us.

Thursday morning I left for Mississippi with Baptist Collegiate ministries for some Katrina relief. www.bcmkatrinarelief.blogspot.com We left the normalcy of South Carolina and entered a whole other world. We couldn't see anything as we got their at night, but when we stepped outside the next morning the devastation was clear.

It was as if Katrina had just come though that night. On every house was spay paint. Some read contaminated, unsafe, looters will be shot, State Farm killed Santa, do not enter, and each had the number of victims on it. The county lost about 80 people.

The first day I signed up to work on a toy distribution crew. That didn't work out so we tried to help distribute furniture.

The next day I went with a crew to clear off two lots then we went and help a team finish gutting a house. We prayed with the family as we left.

Sunday was a day off I went with some folks from the Citadel and College of Charleston to their BCM ministers ordination in Baton Rouge. For some reason we went to the mall a week before Christmas talk about a horrifying experience. Baton Rouge is listed as one of the worst towns in the nation.

It was the first ordination I had been to I hope that I can be a man that people will speak as highly of as they did of Peter. It was truly inspiring.

Monday we started the gutting of two houses. We got to work with this cool 83 year old man, Norman. He even helped us gut his house. He was dancing and joking the whole time we were throwing away everything he owned. That was really remarkable seeing all the joy that people had and learning what was really important. We went back the next day to finish up. It was good to know we had finished what we started out to do.

Wed. I stayed behind to help with housekeeping. I felt kind of bad because we were finished really early while everyone else was out working. When another group got back I went out with them to pick up trash. We stopped by a park one of our groups had built and played a while. We were walking by a catholic school and helped them carry some new white boards in and they let us go up in their bell tower it was a great view.

We stayed up all night that last night fellowshipping and playing games. I really hated to leave. I met a lot of awesome brothers and sisters in Christ.

To all you thanks for your encouragement. I want to especially sent a shout out to Matt, Cliff, and Dave. You guys truly embody Christian brotherhood and freely accept other brothers into that fellowship.

Clutter you are awesome girl stay unique. And Roger you may not be a "blooming Calvinists" like myself, but you're still pretty cool.

Thanks for organizing the trip Chad you did a great job and I know God was glorified through all of it.

When you go into an area like that it can be really overwhelming, but always remember that it is on God's strength and His mission we do our work. One verse really came to life for me over the last week. Ecclesiastes 9:4 "Anyone who is among the living has hope--even a live dog is better off than a dead lion." Those people knew what hope was. They had lost everything, but they were alive and had hope.

I also learned a lot about myself as well. We look at the heroes of the bible like Abraham, Moses, Paul, and Peter and think wow those are lions of the faith. Those are the people I want to be like.

Then if something happens and we get depressed and we think their is nothing we can do. We go into areas like Mississippi's disaster area and look at awe and think about what in the world we should do. We feel helpless. We feel like dogs, but here is the thing. We may be a dog, but at least we're alive. We can do something. Those that have come before us may have done amazing things but they ain't doing them any more. They're dead. They have done all they can do. But now its our turn. Now we do what we have to do. We are the dogs of today, but we're alive. We can do something and so we must.

Don't look at those others and think I'll never be like that. Look at the others and think I can learn from that. Do what you can then praise God you could do it.

Fear and Glory

Fear. Its something we all face. Fear of tomorrow, fear of loss, fear for our children, fear for lives, and fear of our past. We all have fear. Some fear is good. It keeps us from putting ourselves in danger for stupid reasons. It keeps our children in line until they understand consequences. It even keeps criminals at bay, but not all fear is healthy. Fear also keeps us from trusting, from loving, from giving. We won’t give the bum on the street money because he may buy liquor. We won’t share the gospel because they may laugh at us. We won’t love one another because they might not love us back.
Fear is a very powerful tool in the hands of the enemy. Satan is a master at using fear. He whispers in our ear all those nasty “what ifs?” He tempts us to lie to avoid difficulties. He tells us they won’t understand so we never admit the truth.
One of his most powerful uses of fear is the fear of our past. As Christians our past has been obliterated the sin and guilt washed away, but the memories and lessons learned remain. Still our past if a great weapon in the enemy’s arsenal. He constantly reminds of what we used to be. The victories are forgotten as the struggle continues. He can convince us to change everything about ourselves so that we don’t let one person know the truth.
Ladies and gentlemen here is the truth. I am a dirty rotten sinner that deserves the pits of Hell, yet Christ suffered, died, and rose again to forgive me of those sins. Here is the kicker; you’re a filthy sinner in need of a savior too.
I battle with fear of my past everyday, but I will no longer let my representation of the glory of God be diminished because of it. Let’s face it we are all disgusting and we beat ourselves up constantly over that, but in Christ we have been set free.
I have found that the greatest weapon against fear is hope. Hope is what Jonathan took with him to face hundreds of Palestinians alone. Hope is what made the blind man and leper come to Jesus. Hope is that idea we have before faith. We aren’t yet ready say I know, but we can say maybe. Maybe we can do it. Maybe we will survive. Maybe they will understand.
What is our hope? Our hope is Christ. Our hope is heaven. Our hope is knowing that God has set into motion his plan, his will, and he does all things to work for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) .

Acts 2
25David said about him:
" 'I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

Roman 5
5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Let this be our weapon ladies and gentlemen as we stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. Never let come between you and the glory of God.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

update

So I know it has been a while since I have written and to be honest this won’t be a normal blog. I just want to update everyone on what is going on. We finished with Twain. The last day we had three performances and I twisted my ankle during the first show. I had to sit the second one out and my lines were split up. They did an amazing job, but it sort of made me feel useless. I forced myself to perform the third performance. Having to sit backstage was worse than the ankle hurting.
Last weekend we had student legislature. It was an amazing time. I learned a tremendous amount and made some interesting friends. By the close of the conference I found myself partnering with some folks from College of Charleston. Now that was weird, but I’m so glad I did it.
I have a bunch of papers due so I’m staying busy. And just a quick prayer request. My grandmother is in the hospital she is having trouble breathing. I’m not worried about her dying but she isn’t a Christian. I had the opportunity to witness to her, please pray God work in her soul to draw her to Himself.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

Holy Dependence

Is it right to depend on someone? I’m not talking about depending on God. That is a given. I’m talking about depending on friends, family, and strangers. When Paul was blinded he was forced to depend on others to get him to the one God chose to heal him. The lame were dependent on friends to bring them to Jesus. And I lately I have found myself depending on someone for guidance in certain issues. This is a new thing for me. I have always been the extremely independent entrepreneurial type. Now that I find myself in a situation that is not like that I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know how much I can lean on someone with pushing them away. How do you and what do you do?

One Question

It is amazing how one question can change your life. For Peter it was “Who do you say I am?” For couples it is “Will you take this person as your lawfully wedded spouse?” For parents it is “Is the baby healthy?”
I received such a question last night. I knew it was coming, the person had been hinting at it for a while. Then they finally asked. Even though I knew and expected it didn’t make it easier. I considered lying but I couldn’t. I’m proud of myself for being honest, but then it began to sink in that I had actually been asked. I have never felt so alone as I did in that moment in time. I was in a room full of people and there was not a single person I could even talk to. Then my heart started racing. I couldn’t figure out the emotion because I had never felt anything so intense. Then I realized what it was: fear. I was in pure and udder dread. I had lost complete control of everything I am. It was as if a layer of skin had been ripped from my body.
I was lucky though. I had a friend that I was talking to that would understand. I’m not just speaking of Christ, but I had been lucky enough to have been given someone to go to. In the midst of pure dread I felt more thanks than I have ever known. At that moment I was as thankful for this friend as I was for salvation. God had used him for my bodily salvation at the time. I can’t imagine what I would have done without him.

One question. One answer. Then one hope. Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jason Vaughn

Talents for Glory

(1 Corinthians 10:31)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So all week at school we had this artist, Doug Berky, on campus. He worked with our theatre department, was our chapel “speaker” Wed., and performed on Friday night. First let me say that this was the best chapel of the year. He truly was amazing in that performance. Even after that he still blew my mind on Friday evening. He performed Kairos with five NGC theatre majors. It was one of the most phenomenal performances of my life. They performed the story of Christ in masks. Our students learned this in a weeks time and did an exceptional job. May I also add that this was the first performance where I actually took notice of how intricate and stupendous the lighting and sound was for a performance. Props to all who worked on this production.
The point of this blog is to share one of the points that Doug shared in chapel. When he came on stage he began by juggling. He then continued by sharing that once in a theatre he felt this overwhelming presence of God. This led him of course to only one possible action: he performed ever possible trick he knew. What he was speaking of was the fact that our talents and abilities are gifts from God. They are meant to glorify Him. He compared them a prayer of thanks before God.
As some of my readers know I was trying to organize a creative ministries tour over Christmas. God closed the door on this activity for the time being. One of my purposes for this tour was to teach church members that God has designated everything they do for His glory.
I encourage all of my readers to look at what you enjoy. What is pure in your life? What brings you comfort? Then think about how this can glorify God and help to bring about His redemptive plan to the world. Basketball, golf, pottery, photography, reading, playing, talking, organizing, acting, listening, counseling, helping, serving. Whatever you do remember to do it for the glory of God. (BTW this includes working and studying)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jason Vaughn

Gomer Update

So I received an e-mail asking me to write an update about my Gomer. Sorry I haven’t updated, but it has been a busy couple of weeks. I appreciate all of your prayers. I hate to say it, but I decided I needed to leave the church. I woke up on Sunday and I just dreaded going to church. That was the last straw and God’s way of telling me to leave. I do know this though. I left giving all I had in me.

Acts 20:31-32 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. (32) And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I gave all I knew and learned all God allowed me to learn. I gave it without exception. There is simply nothing left for me to do there. I walk by the church building and cry, but I have comfort in knowing I held nothing back.
The Greek word used for this is pas –“without exception.” I truly believe this is what I gave. My professor told me he was proud of me. I wish I could feel that way. I have to admit I still feel like I am abandoning them. I wait now on the peace of God.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jason Vaughn

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
By: Isaac Watts
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!

Boring Sin

I hate boredom. You would think with all the miracles of technology we would never be bored. Personally, I think one of the major reasons for boredom is our lack of creativity. We are spoon fed answers all of our life and then all of the God given talent is just drained out of us because we haven’t used it in a decade and a half since school started.
It is fall break and I came home for the couple of days. Yesterday, I was supposed to do a gig for Paws in the Falls, but I arrived and no one was there. Apparently they canceled and didn’t bother telling me. Then I went to the Christian Film Festival at Hollywood 20. I volunteered for a while then watched movies. If you are in the area you should go and help out or just watch some movies. Some are cheesy, but others, like Luther, are really good. It is also probably the only time you will hear an alter call in a movie theatre.
So back to boredom. I went to my home church today and since then I have been sitting around with nothing to do. You know the saying “Idle hands are the Devil’s playground.” I think I am definitely proving it today. I like having the break, but it is really boring since most of my friends are at North Greenville. It seems that it should be easy to fight temptations, but it seems I just keep falling. That is why I like being at school. At least there is some accountability there.
So now I am trying to distract myself by blogging. If nothing else this has helped to put my focus back on track and on God. I’ll probably go back to the film festival tomorrow. Maybe, I’ll see some of you there. God Bless.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Jason Vaughn

My Gomer?

My heart is burdened deeply. Last Sunday night I called my church to repentance and I feel as if it were useless. They have an awesome opportunity for ministry, but some members hold such a grudge against parts of this specific community that the ministry is almost non-existent. I called them on this last Sunday. Tonight we had missions emphasis night. The whole time I kept thinking “you care about people half way around the world, but you aren’t even willing to reach those surrounding you.” It is so frustrating. My advisor and professor has encouraged me to move on. He should know He is also the pastor that just left the church. (It was under really good circumstances so it isn’t that there is any animosity, NGU requires professors to stay no longer than a year.)
As I was there tonight I was having such a hard time getting rid of this thought of frivolousness that I went to pray in the sanctuary. As I entered I looked at the baptismal and began to wonder when the last time a new believer had been brought into the family because of the work God was doing in this church. Then I looked at the cross above it and began to wonder if this could really be any resemblance of what God had in mind as He established the church He was to head.
I don’t know what to do. The people I trust tell me to leave, but yet there is something that tells me to stay and not just leave these people behind. I wonder if this is to be my Gomer. Is this to be my adulterous wife? I am beginning to understand a small, and oh so brief glimpse, as to what Christ must feel as we betray Him for things so much less glorious.
I ask you to pray with me for guidance. It hurts to be there, but if God can use me to bring Him glory through this then pray I will lean on Him. I cannot do this without the prayers of the saints.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jason Vaughn

Never let your trials stop your praise. Join me in worshiping in music with this awesome hymn of the faith.


HOW GREAT THOU ART

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Temptations

Why do we tempt ourselves? Why do we constantly put objects of desire in front of us that cause lust, jealousy, covetousness, and envy?
We see them in most movies. We see them on commercials and television. We even see them on billboards. We constantly are faced with temptations and then we decide to put others in front of us. I understand the idea of thinking someone is beautiful, but if there is even the slightest possibility of causing us to sin should we not try to remove it from our lives?
I write this because I have been personally convicted of this recently. I put things in front of me that fuel habitual sins and they become my desire more than God. It gets to a place I would rather have then and think on them than to think on God. Now I realize that we cannot completely avoid everything, but we can limit it. Sinners will act like sinners and dress like sinners no matter what. And to accomplish the Great Commission we must be willing to engage them with the gospel in their environments.
But what about outside those environments? In the comfort of our own room should we really place pictures of men and women that can cause us to lust? No. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7. If we let the devil in our own room then we do not resist him. As Christians we go into a fallen world everyday. We must have a place to retreat from the temptations of the enemy. A place we can go into our prayer closets without worldly distractions surrounding us.
We are dead creatures, sacrificed to Christ, and alive solely in Him. If we are to serve Him fully we must focus on Him, and not the temptations of the world. Create a place where you can go and have nothing to distract your focus from God. For most of us that is our dorm room. In there let us tear down all those things that can create a diversion from God and His glory.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

Songs through the Sorrow

I had to do something today and it didn’t turn out like I expected. It didn’t go well, but I know I did the right thing. After being upset for a minute the Lord gave me peace and in return my heart has leapt to sing His praise and thanks. Please join me in worshiping with these two great hymns of the faith. (I don’t know the tune to the first, but I thought just reading the words was full of worship.)

________________________________________________

O for a thousand tongues to sing

1. O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2. My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life, and health, and peace.

4. He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.

5. He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.

6. Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your savior come,
and leap, ye lame, for joy.

7. In Christ, your head, you then shall know,
shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.
________________________________________________

It is well with my soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain
_______________________________________________
Okay so I also ask for a prayer request as we end this time of prayer. A friend got onto me tonight about making jokes belittling myself. I say them in jest, but I think she had a point so I am going to stop saying them. Please pray for me in this because it has become very natural and I usually don’t even realize I am doing it.

Strange Convictions

So I have recently realized that I have some really strange convictions compared to most of my peers. The majority of these have to do with relationships and specifically marriage. Now these convictions have only really come about in the last few years as I dove into the Scriptures. Before I start writing about these I want to make clear that these are personal convictions of the Holy Spirit and I do not consider it a sin for others to take part in these particular practices, but I do believe it would be a sin for me to as I would go against my conscious and conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The first is that of kissing. I really want my first kiss to be on my wedding day. I believe the most intimate joining between a man and a woman is that of two lips touching. This is the first and most important meeting two souls joined together. This joining in marriage is not merely a contract, but a testimony and picture of the bride of Christ. It seems that if this picture is to remain pure we cannot go around kissing every other “god” around. As I said this is a personal conviction of mine.
The second conviction is that pertaining to contraceptives. I know, strange blog topic. I hold to the belief that contraceptives are a useless waste. Most of you out there will agree that if God wants to give you children He will not be stopped by contraceptives, but strangely enough you also believe that by using them God will be forced to give you more children than He intended. I hold to the belief that if children are a gift from God then why should we bother trying to prevent these blessings? If God has a set number of blessings to give us then it does not seem fisable to spend money trying to stop that process. I know the argument is “But God gave you common sense not have kids that you cannot support.” First off we do not support anything. God is the provider and if He gives us a gift it is His to provide. Secondly, if God is giving you the kids He wants you to have then why is a condom, etc. going to change His blessings. I believe it also important to make the comment while many children are born out of unholy relations this does not make the child any less a gift from God. We can not base our view off of experience over the Word of God. As I said before this is a personal conviction and not one that should necessarily be taught in our churches. You should all waste as much money on contraceptives as you like (jk).
I write this because I think it is an interesting topic of conversation that shows the various convictions of Christians. I think it gives insight to our thoughts about God as well. Hey, what do I know, I’m just a lowly sinner saved by grace.

A Defense of Calvinism

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon
It is a great thing to begin the Christian life by believing good solid doctrine. Some people have received twenty different "gospels" in as many years; how many more they will accept before they get to their journey's end, it would be difficult to predict. I thank God that He early taught me the gospel, and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I do not want to know any other. Constant change of creed is sure loss. If a tree has to be taken up two or three times a year, you will not need to build a very large loft in which to store the apples. When people are always shifting their doctrinal principles, they are not likely to bring forth much fruit to the glory of God. It is good for young believers to begin with a firm hold upon those great fundamental doctrines which the Lord has taught in His Word. Why, if I believed what some preach about the temporary, trumpery salvation which only lasts for a time, I would scarcely be at all grateful for it; but when I know that those whom God saves He saves with an everlasting salvation, when I know that He gives to them an everlasting righteousness, when I know that He settles them on an everlasting foundation of everlasting love, and that He will bring them to His everlasting kingdom, oh, then I do wonder, and I am astonished that such a blessing as this should ever have been given to me!
"Pause, my soul! adore, and wonder!Ask, 'Oh, why such love to me?'Grace hath put me in the numberOf the Saviour's family:Hallelujah!Thanks, eternal thanks, to Thee!"I suppose there are some persons whose minds naturally incline towards the doctrine of free-will. I can only say that mine inclines as naturally towards the doctrines of sovereign grace. Sometimes, when I see some of the worst characters in the street, I feel as if my heart must burst forth in tears of gratitude that God has never let me act as they have done! I have thought, if God had left me alone, and had not touched me by His grace, what a great sinner I should have been! I should have run to the utmost lengths of sin, dived into the very depths of evil, nor should I have stopped at any vice or folly, if God had not restrained me. I feel that I should have been a very king of sinners, if God had let me alone. I cannot understand the reason why I am saved, except upon the ground that God would have it so. I cannot, if I look ever so earnestly, discover any kind of reason in myself why I should be a partaker of Divine grace. If I am not at this moment without Christ, it is only because Christ Jesus would have His will with me, and that will was that I should be with Him where He is, and should share His glory. I can put the crown nowhere but upon the head of Him whose mighty grace has saved me from going down into the pit. Looking back on my past life, I can see that the dawning of it all was of God; of God effectively. I took no torch with which to light the sun, but the sun enlightened me. I did not commence my spiritual life—no, I rather kicked, and struggled against the things of the Spirit: when He drew me, for a time I did not run after Him: there was a natural hatred in my soul of everything holy and good. Wooings were lost upon me—warnings were cast to the wind—thunders were despised; and as for the whispers of His love, they were rejected as being less than nothing and vanity. But, sure I am, I can say now, speaking on behalf of myself, "He only is my salvation." It was He who turned my heart, and brought me down on my knees before Him. I can in very deed, say with Doddridge and Toplady—
"Grace taught my soul to pray,And made my eyes o'erflow;"and coming to this moment, I can add—
"'Tis grace has kept me to this day,And will not let me go."Well can I remember the manner in which I learned the doctrines of grace in a single instant. Born, as all of us are by nature, an Arminian, I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the grace of God. When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul—when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron, and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown on a sudden from a babe into a man—that I had made progress in Scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God. One week-night, when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, How did you come to be a Christian? I sought the Lord. But how did you come to seek the Lord? The truth flashed across my mind in a moment—I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How came I to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, "I ascribe my change wholly to God."I once attended a service where the text happened to be, "He shall choose our inheritance for us;" and the good man who occupied the pulpit was more than a little of an Arminian. Therefore, when he commenced, he said, "This passage refers entirely to our temporal inheritance, it has nothing whatever to do with our everlasting destiny, for," said he, "we do not want Christ to choose for us in the matter of Heaven or hell. It is so plain and easy, that every man who has a grain of common sense will choose Heaven, and any person would know better than to choose hell. We have no need of any superior intelligence, or any greater Being, to choose Heaven or hell for us. It is left to our own free-will, and we have enough wisdom given us, sufficiently correct means to judge for ourselves," and therefore, as he very logically inferred, there was no necessity for Jesus Christ, or anyone, to make a choice for us. We could choose the inheritance for ourselves without any assistance. "Ah!" I thought, "but, my good brother, it may be very true that we could, but I think we should want something more than common sense before we should choose aright."First, let me ask, must we not all of us admit an over-ruling Providence, and the appointment of Jehovah's hand, as to the means whereby we came into this world? Those men who think that, afterwards, we are left to our own free-will to choose this one or the other to direct our steps, must admit that our entrance into the world was not of our own will, but that God had then to choose for us. What circumstances were those in our power which led us to elect certain persons to be our parents? Had we anything to do with it? Did not God Himself appoint our parents, native place, and friends? Could He not have caused me to be born with the skin of the Hottentot, brought forth by a filthy mother who would nurse me in her "kraal," and teach me to bow down to Pagan gods, quite as easily as to have given me a pious mother, who would each morning and night bend her knee in prayer on my behalf? Or, might He not, if He had pleased, have given me some profligate to have been my parent, from whose lips I might have early heard fearful, filthy, and obscene language? Might He not have placed me where I should have had a drunken father, who would have immured me in a very dungeon of ignorance, and brought me up in the chains of crime? Was it not God's Providence that I had so happy a lot, that both my parents were His children, and endeavoured to train me up in the fear of the Lord?John Newton used to tell a whimsical story, and laugh at it, too, of a good woman who said, in order to prove the doctrine of election, "Ah! sir, the Lord must have loved me before I was born, or else He would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards." I am sure it is true in my case; I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love. So I am forced to accept that great Biblical doctrine. I recollect an Arminian brother telling me that he had read the Scriptures through a score or more times, and could never find the doctrine of election in them. He added that he was sure he would have done so if it had been there, for he read the Word on his knees. I said to him, "I think you read the Bible in a very uncomfortable posture, and if you had read it in your easy chair, you would have been more likely to understand it. Pray, by all means, and the more, the better, but it is a piece of superstition to think there is anything in the posture in which a man puts himself for reading: and as to reading through the Bible twenty times without having found anything about the doctrine of election, the wonder is that you found anything at all: you must have galloped through it at such a rate that you were not likely to have any intelligible idea of the meaning of the Scriptures."If it would be marvelous to see one river leap up from the earth full-grown, what would it be to gaze upon a vast spring from which all the rivers of the earth should at once come bubbling up, a million of them born at a birth? What a vision would it be! Who can conceive it. And yet the love of God is that fountain, from which all the rivers of mercy, which have ever gladdened our race—all the rivers of grace in time, and of glory hereafter—take their rise. My soul, stand thou at that sacred fountain-head, and adore and magnify, for ever and ever, God, even our Father, who hath loved us! In the very beginning, when this great universe lay in the mind of God, like unborn forests in the acorn cup; long ere the echoes awoke the solitudes; before the mountains were brought forth; and long ere the light flashed through the sky, God loved His chosen creatures. Before there was any created being—when the ether was not fanned by an angel's wing, when space itself had not an existence, when there was nothing save God alone—even then, in that loneliness of Deity, and in that deep quiet and profundity, His bowels moved with love for His chosen. Their names were written on His heart, and then were they dear to His soul. Jesus loved His people before the foundation of the world—even from eternity! and when He called me by His grace, He said to me, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."Then, in the fulness of time, He purchased me with His blood; He let His heart run out in one deep gaping wound for me long ere I loved Him. Yea, when He first came to me, did I not spurn Him? When He knocked at the door, and asked for entrance, did I not drive Him away, and do despite to His grace? Ah, I can remember that I full often did so until, at last, by the power of His effectual grace, He said, "I must, I will come in;" and then He turned my heart, and made me love Him. But even till now I should have resisted Him, had it not been for His grace. Well, then since He purchased me when I was dead in sins, does it not follow, as a consequence necessary and logical, that He must have loved me first? Did my Saviour die for me because I believed on Him? No; I was not then in existence; I had then no being. Could the Saviour, therefore, have died because I had faith, when I myself was not yet born? Could that have been possible? Could that have been the origin of the Saviour's love towards me? Oh! no; my Saviour died for me long before I believed. "But," says someone, "He foresaw that you would have faith; and, therefore, He loved you." What did He foresee about my faith? Did He foresee that I should get that faith myself, and that I should believe on Him of myself? No; Christ could not foresee that, because no Christian man will ever say that faith came of itself without the gift and without the working of the Holy Spirit. I have met with a great many believers, and talked with them about this matter; but I never knew one who could put his hand on his heart, and say, "I believed in Jesus without the assistance of the Holy Spirit."I am bound to the doctrine of the depravity of the human heart, because I find myself depraved in heart, and have daily proofs that in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing. If God enters into covenant with unfallen man, man is so insignificant a creature that it must be an act of gracious condescension on the Lord's part; but if God enters into covenant with sinful man, he is then so offensive a creature that it must be, on God's part, an act of pure, free, rich, sovereign grace. When the Lord entered into covenant with me, I am sure that it was all of grace, nothing else but grace. When I remember what a den of unclean beasts and birds my heart was, and how strong was my unrenewed will, how obstinate and rebellious against the sovereignty of the Divine rule, I always feel inclined to take the very lowest room in my Father's house, and when I enter Heaven, it will be to go among the less than the least of all saints, and with the chief of sinners.The late lamented Mr. Denham has put, at the foot of his portrait, a most admirable text, "Salvation is of the Lord." That is just an epitome of Calvinism; it is the sum and substance of it. If anyone should ask me what I mean by a Calvinist, I should reply, "He is one who says, Salvation is of the Lord." I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible. "He only is my rock and my salvation." Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be a heresy; tell me a heresy, and I shall find its essence here, that it has departed from this great, this fundamental, this rock-truth, "God is my rock and my salvation." What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor.
"If ever it should come to pass,That sheep of Christ might fall away,My fickle, feeble soul, alas!Would fall a thousand times a day."If one dear saint of God had perished, so might all; if one of the covenant ones be lost, so may all be; and then there is no gospel promise true, but the Bible is a lie, and there is nothing in it worth my acceptance. I will be an infidel at once when I can believe that a saint of God can ever fall finally. If God hath loved me once, then He will love me for ever. God has a master-mind; He arranged everything in His gigantic intellect long before He did it; and once having settled it, He never alters it, "This shall be done," saith He, and the iron hand of destiny marks it down, and it is brought to pass. "This is My purpose," and it stands, nor can earth or hell alter it. "This is My decree," saith He, "promulgate it, ye holy angels; rend it down from the gate of Heaven, ye devils, if ye can; but ye cannot alter the decree, it shall stand for ever." God altereth not His plans; why should He? He is Almighty, and therefore can perform His pleasure. Why should He? He is the All-wise, and therefore cannot have planned wrongly. Why should He? He is the everlasting God, and therefore cannot die before His plan is accomplished. Why should He change? Ye worthless atoms of earth, ephemera of a day, ye creeping insects upon this bay-leaf of existence, ye may change your plans, but He shall never, never change His. Has He told me that His plan is to save me? If so, I am for ever safe.
"My name from the palms of His handsEternity will not erase;Impress'd on His heart it remains,In marks of indelible grace."I do not know how some people, who believe that a Christian can fall from grace, manage to be happy. It must be a very commendable thing in them to be able to get through a day without despair. If I did not believe the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, I think I should be of all men the most miserable, because I should lack any ground of comfort. I could not say, whatever state of heart I came into, that I should be like a well-spring of water, whose stream fails not; I should rather have to take the comparison of an intermittent spring, that might stop on a sudden, or a reservoir, which I had no reason to expect would always be full. I believe that the happiest of Christians and the truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God, but who take His Word simply as it stands, and believe it, and ask no questions, just feeling assured that if God has said it, it will be so. I bear my willing testimony that I have no reason, nor even the shadow of a reason, to doubt my Lord, and I challenge Heaven, and earth, and hell, to bring any proof that God is untrue. From the depths of hell I call the fiends, and from this earth I call the tried and afflicted believers, and to Heaven I appeal, and challenge the long experience of the blood-washed host, and there is not to be found in the three realms a single person who can bear witness to one fact which can disprove the faithfulness of God, or weaken His claim to be trusted by His servants. There are many things that may or may not happen, but this I know shall happen—
"He shall present my soul,Unblemish'd and complete,Before the glory of His face,With joys divinely great."All the purposes of man have been defeated, but not the purposes of God. The promises of man may be broken—many of them are made to be broken—but the promises of God shall all be fulfilled. He is a promise-maker, but He never was a promise-breaker; He is a promise-keeping God, and every one of His people shall prove it to be so. This is my grateful, personal confidence, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me"—unworthy me, lost and ruined me. He will yet save me; and—
"I, among the blood-wash'd throng,Shall wave the palm, and wear the crown,And shout loud victory."I go to a land which the plough of earth hath never upturned, where it is greener than earth's best pastures, and richer than her most abundant harvests ever saw. I go to a building of more gorgeous architecture than man hath ever builded; it is not of mortal design; it is "a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens." All I shall know and enjoy in Heaven, will be given to me by the Lord, and I shall say, when at last I appear before Him—
"Grace all the work shall crownThrough everlasting days;It lays in Heaven the topmost stone,And well deserves the praise."I know there are some who think it necessary to their system of theology to limit the merit of the blood of Jesus: if my theological system needed such a limitation, I would cast it to the winds. I cannot, I dare not allow the thought to find a lodging in my mind, it seems so near akin to blasphemy. In Christ's finished work I see an ocean of merit; my plummet finds no bottom, my eye discovers no shore. There must be sufficient efficacy in the blood of Christ, if God had so willed it, to have saved not only all in this world, but all in ten thousand worlds, had they transgressed their Maker's law. Once admit infinity into the matter, and limit is out of the question. Having a Divine Person for an offering, it is not consistent to conceive of limited value; bound and measure are terms inapplicable to the Divine sacrifice. The intent of the Divine purpose fixes the application of the infinite offering, but does not change it into a finite work. Think of the numbers upon whom God has bestowed His grace already. Think of the countless hosts in Heaven: if thou wert introduced there to-day, thou wouldst find it as easy to tell the stars, or the sands of the sea, as to count the multitudes that are before the throne even now. They have come from the East, and from the West, from the North, and from the South, and they are sitting down with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob in the Kingdom of God; and beside those in Heaven, think of the saved ones on earth. Blessed be God, His elect on earth are to be counted by millions, I believe, and the days are coming, brighter days than these, when there shall be multitudes upon multitudes brought to know the Saviour, and to rejoice in Him. The Father's love is not for a few only, but for an exceeding great company. "A great multitude, which no man could number," will be found in Heaven. A man can reckon up to very high figures; set to work your Newtons, your mightiest calculators, and they can count great numbers, but God and God alone can tell the multitude of His redeemed. I believe there will be more in Heaven than in hell. If anyone asks me why I think so, I answer, because Christ, in everything, is to "have the pre-eminence," and I cannot conceive how He could have the pre-eminence if there are to be more in the dominions of Satan than in Paradise. Moreover, I have never read that there is to be in hell a great multitude, which no man could number. I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to Paradise. Think what a multitude there is of them! Then there are already in Heaven unnumbered myriads of the spirits of just men made perfect—the redeemed of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues up till now; and there are better times coming, when the religion of Christ shall be universal; when—
"He shall reign from pole to pole,With illimitable sway;"when whole kingdoms shall bow down before Him, and nations shall be born in a day, and in the thousand years of the great millennial state there will be enough saved to make up all the deficiencies of the thousands of years that have gone before. Christ shall be Master everywhere, and His praise shall be sounded in every land. Christ shall have the pre-eminence at last; His train shall be far larger than that which shall attend the chariot of the grim monarch of hell.Some persons love the doctrine of universal atonement because they say, "It is so beautiful. It is a lovely idea that Christ should have died for all men; it commends itself," they say, "to the instincts of humanity; there is something in it full of joy and beauty." I admit there is, but beauty may be often associated with falsehood. There is much which I might admire in the theory of universal redemption, but I will just show what the supposition necessarily involves. If Christ on His cross intended to save every man, then He intended to save those who were lost before He died. If the doctrine be true, that He died for all men, then He died for some who were in hell before He came into this world, for doubtless there were even then myriads there who had been cast away because of their sins. Once again, if it was Christ's intention to save all men, how deplorably has He been disappointed, for we have His own testimony that there is a lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, and into that pit of woe have been cast some of the very persons who, according to the theory of universal redemption, were bought with His blood. That seems to me a conception a thousand times more repulsive than any of those consequences which are said to be associated with the Calvinistic and Christian doctrine of special and particular redemption. To think that my Saviour died for men who were or are in hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain. To imagine for a moment that He was the Substitute for all the sons of men, and that God, having first punished the Substitute, afterwards punished the sinners themselves, seems to conflict with all my ideas of Divine justice. That Christ should offer an atonement and satisfaction for the sins of all men, and that afterwards some of those very men should be punished for the sins for which Christ had already atoned, appears to me to be the most monstrous iniquity that could ever have been imputed to Saturn, to Janus, to the goddess of the Thugs, or to the most diabolical heathen deities. God forbid that we should ever think thus of Jehovah, the just and wise and good!There is no soul living who holds more firmly to the doctrines of grace than I do, and if any man asks me whether I am ashamed to be called a Calvinist, I answer—I wish to be called nothing but a Christian; but if you ask me, do I hold the doctrinal views which were held by John Calvin, I reply, I do in the main hold them, and rejoice to avow it. But far be it from me even to imagine that Zion contains none but Calvinistic Christians within her walls, or that there are none saved who do not hold our views. Most atrocious things have been spoken about the character and spiritual condition of John Wesley, the modern prince of Arminians. I can only say concerning him that, while I detest many of the doctrines which he preached, yet for the man himself I have a reverence second to no Wesleyan; and if there were wanted two apostles to be added to the number of the twelve, I do not believe that there could be found two men more fit to be so added than George Whitefield and John Wesley. The character of John Wesley stands beyond all imputation for self-sacrifice, zeal, holiness, and communion with God; he lived far above the ordinary level of common Christians, and was one "of whom the world was not worthy." I believe there are multitudes of men who cannot see these truths, or, at least, cannot see them in the way in which we put them, who nevertheless have received Christ as their Saviour, and are as dear to the heart of the God of grace as the soundest Calvinist in or out of Heaven.I do not think I differ from any of my Hyper-Calvinistic brethren in what I do believe, but I differ from them in what they do not believe. I do not hold any less than they do, but I hold a little more, and, I think, a little more of the truth revealed in the Scriptures. Not only are there a few cardinal doctrines, by which we can steer our ship North, South, East, or West, but as we study the Word, we shall begin to learn something about the North-west and North-east, and all else that lies between the four cardinal points. The system of truth revealed in the Scriptures is not simply one straight line, but two; and no man will ever get a right view of the gospel until he knows how to look at the two lines at once. For instance, I read in one Book of the Bible, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Yet I am taught, in another part of the same inspired Word, that "it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." I see, in one place, God in providence presiding over all, and yet I see, and I cannot help seeing, that man acts as he pleases, and that God has left his actions, in a great measure, to his own free-will. Now, if I were to declare that man was so free to act that there was no control of God over his actions, I should be driven very near to atheism; and if, on the other hand, I should declare that God so over-rules all things that man is not free enough to be responsible, I should be driven at once into Antinomianism or fatalism. That God predestines, and yet that man is responsible, are two facts that few can see clearly. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one part of the Bible that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find, in another Scripture, that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is only my folly that leads me to imagine that these two truths can ever contradict each other. I do not believe they can ever be welded into one upon any earthly anvil, but they certainly shall be one in eternity. They are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the human mind which pursues them farthest will never discover that they converge, but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring.It is often said that the doctrines we believe have a tendency to lead us to sin. I have heard it asserted most positively, that those high doctrines which we love, and which we find in the Scriptures, are licentious ones. I do not know who will have the hardihood to make that assertion, when they consider that the holiest of men have been believers in them. I ask the man who dares to say that Calvinism is a licentious religion, what he thinks of the character of Augustine, or Calvin, or Whitefield, who in successive ages were the great exponents of the system of grace; or what will he say of the Puritans, whose works are full of them? Had a man been an Arminian in those days, he would have been accounted the vilest heretic breathing, but now we are looked upon as the heretics, and they as the orthodox. We have gone back to the old school; we can trace our descent from the apostles. It is that vein of free-grace, running through the sermonizing of Baptists, which has saved us as a denomination. Were it not for that, we should not stand where we are today. We can run a golden line up to Jesus Christ Himself, through a holy succession of mighty fathers, who all held these glorious truths; and we can ask concerning them, "Where will you find holier and better men in the world?" No doctrine is so calculated to preserve a man from sin as the doctrine of the grace of God. Those who have called it "a licentious doctrine" did not know anything at all about it. Poor ignorant things, they little knew that their own vile stuff was the most licentious doctrine under Heaven. If they knew the grace of God in truth, they would soon see that there was no preservative from lying like a knowledge that we are elect of God from the foundation of the world. There is nothing like a belief in my eternal perseverance, and the immutability of my Father's affection, which can keep me near to Him from a motive of simple gratitude. Nothing makes a man so virtuous as belief of the truth. A lying doctrine will soon beget a lying practice. A man cannot have an erroneous belief without by-and-by having an erroneous life. I believe the one thing naturally begets the other. Of all men, those have the most disinterested piety, the sublimest reverence, the most ardent devotion, who believe that they are saved by grace, without works, through faith, and that not of themselves, it is the gift of God. Christians should take heed, and see that it always is so, lest by any means Christ should be crucified afresh, and put to an open shame.

A Fat Temple

I looked in the mirror the other day and a horrifying thought came to mind, "I'm fat." Now, this started to worry me some so I thought on it throughout the day and then I went to lunch. I was kind of depressed so I didn't eat much. Then a revelation hit me, "Oh no, thinking you're fat is the first sign of anorexia." I could be starving to death and not even know it. Maybe that is why I can't get a date; I'm so scrawny I scare the ladies away. And then I continued to consider this and I thought, "Oh no, what is I really am fat?" I could be second away from a heart attack. Maybe the girls think I'm a disgusting blob and that is why I'm single. I couldn't ask anyone because either I'd find out I'm anorexic or huge. So I began to think of way solve this issue. Then I realized I must simply come to terms and look at the positives of one of these issues. When I was young I was told I serve a big God. When I grew older I was told that the body is the temple of God's. So why not look at being fat as simply giving God more room. So I know I am on a daily quest to fight my battle with anorexia. This I promise will eat my way to victory. Please join me in my battle.

PMS

So I’ve been totally down the last couple of days. I just really feel like I don’t know where I belong. I started hanging out a lot this semester with a great group of people that are a lot of fun, but I always feel like an outsider like I’m intruding or something. I told this to one guy and he said I tend to push myself on people. I guess I do, but I don’t really know how or what to do to stop it. I really hate being alone, but I seem to end up that ways a lot. I’m sitting with this whole group of people and they are talking about going to a movie and not one do they even hint at seeming like I should come along. I don’t know I guess I’ve always been like this, but when I think I’m getting better about it I seem to screw it up again.
In High School it was mainly because I was a partier, but now I’m at a Christian College and I still can’t seem to fit in right. I think part of the problem is past experiences. When you become really good at hiding certain parts of your life and change who you are its hard to be yourself. Sometimes I’m not even sure I know who I am. Don’t get me wrong I know whose I am, but not really sure who I am. Such is the price of sin and a fallen world. I know I don’t deserve friends, none of us do, but yet I still strongly desire them. I know I should find my satisfaction is Christ first and then the rest will follow, but at times my faith just isn’t strong enough. I could lie and say I was, but that would just heap burning coal onto my sins. Well I guess the answer is prayer, and I know it is. Yet, I seem to feel so melancholy, which is a byproduct of sin. So I ask those few reader I may have to pray for me when I can’t seem to pray for myself.

In God we Trust (even when it is difficult),
Jason Vaughn

P.S. I realize I get like this once a month I think its like the male period or something.

Dating Advice

A friend of mine at Southern Seminary posted this and I thought it deserved to be spread to more people. You can find the original post at Selah.
I write this in light of the extraordinary number of relationships related posts I have recently seen. I figure that I can take a moment away from theological posts (don't worry, it'll be in here) and write upon things from the perspective of the great hordes of single men out there--hopefully soli deo gloria. So women, this post is for you.If a guy asks you out on a date (probably to get coffee, of which you may have had more coffee in this past week with guys you don't really know than you would ever want), consider that a great honor. This man is willing to sacrifice of his time (at least a few hours) to get to know YOU better. He could have done a number of other things with his time, including, 1) homework, 2)work and earn some money, 3)hang out with his guy friends, 4)exercise, 5)go buy himself a new rifle. But he is willing to go out and most likely spend money on you.Most likely when he asks his speech is not going to be eloquent--rather, he may sound like Porky Pig studdering over every other word that proceeds from his mouth. Don't hold that against him; that is merely anxiety over the enormous task of what can seem like walking into a lion's den with nothing more than a leotard between him and the lion (it sometimes seems to men, usually fallaciously, that women are just prowling around waiting to bite your head off). If nothing else, understand that if you say 'no' or if the relationship ends up not working out, our boy here is going to be at the least a little crushed--and who knows how long he may have liked you and gotten up the nerve to ask you on one 3 hour date.I know of guys who are quite afraid to ask women on dates. These are men of whom the world is not worthy--men who love God, bear the fruit of the Spirit, will love their wives more and more everyday until they die... and who aren't that bad looking. Who knows when it could be one of these godly men who is asking you for one date. Men like this are quite rare. I'm going to be frank right now and say that you are probably not worthy of him--after all, you are a sinner who deserves hell, saved by grace alone (though I must make clear that this is a two-sided coin, this man is also a wretched sinner saved by grace, and so he is not worthy of you either--humility is a quality that is needed on both sides here). A man who will treat you like a queen is not what you deserve.If you have homework/work to do, or whatever else you have to do, then do that and let him know. But don't just make excuses (guys may be slow, but we can still see through excuses). Let him know that you would be willing to do something with him at a later time. And also, most guys are pretty flexible with when you could do stuff together. They'll make time in their schedules for you. So when they ask you when you'd like to do something, don't think that they are being passive, rather, they're probably being kind (a quality worth looking for).Now, if you really think the guy is that bad and you really dislike him that much, then gently just say 'no,' when you are asked. I'm also not suggesting that you just give anyone a chance. If you are in hearty disagreement with a man over issues you see as important (i.e. theology, life philosophy, etc), then it probably would be better to just say 'no.' Also, I'm not suggesting that you go out with the 'hanger-outer boys', who without a doubt will ask you out--but I'd imagine that they are quite easily identifiable. I'm not suggesting that you go on a date with just anybody who asks you out, but if the man seems nice, genuine, godly (this is addressed primarily to Christian women), respectful, sweet (i.e. opens the doors for you, speaks kindly, asks how your day went), and you don't think he's drop-dead ugly, then give him at least one date--who knows, you may just find the diamond in the rough.

Soli Deo Gloria

I hate sin. More than that I hate sinning. Daily I find myself right back in the same sinking boat. Sins that I have struggles with for years continue to raise their ugly heads and at one little temptation there I go falling into it again. Like Paul says in Romans 7:15 “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Oh how dreadful our nature. Even though we are new creations that old flesh continues to rise up. We know how awful this sin is and yet we continue to do it. We exchange the very glory of God for the guilt of sin. Oh how merciful our God is not to destroy us. Why He would suffer the pain of the cross I cannot fathom.

God let us be set free as you promise and command us to be. Let us live and be satisfied in your glory alone. We thank you for this in the name of Christ, Amen.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

In Honor

In honor of 9/11 and Katrina:
From the smoldering rubble, we rise,
From the well of bitter tears, we rise,
From the night that seemed without end,
From the day blackened with blood and fire,
We rise…
We give thanks for the light,
prayers for the souls gone abruptly to God;
We give thanks for the magic and majesty
that shines even in the face of madness.
From the storied cities, we rise,
From the bountiful fields, we rise,
From the crucible of peace and justice,
From the land of the free and the freedmen,
We rise…
(Not original to me)

take action

So I was trying to think of something good to create conversation and I figured affirmative action abolishment would do the trick. So this will be short bur I want to get your thoughts on it.
I understand why affirmative action was started and it was probably needed at the time, but I really do think its time has passed. Having racial quotas is not only unconstitutional it is harmful to race relations in this country. Hiring should not be based on race, but on qualifications. If a company has a position open and a more qualified white man applies versus an unqualified black man a company should not have to suffer simply because of a quota. Now I realize that racism is still a problem, but I do not think a broad sweeping regulation such as affirmative action should be in place. I believe that each company where discrimination is taking place should be investigated, and if the allegations are true that company should be severely punished by the court of law.
Understand, I am not coming at this out of racism, but the opposite. Affirmative action creates a sense that certain people need help because they aren’t good enough to be hired on their own. It creates government sponsored racism.
If any of my brothers and sisters in Christ are reading this and you struggle with racism, whether black, white, hispanic, or asian , I strongly encourage you to repent because if we cannot show each other love then we cannot love Christ.

Do we Deserve Better?

I was watching Fox News earlier and Shepherd Smith was speaking about how amazing the devastation was in New Orleans. He was astonished at how one storm could cause so much damage. Many people view this through the same eyes as him. When we watch the aftermath play out we grieve with these people. We long to help. We stand amazed at the horror, but we must remember that the horror is not at the lives lost or the property destroyed. The true horror in all this is that our world is so fallen that God in His righteousness sends forth such destruction.

Some people, including Christians, are asking themselves where God was in this tragedy. The answer is simple: God was there in the disaster. Nothing happens outside His sovereign control. Every atom is known and structured and created by His hands. This hurricane was created and submissive to the Lord of the universe. Some people cry in horror when they consider that the loving God set forth in Scripture would do such a thing.

To all who read this, we are occupants of a fallen world. This affects every aspect of our lives. Many have wondered if Hurricane Katrina was not an act of God to judge the city as He did Sodom and Gomorrah. If this were true then the hurricane should have destroyed each and every one of us as well. Let us not forget the words of Christ in Luke 13:1-5

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

We stand as guilty as anyone that city. The only difference is God still has His hand of mercy on us. To all those who watch the death count rise and wonder what your response should be this tragedy I will happily tell you: Repent lest the same should befall you. The Lord has given us the opportunity to turn from wickedness and so we must. We can send aid and money, but our primary duty is to turn to God and lead others to His infinite mercy. We deserve the destruction Katrina brought, and we must be thankful that compared to the entire world there was so little left to ruin. At every moment of our life God is sending out both His wrath and His grace up the world. Both demonstrations of His character are meant for one end: the complete redemption of His people.

God you are gracious and merciful and we thank you for sparing us and calling us out of our sin. May we lean on your truths in our moments of despair. And may we take the message of your grace to world. Amen.

Choosing a church

So I attend a small Southern Baptist church. Several college students attend this church, but due its location to our school it should be packed out. Now there are probably about 20 members of this congregation. They are some of the greatest people I have ever known, and I think all of them are either retired are close to it. Now a good friend of mine that I respect, and myself were talking about why so few students attend. Now my view is because there are so few ministries and studies students can be involved in. My friend’s main argument was that it is due to the worship. The interim minister of music is a great guy but he is always off key and we always do traditional hymns with piano accompaniment. I personally love old hymns and a even the organ, but I know I’m strange. So my question is: Do you really choose a church based on the style of music? I mean some people were rather forsake the fellowship than go to a traditional church. I personally love hymns so before you say that’s the reason I go understand that I use to attend True Life which is one of the most contemporary churches in the area, but it had good teaching from Pastor Joel Rainey. So am I just that weird that the doctrine of truth be more important than whether our music style began in the 1950s or whether it began in the 1970s? I know God gave people specific tastes, but I can’t understand why we would break fellowship over such a trivial issue. It seems so “me” focused. “This is how I worship in music.” If that is mindset you start from then what you are doing is not God-centered worship nor is it any kind of worship. In your home you decide what is your own style, but in the church you worship however possible. Now if there are two churches you are choosing between and both are equally doctrinal true then of course you should choose the one that fits your personality, but if you go in with the attitude is this what makes me comfortable and not is this where I can grow in my walk with Christ then you are committing a terrible fallacy. This isn’t easy to do. I personally have a hard time going into a very contemporary church and looking past that to worship and learn, but it must be done. We who are servants of Christ cannot be more concerned about our own style than we are about the doctrines of Christ. Both groups must be willing to look beyond such trivialities to expand the gospel of Christ. More on this later, but I would really like to hear your thought on this in the blog section. How do you choose a church?

Ministry Opportunity

I just found out that the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville, SC may be taking in refugees. If that happens I would like to do some ministry there and consider starting a church there. If anyone in the area would like to help e-mail me. Also, please remember the family of Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist as he just passed away.

New Orleans

I want to help. It’s killing me watching the news and knowing I’m helpless. I would send money but I have none. I tried to go. I called several different groups to hook up with and I couldn’t. I try praying and I break into tears. God help us, please. I don’t know anything else to say, or if anything else can be said. We are going over Fall Break so if you want to go tell me. I just don’t know though.

Daily thoughts

I looked in the mirror the other day and a horrifying thought came to mind, "I'm fat." Now, this started to worry me some so I thought on it throughout the day and then I went to lunch. I was kind of depressed so I didn't eat much. Then a revelation hit me, "Oh no, thinking you're fat is the first sign of anorexia." I could be starving to death and not even know it. Maybe that is why I can't get a date; I'm so scrawny I scare the ladies away. And then I continued to consider this and I thought, "Oh no, what is I really am fat?" I could be second away from a heart attack. Maybe the girls think I'm a disgusting blob and that is why I'm single. I couldn't ask anyone because either I'd find out I'm anorexic or huge. So I began to think of way solve this issue. Then I realized I must simply come to terms and look at the positives of one of these issues. When I was young I was told I serve a big God. When I grew older I was told that the body is the temple of God's. So why not look at being fat as simply giving God more room. So I know I am on a daily quest to fight my battle with anorexia. This I promise will eat my way to victory. Please join me in my battle.

quick note

So just a quick blog. I head back to NGC tonight it will be good to see everyone. I was wondering if yall could do me a favor. I am looking for blogging ideas. e-mails and comments appreciated.

Exploring South Carolina

So the other day I went with Leonardo out to explore the wonder that is South Carolina. I thought you folks might like to see what we get to experience in the foothills of SC.

First stop was Bald Rock (a new preserve)




After that we went up to Caesar's Head.




Finally we headed over to a waterfall on 11




And thus our journey ended. After a great lunch at El Rancho Grande we headed back to the dorm and I took a nice long nap. Many journeys to come. Care to join us?

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

I'm Back

Okay, I survived the greyhound. I actually had a good time. I got to meet some interesting folks, but I'll write more on that later.

Here are a few tips for riding the greyhoud.

Ride in the front, you don't have to smell the bathroom, and the quieter people usually sit there.

Take a small lunch, just in case the place you stop to eat is nasty.

Try to sit next to someone that speaks English, unless you want to practice your spanish.

NEVER, sit in front of two kids. You will want to either kill yourself or them.

Finally, don't be afraid to talk to people. They can be really cool, and pray God will give you the opportunity to share the gospel.

Those are just a few things I discovered while riding the Greyhound.

So on to the trip in KY. Only I would take my vacation from college to go to seminary. I do wonder if I am crazy at times. Though I'm sure many of you wonder that more often than I. Yea so Louisville is full of cool stuff and I didn't get to see any of it. I did go to a few cool places Phlene's Bakery (pronounced Plane's) which has been there since 1924, and no it wasn't the fat man's idea. I also went to see Braudus' grave (from Braudus Press). I know it is weird but I had fun. The main purpose of the trip was to visit my friend's church and I have only one comment about that: his members can cook. Amen and Amen. Anyway it was a fun time and relaxing before I head back to school this week. I hope all of you are wll. God Bless.

Update

Just a quick update. The bus ride was great and God gave me an opportunity to witness and meet great people. Louisville is awesome as always I will update more when I can.

In God we Trust,

Jason Vaughn

Louisville Freedom

Wow! What a day it has been. I finished up in Western Civ. with a 100 on the final and ended summer school finally. So I was excited about having a few days off to relax and get ready for regular school when I get a call from a friend at Southern Seminary. He is coming down here to be ordained later in the week and he called to give me the details. Anyway, he mentioned I should come up there this week to visit his new church. I have no idea why but something in me decided to go. After a few calls to get the money and an hour later I have a Greyhound ticket to Louisville, KY that leaves at 6:25 am. How completely random is that? I have never been on a bus in my life and now I’m traveling tomorrow by myself. So weird, but I love the weird. So within an hour and a half my plans have completely changed. I hope y’all will pray for me on this trip because after the ticket I have no money to buy food or anything. I don’t know why, but I’m really excited. Maybe God is planning something completely amazing on this trip. Pray I will be open to His guidance.
Here is the other thing I was thinking about today. Isn’t it completely amazing that we live in a country that we can just pick up and go 550 miles and not get anyone permission? I mean, there really are so few places where that is possible. I was listening to an Assemblies of God speaker last night and he made a great point. In this country at this time we have more freedom than any other people or place in history and the majority of us just waste it. We have the freedom of speech, but what do we say? We have the freedom of the press, but what do we write? We have the freedom to travel, but where do we go? We have freedom of religion, but we do believe? And we have freedom to learn anything in the world on any subject, but most of us sit in front of a television watching a sitcom and wasting what God gave us. “I came to the realization that God didn’t create me to watch TV, but to be on TV.” We have all the freedom in the world, but what good is it if we never use it?
As I step onto that bus tomorrow I hope to be eternally thankful because anyone has the right to be on that bus and anyone can sit where they want on that bus. That is such a minor freedom, but may we never take it for granted.
Remember me in your prayers as you are in mine.

In God we Trust,
Jason Vaughn

Fatherhood of God

Have a while to read this one guys. But I think you will like it, also read my previous post I want to know what you think.

Fatherhood of God

Gal. 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Names of God

Anytime someone comes into an encounter with God and learns something new about Him the give Him a new name to represent that newly discovered trait. It is not that God is changing but that He is showing different areas of His being to His people. When God does this His people describe Him using that trait. The people of Israel rarely would use the term Yahweh, meaning God, because it contained too much power. In the Gospel of Mathew, the writer decides not to use the term out of respect to the Jews he was writing and witnessing too. That is why we read “kingdom of Heaven” instead of “kingdom of God.” So throughout the OT God was given many names, but I believe His favorite name must be the name Father. In the Gospel of John alone Jesus uses the phrase “Abba” meaning father 156 times. Even with all the names already given to Him what could be a greater name than the one used by His own son. You see we can call Him Elohim (Creator), we can call Him Jehovah-ra’ah (a caring shepherd), Jehovah-jireh (the Lord who provides), Jehovah-shalom (the Lord of peace), Jehovah-rophe (the Lord who heals), and we can even call Him Jehovah-nissi (the Lord is my banner, the one who goes out before me). Yet, even with all these glorious and worshipful names we must never forget to call Him Abba, Father, Daddy.

Fatherhood before Christ

God as a father was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and by the time of Jesus’ incarnation there was extensive use in religious circles, but when Christ can the term took upon itself a much more embracing, and spiritual meaning. There were several issues that had to be addressed before a true sense of God’s fatherhood could be seen. First, we needed to truly understand the perfection of God. Second, we needed a sense or correspondence to God without sin. Third, we needed an immediate and unbroken fellowship with God, and be able to find mutual kinship with Him. Each of these issues was realized in the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ.

The Son’s Father

Now let us turn our attention to Him who has and continues to experience the fatherhood of God. The term father if nothing else must mean at its core “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” As God the Son, Jesus has a greater relationship with God the Father that any man could ever realize. It was unique, experiential, and all consuming. The filial consciousness, consciousness of sonship, guided Jesus’ thoughts throughout His life. This relationship is the key that gives Christ the authority and foundation for His saving office of humanity. We know that from a young age Christ had this sonship consciousness, if He had not always had it. The first comment out of Jesus’ mouth in scripture testifies to this fact. “Why were you searching for me?” He asked. “Did you not know I would be in my Father’s house?” Some translations read “about my Father’s business?” Christ ministry began with these words from God “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Through the temptations He guarded the relationship and through his teachings He testified to the knowledge from His Father. AS His ministry came to a close at the transfiguration the word “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” gave Christ a renewed assurance as the prospect of death became imminent. Even in His death the sonship consciousness never leaves Him. Jesus tells His disciples just before His betrayal “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” Even though His Father was sacrificing Him for the sake of the redemption of mankind the idea of sonship is still unbroken. The One who offered Him up was the same One Christ leaned on in His crucifixion. While on the cross we read the words that would be a nightmare to any father, if that father were not completely sovereign. His “only begotten Son” is on the cross dying one of the world’s most grueling deaths for sins He never committed and cries out “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (One of the few times Christ does not refer to God as Abba) But even in this the filial, sonship consciousness is not broken. There is no sense of sin, and immediately after the initial impact subsides Jesus cries out “Father, into your hand I commit my spirit.” Jesus ended His life in the same way it had begun, proclaiming that kinship with His Father that inspired His life even when all the forces of Hell and God’s wrath were unleashed onto His body and Soul at one time He still cries out “Abba, Father!” This lifelong relationship can leave us saying only on thing: “Surely this man was the Son of God!” May that be our prayer that no matter what is happening around us our hearts will cry out to the One that made and saves us and say “Daddy, into your hand I commit my spirit and everything that I am. I life and in death I want to always know you as Father above all else.”

The Son’s fellowship with the Father guides Christ’s every deed. In John 8:29 Jesus says “The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” Just before the Christ tells how He pleases His Father, “…I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” (John 8:28) The life of Christ is a completely realized fellowship of heart, mind, soul, and strength between God the Son and God the Father. Christ is the Shemah incarnate. Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This is who Christ is; this is the Son’s relationship to the Father. They have a relationship of pure love given out of every part of His being to God the Father.

The relationship to the Father makes Christ who He is. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” (Matt. 11:27) So it is clear that the relationship between the Son and the Father is much greater than the relationship with the rest of creation. Even though Jesus has the authority to make the known to other He keeps that authority for Himself. Those He shows the Father to can’t show the Father to others except by showing them the Son!

The sonship of Christ did not occur with the incarnation. Christ was still God the Son before He took on the flesh of humanity. This is clearly shown in the prologue of the gospel of John. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1-2). There are other verses that also testify to this such as John 8:58 “Before Abraham was, I Am.” And John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” So it made quite clear that Christ existed before the incarnation in the same relationship to God the Father.

The Father reveals, orders, and upholds. The Son perceives, trusts, and obeys. All glory that is given to the Son comes from the Father. “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Son was given glory to give glory back to the Father. Christ submits His own well to the will of the Father. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Fatherhood of God to Believers

Jesus also consistently teaches that God if the Father of the disciples. To know God as Father it must be experienced through the sonship. God is always the Father, but we are not always His sons, at least not in an experiential sense. Scripture teaches “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be hold and blameless in His sight.” (Eph 1:4) We become sons of God through Jesus Christ. “Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John1:22) “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (Gal. 4:4-5) And of course Jesus clearly proclaims this in John 14:6 when He says “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me!” In Matt. 11:27 Christ proclaims, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” It is because of this we offer the invitation of “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

When we accept Christ we change our relationship from enemies of God and slaves to sin, to sons of God, freed from sin’s bondage, and our sin nature is transformed to a regenerate nature. “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:6-7)

Slaves are not heirs. Enemies are not heirs. In most cultures, daughters are not even heirs. Sons are heirs. They inherit the kingdom of God and become kings themselves. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” (Rom. 8:17) We are children of God and heirs of His kingdom. And we will live as such for eternity.

My favorite place to visit in Washington, D.C is Arlington National Cemetery. The summer after I graduate High School a group of us went on a road trip and stopped in D.C. for a day. While there I actually got into an argument with the people I was with because they didn’t want to see “a bunch of graves.” They won out, but it is because they just didn’t get it. It’s not a bunch of grave. It is the heroes of our nation. The interesting and amazing thing about Arlington is that almost all of the graves are the same, Corporals and Sergeants, Generals and Privates all buried with the same honor and respect as the next. This is the only country in the world where a General can be buries beside a Private in a fashion that shows no preference. You wouldn’t even know there rank if not for what is written on the markers.

That is what being a son of God is about; there is no preference. From the chief of sinner to the most righteous of men, God will call each believer His son and no one will ever know the difference, not even by the markers on our grave.

What kind of Father is God?

I want to take and explore a few of the characteristics of God, especially as it applies to His children. I won’t go into great detail for time sake so if you would like more information contact me later.

Our Father is wise. “Oh, the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11:33) You thought it was from the Proverbs or a Psalm didn’t you? If our Father is a wise father we can trust Him to make wise decisions for our life as His Spirit guides us.

Our Father is a loving father. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:8-10) Our Father’s love means that He gives out everything that He is for His sons.

Our Father is full of grace. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:22-24) Because of His grace our father has stayed His wrathful hand, He has sacrificed His only Son, and He has justified His adopted children.

Our Father is a comforting father. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distress it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (2 Cor. 1:3-7) Enough said.

Our Father is a Holy Father. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.” (Heb. 12:10) He has completely separated Himself from sin and helps us to do the same.

Our Father is a jealous father. “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.” (Isaiah 48:11) He seeks out and protects His glory above all else because He is the only one that deserves glory. It is not vanity that He demands worship, but out of His holiness and love. You may be saying “But love is not self-seeking.” No, love is not self-seeking, but it does seek to make its lover joyous. I was listening to a John Piper sermon a while back and he said lovers do no continue to tell one another of their love for each other out of duty; they of their love for each other because it would be incomplete without expression. This is same reason God demands worship, because unless our love is expressed it is incomplete. Until we share that love through speech, song, movement, and with everything else that we are our relationship with the Father will be lacking. Our Father must demand our love and we must express that love to Him because He is the only being in the universe worthy of any glory.

Finally, our Father is a patient father. We were born sinners and deserved death from the moment of conception. Yet God in His wondrous love and grace has stayed His hand until such a time as He so wills to bring His sons home. We see this best in the tale of the prodigal son. “Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' ”‘My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

This is who our Father is: wise, loving, graceful, holy, jealous, and patient. May we have the same sonship consciousness that Christ has made us worthy to receive. You may have known God by many names. Some of them may not even be good and true names. You may have called God insulting and belittling names because you blamed Him and were angry with Him. Now, I simply ask you to call Him one name, Daddy. Whether you are a son that has gone astray and has been feeding with the pigs or a son that has not yet met his real Father, He is watching for you. Maybe you are the other brother, and you have become complacent with the blessing of God as you stay in the House of the Lord. As a son of God we can not afford to become apathetic to God’s grace. As an heir to the kingdom we have a vested interest in advancing God’s possessions (His children) and the other brother was not doing his part. Whatever you need to do to meet the Son, Jesus Christ, so He can show you the Father, do it now. Or if you are driving later this week or year or whenever it might be and you hear the voice of your Father saying “Come home” do it that very moment. The Holy Spirit seeks out the children of God and shows them the way into His presence. Sonship comes with so many rewards and triumphs, but best of all is that when God sends you through the refining fires He is right there with you just as He was His only begotten Son on the cross.

In God we Trust,

Jason Vaughn