Restore Me

Posted on by kevinjandt

galilee

At this time last week I would have never expected I’d be writing this post today. It just didn’t seem possible. There appeared to be too much sin and too much hardness of heart.   It looked as though someone I dearly love would remain entrenched and would go the way of many others. It was sad, it was heavy, it was heart wrenching…there appeared to be very little, if any hope.

But God!

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21

Amen! Let it be so!

God can sew in the hardest of ground and I saw a man stand before the assembly broken over his sin. He repented and he confessed his sin. He was afraid of the terror of the Lord, because he saw what sin does in the hearts of men.

We live on this earth for such a very short time and for the majority of the people they never consider their sin. There is no fear of the Lord! He’s a Sunday school story they heard and forgot long ago, He’s a by-product of some ignorant sheep herders, just something written by man thousands of years ago, certainly not relevant today.

Or worse yet, the practice of church discipline’s for the fanatics. It’s for the legalistic that only desire to go around pointing out others sin. “I’m okay, you’re okay”, is what they think. As long as we are here on Sunday, or Saturday night, everything is cool.

But God!

He’s rich in mercy and abundantly ready to forgive, yet that hard and stony ground must be plowed over and churned up, there’s difficult work that needs to be done. That hard and leathery heart must be pierced with the needle of the law so the gospel can enter in, and without the law breaking a mans heart there is no hope. [1] There must be conviction; there must be an adherence to God’s Word. It must be dealt with biblically, or it’s only man’s wisdom. Not the power of the Almighty Himself.

Bones must be broken…or there will be no healing.

 

For I acknowledge my

   transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I

   sinned, and done this evil in Your

   sight—

That You may be found just when

   You speak,

And blameless when You judge. – Psalm 51:3-4

 

Sin must be dealt with and the only way to deal with it properly is to first acknowledge the sin. Sin will blind us. Sin will harden us. Sin will deceive us and cause us to think all kinds of “good” things about ourselves. Only by God’s truth can we be set free, because sin also enslaves us.

We need God’s church and we need God’s Spirit to convict us, to call us to repentance and then to gently and lovingly restore us. I’m sure it didn’t feel very loving for quite a long time, because this battle has raged for what seems like a very long time. The enemy was well fortified, but God’s power is far greater and the victory has already been won at the cross.

But from our perspective we must remain engaged and fight. We don’t know if the soil is good or not. We must do our part and the Scriptures are clear, although mostly ignored by the “church” today.

Today the hard work really begins for this brother. He has a mess to clean up. Time will tell if the confession is real or not. It was really awesome to have him back, to see a completely different countenance than I’ve seen for almost a year. But when reality sinks in, and the pressures of life resume, outside the walls of the safety of the assembly, what will happen? Only God knows and time will tell.

The Lord Jesus Christ deserves His witness to proclaim His name. To seek forgiveness for the wrong that has been done, to acknowledge Him where He has been denied, to call sinners to repentance and preach the gospel of peace.

Outside of Him there is no peace and those that have been around this man need to know that. They need to hear a broken confession and humble acknowledgement of sin. It’s going to be a narrow and difficult path for sure if it’s a true testimony and I trust that it is. I trust he won’t fail the test, but the trials will be difficult most certainly.

Today I am hopeful, I’m joyful and I’m humbled. I feel a sense of peace that I’ve not felt in a while over this situation. I’ve seen it go the opposite way too many times. I’ve seen the hardheartedness of men too often turn away and go somewhere that isn’t quite as difficult. They might fool themselves, they might fool others but God will never be mocked and I hope it is well with their souls. The Christian life is full of trials, it’s full of difficulty and not every day is Friday. In fact most days are Mondays if we are truly in the faith.

 

Create in me a clean heart, O

   God,

And renew a steadfast spirit

   within me.

Do not cast me away from Your

   presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit

   from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your

   salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous

   Spirit. – Psalm 51:10-12

 

Kevin

 

[1] This thought from Behold Your God Page 164 – “The needle of the law must puncture the hard leathery heart before the thread of the gospel can pass through.”

Discipline…

Posted on by kevinjandt

discipline

What a distasteful subject is the topic of church discipline, does anyone like correction?

Well that depends…

It depends upon the condition of your heart.

Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. – Proverbs 19:20

Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool. – Proverbs 17:10

A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise. – Proverbs 15:12

How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. – Proverbs 16:16

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. – Proverbs 13:20

What else must I do to convince you that God’s word is what we must use to gain wisdom? What else matters, and as the verse states above this is better than gold and should be chosen over silver.

God has not left us to stumble around in the dark without counsel. He has spoken on the matter of church discipline and has given the church direction. The scriptures are not silent on this subject, but the bigger questions are these…are we willing to listen, are we willing to heed the counsel?

Jesus clearly and perfectly lays out the formula. The church is to follow the example and sin must be dealt with in the church, or the church becomes polluted.

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” – Matthew 18:15-17

This is pretty clear isn’t it?

What is the purpose of this; can we see what Jesus desires in this instruction? He desires restoration. The goal is to bring the one in sin to a place of understanding their sin; a place of brokenness over their sin, so they can be restored to their brother.

This is being lived out in the life of the church that I attend. My wife, my eldest daughter and I are members and we dearly love the people in our church. It’s heart breaking to see sin in the lives of people. It’s even more heartbreaking to know that unless that sin is forsaken and turned from it will destroy. That’s what Satan does! He came to destroy people and he does it in the most sinister and deceitful ways possible.

Others in my church love this man and below is a letter that was written as the church is telling this man of his sin. It is our hope and our desire that this will restore the man to a right relationship with God.

It is our desire that if he is a brother, he will confess his sin and forsake his sin, if he is not a brother that he will repent and believe in Jesus Christ as his only hope for salvation. I post this that he will be ashamed of his sin and that others might read it, be ashamed of their sin, and come to repentance.

This problem is rampant in the “church world”. It’s not a victimless crime. It’s heinous and it’s ugly.

And if they are bound in

fetters,

Held in the cords of affliction,

Then He tells them their work

and their transgressions—

That they have acted defiantly.

He also opens their ear to

instruction,

And commands that they turn

from iniquity.

If they obey and serve Him,

They shall spend their days in

prosperity,

And their years in pleasures.

But if they do not obey,

They shall perish by the sword,

And they shall die without

knowledge. – Job 36:8-12

 

Kevin

 

I know a Man…

 

That he might be broken and ashamed:

On nights when he is angry with his wife, she goes to sleep in their bedroom. Meanwhile he sits in his living room, just a few feet from his bride-only a wall apart-browsing depictions of harlots, picking the ones that please him the most, displaying them on his screen and having sex with them using his self. It feels good to him, helps him to relax, so he does it again or another time. He knows it is sinful, but he isn’t broken by it so he doesn’t repent. It’s not really adultery he says. He won’t tell his wife. He knows it’s wrong but he doesn’t feel saddened over it, so he does it again. His only son sleeps soundly upstairs, unharmed so the man thinks. Yet he does not know God may require the life of the child for sin such as this. He took David’s child for this, yet the man fears God not.

He comes into the sanctuary of God’s people on Sunday’s. He will not open his mouth to sing praises to God. But repent- I think not- he just doesn’t feel like it. He won’t look at the preacher, for he despises that man, sure he led him to Christ, but he’s wronged him since then. I want to ask this man, would you pick up a knife and slit the throat of your son for this preacher who wronged you? Would you slay your son for that man who you think despises and rejects you? Have you forgotten o man that God sees your adultery? That this God sees your lack of praise, lack of love for the saints, sees your lack of time in the word, and yet still shows you His love?

God sends His people to plead with the man, turn, turn from your sin, lest the Lord reject you. This God sees your sin- takes His only son- and slays Him. He drains Jesus’ blood on the wastelands, opens His side and rejects Him; Pours out His wrath and His righteous indignation, upon the perfect lamb, the great I am, don’t you remember? Wasn’t it for your sin? Will you continue to reject Him? Christ died for sins, will you continue to live in them?

Some people confront him on his sin when his conscience overbears him to report it. Repent of it- no- but agree that it’s sinful- yes. I’m just being honest says the man, I can’t turn cause you told me, or I don’t want to deny feelings. Little does he know his flesh is destroying him.  He sees his wife and child, and loves them he thinks, but show them Christ in Him-maybe he will get to that next week.

This man is hardened-stiff necked, his sin spreads and spreads. He lives it, breathes it, chews it, and loves it. Love the saints? No time for that. Preach the Gospel? Who needs it. Serve the body? They don’t deserve it. But I deserve my sin says the man, after all, who are they to tell me it’s sinful? The proverbs warn him. Destruction and calamity await him- will he turn yet from his sin? I think not. He just doesn’t feel it…

You are that man… Repent and turn to Christ and you will be forgiven.

 

 

 

Naked and Afraid…

Posted on by kevinjandt

eye-earth

It seems that shows with naked people on them is all the rage these days and I don’t find that a “good” thing. If you believe the Bible we see in the opening pages that being naked brought shame. Adam and Eve realized they had sinned against God, had been given knowledge God didn’t want them to have and they tried to cover themselves.

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I command you that you should not eat?” – Genesis 3:9-11

Adam and Eve had no concept of their nakedness until they disobeyed God and He revealed it to them. In a society that is continuing to lose its fear of nakedness we see a searing of the conscience as it becomes more acceptable to disobey God. Once sin entered the world the decline happened quickly. It didn’t take long and God was grieved and destroyed mankind from the face of the earth with the exception of Noah and his family.

Most people in the world would not desire to go on a television reality show and be filmed naked, yet they will watch the shows and take pleasure in other’s sin and this is an approval of the action even though they don’t have the courage themselves to do so.

Romans 1:32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

There is coming a day when all will stand before the throne and give an account of our lives and everything we’ve ever done will be exposed. We will stand before the King as if naked, as He peers into our soul and sees everything we ever did and everything we ever thought.

Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Nothing can be hidden from God’s sight, nothing! Every little word you ever muttered under your breath, every secret thought you harbored hatred toward someone, yelled at that driver that zipped in and out of traffic and called them a fool, all of the thoughts and intents of your heart will be exposed in all its ugliness.

There will be shame wrought as a Holy God judges each soul down to the smallest details.   Imagine the shame that the Jews felt in Nazi Germany as they were stripped and had all their dignity and rights removed from them, how humiliating that must have been. Imagine having this happen to the ones you love, either a spouse or children.

Nothing will be hidden from the eyes of God and an account will be settled.

Where is the hope?

Will your shame come now or then? This is really the question we must grapple with today. Have you felt the overwhelming shame as your sin has been exposed? Have you dealt with your nastiness here on earth? Have you beat your chest and begged for mercy?

“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Luke 18:13-14

Jesus will cover our shame and cloth us in His righteousness, but we must come to Him broken and in need. Without it you will not see the kingdom of God, you will be as the Pharisee and placing your trust in your own righteousness.

When was the last time you cried out to God to be merciful? When was the last time you understood your nakedness? When was the last time you understood you need Jesus?

Don’t let this moment pass you by.

Kevin

Big or Little?

Posted on by kevinjandt
http://serhanvardarli.deviantart.com/art/father-and-daughter-136495150
http://serhanvardarli.deviantart.com/art/father-and-daughter-136495150

I can remember one of our children asking me, “Dad, am I big or little?” Well of course it was adorable coming from a three-year old, but it’s a good question to ask of ourselves even as “big” people. The implication here from my daughter at the time, was that she wanted to grow up. It’s funny how when you are little you want to be “big”, but as you grow older you don’t want to be little, but you’d like to be younger.

This morning I’ve been thinking about moral littleness and the role this plays in the life of a Christian. In this scope our desire should be littleness, and not bigness, if that makes any sense. Let’s look at the words of the Apostle Paul and see if this sheds any light on the topic.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. – Ephesians 4:1-3

Paul speaking to the saints at Ephesus and speaking to the saints today is imploring us to walk worthy of our calling. The big question in this brief statement is “have you been called?” What does it mean to be called? The first three chapters of Ephesians tell us what it means, but let’s look quickly at Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.

It’s really important to note that it’s by the will of God.   Would anybody doubt that Paul was called to be an apostle by Jesus Christ Himself? It’s pretty obvious, that this is the case. Paul will go on to tell us that all saints have also been called out by the will of God, and here is where it’s more difficult for the sinful human heart to accept. We really don’t care much for the Sovereignty of God in Divine election. It just doesn’t feel good and therefore we would rather reject it.

This letter was written to the church in Ephesus, but we can see it was also written to the faithful in Christ Jesus. The faithful (pistos) those that believe in Christ, those that exhibit a life change by their belief, not just a mental ascent or a verbal affirmation.

If you are one of these, then you have been called and if you’ve been called you have a responsibility. You must now walk worthy of the calling and this all begins with an understanding of your moral littleness; a desire to be small.

David understood this.

…And cleanse me from my sin…

For I acknowledge my transgressions…

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity…

Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities…

Create in me a clean heart, O God…

Restore me to the joy of Your salvation…

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God…

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. – Psalm 51

Our calling must begin with an understanding of our relationship to God before salvation; an understanding of our wretchedness, our inability to please God in ourselves and our need for Christ. This is the whole point of Jesus coming to this earth.

I need Jesus.

You need Jesus.

Why…because we are little. We have nothing to offer Him accept our wretched selves.

“God resists the proud,

                But gives grace to the

                     humble.” – Proverbs 3:34

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. – 2 Peter 5:6-7

Evidence of your calling is a view of your moral littleness and a desire to resist sin. You will then walk worthy of this calling by living and desiring to live a holy life that is pleasing to God. This shows the world that you are a new creation, a new birth has occurred.

It will be a radical change that causes people to take notice. Most of them won’t like the change. If you begin to walk worthy it will mean exposing darkness and calling others to repentance. It will upset apple carts and destroy worldviews that were so dominant in our lives before. Yet there is no greater purpose than to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with a pure heart, to bring Him glory, to proclaim His name, to submit to His Lordship, this is a walk that is worthy and there is no greater joy.

 

Kevin

Hot, Cold or Useless?

Posted on by kevinjandt

hot water

One of the blessings in life is the ability to get into a hot shower. It’s something I take for granted quite often. Most of the country is just finishing summer, but the feel of fall is definitely in the air. As winter approaches, the part of the country I live, I was thinking about the simple joy of a cold morning and getting into a hot shower. How useful and beneficial hot water is for mankind.

What about cold water? If you’ve spent any time working outside on a hot day nothing is more satisfying than ice cold water. It refreshes and rejuvenates a thirsty body. Nothing tastes better when your mouth is dry and parched. I’ve often driven past the guys that are working on roads in the middle of the summer and have thought about how much water they must consume on a hot day. Yes, I’m sure they throw down some Gatorade as well, but water is really the best to quench the thirst. It never leaves an aftertaste.

God in His goodness has provided all we need, just how simple and how amazing water really is, yet there is one kind of water that the Lord declares “useless”.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodicieans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold or hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. – Revelation 3:14-16

Jesus tells us that two kinds of water are useful. Cold or hot!

The third type causes one to reject it in their body. To vomit it back out.

The Apostle Paul acknowledges his zeal for what he thought was the truth, but yet he had it wrong, and so is unbridled passion for God without knowledge of the truth. To be effectively “hot” it must be according to the truth of God’s word. (Acts 22:3)

For I bear witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. – Romans 10:2-3

When God sets Himself in a heart that once hated truth and knowledge, changes that heart to seek Him and bring Him glory, a believer will be consumed by God according to truth and knowledge.

God also uses those cold and hardened to the gospel for His purposes. This is certainly not a popular today in this cultural “gospel”. The god who loves everyone, judges nobody, and loves you just as you are would certainly not be this god?

For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion,” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharoah, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He will, and whom He wills He hardens. – Romans 9:15-18

God hardened Pharoah’s heart to show His power. That is straight-forward and very clear. God finds cold water very useful for his purposes and yet many rebel against the truth of this. If you find yourself rebelling against this truth you would do well to consider if you are not cold and hardened yourself?

We have clear promises that anyone who humbles himself will be lifted up (James 4:6-10), and that God will not turn away any who desires to come to Him (John 6:37). Those promises are trust-worthy, but only for the humble.

The question stands today, it’s clear, concise and cutting. Are you hot, cold or useless?

Those that sit in church buildings for an hour on a Sunday, or read some sort of Christian literature, maybe even read a Bible, but show no advancement or fruits of repentance have only the future of being vomited out of His mouth. This is a fearful warning to professing believers. This is a fearful warning to all.

Whom do you desire to serve today? This question should not be dismissed or diminished it really is the only valid question to ask.

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. – 1 Kings 18:21

Kevin