Christ Our Redeemer Church

Who Are You?

2010-03-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

'I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'
- Gal 2:20 ESV

'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…'
- 2Co 5:17-18 ESV

'We can only begin an upright course of life when God, of his good pleasure, adopts us into his family.'
- John Calvin, Psalm I:280, quoted in Calvin's Wisdom, p. 1

'You are in Christ. He is in you. Christ in us fills us up into the fulness of God. We in Christ are the fulness of him who fills all in all.'
- David Powlison, Seeing With New Eyes, p. 54

'The promise has dawned, and our identity is now found in him.'
- Russell Moore, Adopted for Life, p. 31

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Identity is everything, just ask anyone whose name and identity have been sullied. Who we are by identity determines how we think and how we act and for some of us this is a slow dawning. The realization that our identity is now found in Christ is nothing short of revolutionary. The person who realizes who they belong to will order their life accordingly. Slaves act like the the chattel of their owner. Sons act like the heir of their Father. When we realize our identity it will change everything for us. Our identity is both positional and practical. We become who we are. This is the promise and purpose of being adopted in and through Christ. Where is your identity? To whom do you belong? Who are you?

I'm grateful for God's electing love and His new, conforming identity through His Son.

Pastor Dan

That Glorious Scandal

2010-03-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense."
-1Pe 2:7-8 ESV

'Paul’s theology of the cross involves his theology of the resurrection and is simply unintelligible apart from it.'
- Richard Gaffin, The Scandal of the Cross

“The Gospel is ‘the greatest drama ever staged … a terrifying drama of which God is the victim and the hero'"
- Dorothy Sayers, Creed or Chaos, ch. 1

"It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was his unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do the Father's will - and, within that framework, it was his love for sinners like me. He really could not save himself."
- D.A. Carson, Scandalous- The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, p. 30

"There is no better news for sad men, for distressed, desponding and despairing men, than this - the Savior lives, able still to save and willing to receive you to his tender heart."
- Charles Spurgeon, The Lord is Risen Indeed, Twelve Sermons on the Resurrection, p. 102

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The drama of the gospel is a story unlike no other. In this story the hero is not hailed, but mocked. He is not sustained by superhuman powers, he dies. The accolades originally directed toward him give way to rejection and disdain. After all, heroes are not supposed to become the victim. The Creator succumbs to the malevolence of the creation. And this death comes willingly, not with reluctance. He does not save himself. In fact, it is death that brings life. The gospel in all of its tragedy and offense brings glory. Death itself becomes a victim of itself. Through the mystery and glory of the crucifixion and the resurrection every enemy is finally overcome. This is the ultimate scandal and if it has no place of offense with us we've not understood it well. There is divine wisdom and human absurdity in the cross and resurrection. Surely, God could have done it another way…or not. In these singular events God has revealed the very heart of the gospel. The Son has revealed His heart for His Father. God has revealed His own heart for the world. By love God is inclined to His creation, by love God sends the emblem of His love to die, by love God raises His dear Son from the grave, and by love God vanquishes every enemy and removes every obstacle to His love for His creation. Our redemption has been accomplished by a glorious scandal.

Rejoicing with you in the scandal that is signified by gospel love.

Pastor Dan

Light in Darkness

2010-03-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
- Matthew 5:14-16

"Do not be conformed to this world...."
- Romans 12:2

"The problem is that contemporary culture is deaf to the things Christianity has to say, and deaf ears must be unstopped not with drum sets and drama, but with 'the glorious gospel of our blessed God'(1 Tim. 1:11)."
- Jason Stellman, Dual Citizens, p. 27

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

In a very real sense we are the demonstration of Christ to a perishing world. For better or for worse the world is looking at us to see what Chist-followers look like and if you are like me I find that prospect sobering. The voracity of our Christian testimony is not to be determined by externals, but rather by a radical and pervasive internal revolution that thereby effects the entirety of life. The reach and depth of regeneration are the impetus for a thorough and comprehensive difference in us. Sure, we still struggle with the remnants of sin, but we have been made new and as a result the effects are supposed to be noticeable to those that are around us. Something is profoundly different with the Christian. Our affections are to be no longer self-directed and self-absorbed and there now exists a gospel-fueled luminescence that sets us apart. Our lives are no longer our own. We've been bought with a price and the effect of new ownership is to be noticeable. We are light in darkness. The Christian has become the citizen of a kingdom that cannot be shaken and as a result every orientation has become new. Our thinking, behavior, and source of life has a new genesis. By grace the impossible has happened, and it is God's intention that it shows so that we bring Him much glory.

Thankful for new light and life that the gospel brings,

Pastor Dan

Permanence

2010-02-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
(Phi　3:20 ESV)

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
(Heb　11:10　ESV)

And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
(Rev　21:5　ESV)

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. Judy and Lydia and I worked outside. We recently purchased a number of fruit trees and we were able to get them all planted. The sights, sounds, and smells of this gorgeous February day were incredible. Its days like these that make me thankful to live where we live. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place. But these days also remind me that in this life there is no permanence. The fruit trees will need care and protection from disease and deer and they will one day die. And these beautiful February days will soon give way to the rains of March. I'm reminded that this life is a short trudge on the march toward the Celestial City and one day we will die also. There is no permanence, at least for now. But there awaits new place where there will be permanence, glory, and the absence of sin. A new heaven and a new earth are on the horizon. For now the creation is anticipating release from bondage and exile. And even on beautiful February days the creation groans. Our citizenship is not here. We await the new creation with all of its redeemed fullness. The all-encompassing redemptive work of Christ includes a fallen world and one day all of our days will be glorious days where both we and the creation no longer groan and where the glory of the Son far outshines anything we've ever seen. Death will be a forgotten memory. Because of the Son impermanence will give way to permanence. New life will be known forever. The resurrection of Christ is the demonstrated proof that the new creation is coming, and not solely for those who trust in Christ, but for all of creation as well.

Looking forward to new life in the new creation,

Pastor Dan

Being Made New

2010-02-02T23:10:00.001-08:00

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Co 5:17, ESV)

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Co 15:22-23, ESV)

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

In the resurrection of Christ something new has begun. It’s not just a rehash of the old. Christ has come as the new Adam. A new creation has begun. In some ways it’s like the old, but in many ways it’s entirely new. Jesus is like the old Adam, but without confusion He is also the God-man. He does not sin; therefore this new creation is without corruption. Christ has done what no man could do. God has raised Him from the dead and has designated Him the living head of the new race. He has become the life-giving Spirit. If you are a Christian you have new life and if you have new life Christ has been raised from the dead. The day will come when the Christian will put off corruption and sin fully and finally. We too will be raised incorruptible because we have already been raised together with Christ. We have been and will be made new.

Thankful for grace revealed in new life,

Pastor Dan

The Importance of Origins

2010-01-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

'Man in his ignorance thinks himself a great work worthy of the interposition of a deity. More humble and I think truer to consider him created from animals.'
- Charles Darwin in 1838, cited in Created from Animals, James Rachels, p. 1

'...then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.'
- Genesis 2:7

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The ascertaining of where we've come from will determine where we are going. In other words, if man has his origins in primordial soup then his end won't really matter. If man is no different than animals then all sorts of mischief will be expected. With this sort of sentient reductionism the intrinsic value of an infant will be no different than that of a kitten. In the words of animal rights apologist Ingrid Newkirk, 'A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. They’re all animals.' Only when origins are removed will it make sense to conclude that the Jewish Holocaust is the moral equivalence to the slaughter of broiler chickens.* When you have no certainty in the beginning, you have no certainty at the end. As Christians our defense of human life comes from an understanding of beginnings. With the clarity of God's Word the beginnings of life have never been in doubt. This has been God's revealed creative fiat and His prerogative from the outset. Life is His to both give and take, and particularly human life bears intrinsic worth because God is its author and He has deemed it so. Life is important because the redemption of it came at an inestimable cost. In the beginning the first Adam died, and in the end the second Adam rose from the dead. Human life matters because God declared it so from the beginning, and because of the Cross and resurrection it will be so at the end.

Standing for life with you,

Pastor Dan

*Ingrid Newkirk, cited in, The Washington Post, November 13, 1983

Subjected to Futility...in Hope

2010-01-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

'God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.'
- C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 2002) p. 91

'For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.'
- Romans 8:19-21

No one laughs at God in a hospital; No one laughs at God in a war.
No one laughs at God in a hospital; No one laughs at God in a war.
No one laughing at God in hospital; No one's laughing at God in a war.
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor.
No one's laughing at God; No one's laughing at God; No one's laughing at God.
- Regina Spektor, Laughing With

'...Jesus treats wars and natural disasters not as agenda items in a discussion of the mysterious ways of God, but as incentives to repentance. It is as if he is saying that God uses disaster as a megaphone to call attention to our guilt and destination, to the immanence of righteous judgement if he sees no repentance…. Disaster is a call to repentance.'
- D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord?, p. 67

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

This week we have been been privy to the horrific and tragic news reports from the devastation of the severe earthquake in Haiti. At last report there is no comprehensive and realistic estimates of the death toll and damage. The nearest guess numbers are projected at over 100,000 dead. I find myself moved by empathy for those who are now suffering, and for those will suffer for years to come. The world is broken and there is consequence to its brokeness. Because of sin the creation is subjected to futility. Creation groans under the weight of alienation brought about by man's rebellion. Cancer, tsunamis, earthquakes, death, pain and suffering are the result of our brokenness and sin, but we are not without hope. Though subjected to futility now, redemption will finally come. Death and destruction will not have final say. Creation has been subjected to futility, but the day will come when it is set free from bondage and decay. In Jesus Christ's suffering under the wrath of God the dawning of redemption has come. We don't see it in it entirety yet, but hope has come. In the interim let us pray for those who are suffering in Haiti, and let us use this disaster as a call to repentance. May God humble us to seek His mercy and grace.

Sovereign Grace Ministries has established a way to give to those in need in Haiti. Here is the link if you would like to contribute.

http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/About/FinancialSupport/DisasterRelief.aspx

With much affection,

Pastor Dan

Seeing God's Salvation

2009-12-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

'Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."'
-Luke 2:25-35

'The whole life of Christ was a continual Passion; others die martyrs, but Christ was born a martyr. He found a Golgotha, where he was crucufied, even in Bethlehem, where he was born; for to his tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as the cross at last. His birth and death were but one continual act, and his Christmas day and his Good Friday are but the evening and the morning of the same day. And as even his birth is his death, so every action and passage that manifests Christ to us is his birth, for Epiphany is manisfestation. Every manifestation of Christ to the world, to the church, to a particular soul is an Epiphany, a Christmas day.'
- John Donne, The Showing Forth of Christ, quoted in Watch for the Light, p. 303-304

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Friends and Family,

I love the story of Simeon from Luke 2. Can you imagine this elderly, faithful Jewish gentleman day after day serving and performing his temple duties? He was righteous and devout; a man set upon by the Spirit of God and having been visited by the Spirit who assure him that he would see God's salvation before he died. When Joseph and Mary had brought Jesus to the temple for the rites expected by Levitical law Simeon saw Him. When he set his eyes upon Jesus an old man saw God's salvation. Simeon recognized that this would be God's salvation for all peoples; Gentile and Jew alike. In the new babe Simeon saw what many do not see. He saw hope for all peoples, but also that this salvation would be opposed. Salvation would come at a price. Simeon saw that God's salvation was to be manifest, not by youthful zeal and the hope of a young child, but this salvation would be made manifest by opposition and suffering. Simeon saw God's salvation in a child that would bring salvation through the piercing pain of suffering. Simeon may not have seen God's redemptive plan from beginning to end, but he made the connection between God's salvation and the opposition that was coming to this child. God's redemptive plan included both a manger and a cross. This child was born a martyr.

Rejoicing with Simeon in seeing God's salvation.

Pastor Dan

You Must be Born Again

2009-12-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
- Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:7

My search plies the dark, born once and now old, can deliverance come for Israel’s teacher grown cold?

Who is this man, the Kingdom’s King? And with whom and to whom will His Kingdom bring?

This man knows my mind, questions hang with queried force, from whence He comes, and from where is His source?

The Kingdom comes how? Will it be mine to possess? I haven’t a clue, I helpless confess.

I should know these things, I’m Pharisee trained, and I’ve never learned of a Kingdom arranged.

His response is upsetting, two wombs must be? One birth binds to man, the other sets free?

The Spirit a sovereign, the wind blows where He will, in my own mind I’m dead and one birth remains still.

I’m a man and not a child, this talk is absurd, and yet something rings true in the sound of His word.

The Spirit must birth, ere the Kingdom is lost; what must I do to unburden this cost?

This Law’s lawkeeper now bent, bowed under its weight, condemned now my lot is sealed as my fate.

Whose word can command, and bring life out of death? Alas, new life like a very first breath.

One word sets free, good news now believed, one birth falls short, but in two life is received.

The sovereign Wind moves where He will, no boasting allowed, grace alone brings mercy to one arrogant and proud.

Moses saw the serpent raised, a Cross lifted brings life, new birth dawns to an old man full of strife.

Whose stony heart can change? What can make this heart flesh? Only one brings a sign of making men fresh.

The Law’s sentinel at long last, has the Kingdom now seen, the Kingdom’s King is here in Whose presence I’ve been.
- Dan Morse, Nicodemus' Query, Advent 2009

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Christmas indicates that a change has come. In the Incarnation the second Adam has done what the first Adam could not do. He has brought new and eternal life and we must be born again.

From our family to yours we hope for you a glorious Advent season. The most amazing thing has happened...the Kingdom's King has come in womb of a virgin. He was born under the Law and met it's every demand. He was crucified at the hands of sinful men. He was raised on the third day, ascended bodily, and will return again. The first glorious Advent points to the glorious second Advent. Christ has come and is coming again.

Merry Christmas!

With great love and affection.

Pastor Dan

Born to Die

2009-12-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

'But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.'
- Galatians 4:4-5

'God willed Christ to be our Savior. ...The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, took a human body in order that He might die for our salvation.'
- James Boice, The Christ of Christmas, p. 14

'If there is no incarnation, there is no union with the Son or with the Father, and no regeneration - and no salvation.'
- John Piper, Finally Alive, p. 72

'Every human being longs for a savior of some type. We look for someone or something that will solve our problems, ease our pain, or grant the most elusive goal of all, happiness. From the pursuit of success in business to the discovery of a perfect mate or friend, we make our search.'
- R.C. Sproul, The Glory of Christ, p. 18

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

This time of year our thoughts are turned to the birth of Christ. We rejoice in God becoming a man. We are enamored and mystified by the stories of angels, cattle stalls, stars, and wise men. But there is more at stake in our remembering the birth at Christ than the celebration of His birthday, for the fact of the matter is there is no salvation without the Incarnation. Jesus was born to die. Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world was laid. In other words, it was God's will to crush Him from the beginning; this is the brutal, but marvelous and incomparable way that salvation has been brought to God's people. In the glorious revelation of the gospel God sent Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sins, at just the right time, under the demand of the law, and as the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Christmas points to Good Friday and Good Friday points to Easter; the manger inevitably leads to the Cross. As a result of the Incarnation were are united to Christ in His life, death, and resurrection. We are joined to Him really and truly. His sinless life as the God-man is ours. His atoning death as the God-man is ours. And His resurrection as the God-man is ours. During this Christmas season remember that without the Incarnation there is no salvation.

Remembering that the manger points to the Cross.

Pastor Dan

What Child is This?

2009-12-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

'And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"
- Luke 1:34

Salvation to all that will is nigh;
That All, which always is all everywhere,
Which cannot sin, and yet all sins must bear,
Which cannot die, yet cannot choose but die,
Lo, faithful virgin, yields Himself to lie
In prison, in thy womb; and though He there
Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet He will wear,
Taken from thence, flesh, which death's force may try.
Ere by the spheres time was created, thou
Wast in His mind, who is thy Son and Brother;
Whom thou conceivst, conceived; yea thou art now
Thy Maker's maker, and thy Father's mother;
Thou hast light in dark, and shutst in little room,
Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb.
-John Donne (1572-1631), Annunciation

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
- Charles Wesley, Hark the Herald Angels Sing

'View Jesus in the light of God and against the dark background of sin, view Him as the satisfaction of man's deepest need, as the one who alone can lead into all glory and all truth, and you will come, despite all, to the stupendous conviction that the New Testament is true, that God walked here upon the earth, that the eternal Son, because He loved us, came into this world to die for our sins upon the cross.'
- J. Gresham Machen, The Virgin Birth of Christ, p. 381

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

One of the things that sets biblical Christianity apart from other religions is its pervasive supernaturalism. Christianity is dependent upon the truth and reality of God interposing Himself into human history in ways that contravene normal, non-supernatural ways. Consider these examples: God created the world 'ex nihilo' or out of nothing, by the word of His mouth; God held back the Red Sea for the Israelites' safe passage and closed it again on the Egyptian armies; God's presence led Israel in a cloud by day and flame of fire by night; God provided food to eat for the traveling hordes of Israel; God rained fire on the pagan altars at Carmel at the prophets' request; God filled a starving widow's jar with oil for food... Oftentimes, these miraculous events were indications of a long-awaited deliverance. We see the very same in the Gospel. It is in the Gospel that we see the apex of redemptive history made manifest in an astounding supernatural event--A virgin will bring forth a son. The Holy Spirit is the active agent in a supernatural conception and, bypassing normal human conception, God brings forth His Son in the womb of a virgin. This is truly an amazing story of God's supernatural interruption in human history. And this tells us several things. God is active in the events of history, God is in control of human history, and God has a purpose for human history. Rejoice!, for immensity is cloistered in a virgin's womb. Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!

Rejoicing in Immanuel, who is God with us,

Pastor Dan

The Importance of the Incarnation

2009-12-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

'...[E]very spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.…'
- 1 John 4:2

'Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof, were communicated unto the elect in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein He was revealed and signified to be the Seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent's head, and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world being yesterday and today the same, and for ever.'
- Westminster Confession of Faith 8:6

Lo! th’ incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude
- Joseph Hart, Come Ye Sinners, pub. 1759

'We see Him among the thousands of Galilee, anointed of God with the Holy Ghost and power, going about doing good: with no pride of birth, though He was a king; with no pride of intellect, though omniscience dwelt within Him; with no pride of power, though all power in heaven and earth was in His hands; or of station, though the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily; or of superior goodness or holiness: but in lowliness of mind esteeming everyone better than Himself, healing the sick, casting out devils, feeding the hungry, and everywhere breaking to men the bread of life.'
- B.B. Warfield, a sermon on 'Imitating the Incarnation', The Person and Work of Christ, p. 564

'If, however, Christ is the incarnate Word, then the incarnation is the central fact of the entire history of the world; then, too, it must have been prepared from before the ages and have its effects throughout eternity.'
- Herman Bavink, Reformed Dogmatics, volume III, p. 274

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The Christmas season has begun, but often what is lost during this time of year is the importance of the Incarnation. Truly, the Incarnation alone, makes sense of the beginning, center, and end of world history. In fact, history is unintelligible without it. Without the Incarnation the study of history is a fool's errand, for without the Incarnation there is no 'telos' (purpose or goal) to man's existence. The Incarnation offers explanation for man's inhumanity to man; the Incarnation offers remedy for man's predicament; the Incarnation gives hope for man's present life; and the Incarnation provides assurance for man's future. Under the conception by the Holy Spirit, God became a man. In Christ, this God-man lived a life of unblemished perfections. In Christ, this God-man died at the hands of sinful men for sinful men. In Christ, this God-man was raised on the third day in a body of flesh and blood, yet, now incorruptible. In Christ, the God-man now lives bearing humanity-inflicted wounds for all eternity in His own fleshly body.

As we consider this Christmas season, let us consider the importance of the Incarnation.

Pastor Dan

The Inclination of Gratitude

2009-11-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

'And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.'
- Colossians 3:15

'Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.'
- Hebrews 12:28-29

'The secular world never understands Christian motivation.... From the plan of salvation I learn that the true driving force in authentic Christian living is, and ever must be, not the hope of gain, but the heart of gratitude.'
- J.I. Packer, Rediscovering Holiness, p. 75

'In short, then, the grace of God in the Cross of Christ leads to thanksgiving in his people, which in turn naturally leads to obedience.'
-Dane Ortlund, A New Inner Relish, p. 25

Almighty God, Father of all Mercies,
we, thine unworthy servants,
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men.
- The Book of Common Prayer

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

A life of thankfulness is truly the only Christian life. Simply put - gratitude and regeneration go hand in hand. In Christ our greatest need has been met and to be ungrateful would be to embody the demeanor of the unconverted. Unmitigated grace is the impetus for genuine gratitude. The Christian alone is assured that his sins have been forgiven. Think of this…enmity no longer exists between the Christian and His Creator/Redeemer. In a body of flesh God has redeemed men and women for Himself. Upon a Cross of unimaginable suffering the God-man bore in Himself the brunt of the Father's wrath in the stead of His people. On an Easter morning the God-man rose and sealed redemption once and for all. And in the flame and wind of upper-room Pentecostal fury the Spirit was given to ensure redemption's intent. Dear Christian…is it possible to not be thankful?

Thanking God for grace to the undeserving,

Pastor Dan

The Church - Members of God's Household

2009-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

'So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God….'
-Ephesians 2:19

'He can no longer have God as his Father who has not the church as his Mother.'
- Cyprian, De Unitate Ecclesiae

'It is a company of faithful and holy people, or persons called out of the world to fellowship with Jesus Christ, and united in one congregation to him as members to their head, and one with another, by a holy covenant for mutual fellowship in all such ways of holy worship of God, and of edification of one towards another.'
- John Davenport's Creed, cited in John Cotton's, The Covenant of Free Grace, p. 112

Heidelberg Catechism, Question 55.
What do you understand by "the communion of saints"?
Answer:
First, that all and every one, who believes, being members of Christ, are in common, partakers of him, and of all his riches and gifts; secondly, that every one must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members.

'We are not only Christian people; we are also church people. We are not only committed to Christ; we are also committed to the body of Christ.'
- John Stott, The Living Church, p. 19

'The purpose of an image is to represent something. God has made us persons-in-community to be the vehicle through which he would reveal his glory.'
- Chester and Timmis, Total Church, p. 47

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I am not sure it is possible to express strongly enough the importance of the church. We need one another. These are not popular words these days. It is a popular and acceptable notion that the Christian life can exist outside of a relationship to a local congregation. And while this may be theoretically true, it is not God's intention or design. When God saves us, He saves us to a relationship with Himself and saves us into a relationship with one another in the context of the church. For a Christian to live their life outside of relationship with other believers is to deny himself the grace of God directed to them in the mystery and glory of God in the body of Christ. The church is Christ's body where believers are joined both objectively and relationally to one another. Suffice it to say, you will be crippled in your Christian life without a vibrant relationship to one another through life together in the church. This is God's intention for you and His gift to you. If we claim to be a member of God's household, it is important that we truly are built together as members of God's household. We cannot survive alone for very long. We were meant for one another. We are His workmanship, joined together, for good works in Christ. The glory of the gospel is revealed in the magnificent mosaic of different people gathered together in one common bond. This shows the radical and encompassing nature of the love of God to His people through Christ. The glory of God is revealed in much grander hues when we are together than when we are alone. The church is God's grace to you and for you.

I'm thanking God for you and for making us fellow citizens together with the saints and members of His household.

Pastor Dan

Kerygma - The Call to Faith

2009-11-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

'Jesus said to him (Peter), "Feed my sheep."'
- John 21:17

'I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.'
- 2 Timothy 4:1-2

'The direct result of our having become thus cool and blasé about preaching is that we look for too little to happen through sermons, and we should not wonder that God deals with us according to our unbelief.'
- J.I. Packer, The Preacher and Preaching, p. 5

'Good theology always has pastoral implications.'
- T. D. Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem, p. 11

'Faith is not built by preaching introspectively (constantly challenging people to question whether they have faith); faith is not built by preaching moralistically (which has exactly the opposite effect of focusing attention on the self rather than on Christ, in whom our faith is placed); faith is not built by joining the culture wars and taking potshots at what is wrong with our culture. Faith is built by careful, thorough exposition of the person, character, and work of Christ.'
- T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach, pp. 75-76

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The primary charge given to pastors is to faithfully preach by declaring the kerygma (the gospel message) and to call people to faith. Every Sunday the responsibility of pastors is to issue a divine summons. Even in light of the hours of message preparation, the message is not grounded in the abilities or creativity of the pastor; the message is grounded in the revelation of God to His people, the God who issues the summons to faith. The message is to declare the person, character, and work of Christ and issue a call to believe; and, insofar as pastors are faithful to declare this message, pastors are being faithful to their calling. It is entirely appropriate for church members to hold their pastors accountable to this task, because to fail in this duty is to cause harm to the church and the pastor and, ultimately, to the cause of Christ. May God give us all a love for the preached Word and the call to believe.

Humbled and trembling at God's calling to preach and to believe,

Pastor Dan

A Voice for the Voiceless

2009-11-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

'Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.'
- Proverbs 31:8-9

"Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
- Psalm 82:3-4

What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavours, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defence thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physick, sleep, labour, and recreations; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behaviour; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succouring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent. (emphasis mine)
- Westminster Larger Catechism Q and A 135

'God's word calls us to help those most despised by the world, to love the least lovely. So there must be, however much the world will despise us as religious fanatics, indeed, especially since the world despises these convictions, a special place in our hearts for the unborn.'
- John Frame, Ministries of Mercy to the Unborn, http://www.frame-poythress.org/frame_articles/1999Ministries.htm

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

With the busyness of our lives and the pressures of these days it is easy to lose our voice for those who need it most. I can think of a thousand things to occupy my time and forget to speak up for those that have no voice. This week I was moved by this story http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571215,00.html. In it a strongly pro-choice director of a Planned Parenthood clinic was moved to embrace life. The faithfulness of those who provide a voice for the voiceless and an ultrasound video changed her mind. I thank God for those who , in innumerable ways, bear witness to God's unequivocal commitment to life. I also thank God for the privilege of serving a church that loves life. Your love for the God of life is a constant testimony to me. Your tangible expressions of protecting and defending the innocent speaks volumes. Thank you for tangibly loving the voiceless. Thank you for adopting children and for loving adopted children. Thank you for contributing to the needs of the innocent. Thank you for speaking words of life to those considering abortion and adoption. Thank you for speaking the gospel to those suffering under the guilt of abortion. Thank you giving sacrificially to help others adopt. Thank you for making time available to fix cupboards and computers at the local pregnancy resource center. Thank you for cleaning toilets and vacuuming floors and doing all sorts of work behind the scenes so that the counselors at the pregnancy resource center can do their job.

Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless.

Pastor Dan

Sanctification by Faith

2009-10-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

'If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.'
-Colossians 3:1-3

'But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.'
- Ephesians 2:4-7

'For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.'
- Galatians 3:27

'Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.'
- 1 Cor. 6:9-11

'Without our earning it, God declares us holy (sanctified) by virtue of our union with Christ.'
- Bryan Chapell, Holiness by Grace, p. 48

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

When we think about our sanctification, or our being made holy, we often mistakenly place an emphasis upon the progressive aspect of this part of our salvation. And while this is true, we must never forget that our sancitification is also definitive. It is correct, in one sense, to describe our sanctification as synergistic, but we must never emphasize the part we play in the pursuit of godliness to the detriment of our understanding that our sanctification is as settled as our justification. Christ has made the Christian holy. His righteousness, as demonstrated in His perfect obedience to the Law has been given to us. We cannot improve upon the holiness we have received from Him. Not only are we being sanctified, we have been sanctified. Period. Unfortunately, this causes a great deal of confusion in the Christian life. We often think that what has begun as a work of God in us by grace we finish by human effort. Like justification, sanctification will be shown to be God's work in us both definitively and progressively.

Grateful for the sure work of sanctification in Christ,

Pastor Dan

'Abba' - The Cry of the New Birth

2009-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

'For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.'
-Romans 8:14-17

'The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'
- Philippians 4:5b-7

'When God breathes new life into us, one of the results of this transformation is new impulse to pray. A natural result of the new birth is the presence of God's Spirit within us, prompting us to cry out to God (Rom. 8:14-17)'
- Dane Ortlund, A New Inner Relish, p. 155

'God gives us, his children, all things through the gospel. The gospel defines our destiny and our inheritance; it defines for us the whole plan and purpose of God. It is inconcievable that we should pray in a way that is not defined by the gospel.'
- Graeme Goldsworthy, Prayer and the Knowledge of God, p. 79

'If it be man's chief end to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, then man has attained his end, the sole purpose for which he is made, the entire object for which he exists, when he enters into communion with God, abides in His presence, streaming out to Him in all the emotions, I do not say appropriate to a creature in the presence of his Maker and Lord, apprehended by him as the Good Lord and Righteous Ruler of the souls of men, but appropriate to the sinner who has been redeemed by the blood of God's own Son and is inhabited by His Spirit and apprehends his Maker as also His Savior, his Governor as also his Lover, and knows the supreme joy of him that was lost and is found, was dead and is alive again, - and all through God's seeking and saving love.'
- B.B. Warfield, Faith and Life, 'Prayer as Practice', p. 439

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

When a child is born the first reflex is to cry. And when the unbeliever is born again the first reflex is also to cry. The new birth's first utterance is a declaration of dependence and each day following is the same. As we pray we are declaring our need, dependence, and insufficiency. We are simply declaring what is true. We need God for all of life. We are dependent upon Him like a child for their father. And the older I get the more I realize my weakness and dependence, and the more I recognize God's fatherly care. He cares for me. He provides for my needs. He comforts me in affliction. He restores me. He protects and defends me. He assures me of a bright future. My impulse is to cry to Him, 'abba', as my Father because I am declaring what I know to be true; God has made me His own, and He has promised to be my Father.

Thankful for the Father's love,

Pastor Dan

Loving the Gospel's Power to Save

2009-10-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.'
- Romans 1:16

' For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.'
- 1 Corinthians 1:17-18

'Your world is inhabited by a powerful and living Redeemer who is at work collecting all the spoils of victory on your behalf.'
- Paul Tripp, Broken Down House, p. 105

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

There is great power in the gospel to save. I've seen it at work in others, and I've experienced it at work in myself. Hi salvation is immediate, ongoing, and final. God has promised that the holistic salvation purchased through His Son will accomplish its purposes. God intends to save us both thoroughly and finally. This we must believe and this we must encourage in one another. There is no true Christian life and experience without the saving effects of God's redemptive work. Today I'm mindful of Philippians 1:6, 'And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.'

I'm profoundly grateful for God's promised and thoroughgoing work of salvation in us,

Pastor Dan

Orphans No More

2009-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

'Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.'
- Psalm 68:5

'I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.'
- John 14:18

'And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba Father!"'
- Galatians 4:6

'The New Testament reminds those of us who are newcomers of our adoption so we'll remember that we are here by the Spirit, not by the exertions of our flesh. Because we've been brought into an already-existing family, we ought not to be proud, as though we were here by family entitlement (Romans 11:11-25). We're here by grace.'
- Russell Moore, Adopted for Life, p. 30

'The kingdom of Christ is characterized in Scripture as a kingdom of rescued
children.... When we protect and welcome children, we're announcing something
about Jesus and His kingdom.'
- Russell Moore, Adopted for Life, p. 78

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

What can be greater grief than a child without a father to love them, protect the, and provide a place for him to call home? The biblical storyline is a story of lost children being brought home. At the beginnings of the biblical record a story is told of alienation and wandering and from this point forward the story unfolds of search and rescue for those who are lost. The story of redemption is the story of children being rescued from danger and being brought home and forever protected and loved. God places the orphan in a family. And God also defines undefiled religion as a care for orphans, because this is the heart of God Himself. In an amazing story of love for orphans God's Son had become a castaway. He became an orphan. He became the despised and alienated one so that orphans might be brought into the household and claimed as true sons and daughters. This is a story of an unbelievable exchange. We were once despised and without hope, but now we sit in our Father's house as heirs of Christ Himself and free from all harm. This is the story of a Father's adopting love to weak orphans.

Because of the Father's love for us, may God give us great love for those still waiting for adoption,

Pastor Dan

God's Remembering Mercy

2009-09-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

'O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.'
-Habakkuk 3:2

'But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."'
- Matthew 1:20-21

'Justification is present deliverance from the eschatological wrath of God, a verdict, already rendered, of acquittal and right standing at the final judgment.'
- Richard Gaffin, Right With God, p. 124

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!
- Horatio Spafford, It is Well, v. 3

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

If your trust is in Christ there is good news, both now and to come. A verdict has already been rendered. An acquittal has already come. For those whose trust is in Christ future judgment has already been executed. In our pervasive sinfulness we have earned the just wrath, judgment and condemnation of God. The glory of the gospel is that the guilty have received pardon. Because of Christ's comprehensive atoning work and because of an inestimable price paid, future judgment has been given now. The declaration? Not guilty. The entirety of my sins past, present, and future have been forgiven. In His wrath God has remembered mercy.

Continually amazed by grace,

Pastor Dan

The Storyteller's Story

2009-09-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

'Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.'
-Luke 24:24-27

'Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.'
-Hebrews 1:1-2

'The entire Bible finds its unity in what can be best called holy history - Heilsgeshichte. It is a record and interpretation of the events in which God visits men in history to redeem them as persons and also to redeem them in society - in history. This means finally the redemption of history itself.'
- George Ladd, The Pattern of New Testament Truth, pp. 110-111

'The story is God's story. It describes His work to rescue rebels from their folly, guilt and ruin. And in His rescue operation, God always takes the initiative.'
- Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery, p. 11

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The Bible is all of a piece. Sixty-six books with a variety of authors from varying backgrounds and written at various times in various places, and all with a unified story-line. This book stretches over thousands of years of history and each author contributes to the integrated whole. The voices and nuance are different, but the refrain is the same and continues to build to a crescendo. The God of history has a story to tell and of His initiative He will tell it. Starting from the beginning, in a garden, paradise was lost. The ruination and sorrow that would follow would be retold in stories of treachery, war, betrayal, misery and bloodshed. Thankfully, throughout the story of fallenness and depravity another story is told. From the beginning a promise was made. The Storyteller would not let sin have the final say. Genesis sets the trajectory with a paradise lost and the promise of One who would come. Revelation ends with paradise restored through the One promised. The plot line winds its way through the multiplicity of stories like a crimson thread. At the end of the day our stories are woven into the whole. It is a story of grace unbound and mercy throughout. It is a story of perilous rescue. It is a story of incomprehensible love at unfathomable cost. The God of history has a story to tell.

Thanking God for inclusion in His Story,

Pastor Dan

Light and Darkness

2009-09-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

'And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.'
-Genesis 1:3

'In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.'
-John 1:4-5

'Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."'
- John 8:12

'For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.'
- 2 Cor. 4:6

Cold blackness, a night that’s felt
Aloneness, like Leviathan’s fate
Hope has died, now faith removed
Opress’d at the spell of ebony weight

A clock ticks, each second pounds
Calm belies the gathering storm
Haunting memories take on flesh
An apparition now a darkened form

The talon’d grip holds fast and firm
Has grace forgot that ancient pledge?
Can one be lost, cast far away?
Is mercy left for foulest dredge?

Lazarus' stench, alive but dead
Eyes drawn tight from Eden's stain
One word uttered, death has stuttered
Can these graveclothes dance again?

Declare your word, a whisper’d voice
A lightning flash from mercy’s arc
A Cross suspended, a world upended
Begone! that devil of the dark

Darkness mine, now His became
Exchanged brightness for deepest night
Imputation and transformation
Death became the brightest light
-Dan Morse, Dark, 2009

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The Bible portrays the Christian life as a startling contrast to the non-Christian life. New life is radical and pervasive. It leaves no stone unturned. It is as alarming as being born all over again. It is as different as day is from night. It is like a resurrection from the dead. No, it is a resurrection from the dead. It is shocking, alarming, and absolute. The gospel does not come to us to make slight improvements, it comes to make us new. Like Lazarus, without resurrection we always carry with us the odor of death. We are like dead men walking. But when God changes us it is like a transport from death to life, from darkness to light. In this new birth we are made new, a new creation has begun, and old things have passed away.

May God give us a true sense of the radical nature of the new birth and may God let us never settle for anything less.

Pastor Dan

Grieving the Spirit

2009-09-08T23:36:00.000-07:00

'The mark of Jesus is love, costly love, and it does not come naturally or easily.'
- Timothy George and John Woodbridge, The Mark of Jesus, p. 92

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
-Matthew 22:36-40

'We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.'-1 John 3:14

'Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.'
- Ephesians 4:29-32

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

It seems easy to forget the personhood of the Holy Spirit. It is much easier to remember personhood of the other members of the Trinity, but there seems to be a mysteriousness to the Holy Spirit that doesn't as easily lend itself to the definition of personality. That is why I think it is very important to pay attention when we read the biblical references to Trinitarian personality, especially the Holy Spirit. The things that grieve the Spirit are the things that grieve God and vice versa. Lately I've been thinking about those things that grieve the Holy Spirit. How can the immutable God be grieved? In itself this is mysterious. Paul's words to the Ephesians are instructive, but why is this statement in the middle of an excursus about how we treat one another? Astoundingly, according to Paul's comments, grieving the Spirit often happens in our interactions with and about others. He lists them...corrupting talk, unedifying conversation, bitterness, wrath, anger, strife, slander, and malice, and even as I type this I'm convicted. The way we talk with and about others matters. It not only reveals our own heart, it grieves the Holy Spirit. He is the One who has sealed us in Christ for redemption. When we grieve Him by our actions and conversations we are not affirming our redemption, instead, we are living like the unredeemed, like those outside of Christ. The evidences of the Spirit's work and pleasure are conversely demonstrated in kindness, being tenderhearted, and showing forgiveness, because this has been God's redeeming grace demonstrated to us. We most resemble our redeemed nature when these characterize our lives, and we grieve the Spirit when they don't. May God give us much grace to live for His glory and pleasure in our relationships with others, and may grieving the Spirit be kept far from us.

Pastor Dan

Love Matters

2009-09-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”
- C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

‘The church’s manifestation in time of the glories that are yet to come is not accomplished in the gift of tongues, nor even in prophecy, giving, teaching. It is accomplished in love…. The greatest evidence that heaven has invaded our sphere, that the Spirit has been poured out upon us, that we are citizens of a kingdom not yet consummated, is Christian love.’
- D.A. Carson, Showing the Spirit, p. 76

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
- 1 Cor. 13:1-3

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. -1 John 4:21

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

To love, and love well, is not difficult…it is impossible. We may have an inclination of affections or grand feelings of inducements towards others, but to love well must come from outside of ourselves. We cannot love well without example, or without demonstration toward us. To love well is to apprehend, if even in a small way, love demonstrated to us. Luke tells a story in chapter 7 about a woman who loved well. She was a woman with a tarnished reputation...a woman who was known by her great sin. Luke doesn't fill in all of the blanks, but we can safely say that her notoriety was common knowledge. Her transformation from a great sinner to one who loved well was nothing short of miraculous. Simon missed the point, but she got it. She loved well, because she experienced gospel love first hand. Forgiveness came to her...she was loved...and out of love demonstrated to her she then loved well. Mark this my friends, when gospel love apprehends the sinner's heart a transformation takes place. Loving others well is the inevitable by-product of being loved by demonstrated gospel love.

Because of love shown, desiring to love well,

Pastor Dan

If you are interested in thinking more about these things here is something I found helpful http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2008/2686_The_New_Birth_Produces_Love/

Wearing Mercy as a Garment

2009-08-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

'Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?'
- Micah 6:8

'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.'
- Matthew 5:7

'Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.'
- 1 Peter 2:10

'Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.'
- Luke 6:36

'Most of us have not come to grips with the clear directive of Scripture that all Christians must have their own ministries of mercy.'
- Tim Keller, Ministries of Mercy, p. 43

Lead on, O King eternal,
till sin's fierce war shall cease,
and holiness shall whisper
the sweet amen of peace.
For not with swords' loud clashing
or roll of stirring drums
with deeds of love and mercy
the heavenly kingdom comes.
- Lead On O King Eternal, The Psalter Hymnal, verse 2

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Christians, above all others, should be living examples of received mercy. The mercies we display should be reflective of the mercies we've been shown. We were the objects of deserved wrath. We were guilty, vile, helpless, and thoroughgoing enemies of God, but now through Christ we have been shown mercy. And, I dare say for many of us this mercy is scarcely comprehended. Christians who are not merciful are dull and do not understand the mercy they've been shown. We have committed treason of cosmic proportion, and yet God has shown us a treasurehouse of mercy. We deserved wrath…we received mercy. His dealings with His people are merciful, derived from His unfathomable love for Christ and for us in Christ. An awareness of mercy received begets mercy in the one shown it, because, truth be known, we cannot long comprehend God's mercies toward us without it effecting a resembling mercy in our own lives and demonstrated in mercy towards others.

It is our privilege and joy to wear mercy like a garment on display for others to see and experience, because we have been shown great mercy. May this church and all around us be filled with visible demonstrations of mercy received.

Pastor Dan

Loving What Christ Loves

2009-08-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

"Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."
- Revelation 21:9

'The New Testament is clear - to love Christ is to love the church.'
- R. Albert Mohler, preface to Why We Love the Church

'Imagine how much it means to his heart as we, his betrothed bride, look forward to even now to that great wedding day to come, as we look to him in love, and as we live our lives to the praise of his name.'- Richard Phillips, The Church, One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, p. 132

'The church is not an incidental part of God's plan. Jesus didn’t invite people to join an anitreligion, antidoctrine, anti-institutional bandwagon of love, harmony, and reintegration. To be sure, He showed people how to live. But He also called them to repent, called them to faith, called them out of the world, and called them into the church.'- Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck, Why We Love the Church, p. 226

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

It is interesting to see the reaction of some Christians when you mention the church. Often there is an uncomfortable pause or an awkward glance. Love for the church has fallen upon hard times and curiously this is the case among many Christians. I'm under no illusion that the church can be a difficult thing to love at times, however, make no mistake, the church is loved by Christ. And as Christians we must love what Christ loves. Christ loves His betrothed bride. He has given His life for her and He continues to give Himself for her. His love for her is effectual, undiminished, unbreakable, strong, and eternal. To some Christians the church is an embarassment, an unfortunate and outlived appendage of a bygone era. To some the church only impedes true spirituality rather than fostering it. The reality is that true spirituality comes out of life within the church. The church is demonstrably loved by Christ. She may not be beautiful in the eyes of many, but for Christ He only has eyes for her.

May we truly love what Christ loves.

Pastor Dan

Union with Christ Reprise

2009-08-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

'My beloved is mine, and I am his….'
-Song of Solomon 2:16

'"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.'
- Ephesians 5:31-32

What is that union which the elect have with Christ?
A. The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.
- Westminster Larger Catechism Q and A 66

'He who is not in Christ is not a Christian.'
-Saint Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John,
quoted in Life in Christ by Mark Garcia, p. 56

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

These things have been running around in my mind for months now and I can scarcely take it in...all those who profess saving faith in Jesus Christ have been irrevocably joined to Him. Christ has become our Living Head and Husband, to the degree that union with Christ is the reality and marriage is a reflection of the reality. The saving work of Christ joins the believer to Him by faith and the two are inseparably linked. Christ's life becomes our life. Christ's death becomes our death. Christ's resurrection becomes our resurrection. Every imaginable satisfaction for us has been found and supplied in Christ. There is no lack to be supplied by our pitiable efforts. His salvation is full, free, complete, and cannot be improved upon. His mercy to us is superabundant. We have been given untold riches in and through Christ.

There are depths of grace yet unfathomed. We have been joined to Christ.

Pastor Dan

Necessary Weakness

2009-08-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
-1 Corinthians 12:22-26

“Within the body which is one, there is true diversity – a multiplicity of function which is necessary to its being a real body (1 Cor. 12:17-20). Each member with his particular function is necessary to the other member for the good of the body as a whole (vv. 17-21).”- P.T. O’Brien, The Church in the Bible and the World, p. 106

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

It has been said that a nation’s character can be assessed by the way it treats its weakest citizens. If that can be said for nations it is especially true for the church. How we relate to those who are weak is a reflection upon our maturity in Christian graces and the degree to which we understand the grace of God and the body of Christ. Christ’s body has weak members. When Paul addressed the Corinthians we are not sure what the weaker members looked like. They may have been those who were boisterous and unrestrained in their charismatic gifting. We do know, however, that their weakness was apparent and looked upon with a certain degree of disdain. We also know that they were indispensable. They were less ‘presentable’ but necessary. There was a tendency to keep them hidden and obscure and not to honor them as necessary and functionally important parts of the body. We tend to denigrate and disregard those who are different than us. So often, weakness is minimized and dishonored. If only the weak would get with the program, then we would have a strong church. Whatever the weakness, these people are a necessary part of the church, both generally and particularly. Christ Our Redeemer Church needs those who are weak to function properly. They have a vital part to play in our make up as a body. They are no less important than the strong and we must honor them as vital to the functioning of the body.

May God give us great grace to function together as both weak and strong in Christ’s body.

Pastor Dan

Sanctus Spiritus

2009-07-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

'For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.'
- Romans 6:14

I. They, who are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them: the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified; and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
II. This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence arises a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
III. In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome; and so, the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 13

'An all-important consideration derived from the priority of calling and regeneration is that sin is dethroned in every person who is effectually called and regenerated. Calling unites to Christ (1 Cor. 1:9), and if the person is truly united to Christ he is united to him in the virtue of his death and the power of his resurrection; he is dead to sin, the old man has been crucified, the body of sin has been destroyed, sin does not have dominion (Romans 6:2-6,14).'
-John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, pp. 141-142

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

There is great hope for us. The same God who has called us from the darkness of sin, unbelief, and rebellion has sent His Spirit to us to deliver us from the domain of sin. In Christ's redemptive work the Holy Spirit has begun the sure and systematic dethronement of sin. Because of the death and resurrection of Christ sin is no longer the predominant and prevailing force in our lives. At times it may seem like it, but this is not the case. The effectual application of Christ's work through the Spirit guarantees that there is a new power at work in us. We have been called by Christ and to Christ and connected to our calling is the sending of the Spirit to us to sanctify us, really and personally. God has definitively cleansed us once and for all, and yet He continually cleanses us, washing away the daily pollutions from sin. He has sanctified us and He is sanctifying us. He is changing us to more resemble Himself, holy and undefiled. This is His work in us. The Holy Spirit is our sure sanctifier. This gives me great hope.

I'm really and truly grateful for the Spirit as our sanctifier,

Pastor Dan

The Importance of Being Earnest

2009-07-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

'And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."'
-Matthew 22:35-40

“This side of heaven, we must resist defining spirituality as anything other than a deep devotion to Christ, the fruit of which is a lifestyle of daily worship of him and active service in his kingdom. We must be keenly aware of the covert danger of a Christless Christianity which passes itself off as something it is not, and in so doing, has the power to deceive and derail many. Christless Christianity gives false assurance of salvation, and when those who possess it “go out from us,” (1 John 2:19) it can fill true believers with doubt and confusion.”
-Paul David Tripp, Broken Down House, p. 89

"As for those who can belong to the church, we can recognize them by the distinguishing marks of Christians: namely by faith, and by their fleeing from sin and pursuing righteousness, once they have received the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. They love the true God and their neighbors, without turning to the right or left, and they crucify the flesh and its works."
- The Belgic Confession, Article 29, The Marks of the True Church

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The telltale indications of the transforming grace of God in the heart of the Christian is that there is a genuine and earnest heart-love for God and genuine and earnest heart-love for one another. The sure work of the Spirit targets the destruction of the pervasive alientation we have with God and one another. In the redemptive work of Christ we are given new affections for God and new affections for one another. In the incomprehensible glory of the gospel those vital relationships, once obliterated by sin, are being restored, really and truly, and not just theoretically. God inclines our hearts toward Him in love. Once enemies, He counts us now as friends and opens our eyes to see His all-emcompasing loveliness. We now love Him earnestly from redeemed and pure affections. The same is true for our brothers and sisters. Where at one time alienation existed, we have been brought under the same banner of love together. Our affections for one another become transformed by the grace of God in the gospel. The wall of alienation has been broken down, and now we begin to love one another earnestly as well.

Life in the church will always be efforts directed at fostering growth for these new affections. May God give us grace to pursue them earnestly.

Pastor Dan

Wanted - Muscular Faith

2009-07-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Wanted - Muscular Faith

'For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated- of whom the world was not worthy- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.'

-Hebrews 11:32-38

'He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."'

- Matthew 17:20

'Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.'

-William Carey

'You do not have, because you do not ask.'

-James 4:2

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I love my friend Art Azurdia’s plea for muscular faith. I find this term resonating in my mind as I think of what often is described as passable Christianity. Some faith brings to mind milk-toast tenuousness rather than iron-grip tenacity. When I read in Hebrews 11 the extent to which believers have gone to in the trust and expectation of God's promises I find myself yearning to be stretched by a faith that believes God, not for status quo, but for genuine trust and hope in the things He has promised. Running, wrestling, fighting, and boxing are all metaphors for the Christian faith. Faith, many times, looks like hope-filled exhaustion. Unmistakably, there is nothing to be added to our salvation, however, half-hearted and tepid faith is not true faith. Faith is proven and tested in the crucible of life, and God's desire is that we trust Him implicitly. If you find your faith is weak and floundering Christ can make it muscular and strong. Implore Him to stretch you to believe the things He has promised. He will receive much glory in this and He will be faithful to answer our desire for muscular faith.

Asking God for muscular faith,

Pastor Dan

Father Abraham

2009-07-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

'...and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"- and he was called a friend of God.'
-James 2:23

'Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.'
-Hebrews 11:1-2

"Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."
-John 8:56

Sarah, take me by my arm
Tomorrow we are Canaan bound
Where westward sails the golden sun
And Hebron's hills are amber crowned

So bid your troubled heart be still
The grass, they say, is soft and green
The trees are tall and honey-filled
So, Sarah, come and walk with me

Like the stars across the heavens flung
Like water in the desert sprung
Like the grains of sand, our many sons
Oh, Sarah, fair and barren one
Come to Canaan, come

I trembled at the voice of God
A voice of love and thunder deep
With love He means to save us all
And Love has chosen you and me

Long after we are dead and gone
A thousand years our tale be sung
How faith compelled and bore us on
How barren Sarah bore a son
So come to Canaan, come

Where westward sails the golden sun
And Hebron's hills are amber crowned
Oh, Sarah, take me by my arm
Tomorrow we are Canaan bound
-Andrew Peterson, Canaan Bound from the album, Love and Thunder

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Imagine the life of Abraham. Born into a pagan home. He began married life with a barren wife and every indication was that he would have no son to carry on his name. His answer was to take matters into his own hands. Perhaps you remember that little episode with Hagar? The fact of the matter is that Abraham was no stellar example. He stumbled in many ways. The difference was God's call to him. His faith wavered at times, but Abraham trusted in the unwavering character of God. Even in his weakness and failure he receives the monicker, 'friend of God'. We still talk about Abraham, because we're a lot like him. On our best days we fail miserably, but our hope is in our unwavering God. As the sons and daughters of Abraham we believe God, not we believe in God. Our hope is in the God who makes the barren conceive, who raises the dead, and who makes the foulest clean. We believe God. We believe that Christ was end of Abraham's belief, and that Christ is the end of our belief. Abraham saw dimly, we see with clarity. In Ian Duguid's words, '…we live, like Abraham, by faith - the faith of those who know that the light at the end of the tunnel is the welcoming presence of Jesus, leading us on to our new home.' (The Gospel According to the Old Testament, p. 160) In this life we'll stumble in in many ways, but our hope is not in ourselves, our hope is in the God of Abraham.

Rejoicing with Abraham to see Christ's day,

Pastor Dan

The Church in the Wilderness

2009-07-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

John Calvin - Mentor and Friend

2009-06-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

'As the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads. Let this, then, be the first step, to abandon ourselves, and devote the whole energy of our minds to the service of God. By service, I mean not only that which consists in verbal obedience, but that by which the mind, divested of its own carnal feelings, implicitly obeys the call of the Spirit of God.'
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.7.1

'I call 'piety' that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces. For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him - they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless the establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him.'
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.2.1

'It is enough that I live and die for Christ, who is to all his followers a gain both in life and death.'
- John Calvin in a letter to Guillaume Farel on May 2nd, 1564 only a few weeks before his death

I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,

My only trust and Savior of my heart,

Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;

I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.

Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,

Reigning omnipotent in every place;

So come, O King, and our whole being sway;

Shine on us with the light of Thy pure day.

Thou art the life, by which alone we live,

And all our substance and our strength receive;

Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,

And give us strength in every trying hour.

Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,

No harshness hast Thou and no bitterness;

O grant to us the grace we find in Thee,

That we may dwell in perfect unity.

Our hope is in no other save in Thee;

Our faith is built upon Thy promise free;

Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,

That in Thy strength we evermore endure.

- John Calvin, I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art, c.1545, The Genevan Psalter

-----------------------------------

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

In less than two weeks, on July 10, 2009, the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin will be celebrated. I am one who will celebrate by thanking God for the gift of John Calvin. He has been a spiritual mentor to me. Over the years I have gleaned from his pastoral wisdom, learned from his exegetical insight, been warmed by his passion for Christ, and been astounded by his grasp of all things theological. He was an astounding gift to the church. His caricatures have not been fair. He has been maligned and despised in some quarters, but often these mis-judgements have been made by those who haven't taken the time to get to know him. If you'd like a sample of John Calvin may I suggest The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life found here, http://www.monergismbooks.com/Golden-Booklet-of-the-True-Christian-Life-p-18184.html. This classic will introduce you to the man and his devotion to Christ. If you've never read it I don't think I can commend it highly enough. As Protestants we owe an incredible debt to this man. As a Christian and as a pastor I owe an incredible debt to this man.

I am grateful to God for the men and women who have gone before us and upon whose shoulders we stand upon. I consider John Calvin a dear friend and mentor I've never met.

Pastor Dan

Extending and Receiving Forgiveness

2009-06-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

'Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.'
- Psalm 103:1-5

'Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.'
- Colossians 3:12-13

'And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.'
- Ephesians 4:30-32

'…men who love one another kindly and courteously forgive one another, and hence it happens that they willingly bury each other's vices, and each one seeks to preserve the honor of the other…. Who is there who has not many faults? Therefore all stand in need of forgiveness, and there is no one who does not wish to be forgiven.'
- John Calvin, Commentary on 1 Peter 4:8

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.
- Robert Robinson, Come Thou Fount, verse 5

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I need forgiveness. I need to know my many sins have been, and continue to be, covered by Another. Surely, if someone kept a record of my transgressions I would sink under the weight of them. There isn't a day that goes by when I am not acutely aware of transgression in thought, word and deed. And even now, as I look back over 50 plus years, I see the need for forgiveness by others as well. I have broken trust and broken promises. I have mislead. I have not spoken the truth. I have spoken harshly. I have not extended grace. I have judged uncharitably. I have kept a record of wrongs. I have thought unloving thoughts. I have not shown mercy. I have not defended others when I should have. I need thoroughgoing forgiveness, both by God through Christ, and by others. I need to know my many transgressions have been borne by Another.

Over the past couple of weeks God has graciously and kindly brought brothers back into my life that have extended forgiveness to me. They had every right to relegate me to another list than friend, but having experienced the forgiveness found in the gospel of Christ they graciously have extended forgiveness to me. I love Calvin's words, '…men who love one another kindly and courteously forgive one another, and hence it happens that they willingly bury each other's vices, and each one seeks to preserve the honor of the other.' These men have buried my vices...willingly. They have undeservedly preserved my honor. The effectual and operative grace of God in the life of the Christian enables us to extend genuine forgiveness and grace, because this is the character of God. In the life of the church there is abundant opportunity for offense. You will be offended and you will offend, but the Spirit of God gives us the grace and ability to forgive. Trust me, I know this first hand. We all need it.

Grateful for brothers and sisters in the community of forgiveness,

Pastor Dan

Shame, Nakedness, and Being Clothed by Another

2009-06-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

"I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."
-Adam to God in Genesis 3:10

“And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”
-Genesis 3:21

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
-Hebrews 4:13
-
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!".
–Revelation 7:9-10

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

We all have a problem. We know it, others know it, and most importantly God knows it. The problem is nakedness. Ever since the Fall we have been on a dead run, lest our nakedness be exposed. Our answer is fear, running, and hiding. God’s answer is to arrest us mid-stride, show us our nakedness, and then provide clothing for us. Even going back to the Garden, and on the cusp of man’s betrayal, God provided clothing for man. To cover man’s nakedness blood had to be shed. From the beginning God’s initiative was seek to man on the run, reconcile alienated man to Himself by the shedding of blood, and cover man’s nakedness in garments He provided. This has been done gloriously for us in the gospel. The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke19:10). God provided reconciliation to sinners by the shedding of blood of His Son (Hebrews 9:22-28). And, God has clothed the sinner’s nakedness with the righteousness of His Son (Romans 4:7). What makes the gospel good news is the knowledge that this is God’s doing. He has pursued us when we were running the opposite direction. He will accomplish what he has begun. He has taken away our nakedness and shame. He has clothed us with unspotted righteousness. And, He has reconciled us to Himself. What was lost in a garden was restored on a desolate Cross.

Grateful to be dressed in the righteousness of Another,

Pastor Dan

Charitable Judgments

2009-05-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.’
-Proverbs 18:21

"Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.’
- Matthew 7:1-5

‘For we all stumble in many ways….’
- James 3:2

‘If we are not loving our neighbors in the normal course of things, how will we ever do it when the stakes are much, much higher?’
- Paul David Tripp, War of Words, p. 166

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

I’ve seen relationships destroyed because ill thoughts had been harbored from one party toward another. I have jeopardized and lost friendships because of my lack of love and my lack of genial deference toward others. The fact of the matter is that we are sinfully hard-wired to be suspicious and disparaging. More often than not our first thought is not charity, especially for those who are different from us. The corrosive effects of uncharitable judgments are like battery acid to the soul. They eat away at the most tender parts first and then form a callous all around. Soon our thoughts and then our speech become poison both for us and for others. It seems as if there is no escaping it. At points we may think we have a handle on it and then out of nowhere, there it is…an unkind word, an off-handed comment, or a tidbit of gossip. Truth be known we have no inherent power to change. We have no humanly possible remedy for uncharitable judgments. The war against these sinful habits must come from outside us. Thankfully, God has spoken a charitable judgment over us, but this not before he pronounced a severe judgment upon His Son. Christ died as a penalty for our uncharitable judgments. He received the just judgment of God due us and now He pronounces, not judgment, but benediction upon us. And in His benediction upon us He not only calls us to charitable judgments, but He gives us the power to make them for others.

Because of Christ I desire to make all judgments charitable judgments.

Pastor Dan

Abiding and Fruit-bearing

2009-05-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
-John 15:4-5

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
- John 15:8

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Over the last several months we’ve planted a number of trees (both fruit and evergreen}, and a number of blueberries, and in recent weeks a small garden. Each is doing well. The fruit trees have new leaves and blossoms on them. The evergreens have doubled in size and have tufts of new growth at the ends of the branches. The blueberries have new small blossoms. And the garden is now taking off with new growth from planted seeds. Each plant is part of the whole and to remove any parts of these plants from their source is to invite death. A branch can neither grow nor bear fruit by itself. A branch by itself will not only not bear fruit, a branch by itself will die. Living in vital and vibrant union with Christ will bring fruit. The Christian faith is built upon a relationship. That relationship has been won by Christ in His redeeming work for His people, but it looks like a relationship nonetheless. In the gospel God has restored, even surpassed, what was lost in another garden. It was in this first garden that sin brought misery and separation. Man wanted autonomy and aloneness. The vine and branches seemed irreparably severed, but God, the great Gardner, has restored what no man ever could. The vine and branches are once again joined and it is here that relationship and the fruit-bearing of being joined again to Christ exist and blossom and grow. Fruit-bearing is proof that we are connected to Him and we belong to Him. A vibrant relationship with Christ brings fruitfulness in our lives. Fruit-bearing demonstrates we are connected to the life-giving vine. In bearing fruit we prove to belong to Him as His disciples.

Desiring new growth and an abundance of fruit with you,

Pastor Dan

Redemptive Proclamation

2009-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

‘I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.’
-Genesis 9:11-13

‘So Moses went down to the people and told them. And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’
- Exodus 19:25-20:2

‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
- Luke 3:1-6

‘For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
- Romans 10:13-15

‘The first and greatest work of ministers of of Christ is acquainting men with the God who made them; He is the source of their blessing. We should open up the treasures of His goodness for them and tell them of the glory that is in His presence, a glory that His chosen people shall enjoy.’
- Richard Baxter, quoted in Preach the Word, p. 127

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Surrounding the redemptive events found in Scripture there is proclamation. Either before, after, or both, God helps us by interpreting the redemptive event through human means. Noah, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, Matthew, Mark, Luke John, Peter, and Paul were all ‘proclaimers’ of redemptive events. God graciously brings redemption and then interprets it for us so that we may understand. One of the great gifts God gives to the church is that of interpretation and proclamation. We are the recipients of good news proclaimed. God has provided redemption for us and His desire is that we hear the good news about it. Week after week we have the privilege of hearing the proclamation of redemption. God has reconciled us to Himself through the redemptive work of His Son and His ‘proclaimers’ bring us this news. We bear witness, by our hearing and assent, to God’s great plan of redemption.

May we have ears to hear and hearts to believe the redemption proclaimed.

Pastor Dan

The Primacy of Christ

2009-04-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
- 1 Cor. 2:1-2

“The church in America will have to learn what it means to mourn before it can dance. Sticking to the story, fixing our eyes on Christ – even if it means distracting us from what we have diagnosed as our real issues – is the kindest thing a pastor can do for a congregation, the most precious gift we can receive and pass on to our neighbors, and the most relevant mission on earth.”
- Michael Horton, Christless Christianity, p. 259

“We have a God who is capable of self-sacrifice for us. It was although he was in the form of God, that Jesus Christ did not consider his being on an equality with God so precious a possession that he could not lay it aside, but rather made no account of himself. It was our God who so loved us that he gave himself for us. Now, herein is a wonderful thing.
- B.B. Warfield, quoted by Carl Trueman in The Wages of Spin, p. 127

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Whatever is said of us may it never be said that we were deficient in being Christ-centered. Of anyone, we have the most incredible story to tell. I fear, though, at times we live as if the good news found in Christ is a modest proposal, rather than the singular grand message in all of creation. Reconciliation to God through the person of Christ makes all other news anemic, but I’m afraid much of the time we treat it as yesterday’s headlines. This news alone has the power to save. This person alone has the prerogative and authority to forgive. Our many transgressions are against Him and it is He alone that brings forgiveness at great cost to Himself. In Warfield’s words, ‘It was our God who so loved us that he gave himself for us. Now, herein is a wonderful thing.’ Our priority and primacy is Christ. We must keep our eyes fixed upon Him. He must capture our gaze. It is this beatific vision that will change us and in turn provide impetus for sharing that same gospel that will change our family, neighbors, and friends. May we resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Desiring the primacy of Christ with you,

Pastor Dan

Union with Christ

2009-04-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

‘But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.’
- Ephesians 2:4-7

‘What is that union which the elect have with Christ? A. The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.’
– The Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 66

‘Union with Christ is, in fact, the foundation of all the blessings of salvation. Justification, sanctification, adoption, and glorification are all received through our being united with Christ.’
- Robert Letham, quoted in, He Who Gives Life, p. 217

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

If you are a Christian you have been ‘spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably’ joined to Christ. Christ’s life has become your life, Christ’s death has become your death, and Christ’s resurrection has become your resurrection. Because they are His they become yours. He freely and graciously gives them to you and they cannot be taken away. Think of this…every spiritual blessing imaginable has become yours and they cannot be removed. Because He has been raised He has raised us. This is His work of grace in you and for you, and if you are a Christian this can never be removed. There is no danger of Christ changing His mind. There are no worries about God rescinding His adoption of us at a future date. The security and bond with which He holds believers secure is the placement of Christians in inseparable union with Him. In our frequent sin and vacillation we need an unchanging Savior that holds us secure. We need a Savior whose Cross was sufficient for all of our sin and a Redeemer whose Resurrection was full of power to save. In Christ we have found both and He has made us glad and thankful participants in His life by joining us to Him. He has loved us and demonstrated that love to us by an unbreakable bond which He has secured for us forever. Amazingly, we are really and inseparably united to Him.

Stunned by the immeasurable ramifications of our union with Christ,

Pastor Dan

The Post-Resurrection Great Commission

2009-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
- Matthew 28:18-20

“Christ’s triumph, then, will be the triumph of evangelism.”
- R.B. Kuiper, God-Centered Evangelism, p. 241

“Jesus Christ is the ‘missionary’ par excellence: the basic and foundational mission is his. He has been sent by the Father to effect forgiveness and salvation, especially through his death and resurrection, and then to announce it to Jews and Gentiles alike. In fulfillment of the Servant’s role his task is to bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.”
- Kostenberger and O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, p. 269

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Last week we celebrated Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. In these two events lies the good news of the gospel. Christ has ransomed sinners for Himself through His own blood on the Cross and He was raised for the sinner’s justification in God bringing Him back to life. At the Resurrection all authority was granted to the risen and ascended Lord and it’s in this authority that mission can move forward. We have no other authority by which we can evangelize or advance the gospel forward than that which has been given by the resurrected and ascended Christ. Everything the church does is to be grounded in Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, because it is here where authority has been given and here that authority is derived. This gives us hope in evangelistic advance, such as the making of disciples, in teaching, and in baptizing, therefore, we have hope that our efforts will not be in vain. The resurrected and ascended Lord is our source and power. We mustn’t preach the gospel without the power of the resurrection. We cannot have the one without the other. The Cross alone is forgiveness without effectual power and the Resurrection alone is power without forgiveness for sins. In our mind they must be inseparable as we carry on our evangelistic efforts. Christ’s triumph is the triumph of evangelism.

I’m grateful for the Great Commission that is grounded in the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ,

Pastor Dan

Cross Centered v. Gospel Centered

2009-04-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

"Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.”
- Acts 2:29-32

‘For seeing that in the cross, death and burial of Christ, nothing but weakness appears, faith must go beyond all these…because, as he, by rising again, became victorious over death, so the victory of our faith consists only in his resurrection.’
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, II:16

‘Even today a dead Christ is easier to come to terms with than a living Lord.’
-Paul Beasley-Murray, The Message of the Resurrection, p. 26

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

It may be theological shorthand but it’s a subtle and important difference. To be cross-centered alone is to miss something very important. To be gospel-centered is to be all-inclusive. When Paul talks about the gospel having ‘first importance’ in 1 Cor. 15 both the death of Christ and His resurrection are included. Understand this - a crucified Savior alone cannot save us. However, a crucified Savior raised again by God for our justification can and does save us. These are very important distinctions because the Resurrection sets the trajectory for everything that follows the Crucifixion. The second Adam has come and the new creation has begun, but only because the God-man has died in the sinner’s stead and has risen again. He has done what no ordinary man could do. His victory over sin and His future reign has begun now because He has risen. We have our sins atoned for in the Cross, but we have the completion of our salvation in justification, hope, power, and new and eternal life because of the Resurrection. Because of the Resurrection every enemy has been defeated, and not just my sin, but everything and everyone that raises opposition to God. Rejoicing in a crucified Savior is misinformed worship, but rejoicing in a crucified and risen Savior is to celebrate the superlative glory of the gospel. Rejoicing in the Resurrected Savior is to rejoice in the ascended and reigning King. Revelation 5 pictures the saints forever worshiping the Lamb who was slain, but who now lives forevermore. The Lamb was slain for us, but God raised Him up for our salvation. The risen Lamb will be the object of our worship forever. He has risen. He has risen indeed.

Thanking God for the power and glory of the resurrection.

Pastor Dan

The Pastor as Theologian

2009-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

(Jesus asked Peter), "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
- John 21:17

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
- Acts 20:28-30

“Every pastor is called to be a theologian. This may come as a surprise to those pastors who see theology as an academic discipline taken during seminary rather than as an ongoing and central part of the pastoral calling. Nevertheless, the health of the church depends upon its pastors functioning as faithful theologians – teaching, preaching, defending, and applying the great doctrines of the faith.”
- Al Mohler, He is Not Silent, p. 105

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Last night I made the mistake of lingering on cable religious programming, and this more out of curiosity than anything. It wasn't pretty. One program seemed to be all sunshine and butterfies with its ‘pastor’ preaching a prosperity message, and the other was a long and impassioned appeal for money by an evangelist, suggesting that there was a blessing in the making if you’d only send him money. One only has to make a cursory view of both the Old and New Testaments to see the low regard God holds for religious leaders that take their role lightly and lead His people astray. Truth be known…it’s a frightening prospect and one that causes me to tremble. The pastor is called to faithful shepherding, which means he must understand the Scriptures and care for the flock in a manner that reflects the care and love of Christ. The pastor must guard, protect, lead, instruct and defend the flock, essentially in his tasks emulating the Great Shepherd, because the day will come when the pastor’s faithful shepherding and his adherence and faithfulness to proclaim the gospel message will be judged. The pastor must know what God’s word teaches and he must instruct faithfully. He must be a theologian. Really, all pastors are theologians. It’s just that there are good ones and there are bad ones. It’s a frightening prospect, but the health of Christ Our Redeemer depends upon my faithfulness as a theologian. May God give much needed grace.

Trembling in the pastoral task,

Pastor Dan

The Great Equalizer

2009-03-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
- George Orwell, Animal Farm

"To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:"
-2 Peter 1:1

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."
-Romans 3:21-23

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
- Galatians 3:28-29

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,
At the end of the day you and I are no different from one another. In the Christian faith there are no Christians more equal than others. The gospel speaks to us as the great equalizer. On the one hand it shows us all our desperate need of the gospel as a result of our own incited rebellion against God and in our federal representation in Adam, and on the other hand the gospel calls attention to the all-encompassing sufficiency of Christ's substitutionary death for every sinner. The problem is the same and the remedy is the same. We all have sinned, we have all fallen woefully short. There is no room for arrogance or boasting amongst us. There is no room for looking down our noses on our brothers and sisters. There is no room for condescension. There is much room for humility and preference for one another. We're all in the same predicament and understanding our own great need of Christ and His gracious provision for us will go a long way in how we treat one another and prefer one another. The temptation is to draw lines, make comparisons, point out deficiencies, and excuse our own shortcomings. The gospel speaks to our need and to Christ's satisfaction. What initially appears to be differences in race, gender, social standing, et al, are really unimportant. In our greatest need we are truly no different from one another. Seeing this and believing it will change us. We are no different from one another; we are heirs together of the same promise.

Equally in need and equally justified with you,

Pastor Dan

Art Azurdia on Worship and John Piper on Gospel Expansion in Our Families

2009-03-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

Dear COR Family and Friends,

Today at The Spurgeon Fellowship at Western Seminary our friend Art Azurdia gave a two-part message on worship from Revelation 4 and 5. I want to commend these great messages to you. They can be heard here http://www.thespurgeonfellowship.org/meetings/media.htm . These will change your perspective on worship.

Also, on today's Desiring God blog John Piper gives wisdom for families....

Never Let the Gospel Get Smaller
Posted: 16 Mar 2009 11:42 PM PDT
(Author: John Piper)

Here is a simple exhortation that I have been trying to implement in our family:
Seek to see and feel the gospel as bigger as years go by rather than smaller.

Our temptation is to think that the gospel is for beginners and then we go on to greater things. But the real challenge is to see the gospel as the greatest thing—and getting greater all the time.

The Gospel gets bigger when, in your heart,
grace gets bigger;
Christ gets greater;
his death gets more wonderful;
his resurrection gets more astonishing;
the work of the Spirit gets mightier;
the power of the gospel gets more pervasive;
its global extent gets wider;
your own sin gets uglier;
the devil gets more evil;
the gospel's roots in eternity go deeper;
its connections with everything in the Bible and in the world get stronger;
and the magnitude of its celebration in eternity gets louder.
So keep this in mind: Never let the gospel get smaller in your heart.

Pray that it won't. Read solid books on it. Sing about it. Tell someone about it who is ignorant or unsure about it.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel.... For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Copyright 2009 Desiring God,

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1687_Never_Let_the_Gospel_Get_Smaller/

Desiring to make the gospel larger in our families,

Pastor Dan

Militant Ministry

2009-03-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him."
- 2 Timothy 2:3-4

"And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?"
- 1 Corinthians 14:8

"The Church in the present dispensation is a militant Church, that is, she is called unto, and is actually engaged in, a holy warfare. This does not mean that she must spend her strength in self-destroying internecine struggles, but that she is duty bound to carry on an incessant warfare against the hostile world in every form in which it reveals itself, whether in the Church or outside of it, and against all the spiritual forces of darkness. The church may not spend all her time in prayer and meditation, however necessary and important these may be, nor may she rest her oars in the peaceful enjoyment of her spiritual heritage. She must be engaged with all her might in the battles of her Lord, fighting in a war that is both offensive and defensive."
- Louis Berkof, Systematic Theology, p. 565

Lead on, O King eternal,the day of march has come;

henceforth in fields of conquest, thy tents shall be our home:

through days of preparation

thy grace has made us strong,

and now, O King eternal,we lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal, till sin's fierce war shall cease,

and holiness shall whisper the sweet Amen of peace;

for not with swords loud clashing,

nor roll of stirring drums,

but deeds of love and mercy,the heavenly kingdom comes.

Lead on, O King eternal: we follow not, not with fears;

for gladness breaks like morning

where'er thy face appears.

Thy cross is lifted o'er us; we journey in its light:

the crown awaits the conquest; lead on, O God of might!

-Lead on O King Eternal, Ernest W. Shurtleff, 1888

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

One of the phrases handed to us by our predecessors in the faith describes the Body of Christ as the 'church militant'. Far from being descriptive of the church as a belligerent combatant, this term simply means the church marches to an entirely different set of orders and submits to a different Commanding Officer than the rest of the world. As she engages the battle the church must look and act different than the world around her. She gets her directives from the reigning King. The church cannot be a passive observer of culture or remain indifferent to battles within her walls. Whether we like it or not God has called us to engage in offensive and defensive warfare both inside and outside of the church. We are the church militant and God has called us to faithful engagement. As good soldiers we must ask what will our roles will be in the church militant.

Serving as a soldier together with you,

Pastor Dan

Thankfulness Becomes Us

2009-03-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
-Psalm 106:1

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
- Colossians 3:16

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
- Revelation 7:9-12

“Praising God is one of the highest and purest acts of religion. In prayer we act like men; in praise we act like angels.”
-Thomas Watson, A Puritan Golden Treasury

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

What is it that sets us apart from other sentient beings? Apart from the obvious, some have said that only man has the capability to think God’s thoughts after Him. I’m also of the opinion that intentional thankfulness separates us from brute beasts. We are those who declare gratitude to God for His manifold kindness. We contemplate God’s mercies and then verbalize thankfulness. The character of the Christian is one of pervasive and effusive gratitude. We simply cannot help it. In the great work of the gospel thankfulness is a work of the Spirit of God in the heart of the Christian. In fact, an unthankful Christian is a contradiction in terms. Our thankfulness is to be shared with others and is to be infectious, as Christ’s word dwells within us. Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians is this, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7) Receiving Christ and walking in him, rooted and established in the faith, is to provoke us to great thanksgiving. In a world where thankfulness is often a rarity, for the Christian thankfulness becomes us.

Thankful for Christ-directed thankfulness,

Pastor Dan

The Indicative/Imperative and Gospel Change

2009-02-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
- John 10:27

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
- Philippians 2:12,13

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
- Colossians 3:1-3

“All my hope is naught save in Thy great mercy. Grant what Thou dost command and command what Thou wilt.”
- Augustine, Confessions, Book 10:XXIX

“Therefore, just as Adam did not die for himself alone, but for us all, so it follows that Christ, who is the antitype, did not rise merely for Himself. For He came to restore everything which had been brought to ruin in Adam…. The cause of death is Adam, and we die in him; therefore Christ, whose function it is to restore what we have lost in Adam, is the cause for life in us.”
- John Calvin, quoted in Calvin and the Atonement by Robert Peterson, pp. 61, 62

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

If you’ve ever experienced the gnawing low-grade discouragement of besetting sin you may have asked the question, ‘Will I ever change?’ Or you may have wondered if there is any hope for the nagging patterns of sin in your spouse, friends or children. The power for real and lasting change is resident in the objective reality of the person and work of Christ. Let me say it a different way - real and lasting victory over sin is achieved only through trust in Christ’s objective victory over sin. Christ achieved real victory over real sin. The frequent encouragement in Scripture is towards certain behavior, but that behavioral change is always rooted in the person and work of Christ in His real, historical, objective, and effective victory over sin. Theologians have called this the indicative (that which is objectively true) and the imperative (that moral action which God requires). The imperative of gospel behavior is rooted in the indicative of gospel truth. God declares something so based upon His righteous action, and right behavior is a moral action based upon this declaration and action of God. In other words, what God has accomplished in an historical event and has declared to be so is the impetus of my obedience. I work out my salvation because God has already worked and not vice versa. This gives true hope for gospel change.

Thanking God today for His indicative that enables His imperative,

Pastor Dan

Christ's Active Obedience and Bread Truck Mondays

2009-02-17T11:30:00.001-08:00

“For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.”
- Romans 5:19

“What is justification? A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.”
- Westminster Shorter Catechism 1:33

“(Christ’s) Obedience, therefore, is not something that may be construed of artificially or abstractedly. It is obedience that enlisted all the resources of his perfect humanity, obedience that resided in his person, and obedience of which he is ever the perfect embodiment. It is obedience that finds it permanent efficacy and virtue in him. And we become the beneficiaries of it, indeed partakers of it, by union with him.”
-John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, p. 24

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

Last year at a conference pastor Mark Driscoll referred to some of his Mondays as ‘bread-truck Mondays.’ He and his wife coined this phrase to describe those funk-filled Mondays that followed a full Sunday and the oft-times inevitable post-Sunday let-down. For a pastor Mondays can be a day of critical self-evaluation and second-guessing. For Driscoll these were the Mondays when he felt like driving a bread truck. Here he could turn on sports radio and mindlessly deliver loaves of bread throughout downtown Seattle. Oftentimes the pastor is his own worst enemy. There is a realization of not doing or not saying everything he should have. There can be a sense of overwhelming inadequacy in the task. Smarter men than me have coined the phrase ‘Christ’s active obedience.’ This is simply theological shorthand for describing the continual, conscious, unfettered, compliant, glad, and actual obedience of Christ at all times to the will of God. There was never a time when Christ did not obey the Father. One of the wonderful aspects of our salvation is the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us. Christ’s righteousness in His active obedience to the Father has become my righteousness. In my trust in Christ His continual, conscious, unfettered, compliant glad and actual obedience have become mine. In Him there was never any want of conformity to, or transgression of, the Law of God (Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 14). Understanding the imputation of Christ’s righteousness will help us when we fall woefully short. To consider that Christ has fulfilled all righteousness for me is my only hope on bread-truck Mondays.

Thanking God for the imputation of Christ’s righteousness in His active obedience,

Pastor Dan

Christ's Altogether Loveliness

2009-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

“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.”
- Philippians 4:8

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God….”
- 1 Peter 3:18a

“He is altogether lovely in his birth and incarnation. He is altogether lovely in the whole of his life, in his holiness and his obedience, which in the depths of poverty and persecution he showed by doing good, receiving evil, blessing others, and being cursed all his days. He is altogether lovely in his death, especially to sinners. He was even more glorious and desirable than when he was taken down from the cross, broken and lifeless. He carried all our sins to a land of forgetfulness. He made peace and reconciliation for us. He procured life and immortality for us. He is altogether lovely in his work, in his great undertaking to be the Mediator between God and man, to glorify God’s justice, to save our souls, to bring us to the enjoyment of God who were at such an infinite distance from him by reason of our sin. He is altogether lovely in the glory and majesty with which he was crowned. Now he is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. Though he is terrible to his enemies, yet he is full of mercy, love and compassion to all his loved ones. He is altogether lovely in all those graces that he pours out to people by the Holy Spirit. He is altogether lovely in all the tender care, power, and wisdom by which he protects, safeguards, and delivers his church and people in the midst of oppositions and persecutions to which they are exposed.”
- John Owen, Communion with God, p. 76

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

When we think of Christ we don’t likely think of Him as lovely. John Owen is one of my favorite Christian pastor/writers, and although separated by hundreds of years I find he speaks to me like a contemporary counselor. Owen’s affection for and description of Jesus Christ draws desire for Christ from me. One cannot long read Owen unmoved and in this way he is much like Jonathan Edwards. After reading either Owen or Edwards I find my parched soul again thirsting to know Christ better. As we think about the Philippians passage from this past week I was reminded of Paul’s all-consuming Christology. Seeing Christ in all of His loveliness by His holiness, obedience, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, graces, judgments, compassion, and tender care will change us. This beatific vision of Christ will inflame our desire to know Christ more and better. After all, the heart of the gospel is God Himself as revealed in Christ. May we be drawn to Him in all of His loveliness.

Pursuing Christ’s loveliness with you.

Dan

Whiter than Snow

2009-01-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

“When your sin really does become ugly to you, when it produces pain in your heart and sickness in your stomach, you celebrate forgiveness, but you want something more. You want to be clean. You long to be once and for all purified from all sin whatsoever. You want your sin to be once for all washed away. You want to be free of every dark residue of sinful thought, desire, word or deed. Yes, you’ll love the fact that you can stand before God dirty and unafraid because of his comprehensive and freely given grace. You’ll love the fact that his forgiveness of you has been full and complete. But, you’ll grow tired of needing and seeking forgiveness. You’ll mourn the hold that sin has on you. You’ll be frustrated with the way that sin seems to infect everything you do. And you’ll begin to plead for what the blood of Jesus alone is able to do; wash away your sin. In this moment of need and helplessness, you’ll cry, ‘Purge me with hyssop Lord, dip the branch of your grace into the blood of your Son and cleanse me once and for all.”
- Paul David Tripp, Whiter than Snow, p. 66

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
- Isaiah 1:18

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?