August 2014 - TableTalk Articles

August 2014 - Here are some of my thoughts from TableTalk from this particular month and the articles. The two articles that stuck out the most to me were "Ministering to Grieving Parents" and "The Church:Your Story."

Divine Incomprehensibility
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/divine-incomprehensibility/
Article on God being in comprehensible. None of us can comprehend God exhaustively. A finite being will not be able to completely grasp and understand an infinite God. However, that doesn't mean that God is unknowable. God has revealed himself and his son. God can reveal himself to us, and talk to us, not in his language, but in our language. 

The Ordinary Christian Life
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ordinary-christian-life/

No one wants ordinary, they want their kids to be honor students and they want to be able to show how outstanding their lives are. But is there something else happening?

One issue that came about in this article was the birth of revivalism. The thought was that a special event or experience was needed in order to ignite people to conversion, thus extraordinary. It is the next big thing and new and improved. To be young is to be restless. We are called repeatedly to put away our childish ways and to grow in maturity. Jesus life and way of life was actually ordinary and he grew in ordinary means. The prophets were ordinary people. God came into the world in His Son through an ordinary birth. It does not mean mediocre. It is simple. 

Ordinary Christian Work 
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ordinary-christian-work/

Reformers have seen a transition in thinking that a vocation is not just full time ministry but can't be applied to any discipline. Thus, doing the Lords work occurs while living an ordinary life. In first Thessalonians the question is asked, "Paul, how can we live lives pleasing to God?"  His response addresses three issues: sexual morality, the local church, and work. Abstain from sexual immorality, know how to control your own body. Love people like crazy especially those in the church. Live quiet lives, unknown, unnoticed. honor God by being content and working hard. We please God—we thrill God—when we live as ordinary people in ordinary lives who use our ordinary circumstances to proclaim and live out an extraordinary gospel.

Ordinary Christian Family 
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ordinary-christian-family/

Husbands are to display loving leadership. Godly authority is seen in serving, and laying down one's life as a living sacrifice.  The wife submits to the leadership of her husband as the church submits to Christ. And it will go well for children that honor and obey their parents. 

A father is called to be wise, not always fair, in his decisions. 

Theology: Parents must be dazzled by God if they want to have children that are.
Loving others: relational conflicts come from desires that battle in our hearts. Family should be the place that we learned of sacrificial love, seeking the interests of others.
Living the Gospel: God shows his grace, forgiving us and we forgive others. We should solve problems not with human wisdom but with references to the Gospel, God's word and scripture.

The Ordinary Christian Church 
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ordinary-christian-church/

Ordinary ministry is found often in the work of elders and deacons. Apostles and prophets set up the church and establish the canon of Scripture but it is through the ordinary work of shepherding the flock, praying for others, serving those in need, that is found in the work of the elders and deacons.

As men and women trust in God in their ordinary daily work, they do good works. A believers vocation does not need to be extra ordinary, but the believers work does need to be done in faith. The minister who preaches the Sunday morning message to masses is equally significant and valuable as the Sunday school teacher for toddlers. All believers have God's anointing and are his vessels.

We need to be really reminded that God doesn't need extra ordinary means to do his work.  He doesn't need a flawless worship service presentation. 

The Ordinary Christian Pastor
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ordinary-christian-pastor/

The shepherd’s crook has two ends. With one, he gathers and feeds them, with the other, he protects them from the wolves. This is the ordinary work of the shepherd.

Be Careful of Nice People by Tim Challies

Galatians 5 contrasts the qualities of fleshly, worldly people with the qualities of spirit field Godly people. Why isn't niceness a fruit of the spirit?  Because you can be nice without the Holy Spirit in your life. Evil and ungodly men often rely upon niceness to cover their sin.

Healing in the Atonement by John MacArthur

Suffering is part of life and actually makes us stronger. In Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor; you sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind; set liberty to those who are oppressed."

Ministering to Grieving Parents
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/ministry-grieving-parents/
Losing a child is extremely difficult. Say something - don't say, I don't know what to say. Instead, say, I'm so sad with you. Don't be afraid to make people sad. It is important to release the sadness. How is your grief today? Do things without being asked. Don't wait for people to ask for help. Don't compare our hurt with someone else. Help people to move forward, not forget the past.

The Church: Your Story 
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/church-your-story/

The church is a very necessary part of our lives. To me, it seems, the churches significance is at times is being diminished. Once again, I believe we are a growing generation of people not relying on the reading of God's word. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says that "he built his church and the gates of hell will not stand against it." So there is also this idea that there are great benefits in going to church. Paul in Ephesians 3:10 encourages us that the manifold wisdom of God is being displayed in the church as the vanguard of that day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. In Ephesians 5:27 Paul promises that one day Jesus will finish His work of perfecting His bride, the church. 

Cultural Engagement
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/cultural-engagement/

Oftentimes in ministry, especially youth ministry there is a ploy to connect with you and the thought that there is a need to bridge the gospel by using the current culture of movies, music, and other forms of entertainment in order to get people focused. This seems to be an attempt to make Christianity relevant or that it will fit like a piece of the puzzle into the rest of the puzzle pieces of our life. Christians feel that other people won't resonate with this strange biblical world of talking snakes, partying seas, floating ask heads, virginal conceptions, and emptied graves. But the gospel is freakish. We need to stick with its message.