Last night at our church we had an ordination service for Peter Witkowski. It was such a blessing in so many ways.

The service was full of singing and prayer and also 2 short sermons.

I preached the charge to the candidate for ministry (Peter). I preached on being “upright” from Titus 1:8, the qualification for a minister.

Jason Fowler preached the other sermon- the charge to the church. He did an outstanding job! It challenged me to be a better pastor to our people. And it is something I wish every Church person everywhere could hear.

His sermon was 7 Ways to Bring Your Pastor Joy and Not Groaning from Hebrews 13:17.

Here were his 7 points:

1. Obey & Submit to your pastor (Hebrews 13:17)
2. Remember your leaders & imitate them (Hebrews 13:7)
3. Give them honor (1 Timothy 5:17)
4. Pray for them & let them know it (Hebrews 13:18)
5. Be there! Let your pastor see you regularly. (Hebrews 10:25)
6. Be unified. Kill drama & division. (Philippians 2:2)
7. Walk in the truth (3 John 3-4)

Around here this saying “For the Glory of God” has become quite familiar.

We sing about it and preach about it. Many of the books I read are centered upon it. The shorter catechism that we teach our children asks this for question #3 Why did God make you and all things? To which they have learned to answer accurately For His own glory!

1 Corinthians 10:31 beautifully states “Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

The Glory of God is indeed the chief end of man. So, when man begins asking himself what he desires to do with his life? Somewhere in the answer we must certainly find Glorify God.

Anything short of this would be a wrong way of life and a wasted life.

It is with all of this in mind that I quote R.L. Dabney. This quote comes from Dabney writing on “What is a call to the ministry?” This quote stops me dead in my tracks and shakes me. Am I doing what I do for God’s glory?

“These scriptures, and a hundred others, plainly teach that the only condition of discipleship permitted by Christ to any believer is complete self-consecration to his service. In this the self-devotion of the minister is just the same as that of all other true Christians. If a Christian man proposes to be a teacher, physician, lawyer, mechanic, or farmer, it must be, not chiefly from promptings of the world or self, but chiefly because he verily believes he can, in that calling, best serve his heavenly Master. If he hath not this consecration, we do not say he is unfit for the ministry only, he is unfit to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.” (Bold emphasis mine)

Here is a picture of our VBS group while we were working in Ecuador.

And here is a picture of me on the hillside by the church by the soccer field talking with some kids. I was reading to them in Spanish about Jesus.

While in Ecuador I asked every member of our mission team to read this great little book by C.J. Mahaney. It is called The Cross Centered Life.

It was encouraging to know that many of my fellow church members were focusing their lives upon the cross of Christ. The book is very short and easy to read. It can easily be read in one sitting. It is only 85 pages.

Here are a few highlights from the book:

• (page 25) “Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.”
• (page 43) “But its impossible to resolve issues of yesterday by doing better tomorrow.”
• (page 45) “Have you realized” preacher Martin Lloyd-Jones once observed, “that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
• (page 54) “A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days.” (This may be the best quote of the book.)

“Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to feel our need of Christ, is the very beginning of saving religion. –It is a grace which has always been the distinguishing feature in the character of the holiest saints in every age. Abraham, and Moses, and Job, and David, and Daniel, and Paul, were all eminently humble men. –Above all, it is a grace within the reach of every true Christian. All have not money to give away. All have not time and opportunities for working directly for Christ. All have not gifts of speech, and tact, and knowledge, in order to do good in the world. But all converted men should labor to adorn the doctrine they profess by humility. If they can do nothing else, they can strive to be humble.”

-J.C. Ryle commenting on Luke 14:11

When someone hears the Gospel and believes, comes to faith in Christ and becomes a follower of Jesus, it is essential that they begin reading, learning, and understanding God’s Word.

Once they begin growing in God’s Word, they will begin growing in their relationship with Christ. As they are growing in their relationship with Christ, they will find themselves desiring to know and understand more and more of God’s word. If this growth is not visible and evident in a believer then there are some legitimate concerns.

John 17:17 Jesus prayed “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.”

Here is a list of 8 Bible verses, or passages, that I believe all Christians should know (This is not to imply that someone is not a Christian if they do not know these. Nor are these the very first that someone must read or learn.):

1. John 3:16
2. Genesis 1:1 (The first verse in the Bible)
3. John 14:6
4. Psalm 23
5. Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission)
6. Exodus 20:1-17 (The 10 Commandments)
7. Matthew 22:37 (The Great and First Commandment)
8. Matthew 22:39 (The Second Greatest Commandment)

I am beginning a personal word study on “Zeal”.

Dictionary.com defines Zeal as “fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor;enthusiastic diligence; ardor.”

Lately, I have been so captivated by this Biblical idea and thought.

Romans 12:11 says “Do not be slothful in zeal.”

I will continue writing and posting more on this later.