The first task I do at school every day is to be at my station at opening bell, having unlocked the door so car riders can come in. I am to greet the students, by name if possible, and generally be pleasant and welcoming. By 7:10am the kids may already have been awakened dog-tired, fussed at, rushed, and generally hustled to the car so mama or daddy can get to work. My job is to be calm, smiling, and joyful to see them. I love this duty because I genuinely love seeing the kids come in. Each of them, every day.
They are so cute. The kids enter at different speeds, displaying different emotions, some shy and looking away from me, some shrinking against the wall, some literally bounding in.
Sinning. Every human on the planet, no matter his or her age, is good at sinning. Hands down. Me included.
EPrata photo
Look at this example from scripture.
Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. (Matthew 23:16-21).
What this section of scripture is about is Jesus pronouncing woes upon the Pharisees. The Pharisees were one of the two ruling classes in Israel, the Sadducees being the other. The Pharisees had twisted the faith into something unrecognizable, laying incredible burdens down on the people, (like over 600 laws!) failing to minister to sinners, making sons of hell twice as worse as they were, and being total hypocrites. When Jesus pronounced His many woes upon them, this particular set of woes involved swearing by the LORD and lying.
The Pharisees had cunningly devised a way to appear to swear by the Lord but be able to get out of it later. As Romans 1:18 says, we all know the truth but we suppress it in unrighteousness. They knew what they were doing but they were devising evil in rationalizing what they THOUGHT were clever ways to wriggle out of it.
They THOUGHT that if they swore an oath by the temple and not by the gold of the temple, they could break their oath later with no repercussions. Or swear by the altar and not the gift on the altar, or by heaven and not by the throne in heaven. As President Bill Clinton famously said when he was trying to avoid an answer, “It depends on what the meaning of is is.”
Photo Pixabay.com. cc.
Look how finely they were splitting hairs! They were dead wrong, as we read Jesus’ excoriation of their sly practices. All the hairs matter.
But you see how we as humans excel at sinning and rationalizing our sin. We’re really, really good at it. “It wasn’t that bad.” “It wasn’t a real promise.” “No one keeps promises anymore.” “I’m not gossiping, I’m sharing a prayer request.” “It wasn’t as bad as that other guy’s sin over there.” “No one saw.”
All rationalizations are simply self-justifications. And there is only One who justifies, Jesus. Our pitiful attempts to justify ourselves when we sin are just evil blasphemies and vain delusions. When we transgress God’s laws, we injure ourselves and dig ourselves deeper into the pit we will eventually fall into. (Matthew 15:14)
As I go through the day I ask Jesus to show me where I am sinning but I’m rationalizing it away. Where I am too ignorant or blind to see my own sin. I ask Him to help me sin less against Him tomorrow than I did today, by the Spirit’s conviction and strength. I am not only the Chief of Sinners, I am Queen of Rationalizations! Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. I pray mine and your walk grows purer with each day and each step. Paul was so wise to pray this for his people:
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, (Ephesians 1:18).
Lord open the eyes of my heart so I may see and repent of the sins that lurk there. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. (Proverbs 16:2).
Your eyes are too pure to look upon sin but my eyes are too depraved to see holiness. I need Your eyes, Lord.
Yes, they are.I discuss Alisa Childers' shift toward engaging with false teachers to reach the lost. While some support this view, I warn against the dangers of false teachers, asserting they corrupt faith and lead believers astray. I emphasize the importance of avoiding such influences, offering evidences of biblical warnings regarding sin and temptation.
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 Corinthians 4:6)
EPrata photo
Does it feel to you that the darkness has grown so dark it’s unmanageable, unalterable, unassailable? After the Supreme Court allowed homosexual marriage…after closing churches due to Covid but allowing riots, after the hypocrisy of the government with mandating masks for us but not for them…all that and more…does it feel dark to you? It does to me.
Does it feel to you like the darkness is deep and your own light puny against it?
Does it feel like there are simply no solid Christian around you with whom you can commiserate? Or that there is not a good local church in which you can even half-way trust the teachings from the pulpit or Sunday School? Or if there is a Christian around you, that he or she is flying in a different direction than you are?
It is not so! None of it!
Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8b-10)
It seems that secular society has segmented into ever smaller bits and groups and factions as each group seeks its own agenda. No one is for anyone else and all are against each other. Yet for Christians, this is the opposite of the truth. Paul wrote,
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
We are one in Him, aligned into one Body for one common purpose- to glorify Jesus. Society splinters as sin rises yet Jesus keeps His Bride whole and united. Stark contrast. We might feel all over the place, alone in the darkness with only a puny light to shine, but we are One in Christ.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
A lot of ‘ones’ there:
One Body One Spirit One Hope One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God
You might feel like a little, ineffective firefly, but no matter where you are, remember that you are not in Light, you ARE the Light, because you are one with Jesus, who is the Light. So don’t fear any ineffectiveness of your light in this great darkness. You and I were darkness itself but when we came into Jesus we came into His light.
But now are ye light in the Lord; either in, or by the Lord Jesus Christ, the light of men, from whom all spiritual light comes; or by the Lord the Spirit, by whom the eyes of their understandings were enlightened, to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, in heart and life; the insufficiency of their own righteousness and moral virtues, to justify them before God; and the true and right way of righteousness, life and salvation by Christ; and to have some light into the several doctrines of the Gospel, and even a glimpse of the invisible glories and realities of another world: and this light is so great, that they are not only said to be enlightened, but to be light itself; and this they have not of, and from themselves, but the Lord; and therefore should walk as children of light; not in sins, which are works of darkness, but in faith, truth, and holiness. Gill’s Exposition of Eph 5:8.
Yes, they are.I discuss Alisa Childers' shift toward engaging with false teachers to reach the lost. While some support this view, I warn against the dangers of false teachers, asserting they corrupt faith and lead believers astray. I emphasize the importance of avoiding such influences, offering evidences of biblical warnings regarding sin and temptation.
When I plan to attend the National G3 Conference put on by Josh Buice and his church, Pray’s Mill Baptist, I eagerly look forward to the moment when lineup of speakers and their topics for preaching are published for the public. I usually know of most of the men slated to speak, I mean, how can you NOT know of Voddie Baucham, Paul Washer, John MacArthur and so on?
But there was one name this year with which I was not familiar – David Miller.
David Miller?
I was anticipating his sermon, it was on The Excellency of Christ. What a great theme for a sermon.
David Miller is an Arkansas pastor, now evangelist with Line Upon Line Ministries. I’d offer a website url or a Facebook page but there is little public or current about this ministry other than churches and organizations announcing that Brother Miller is set to speak at their event. Line Upon Line was founded in 1985 and since 1995 Miller has been evangelizing, speaking at various places in and around his home of Heber Springs Arkansas.
Here is Miller’s bio, from Tumbling Shoals Baptist Church, Line Upon Line’s partner in their joint endeavor, the Expository Preaching Conference (EPC). More about that in a moment. Here is a partial bio of Miller-
“David Miller has been preaching for over 50 years. He has been in full-time evangelism since 1995 with Line Upon Line Ministries. He prefers the title “Country Preacher at Large.” He resides in Heber Springs, Arkansas, with Glenda, his wife of 50 years.”
Miller has suffered from a degenerative muscular disease called peroneal muscular atrophy. Miller is in a wheelchair and cannot hold a Bible. His work-around? Miller has memorized the Bible. He also memorizes his sermons.
The Baptist Press published a good story on Miller and the Expository Preaching Conference, here. The opening of this story is a huge encouragement-
In a quiet little town two miles north of Heber Springs, Ark., a church with a congregation of no more than 75 on an average Sunday morning has been providing training for pastors for the past 19 years. Through the Expository Preaching Conference (EPC), Tumbling Shoals Baptist Church has helped train more than 1,500 pastors in biblical preaching and ministry.
I’m always gladdened by the news that in various corners of the world, Jesus is raising up churches. He is raising up men. He is sustaining his elders who persevere in gracious joy. I mean, you know in your heart, He is. But what a joy to see the layers peeled back a bit and learn of new pockets of His remnant!
Not every preacher has opportunity to attend seminary. Yet many men are called to preach. The article on Miller further states,
"Many of the pastors who attend the EPC are not, and probably will not be, seminary-trained," said Brad Johnson, pastor of Tumbling Shoals Baptist, about the event held this past spring. He said the conference is "often the closest they will come to being formally educated in biblical preaching and ministry." The conference began in 1997 as the brainchild of Miller, who has preached expository sermons for 51 years. After serving as director of missions for Little Red River Association for 25 years, often counseling preachers on how to preach from the Bible, Miller retired in 1995 and began looking for another mission position to fill."
Miller calls himself “Country Preacher at Large”. He has the country accent, much gravitas, an understated delivery of the truths anchored in the word of God, and an arched wit. His precise understanding of the scriptures combined with his delivery make for a powerful listening experience.
At G3, Miller delivered the sermon, “The Excellency of Christ“. I was eager to hear this new voice, one of which I had not been aware. I trust the G3 ministry to properly vet who they will choose to platform, so my discernment radar was on low volume.
David Miller at the 2018 G3 Conference, video screen shot
And what a voice it was. During sermons or at conferences, especially one like G3, my spirit will connect in a major way with the Sprit in me. The Holy Spirit will use the words preached to convict my heart, awaken my conscience, expand my mind in knowledge and aroma of Christ, lead me in sanctification, all that and more that the Bible promises He will do when we revel in the Word. Mike Riccardi’s sermon on the Cleansing of the Leper plunged my mind into the depths of despair over my sin before raising me to see the glory of Christ as compassionate Savior of our sinful state.
Miller, though…David Miller! I heard, I rejoiced. For the rest of the day I never came down from the mountaintop of glorious words. Miller’s sermon knit a view of Christ in my mind that brought me over beams of light traveling back to before the universe began to glimpse the holy and loving intra-Trinitarian delight the Three Persons of the One God has in each other. I lay at Christ’s feet in the starry ether, alone, reveling in His excellency. I closed my minds’ eye to the bright glory evoked by the words he delivered. David Miller is an amazing preacher.
Apart from your own pastor, if you are looking for a preacher to add to your list, David Miller is a good one to add. Isn’t it wonderful to see that the Lord is working among the Lampstands of heaven to persevere men all around the globe? That He is sustaining men, churches, ministries for the good and glory of His name? And Jesus will do so all the days until the consummation of His prophetic plan, when we will be united as one Bride, adoring our Groom, ‘up there’. Revelation 1:12-16 shows us our Lord, at work, curating his church, leading as Head of the Church. For he is El Roi, our God who sees.
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
Plagiarism is a plague in the church. Many pastors are not working out their sermons with fear and trembling under illumination of the Holy Spirit. They are reading other men’s sermons, reformatting, swapping out some words with synonyms and re-delivering the other man’s words to their churches as if they were their own. Or they take another guy’s sermon outlines and his structure and his flow, rename the sermon points, and pretend they crafted it together with their own brain and sweat and labor.
In no case did the preacher dig out truths the Spirit wanted him to pass to the local body. He didn’t spend time sweating and laboring and unearthing scriptural gems with the precise emphasis the Spirit wanted for this specific congregation to hear. The plagiarizing pastor just took the easy way out.
I just posted a blog about my feelings after coming home from the national G3 Conference held in Atlanta for the last three days. (It was great!). Here are a few pics.
This was just a small portion of the 6500 strong audience. G3 has become one of the largest National Reformed Conferences in the world.
A couple of the gals I traveled with. The next generation is coming up just fine.
On the final day we got seats very close! This is Steven J. Lawson preaching the last message “The Light of Jesus’ Resurrection“
Final Day Q&A. Scott Aniol, new Editor-in-Chief of the G3 Ministries, moderating. Next to him from left to right are Conrad Mbewe, James White, Virgil Walker, Darrell Harrison, Hensworth Jonas, Nathan Busenitz, and Phil Johnson
Some of the G3 vendors and sponsors give away books every day. With the exception of Andrew Rappaport’s “What Do They Believe?” which I bought, I got:
John MacArthur, one of the finest expositors of the last century and this, and one of my personal favorites, on the jumbotron. When we didn’t have seats closer, we could see very well on one of the hanging screens.
Another gorgeous sunrise over the city of Atlanta. We were blessed with perfect weather
no filter
View from our hotel hallway
Leaving this afternoon to come home and back to reality. But we know it’s Jesus’ reality, the best one!
*Podcast player at bottom. Some photos of the event and the city of Atlanta, here
Jesus is my compass rose, my true North, my unchanging star…He is the WAY.
I arrived home from three days in Atlanta for the G3 Conference. The three G’s stand for Gospel-Grace-Glory. The emphasis is on Reformed expositional preaching from some of the most credible men in the faith, doctrinally solid worship music, and fellowship. The aim and goal of the conference founder and organizer, Josh Buice, and his congregation at Pray’s Mill Baptist Church in Douglasville GA is to bring back the teaching and reignition to our local churches, which are the most important. ‘Conferences are nice, they are good, but the local church is paramount,’ Buice said.
It’s very hard to describe the event in emotional terms. I can offer you the schedule, which is aggressive. They keep us moving. It’s morning till night, and they start on time. I can list the speakers, ones like John MacArthur, Paul Washer, Voddie Baucham, Conrad Mbewe, Steve Lawson, James White, and many, many others of that caliber. I can tell you of the luxurious hotel attached the venue we stayed in with city views and valet parking; and of the venue itself, also very nice especially if you’re going to spend 9-10 hours a day in it. It was a joy to meet so many Twitter and Facebook friends. I enjoyed our conversations, whether they were long and deep, or were short hello’s and quick hugs as we passed each other among the exhibitor booths.
But how do I articulate the convictions of conscience from the preaching of the scriptures, the tears for the lost we mourned, the concern for missionaries we heard in reports, the skill of the preachers bringing us to the throne and back, to the depths of the pigpen of our sin and back, the glories of the Triune God exalted? How do I encapsulate the awe we felt for God in lifting up these men preach for decades, one of whom recently went to jail for the privilege of bringing the Gospel to his congregation? How do I tell of the joy of 6500 voices strong, singing praises to God, united of heart and purpose, which was to see God glorified?
I can’t.
It’s just in my heart. Whatever reactions I have are being knit to other tendrils of the faith that the Spirit in me will eventually grow into a redeemed, future glorified tapestry of good works done in His name. He will cultivate knowledge that is the fragrance of Him and flow from me to the aroma of life to life. I don’t know what the Spirit is doing in my heart with this gush of Gospel preaching nor with the sterling truths swirling in my brain. I just know that after 16 sermons, three days of fellowship, music, and intimacy with Christ, of gazing upon Him with intent love, my heart is full.
Yes, they are.I discuss Alisa Childers' shift toward engaging with false teachers to reach the lost. While some support this view, I warn against the dangers of false teachers, asserting they corrupt faith and lead believers astray. I emphasize the importance of avoiding such influences, offering evidences of biblical warnings regarding sin and temptation.
I am currently attending the national G3 Conference. G3 stands for Gospel-Glory-Grace. It was founded by Josh Buice (pronounced Bice rhymes with nice) pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church in Georgia. It has grown to be one of the largest Christian evangelical conferences in the world.
This year almost 6500 people are attending, from all 50 states and several countries. The lineup of speakers is unlike any other I’ve even seen, even rivaling the stellar lineup the Shepherd’s Conference held in California at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church. Top-flight speakers with a clean track record theologically and morally are presenting on the topic of Christ.
That’s it- Christ. No fluff, no themes, simply three days of firehose theology on Christ from high-end, preachers who have preached and taught for decades without swerving and who have o moral or theological blot. Ahhh.
I’ve already benefited from the preaching, having been inspired by Joel Beeke’s preaching topic of our union in Heaven with Christ. His deep dive into our marriage with Him in eternity, where we will never shift our gaze from Him again, was terrific. So was his announcement of an upcoming 5-min family devotional for 4-9 year olds based on Genesis. More on that in upcoming days.
Here are scenes from Atlanta, a beautiful city where the conference is held, with some quotes from the speakers interspersed. I don’t have photos of people attending because I forgot my camera (can you BELIEVE it?!). The pics are ones I took with my friend’s phone on drive in and the walk over to the venue.
Approaching our hotel.
“In heaven, our faith becomes sight- of Jesus.” ~Joel Beeke. The Utopian Marriage with Christ in Heaven
Lots of trees in Atlanta
“It will be impossible to be unChristlike.” Joel Beeke. The Utopian Marriage with Christ in Heaven
A Park we passed by, live jazz music was playing
“The martyrs under the altar don’t sing of joy or of praise or of mercy. They cry out, longing for justice.” ~Owen Strachan. Christ as Eternal Judge
The Centennial Park Ferris Wheel at sunrise (taken though a double paned window)
“God holds evildoers to account.” Owen Strachan. Christ as Eternal Judge
“If you want to see the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man mesh together, look to the cross.” ~Steve Lawson, The Darkness of Golgotha
“Delayed obedience is disobedience.” ~Steve Lawson, The Darkness of Golgotha
A quarter of the audience. Packed to the max
“It is finished.’ Please note, Jesus did not say ‘I am finished’.” ~Steve Lawson, The Darkness of Golgotha.
Mosaic at the hotel lobby
“Isaiah 53 is a masterpiece of divine revelation and the providence of God” John MacArthur, The Suffering Servant
And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ —Matthew 4:3
Did satan not know Jesus is the Son of God? Of course satan knew. We see that he and his demons knew this in Luke 4:41,
And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
And we see that the demons knew that Jesus is the Son of God in Mark 5:7,
And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
And James 2:19 says even the demons believe, and shudder!
Throughout scripture we read that satan knows full well who Jesus is. So why would satan begin his temptation by saying, “IF you are the Son of God…”?
Because he wanted to get Jesus to doubt. Ergo, satan’s question is a deceptive skepticism.
Satan himself has no doubt whatsoever that Jesus is the Son of God. However, satan’s issue is that he thinks he can beat Jesus in a contest of wills. Satan believes he can usurp Jesus from His position as King of KINGS and Lord of LORDS. We know satan knows that God is highest, and we read satan’s conviction that God won’t be God on his throne forever, that satan himself will usurp Him. These are the five “I wills” of satan in Isaiah 14:13-15. Satan doesn’t doubt a thing.
Satan isn’t skeptical of God’s existence nor is satan skeptical of who God is. Neithr is satan unsure of himself. Satan’s scheme is to get US to doubt.
Scripture warns us repeatedly about deception-
fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock… (Acts 20:29)
We picture a fierce wolf with fur standing up and fangs bared. But that is how they are inwardly. If we saw the fierceness in the wolf, we would know he was a wolf. What we see in false teachers is a pleasant demeanor, smiles, apparently helpful and meek. A Joel Osteen, not a Hulk Hogan. The false ones are disguised.
false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13)
What they bring, however, is philosophy and empty deceit (Colossians 2:8)
Their disguise and pleasant demeanor hides a purposeful destruction-
false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1).
We see the philosophy and empty deceit in the tactic satan used with Christ, “IF you are the Son of God…”
Sowing doubt is an age-old tactic of satan, and why not? It works. However there has been a shift from false sowers who sow doubt about God’s word, (like Rob Bell) to those who claim to be Christian but sow doubt about God’s existence. (Like the IF:Gathering). It is a significant shift.
Ten years ago Rob Bell made headlines. He was a self-proclaimed ‘Evangelical’ who sowed doubt about the inerrancy of scripture as God’s perfect word. Bell was the perfect ‘Hath God said?’ guy. His method was to ask questions under the guise of sincerely seeking truth but what he was doing was actually sowing doubt and using dishonest skepticism to do it. There is a difference between honest questioning and dishonest skepticism.
The women of the IF:Gathering, a subject on which I’ve written a three-part series, question the existence of God. No, these women are not atheists. They are not Wiccans believing in goddess power. They claim to be Christians, and claim to study God’s word, IF He exists, that is.
Doubt in a believer happens occasionally. Doubting one’s salvation temporarily is natural. Doubting an interpretation of a doctrine is all right, until you work it out under the illumination of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit eventually supplies confirmation of all of the above, if you pray and seek Him.
Permanent skepticism, though, is not noble. Being skeptical of God’s existence is not all right. But what we see from the dishonest questioners is the ignoble doubt of God’s existence. Ignoble because God has shown Himself to all people and those who fail to accept His existence are suppressing that truth in unrighteousness. (Romans 1:18-19).
It is satan’s assault on our own faith and the baseline truth it rests on: God is One and there is no other. He is real. Believers don’t doubt God’s existence. If you doubt He is real, you’re not a believer. It is not a faith question, then, but a problem of deliberate suppression of the truth that brings wrath.
Believers are held responsible even for sincere or temporary doubts. Priest Zechariah was rendered mute because of the doubt he voiced when the angel foretold that he and Elizabeth would bear a son in their advanced age. (Luke 1:18-20). He was a priest, well versed in the scriptures, and an angel was telling this to his face, but Zechariah still asked how this is possible. The angel responded,
And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.
Jesus rebukes us for our doubts, even when they are honest, sincere, and soul-searching. Either pointedly as in Matthew 14:31 to Peter, or gently, as in John 20:27-29 to Thomas.
We are told that when we ask for wisdom,
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6)
Dishonest skepticism emanates from a false worker of iniquity. It is a satanic tactic designed to get you to doubt what you know and thus diminish your faith. Learn the difference and avoid any person, teacher, or organization that systematizes either skepticism or doubt.
the-end-time.org 