You're Not Worthy to be a Christian

This is short testimony about dealing with doubt.

God Bless,

Doug

10 Ways for Youth Leaders to Hinder the Church

Can't leave out the youth leaders!!! :-)

Trading the Truth of God for a Lie

The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 19:1

When we look at the universe, we wonder at this magnificence. We stand in awe as the massive spheres move perfectly in their orbits. We stand in awe at the power of our sun and realize it pales in comparison to many other stars, let alone the vastness of it all.

There is without a doubt a glory declared by the universe that causes us all to marvel, but we must realize that the glory that is declared is not the glory of the universe; it is the glory of God. The experience we are having is true knowledge of His glory. Now we must not misunderstand this, the passage does not say that the universe is God. In fact, it is clearly distinct from Him in this passage, but the Glory that we are experiencing is His.

This is where fallen man steps in and attempts to suppress that truth. Many naturalists say it should be enough for us to marvel at this world and all its complexities without any appeal to God. And this is what we should expect since the natural progression from trading the truth of God for a lie is to begin to worship the creation instead of the creator (Rom. 1:26), and this they do by ascribing the glory that belongs to God to the creation itself.

-Doug-

When Pain and Faith Collide

When pain and faith collide
The one absorbs the other.
But not without an impact
That shakes us to the core.

We walk as if omnipotent
Forgetting that we’re frail.
Until that faithful moment
We’re broken, hurt, and sore.

It can come in many ways,
But never goes unnoticed.
As with perfect strategy
It weakens where we’re strong.

Our thoughts become unclear
When hit while unaware.
And brings to mind our sins,
As we barely scrape along.

Then in our shaken voice
Our faith lets out a groan.
And thunders cross the heavens,
As by Him it’s supplied.

For faith is the power
That overcomes the world.
And the one absorbs the other
When pain and faith collide.

-Doug Eaton-

Health Update

I thought I would take a minute to give a heath report for those of you who have been praying for me and wondering about what has been going on. About two weeks ago I was hit with severe pain in the upper digestive track, chest, and back. When taken to the emergency room they really were not too sure what was going on. I was admitted to the hospital for two days in order to maintain the pain and slowly began to feel better, but still quite weak. One week later after a couple of tests I headed back to work where I lasted for about an hour and a half before my doctors called me and told me to get myself back to the emergency room. They told me that my liver functions were too high and I needed to be observed and do a few more tests. The culprit turned out to be my gall bladder, which was removed that same night. At this point they told me I needed to stay two more days because they saw that my common bile duct was inflamed and my liver functions were not going down. But after two days of morphine and no food, my liver functions showed a slight improvement, which resulted in being released from the hospital at 11:00 am on a Friday morning. By 8:00 PM that night I was back in the hospital with the same pain but this time it was accompanied with terrible nauseousness which lasted for about 24 hrs. This was the worst time during the entire ordeal, but 12 hours into it, I had an ERCP procedure. This is a procedure where they send a camera down the throat into the small intestine where the common bile duct empties into the intestine. Once there, they make a small incision making the opening a bit larger and send an even smaller instrument into duct with a ballooning device used to clean out any stones or infection.

Two days later I was able to come home after 7 nights in the hospital, the last five being consecutive. During that time I have lost approximately 13 lbs., and have become extremely weak. I am still on a liquid diet but I am beginning to look forward to solid food in a day or two (the fact that I am starting to look forward to it is a good sign). Last night was the first night to sleep at home in a while, and since nights tend to be a bit harder than the days, being able to stay home without having to go back to the hospital was experienced as a great victory. I will be recovering for at least the next three weeks. Though none of it turned out to be life threatening, this type of thing has a way grabbing hold of you and shaking any misdirected confidence from your life, for which I praise God that He saw fit to try my faith.

Needless to say the Lord was my source of strength during the entire ordeal even though providence shouted otherwise. Psalm three, which I had been studying in sermon preparation, was a source of much comfort during this time. Though my enemies were not carnal, they did not fail to raise their heads, but he is faithful, not because we are worthy, but because He is faithful.

Thank you for all your prayers,

Doug

Psalm 3-

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah. But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah.

Why Read the Psalms

The book of Psalms… "Tends only to refine and exalt the nature of man, to elevate the soul to God, and inspire it with the admiration and love of his character, to curb the passions, purify the affections, and excite to the cultivation of whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. It has guided the saint in doubt and difficulty; it has nerved him for self-denial and suffering; and it has imparted support and comfort to him in the hour of death"

-Rev. James Anderson, Forward to John Calvin’s commentary on the Psalms-


"Genuine and earnest prayer proceeds first from a sense of our need, and next, from faith in the promises of God. It is by perusing these inspired compositions (Psalms) that men will be most effectually awakened to a sense of their maladies, and, at the same time, instructed in seeking remedies for their cure. In a word, whatever may serve to encourage us when we are about to pray to God, is taught us in this book. And not only are the promises of God presented to us in it, but oftentimes there is exhibited to us one standing, as it were, amidst the invitations of God on the one hand, and the impediments of the flesh on the other, girding and preparing himself for prayer: thus teaching us, if at any time we are agitated with a variety of doubts, to resist and fight against them, until the soul, freed and disentangled from all these impediments, rise up to God; and not only so, but even when in the midst of doubts, fears, and apprehensions, let us put for the efforts in prayer, until we experience some consolation which may calm and bring contentment to our minds.

–John Calvin-

10 Ways for Worship Leaders to Hinder the Church

Here is one for worship leaders.

More Great Theology Lectures (MP3)

Gospel Prizim has put together a great list of resources if you are looking for more theology lectures. See the link below.

Virtual M. Div.

Enjoy,

Doug

Waiting for Our Appointed Time

“All the days of my appointed time will I wait.” Job 14:14

A little stay on earth will make heaven more heavenly. Nothing makes rest so sweet as toil; nothing renders security so pleasant as exposure to alarms. The bitter quassia cups of earth will give a relish to the new wine which sparkles in the golden bowls of glory. Our battered armour and scarred countenances will render more illustrious our victory above, when we are welcomed to the seats of those who have overcome the world. We should not have full fellowship with Christ if we did not for awhile sojourn below, for he was baptized with a baptism of suffering among men, and we must be baptized with the same if we would share his kingdom. Fellowship with Christ is so honourable that the sorest sorrow is a light price by which to procure it. Another reason for our lingering here is for the good of others. We would not wish to enter heaven till our work is done, and it may be that we are yet ordained to minister light to souls benighted in the wilderness of sin. Our prolonged stay here is doubtless for God’s glory. A tried saint, like a well-cut diamond, glitters much in the King’s crown. Nothing reflects so much honour on a workman as a protracted and severe trial of his work, and its triumphant endurance of the ordeal without giving way in any part. We are God’s workmanship, in whom he will be glorified by our afflictions. It is for the honour of Jesus that we endure the trial of our faith with sacred joy. Let each man surrender his own longings to the glory of Jesus, and feel, “If my lying in the dust would elevate my Lord by so much as an inch, let me still lie among the pots of earth. If to live on earth for ever would make my Lord more glorious, it should be my heaven to be shut out of heaven.” Our time is fixed and settled by eternal decree. Let us not be anxious about it, but wait with patience till the gates of pearl shall open.

C.H. Spurgeon

10 Ways for Pastors to Hinder their Church

Here is the video version of the "10 ways for Pastors." Of course number 11 would probably be, don't preach in your garage. :-)

Doug

10 Ways for Pastors to Hinder the Church.

After reading 10 Ways to Hinder your church, a friend asked me for a separate list for pastors. Here is what I came up with. Can you think of any others?

1. Avoid preaching the Word of God.

2. Be more concerned about what people think than what God thinks.

3. Realize preaching is really about entertainment.

4. Never take time off.

5. Spend all your time on secondary matters and never really get to the Gospel.

6. Get a hobby horse and ride it every week.

7. Don’t study; just expect the Spirit to give you your sermon as to walk up to the pulpit.

8. When you have a point to make but don’t know how to make it, shout louder.

9. Exegete movie quotes as the text of your sermon.

10. Realize that it’s not about truth, it’s all about how people feel.

May we all preach the Word.

-Doug-

D. James Kennedy Has Passed Away

D. James Kennedy has gone home to be with the Lord. He is a man who lived his life for the Glory of God. Chris at Christian Theology has posted a short post remembering him, including several quotes by Kennedy. May the Lord give us the grace to live lives as God honoring as his. For those of us who have faith, we will see him again.

Longing for Our Homeland

13These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. Heb 11:13-14

During the Great awakening, one description given to many of the people during this time was that they were deeply concerned for their souls. This is significant because this is not what we could say of many in the church today.

Would people describe us in this way? That our one true desire is to be in right relationship with the Lord? Is everything that you do designed to bring glory to God and enjoy Him forever? If you are not accomplishing this goal, does it cause such a deep dissatisfaction, which, until it is resolved, makes you willing to sacrifice your most precious worldly treasures?

When we read of men like Martin Luther, John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Wesley, it was this kind of concern for the things of God that caused them to accomplish the great works they did even if doing this work caused them greater adversity in this life. Christians were who they were. It wasn't merely one aspect of their lives, but every fabric of their being was encompassed by their relationship with Christ. It drove them to study, write, understand, preach, and to pursue holiness.

How do we line up with this? Is our Christianity something we do on the side to help us pursue a comfortable life, or is it our entire life’s focus? One way to examine ourselves in this matter is to look at how often we think about this world not being our home. How often do we speak about our true home? “For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.”

Today may we examine ourselves to see what we truly desire. Do we so desire to be with our Father that even the greatest pleasures of this life leave us longing for Him? Or have we become so entranced by the comforts of this life that we no longer desire to be bothered with the things of God? For many who bear the name Christian resemble little of those whose greatest desire is to be with the Father in Heaven.

Because of sin, this world has been subjected to futility by they very hand of God (Rom 8:20). The futility we sense even in the midst of our greatest days is to serve as a constant reminder that we truly are strangers and exiles on this earth, for to be heavenly minded makes us zealous and of the greatest earthly good.

When people look at who I am,
Let them see my one desire.
To bring glory to the lamb,
And of your work to never tire

On my own I'd surely fail
Therefore strengthen by your grace
make my life to then entail
the desire to see your face.

-Doug-