As I sit in my home on a beautiful day in Midwest America it is difficult to grasp that this kind of thing is going on somewhere else for the sake of the gospel.  We often find it difficult to show up for a worship service or to give a little more money, the cost of the gospel for these men was the ultimate price.

On Wednesday April 18 many people in America were still focused on the aftermath of the massacre at Virginia Tech and had already moved on to inane debates about who to blame (besides the gunman) for the awful tragedy there. On the same day in Turkey, 46 year old German missionary Tilman Geske made his way to his office along with two other Turkish Christians, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel. The three men were heading to a previously arranged bible study with some Islamic “seekers” who had expressed interest in the Christian faith.

It turned out that the five “seekers” weren’t interested in Christianity at all. After Necati read a chapter from the Bible, the five men assaulted the three Christians. The assault turned into a gruesome three-hour torture session.

For more of the details of the story you should read The Voice of the Martyrs or Deny Burk’s Blog.  The details are graphic, but ought to motivate all Christians to more readily take up the cross.  It is also a reminder to pray for the spread of the Gospel and our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are hated for their love for Christ.  I don’t know these men, but I am thankful for them and look forward to meeting them someday. 

(HT:  Justin Taylor)

A friend emailed me the this letter by John Piper on the recent court ruling on partial birth abortions. Now I find myself just sitting in my office chair, it is difficult to move. There is a empty feeling of great weight holding me to my chair. Today I felt that I had to bear some of the blame for what is going on in my society, for I am a part of this society. While I may not always feel I fit in, I am here to be a light to what is right and wrong before God. I am convicted that I have not prayed more for the society in which I live, nor have I done what I can to undo an undone thinking process. I am convicted that I have not prayed more for the women that struggle with abortion decisions. I am convicted that the prayers I may offer are not more heart broken by what is going on around me. The saddest part of this story is that for a society to debate whether this is morally right or wrong because of rights tells us there must be a deeper underling issue that goes far beyond the act of abortion and to the heart.

This use of catch phrases is surely tired. “Right to choose.” “Equal rights for women.” The grandchildren of the sixties are waking up to the vagueness and danger of those phrases. Right to choose what? Anything? All laws that protect children limit the rights of moms (and dads) to choose. You can’t choose to starve them. You can’t choose to lock them in closets for three weeks. You can’t choose to abandon them. You can’t choose to strangle them five minutes after they are born.

And “equal rights for women”—equal with whom? Equal with the irresponsible dad. Dad has sex and bears no responsibility for the baby. Mom should be equally able to have sex and bear no responsibility for the baby. Young people are looking at this and saying: Something is wrong with this picture. Maybe our lives are as broken as they are because our parents have twisted their hearts and minds so deeply to justify equality in irresponsibility.

One of the beauties of “Meet the Puritans” is that you get to do just that, meet many puritans that are less known or all but lost. One of these is Andrew Gray. The limited knowledge and familiarity with Gray results more from the fact that he only lived to be 22, than his lack of contributions. His short life was a delight to him rather than a tragedy. It was on his twenty second birthday that he expressed his desire to “meet his Master in celestial bliss” before he turned 23. This is an amazing wish for a young man with a young wife, two young children, and a budding preaching ministry, but it was his love of holiness both in preaching and his personal life, which created such a longing for heaven. The following remarks were used to describe his short life:

• “A burning light” by the thousands who heard him preach
• “A spark from heaven” in regards to his personal holiness
• “We may safely say that never in the history of our country (Scotland) did a man of his years (only 27 months of ministry) make so deep a mark.”
• “He could make men’s hair stand on end.” This was said in terms of his ability to probe men’s consciences when preaching.

Here is a link to a website that hosts Andrew Gray’s sermons.

Here is a brief expert from “A DOOR UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE” :

It is a very sad, but yet an apparent truth, that there is no creature in the world so merciless and mischievous to itself as man is. For whereas everything naturally desires, or tends to its own preservation, man unweariedly endeavours his own destruction. He becomes his own murderer and executioner, by loving vice, and hating virtue, by forsaking Christ, to follow the world, by poisoning his soul to please his senses, by leaving the safe and pleasant way of holiness, to walk in the dangerous and destructive way of wickedness. Wicked men turn their backs upon God, and are ruled by sin and Satan at their pleasure. Such profane beasts are many. They glory in their shame….Yea, God’s own children make but little progress in holiness. The estate of many is a declining estate. They have lost the savouriness of their spirits, and their delight in communion with God. They are weak in resisting temptations to sin, from the devil, the world, and the flesh. They are often overcome by sensuality, pride, worldliness, envy, etc. Their heart is less watched, their tongue less bridled, and their conversation more vain than formerly.

I often wonder as I read through these puritan sermons and writings if we have lost perspective about the effectiveness and relevance of holiness. There is such an emphasis on relevance to culture right now within the church, and it is not all bad, but it can become devastating to Christianity and the Church if it becomes a greater focus than holiness. Isn’t holiness the essence of our transformation? We cannot simply desire the world to accept what we accept, but we must desire that the too be transformed.

Recently several young couples in our church went through half of the video series on Shepherding a Child’s Heart. It was convicting and encouraging then, but more convicting today. He often taught about listening to our children. He encourages parents to ask questions and find out what the deeper issues are rather than provoking our children to wrath on the surface issues that really aren’t the problem.

I had gotten on one of our children today about a tardy note. I wanted her to understand this was not acceptable (we have been working with our children about not piddling). The tardy happened because she wanted to get a notebook out of the school vending machine, had trouble with the machine, and was then late. I was ready to set the course straight, “you should not be tardy!” The discussion caused her to get more upset than I thought it would. Next I saw a very sad face had been quickly drawn on the first page of the new notebook. The issue then moved on to not pouting. Nothing was going to get by me today! During the course of lunch we began to discuss the notebook and why she had all of her friends sign in it. Turns out Dad and Mom had failed to purchase a yearbook, and this week was yearbook week and all her friends had received theirs and were signing each others. Now the tears really poured down, this was the real issue.

We never thought twice about the reason we had been asked for 4 quarters for a notebook the morning before. I spoke too quickly and made a special notebook a mark of shame. The real issue had gotten completely by me and was nearly missed. I was reminded again of how important it is to make sure we are daily connecting to our children. To make sure we are asking questions and then listening, so that we are dealing with the real issues.

Here is a blip from a recent article found on Dr. Al Mohler’s  blog.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played the media like a musical instrument, greeting the captives just prior to their release. The Muslim world loved it. Tragically, the most damaging element of Ahmadinejad’s media triumph was handed to him by the Royal Navy in the person of Leading Seaman Faye Turney, the only woman among the captives and the mother of a 3-year-old daughter.

Her presence among the captives taken from the British patrol vessel gave Ahmadinejad the opportunity to make this observation:

“You will know that among the detainees there is one lady who is a mother of a child. Why is it that the most difficult work like patrolling at sea should be given to a woman?

“Why is there no respect for motherhood? Why does the West not value its women?”

Ahmadinejad’s questions still reverberate around the Muslim world. Nothing could more effectively demonstrate the immorality of Western values before Muslim eyes than this — a mother of a little girl sent as a warrior.

As you step back and look at the differences between the Western and Muslim world one of the key difference is the treatment of women, and neither worldview on the topic is totally correct.  We think we are superior and far more intelligent because we have given women “equal” rights and have allowed them to function equal to men in nearly every way.  They think they are superior because they view the woman’s place as in the home raising children, or at the least, certainly not as a warrior.  Funny thing about this?  We consider ourselves more civilized, more educated, and yet we think the elevation of women is to treat them as equals to men.  My wife is not my equal.  There are many ways in which she is superior to me and there are ways in which I am superior to her, and much of this comes because she is a woman and I am a man.  Why can’t we, who are so educated, see the difference?

Ben Hoak has a great post today that is worth reading and considering. It deals with a convicted child molester who now wants to join a church. It is creating a stir in the small congregation.

Here is the full article. It is called “Sex Offenders Test Churches’ Core Beliefs”, namely, grace and forgiveness.

We have returned from our vacation and yesterday was a catch up day around the house.  There were many projects I completed before I left, but one remained undone, fixing the barn door.  I had been putting this project off for sometime now, about a year, but I finally decided I was tired of the door hitting me in the head or not opening.  I don’t know why I dreaded this project so much or put it off for so long, it was only a matter of 4 bolts and it went as well as any project I have done in some time.  However, for some reason I thought I could just ignore the hinge and keep going without expending any time or money.  Now the door opens and closes perfectly and no more ducking a buckling door. 

As I walked up to the house, thrilled with my accomplishment, I thought, “This is how Christians often treat sin.”  We try to ignore it or leave it un-dealt with.  There may be a variety of reasons.  One, we think we can get along just fine with the sin the way it is.  Our life still seems to work, maybe not perfectly, but hey no one is perfect.  Un-dealt with sin will only lead to greater problems down the road.  The barn hinge was only bent a little two years ago, but it has been in two pieces over the past year.  Two, we don’t want to expend the energy.  We know there is a problem and we know we would be better off with the problem fixed, but we are too busy with life or too lazy.  This is not to be that attitude or mark of any Christian.  Three, we think the problem is beyond us.  Battling sin will require time and effort, but it is never beyond us if we are in Christ.  His death and resurrection have secured victory over sin!  Therefore, even the sin that still resides within the believer is defeated by Christ, and through him we have the power we need to overcome it.  Satan wants us to be overwhelmed and defeated before we ever start, but if we will look to Christ we will find the time and effort well spent.  For many it may be time to fix the hinge on the barn door, take courage Christian, Christ died to make that hinge right.

If you only read a handful of Puritans Gurnall should be one of them.  His work, The Christian in Complete Armour, is an essential work on the subject of spiritual warfare.  It is available in three volumes from Banner of Truth and condensed into a helpful devotional by Moody Press.  This work is endorsed by the likes of J.C. Ryle, Spurgeon, and John Newton who said, “If I might read only one book beside the Bible, I would choose The Christian in Complete Armour.”

Gurnall began his ministry sometime in his mid-twenties.  Although Puritan in his doctrine he remained in the Church of England .  There is little given about Gurnall’s personal life in the book, Meet the Puritans, but several lines are worth comment:

Despite poor health, Gurnall spent the next thirty-five years ministering there (West Suffolk).

Gurnall married Sarah Mott…The couple had at least fourteen children, six of whom survived.

 I am reminded of the words of Paul, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  Would Gurnall have ever written so in depth on the spiritual war between Satan and man had he not been of poor health?  What part would the loss of at least 8 children play in this?  These are questions that we cannot fully answer, but surely his weakness lead to his depth of understanding on this subject.  We often despise weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, and calamities.  We count these as curses and negative in life rather than seeing them as the graces of God that make us fit for heaven.  It is in this weakness that we are strong!