Engaging in Scripture 2012

What I would like to do here is to try to persuade you to set aside time each week in the coming year to plan—and specifically to plan your life of prayer and devotion and ministry. The bulldozer of God's Spirit often arrives at the scene of our heart ready to begin some great work of building, and he finds that due to poor planning there are piles of disordered things in his way. We're not ready for him.

     In order to make sure that we are ready for the great work that God is ready to do in our church, we will be using the ESV Study Bible reading plan for those who wish to engage in Scripture reading in 2012. We will not be posting the daily readings on our website this year but there will be multiple ways to follow along (RSS, Twitter, print copy).

     The ESV Study Bible reading plan offers four sections of reading everyday:

Psalms and Wisdom Literature

     Some of the greatest poetry of all time, these books are full of Spirit-inspired wisdom, Godly principles, praise and exultation toward our faithful Creator.

Pentateuch and History of Israel
     As we read about God's covenant with Israel and their constant failure to obey it, we gain perspective on our need for a savior. We also see the origin of salvation through faith in Abraham, and countless records of our Lord's miraculous power.

Chronicles and Prophets
     Amidst the turmoil of  Israel's disobedience, the Prophets emerge as God's chosen instruments to point us toward our Messiah and the hope of a new and better covenant.

Gospels and Epistles
     Jesus. Our Savior destroys the power of sin forever. The early Church is filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul of Tarsus is transformed into Paul the Apostle and chosen by God to embolden us to an obedient life in Christ under the freedom of our faith.*

So my plea to you is that you set aside time each week to plan, especially to plan your life of prayer and Bible study. Give some thought how God might want to use you that week in a special way. Plan the letters you need to write, the Bible verses you want to teach your children, the visit you want to make, the book you want to read, the neighbor you want to talk to, etc.

*From the Journey St. Louis Engage Scripture page.

You're Making Me Two Tents? (Sermon from 12/24/11)

Sermon from Metro Atlanta SDB Church on 12/24/11

This message takes a brief look at the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles from Nehemiah 8:13-18 (with additional background from John 7:1-52; 8:12and Leviticus 23:33-44) and helps us see that the conflict between the temporary and the eternal does not just make us too tense but stems from God making for us two tents. Jesus shows us, helps us, and leads us through the journey of two tents from His birth to His return.

Affection Moves Us to Share (Extended Version)

    This article is found in the January 2012 edition of the Sabbath Recorder:

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)

     The book, Real Hope in Chicago, is about a high school coach named Wayne Gordon. He was doing a Bible study after school with some inner city kids in the Lawndale area, which was the second poorest community in the country and having issues with drugs and gangs. God gave him such a desirous heart for that community that he moved to Lawndale.
     The kids urged him not to move there because it would be very dangerous for him but Wayne moved there anyway. He got attacked by one of the gangs and had his house broken into again and again.
He persevered not for himself or a sense of duty but a desire to love these kids, share the gospel, and share his life with them. Those kids asked him to start a church and to be their pastor. I don’t how he did it but his love for the community of Lawndale was so strong that he had the opportunity to witness to the guy that kept breaking into his house. Today, that church has 600 members and has ministered to Lawndale by sharing the lives that the gospel has changed with the brokenness found in the community. In other words, the gospel didn’t just transform the people; it transformed the entire community. Wayne Gordon had lived out the truth of 1 Thessalonians 2:8.

Being Affectionately Desirous

     I love being affectionate with my wife and kids. It indicates my desire to continue my relationship with them. Affection is not always physical. It can be demonstrated in a myriad of ways. One of the best ways to show affection is through clear and true communication. This happens in spoken language but also in body language.

     How do you communicate affection and desire to your community and to people who visit your church? What message do your words convey to visitors and the community? What does your body language convey to visitors and the community? (Think about what your church communicates with others when you don't answer the phone, your website is out of date, or your property sits empty most of the week.)

     I love that I get to see my friends and other church members at church every Saturday. However, I want to make more friends and have more people join the body of Christ. My desire is for others to know the same Jesus that changed my life almost twenty years ago. My affection lets others know that I want them to not just have a relationship with Jesus but with me as well.

Ready to Share the Gospel

     According to this passage, it seems as if the gospel is not just words but also how believing those words can impact your life. It concerns me that many folks cannot articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ well. This does not bode well for being ready to share it.

     If we know Christ, we all have a testimony to share concerning how the gospel saves. If He has been working in our lives, we all have a testimony to live concerning how the gospel transforms. Can you give your testimony to what Jesus has saved you from, saved you for, and saved you to? If you can, then you can speak to the infinite love and grace and mercy of God and live it among those who don't know Him. If you can't, then will you practice? Ask for help from another church member or a pastor if necessary.

But Also Our Own Selves

     The sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sins is no longer necessary for our reconciliation with God with the death of Jesus providing the ultimate and once for all scapegoat for the trespasses of those who abide in Him.

     However, there still is a sacrifice to occur by Christians. Romans 12:1 appeals to us “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice”. While martyrdom and a physical death in defense of our faith qualifies here, I do not believe that Paul is calling us all to die as martyrs. This passage is referring to living your life in such a way that God is ordering the steps and not your self.

     Part of our desire for others to know Christ is to provide them with not just testimony of how the gospel transforms our lives but an example of how that life is lived. Part of sharing our own selves for the sake of the gospel is not necessarily moving to the ghetto but allowing others to see how the gospel impacts your workplace, your marriage, your finances, and your priorities.

     This transparency does not come easily and can open our lives up to attack. This is where we learn to lean upon God and His promises to us. Jesus' ministry would not have been nearly as effective had He never involved Himself in the lives of others but shared the gospel one day in seven.

     ARE YOU READY as churches to be affectionately desirous of your communities, to share the Gospel in word and deeds, and sacrifice your preferences in service of Him? AREYOU READY for God to use your church to bring people to Himself? AREYOU READY to sacrifice your comfort, your preferences, your desires, and even your own self to the glory of God? ARE YOU READY for the gospel of Jesus Christ to take its preeminent place in our pulpits and our lives? ARE YOU READY to not just be Seventh Day Baptist but seven day Christians? 

Missional Living Resources

The listing of these items does not in any way imply endorsement personally or by Seventh Day Baptists. These links are merely meant for reference or for provoking discussion.

Here are a list of links referred to from the December 2011 Sabbath Recorder:
Being Missional May Kill Your Church
Missional Pneumatology
Missional Christianity
Missional Christology
Missional Ecclesiology
Meals with a Mission
10 Things that Keep us from Mission
What Does it Mean to be Missional?
How NOT to be a Missional Church!
Missional Manifesto
30 Ways to be Missional at Work
Leading a Missional Life
Tim Keller on Missional
Friend of Missional

Don't Put It Off (Extended Version)

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:44 (ESV)

I have had a few bad days in my life (this is an understatement). A lot of these bad days involve vehicles and problems with the operations of these vehicles. These operational problems are often magnified by my laziness to prevent them from happening. The story of a few of these days goes something like this:

I was driving my car and I realized that I was driving on a flat tire. These things happen. I jack up the car, put on the spare, and continue about my day's business. A week later, the spare tire was still on my car. One of my other tires went flat. I already had the spare on my car. I ended up pushing the car close to a mile to a service station. There I was told that due to riding on the spare for such a length and moving the car so far on its rim. That I would also need an alignment and a new rim in addition to two new tires.

Here is where the bad days could have been prevented: 1. These two tires were 35,000 mile tires. I had put twice that many miles on them when they went flat. 2. Instead of addressing the problem directly, I caused more problems by driving on the spare for longer than was wise. 3. This all ended up costing me much more in the long run in terms of time and money than if I would have addressed them up front.

In the September 2011 edition of the Sabbath Recorder, it announced the Conference theme that God has chosen for us, “Are You Ready?” This has confirmed in me and many of you (thank you for your Spirit led encouragement) that God is ready to mightily move amongst Seventh Day Baptists and is even now preparing us for the work that He would have us do as agents of His Kingdom. This theme is God's challenge to us that we should get ready to be a SOLD OUT, NO EXCUSES, WILLING TO DO ANYTHING SHORT OF SIN people in order that we might save some of the people God has in our cities (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

We have such little time on this planet (that is NOT our home). We don't know how many days our lives will number (but God has them numbered.) Most certainly we will not know the fixed day for holy judgment (although many have and continue to try to fix a date). What we do know, from the parables of Jesus found in Matthew 25, is that those who are prepared for our Lord's glorious coming will be happy that it has arrived. Those who are not ready will dread His return. So Are You Ready?

The key to being ready is being prepared. Is our preparedness for the coming of Jesus a priority? Or, like in my story above, are we being lazy and selfish with the stewardship of our resources so that our lack of preparation has an eternal cost?

Faithful men have been showing us how mankind and God work hand in hand in the preparation of a spiritual harvest. While God was preparing judgment for the world in Genesis 6, Noah was preparing to save some of God's creation. While God, through the prophets, were preparing people for their Messiah, Jesus was preparing to become a missionary to our culture to accomplish God's rescue plan. While Jesus, the God-man, was preparing His disciples for His death and the coming of the Comforter, the disciples were preparing to lead His bride, the church. God is preparing Seventh Day Baptists and the people in their communities for spiritual harvest. Are You Ready? to be prepared for your church to participate in the growth that God will bring?

The problem with our preparedness for Christ's return is that our timing is off. We are either too anxious for it and expect it soon or we become too complacent as if it will happen much further in future. The true way to get ready for His return is to look forward to it and live as if this life is an investment for Him (taking risks; see Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25). Stewardship of earthly resources is great but stewardship is not hoarding or petty decision making. A building, a building fund, what kind of music is played, and your committees won't matter when Jesus returns. These things are important but not eternal.

Before our Lord and Savior returns, we need to get ready for revival and growth. There are some lessons to take away from my mistakes mentioned in the story that can help us as we answer our challenge, Are You Ready?:

1. The tires were twice past their regular life span. If there was some regular inspection of the tires, I would have seen that these tires had no tread and needed replaced before a bad day begins. A lot of our churches are having bad days because they will not do an inspection to see what is outdated and no longer works or what can be done to be ready for where God is taking them next.

2. The problem I had needed immediate attention. It was not taken care of immediately. More problems followed. Part of being prepared is not putting off problems to another day. Those problems will still be there. Address any problems immediately and stop blaming time or money or put your excuse here. Visitors to your church, and more importantly Jesus, are not interested in your excuses as to why we are not ready for them.

3. Lack of preparedness costs more in the long run than being ready. It generally ends up costing more money, time, and emotion to address issues later than sooner. The costs could really add up as well because when we are dealing with the bride of Christ the costs are eternal.

Are You Ready? for God to bring His Kingdom growth into Seventh Day Baptist churches. If yes, share what God is doing in your churches to facilitate and prepare for this growth. If not, are you spiritually, relationally, financially, and actively ready for your church to grow?

Please continue this conversation with me this year. Join me as we continue to pray for the revitalization of existing churches and the planting of new ones. Contact me with your questions, comments, concerns, and prayer requests. Let's get ready for what God is doing and partner with Him as faithful servants.

Email me at: john.j.pethtel@gmail.com

Call or text me at: 304-629-9823

Follow me on Twitter: @jjpethtel

Friend me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jjpethtel

Visit my blog: blogspot.jjpethtel.com

Pondering Freedom

As I sit with my daughter on my lap (dressed up as Snow White) about to enjoy Cars 2, eat a dinner at a restaurant, and enjoy fireworks, I wonder what folks in other countries do to celebrate their country.
I am grateful to live in America but even more grateful to God for my freedom in Christ.
Remember during this holiday to celebrate America and worship God. Don't confuse the two

Expository Preaching and John MacArthur

"Last Sunday night, to the sound of thunderous ovation, Dr. MacArthur completed the expository preacher’s equivalent of landing on the moon."

I don't always agree with everything that John MacArthur says or believes (i.e. dispensationalism) or how he attacks some issues (i.e. Mark Driscoll) but this week after 43 years of pulpit ministry, Dr. MacArthur has preached through the whole New Testament verse-by-verse.

Expository (verse by verse) preaching has become something of a dying art as most churches and preachers prefer topical sermons (jumping from Scripture to Scripture to support points). I do believe that topical preaching has it's place in speaking from the word of God but for regular systematic preaching I believe expository preaching denies you opportunities to proof text, gives people the whole counsel of God, and disallows skipping the "hard" verses.

To this feat, I say Bravo! And should God give Him another 43 more years I pray he completes the Old Testament.

To view or sample some of Dr. MacArthurs work on the New Testament, pick up one of his commentaries or visit http://www.gty.org/.

HE IS RISEN!

I just finished watching the live stream of the Mars Hill Easter Service. Jesus was made much of and many crossed over from death to life in baptism. It is a joyous occasion to witness what God has done and continues to do for us.

I have to admit that while watching the baptisms (people who were 80 and people who were 7, about 500 of them) that I got emotional. I started bawling like a baby. Thankful that God saved me and excited that He still continues to save.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. - Matthew 28:6a

A Good Friday Indeed (For Me)!

I am completely overwhelmed with things to do at the moment. It seems as the nexus of all of my responsibilities have met together this week (Christian, husband, father, pastor, Sears employee, leader, friend) to create an instable wormhole of "how do I get anything done". It is in times like these that I am reminded to rely on my Savior's strength instead of my own. My getting things done compares nothing to how my Savior "got it done" in these three days. Thankful for His obedience and completion of work so that I can be obedient and complete mine.

Please Be Generous!

          As we consider the events occurring in different parts of the world and the knowledge that calamity and suffering will not end until our Lord and Savior returns, the SDB Christian Social Action and Disaster Relief (CSADR) Committee works diligently on your behalf to help provide compassion and relief to those who have need, both in our SDB family and to the rest of humanity, all of whom are created in the image of God.
          It is to that end that we encourage you to join with us in contributing monetarily to the needs of the many people in Japan who have suffered recently due to massive earthquakes and a tsunami. Over one thousand people have lost their lives. Many more are homeless and in need of basic supplies. It appears as though with continued aftershocks and damage to some of the country’s infrastructure that the damage may worsen.
          There are many fine relief agencies that have mobilized to help the people of Japan. We have chosen to donate through Baptist World Aid. This is an organization that we are affiliated with through the Baptist World Alliance and that we have used in the past to help us administer assistance in other regions of the world, even as recently as the earthquakes in Haiti. We encourage you to send your donations to be added to ours to help Japan. Your giving will help provide some comfort in the midst of this tragedy and provides a tangible way to show Christ's love to others.
          May God help us realize in this suffering and in our giving that our creation groans to be reunited with its Creator!
Please send checks with a note that they are for Japan to:
SDB Center
PO Box 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
Or e-gift to with a note for Christian Social Action for Japan here.

A Plane Landed Right on Top of My Car

One of the neat things about living in the ATL is driving around I-285 near the airport and going through the tunnel that is the runway. Yesterday, on my way back from preaching at the SE ATL SDB Church, I was driving under this runway and a plane landed over top of me. It shook my whole car, but a neat experience.

You can see more about the construction about that here. Can't do that any other place but here!

I HATE DIVORCE!

One of the things that occurs on a regular basis is the constant and clockwork like child swapping that goes on in the parking lot in front of my Sears store. (ex)Husbands and wives gather there to exchange custody of their children like they are a book that was borrowed from the library. Sometimes there is an interaction that goes on that is quite pleasant between the adults, as if they split rather amicably. However, this is rare. The normal occurrence is that the parent returning the child opens the other parents car door and places that child in the car, closes it, gets back into their car and leaves. No speaking, no interaction, but almost always the child bawling because of the discord and abandonment felt because of divorce. It has become even more odd recently when I have started to notice a former couple who is swapping their dog back and forth.

This story to explain about how much I hate divorce. I HATE IT! I have lost a close friend who killed himself over the complications of divorce. I have friends who have been emotionally crushed by the devastation of divorce. I see children of divorced parents ending their marriages in divorce. I HATE DIVORCE! Guess who else hates it? That is right God. (Malachi 2:16)

I don't want to have a debate on whether it is permissible or not. Culturally it is permissible and religiously it is permissible under certain circumstances. I just want to know how to make it end. Maybe not until Jesus comes to take His bride. If so, come Lord Jesus! Selah.

The Pelagian Drinking Song

The Pelagian Drinking Song

Pelagius lived at Kardanoel
And taught a doctrine there
How, whether you went to heaven or to hell
It was your own affair.
It had nothing to do with the Church, my boy,
But was your own affair.

No, he didn't believe
In Adam and Eve
He put no faith therein!
His doubts began
With the Fall of Man
And he laughed at Original Sin.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
He laughed at original sin.

Then came the bishop of old Auxerre
Germanus was his name
He tore great handfuls out of his hair
And he called Pelagius shame.
And with his stout Episcopal staff
So thoroughly whacked and banged
The heretics all, both short and tall --
They rather had been hanged.

Oh he whacked them hard, and he banged them long
Upon each and all occasions
Till they bellowed in chorus, loud and strong
Their orthodox persuasions.
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Their orthodox persuasions.

Now the faith is old and the Devil bold
Exceedingly bold indeed.
And the masses of doubt that are floating about
Would smother a mortal creed.
But we that sit in a sturdy youth
And still can drink strong ale
Let us put it away to infallible truth
That always shall prevail.

And thank the Lord
For the temporal sword
And howling heretics too.
And all good things
Our Christendom brings
But especially barley brew!
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Especially barley brew!

Intelligence: How Much You Know or Who You Know?

For those of you who have been introduced to my son, Xavier, you know how sponge-like and capable his intellect is. He very much reminds me of myself at his age: reading and watching anything, learning from it, memorizing details, encyclopedic like in knowledge. This growing intellect led us to believe that he may very well be advanced for his age. So my wife and I pushed for him to be included in the local school board's gifted student program. After much hoop jumping through and a lot of poor communication from the school, he was “tested” and found not to meet the requirements for this program.

We were disappointed. We know he is smart and gifted and were now concerned that his ever growing boredom in school was going to cause behavior issues. Should we find another school? Should we homeschool?

As I suffered through that disappointment, I thought of how important being recognized for your intelligence was. It is almost certainly at the heart of my pride problems. I spent years thinking and being told about how smart I was and how my good grades and intelligence would make me a well respected and rich man. Oh, how I was disappointed! Intelligence is no measure of a man. My measure of “manhood” is found in how well and how closely I identify with the transforming nature and person of Christ. I pray and hope that I can now teach my son the importance of this knowledge and not all knowledge is what truly makes the difference. I love you son! May you learn to grow and love His Son!

Killer Marriage Tips

               About two months ago, I went to see the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. While I was waiting for the movie to start, there was a gentleman in front of me there with his wife and his grade school aged son. The wife went to go use the restroom and as soon as she did, the man (who had not looked up from his phone once) immediately went to match.com (a dating website) and was browsing through pictures of women. I almost threw up at the thought of him ignoring his child and cheating on his wife while waiting to watch this movie.
              My killer marriage tip for this guy: Be a man! Love your wife! Pay attention to your children! You are going to regret every single moment of what you are doing now and you won't be able to change it.
              These guys have some other killer marriage tips that you may be doing but probably should think about it twice.

The "Unmentionable" Sin

Gluttony.

I love food. I said it. I love it a lot. My physique currently shows that.

If there is one thing that I have been convicted of in the last few months more than any other, it is that food is my comfort idol.

When I get upset, sad, depressed, anxious, joyful, or any other (insert your) emotion, I run to food to help.

NO MORE!

I have too often run to my false Savior of Ice Cream, or Cheese Fries, or McDonalds instead of the One I know who does provide comfort and joy. I will now from this day forth, with the power of the Spirit, work to remove this idol from my life.

Will you help me?

This! Yes!

Pastor Mark hits the nail on the head (except for the day of Sabbath thing). I need to listen to the gospel like this everyday. It gets me going.

Election

Taken from the Coram Deo Blog:

Philip Ryken offers this helpful analogy to understand God’s sovereignty in salvation and how it interfaces with our responsibility:

The famous American Bible teacher Donald Grey Barnhouse often used an illustration to help people make sense of election. He asked them to imagine a cross like the one on which Jesus died, only so large that it had a door in it. Over the door were these words from Revelation: ‘Whosoever will may come.’ These words represent the free and universal offer of the gospel. By God’s grace, the message of salvation is for everyone. Every man, woman and child who will come to the cross is invited to believe in Jesus Christ and enter eternal life. One the other side of the door a happy surprise awaits the one who believes and enters. For from the inside, anyone glancing back can see these words from Ephesians written above the door: ‘Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.’ Election is best understood in hindsight, for it is only after coming to Christ that one can know whether one has been chosen in Christ. Those who make a decision for Christ find that God made a decision for them in eternity past.

I find this to be an understandable view of election. Some folks may argue who chose who. I think Scripture is pretty clear on how man can do nothing deserving of salvation and by God's grace we can enter into His Kingdom. It seems to me like salvation belongs to God not man. (Rev. 7:10)

#itsthe011son

If you are not using Twitter, you should give it a try. You are limited to 140 characters to speak your peace. This leads to a lot of bad grammar but some amusing statements. It is a much more pithy method of conversation and I find it to be useful when trying to solicit social commentary on specific topics. When you join, follow me @jjpethtel.

One of the things used on Twitter to search for trending topics is hashtags (This symbol: #). You place a hashtag in your conversation such as #snowpacalypse11 (remember you don't use spaces) and then if you do a search your "tweet" will show up along with everyone else who is using the hashtag.

This is useful to me for two primary reasons: Humor (look at some hashtags when you join they are funny, such as the one that is the title of this post courtesy of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) and conferences (every one attending the same conference will be using the same hashtag and you can make new friends or find out about seminars or breakouts you could not attend).

In the church world, Twitter is good for posting short announcement and for connecting with folks you don't know who might have the same or similar interests as you in the same geographical area.

I have learned that if I only spend time with people who know Christ that I fail in the Great Commission arena so this has been an invaluable tool in making virtual connections that precede face to face ones.

When Yes Means No

Sitting here pondering the events in the lives of ones whom I love dearly and my schedule for the upcoming year and realizing that I need to be very consitent and orderly with the right priorities to make sure that I accomplish everything that I have responsibility for.

One of the most influential things I read last year was a series of blogs titled Biblical Productivity by C.J. Mahaney. Something that truly stuck out to me in these series of posts was the truth that when I say yes to doing something I am saying no to doing something else.

Those who know me best know that I have a hard time saying no. There are many reasons for this:
I want to be helpful.

Sometimes I feel like I have to be helpful because I am a pastor.

I am skilled and competent in lots of different areas of service so it is easy to help in lots of things.

So when someone asks for help I used to say most certainly yes.

But I have become convicted that saying yes isn't always the best choice of my time. I can only play so many roles so I have (upon the advice of Mahaney) limited my roles to 5. Here they are in order of importance:

1. Christian (this includes devoting time to spiritual disciplines and growth because I fully believe that if I am not growing that I cannot help others grow)

2. Husband

3. Father

4. Pastor/Church Leader

5. Friend

I encourage you to read these blog posts from Mahaney during the upcoming months and to change your life accordingly. You will not be disappointed.

2011: Best Sequel Ever?

If this year were a movie title for my life it would be John J. Pethtel XXXIII: How Will He Do It?.

Spoiler Alert: I can't. There is nothing that I can do of any value without Christ.

It only took me thirty years and some change to realize this basic Christian truth but it has dawned on me that in every thing I do I need to show where my real treasures lie.

So today, as I set out to preach the gospel at the Journey ATL for some friends or as I work my shift this afternoon at Sears selling appliances or as I come home and eat dinner and send my kids to bed, I need to show what my true treasure is and where my true dependence is.

May God help me be faithful to building His Kingdom and not mine through my works! SDG!