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

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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!