Thirty Years of Ministry at LMBC

For the past 30 years (our first Sunday was December 5, 1982) my wife and I have worked side-by-side in the ministry at the only church I have ever pastored. I served for nearly five years as a youth pastor in Georgia while I received my ministry training and those years were a wonderful experience of growing and learning. But, nothing could ever compare to the experience of leading a congregation of believers to follow Jesus Christ and being fully responsible to "shepherd" all the people God places in your trust.

I certainly have made my share of mistakes and if there was a redo button I would have used it during my tenure...I promise! However, I don’t feel that my ministry has been filled with lots of regrets and disappointments, but with an overwhelming number of opportunities and blessings. No pastor can accurately judge his own success or failure in the work he does, as only the Lord knows the full extent of his obedience and fulfillment of the divine plan. I do pray, though, that my life is making a difference and that people come to know the Lord, continue to walk with the Lord, and are encouraged in the Lord, because I serve Jesus Christ in vocational ministry.

Working with me in everything God has been doing in our church is my beloved wife. Without her I would have never been able to assume the responsibility God entrusted to me all those years ago. As the pastor of the church I naturally have a very visible role of leadership among God's people, but as my partner in ministry, my wife has worked just as hard, prayed just as much, and given of herself more than you'll ever know. She is as much called to the work as I am called and I can't thank God enough for her depth of spirituality, strength, courage, fortitude, determination, encouragement, love, compassion, understanding, etc., etc. The forgotten "heroes" of the ministry are the women serving with their husbands in local churches, whether in the states or around the world.

Christine Hoover writes poignantly about being a pastor's wife. She says, "I want you to know that I am equally as passionate about the church as my husband and equally as called into ministry. My husband’s role looks vastly different than mine, and I am not as 'out front' as him, but I am just as involved, concerned, and vital to the ministry God has given us..."

Hopefully there isn't any pastor (or church member) that would disagree with her statement, but I know that I can wholeheartedly affirm her conviction. After 30 years of serving Christ together in one place, the one thing I wish more people had realized is the significance of my wife's ministry to our church.

My most important ministry co-laborer through these years has been my wife, whether in the "trenches," on the "mountaintops," or through some "deep valleys," and I want to thank her for being a true "soldier of the cross." She is the godliest example I know of what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ.

Do yourself a favor and read the rest of Christine Hoover’s article about the pastor’s wife so you will understand just how important her role is to the ministry of the local church.

The following link will take you to her complete article:

http://www.incourage.me/?s=What+Your+Pastor%E2%80%99s+Wife+Wants+You+To+Know&x=13&y=2

Consider This...

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3 NLT)

Everything you need to "live a godly life" you already possess as a child of God. That doesn't mean you don't need encouragement or instruction along your spiritual journey. But, you're not deficient of the necessary resources to live out the Christ life. Jesus didn't just promise to save your soul. He also promised to fuel your spiritual life so you can do the things He commands. When you grasp this fundamental truth it transforms the way you approach the Christian life. You stop trying harder and start trusting Him more to live His life through you.

Consider This...

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7 NLT)

Remember when you were a kid and something bad happened to you? You couldn't wait to get home to your mom or dad to tell them all about it. And, just knowing they were on your side made everything so much easier to face. Your God "cares" for you more than any parent and He's clearly on your side. Run to your Heavenly Father and give Him all the burdens that weigh you down. He'll know what to do next and can make all things work out for your good.

On Fire: Life in the Spirit (Fruitfulness)

Galatians 5:16-26

What is true spirituality?

Too many people think of spirituality primarily by the externals:

• The Puritans are commonly portrayed dressed in black with sullen looks on their faces. (Quakers, Amish dress)
• Other religious traditions include the wearing of habits, robes, vestments and clerical collars.
• For some spirituality is represented by wearing a cross or some other religious icon/symbol.
• More modern practice equates spirituality with bumper stickers (ex. “Honk if you love Jesus,” Ichthus, etc.), charitable giving/deeds, or attending as many services each week as possible.

But, are these things alone really the evidence of true spirituality?

The problem with focusing on the externals to assess true spirituality is that it leads to a performance-based Christianity that tries to force conformity to institutional norms through rules and regulations (otherwise known as legalism), which usually tends toward spiritual hypocrisy, spiritual burnout, and/or spiritual elitism. It is inevitable that true spirituality will ultimately affect every aspect of the way we live (including external matters), but before it is anything else it is first a matter of the heart.

When we consider what the Bible has to say about spirituality we learn that God sets His premium NOT PRIMARILY ON HOW WE LOOK, BUT ON WHO CONTROLS US FROM THE INSIDE SO THAT WE MAY PROJECT THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

Charles Ryrie accurately defines spirituality this way, “Spirituality is a mature and maturing relation to the Holy Spirit...[it] involves control by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and if the Spirit has come to glorify Christ (John 16:14), then a spiritual person will manifest Christ in his character and actions.” (Charles Ryrie, What Is Spirituality?, Bibliotheca Sacra, [July, 1969], pgs. 205, 208 [saved in Google Docs])

True spirituality, then, is best measured by the character of Christ that is produced in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). The greater the Spirit’s control, the more evident will be the “fruit of the Spirit,” which is the true mark of spirituality.

This aspect of spirituality (“fruit of the Spirit”) should not be confused with the “gifts of the Spirit.” At the moment of conversion to Christ, every believer receives at least one spiritual gift that God intends for him to use in service to his Master. "Gifts” are functions and capacities given to each believer in order to serve the Christian community, but not all believers share the same gifts. The “fruit of the Spirit,” however, is available in its entirety to every believer that is “led by the Spirit” making this the foundational mark of true spirituality.

The nine qualities that are produced by the Holy Spirit in the life of a surrendered believer are sometimes divided into three categories for the sake of application: 1. Spiritual virtues (love, joy, peace). 2. Social virtues (longsuffering, kindness, goodness). 3. Personal virtues (faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

But, it is important that we not make too much of these kinds of distinctions since the emphasis of the singular “fruit of the Spirit” is that they are a unity and all these qualities should be found in the believer who is led by the Spirit of God. Thus, these nine qualities are various aspects of the generative power of the Spirit produced in the life of all surrendered believers. They are qualities that are expressed as the natural product of the Christian’s relationship with the Spirit of God.

We must also be careful not to assume that because these qualities are called the “fruit of the Spirit” that there is no personal responsibility in cooperating with the Spirit to actively express these virtues in our daily lives. As Galatians 5:25 demonstrates...we have an ethical responsibility to participate with the Spirit of God in expressing these virtues, though they can only be fully realized as they are produced in the believer through yieldedness to the Holy Spirit.

One of the striking contrasts of this passage is found in the distinction made between the “works of the flesh” (5:19-21) and the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:22-23). The “works of the flesh” is the product of our fallen human nature allowed to express itself according to its own dictates with little or no restraint. Our basic humanity is inherently evil and sinful, as Paul taught when discussing the struggle he had with his flesh:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. (Romans 7:18-20)

These acts of our “flesh” are essentially self-centered and primarily concerned with the gratification of our own physical and emotional desires. They are destructive to community life, while on the other hand, every aspect of the “fruit of the Spirit” enhances community life.

Consider this list of evils that comes from living according to the ways of our human nature.

1. Adultery, 2. Fornication, 3. Uncleaness (a broad term meaning moral depravity in thought, word, and deed), 4. Lewdness (lacking any moral restraint...shameless, brazen, and open displays of the aforementioned), 5. Idolatry, 6. Sorcery (Gk. “pharmakeia”), 7. Hatred, 8. Contentions (strife, discord), 9. Jealousies, 10. Outbursts of wrath, 11. Selfish ambitions, 12. Dissentions (opposing groups, cliques, gangs), 13. Heresies, 14. Envy, 15. Murders, 16. Drunkenness, 17. Revelries (unrestrained partying, drunkenness)...”and the like.”

Now, contrast the “fruit of the Spirit” with these depraved “works of the flesh.”

1. Love
It may be that love is the primary focus of this entire ethical appeal. In other words...all the other moral qualities in this list define and flow out of love. This is another possibility as to why Paul chose the singular “fruit of the Spirit” while he used the plural when speaking of the “works of the flesh.”

The New English Translation says: “Another way to punctuate this is ‘love’ followed by a colon (love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). It is thus possible to read the eight characteristics following ‘love’ as defining love.”

Author, John Painter writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is love . . .What follows appears to add to love. But the list adds nothing to Paul's understanding of love. It is nothing more nor less than a characterization of love.” (John Painter, The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, p.58 [saved in Google Docs])

Love is a repeated theme in this chapter: cf. 5:6; 5:13,14.

As the rays of the sun are refracted in drops of water to give the many colors of the rainbow, so the rays of God’s love are refracted in the life of a believer to display the many splendored beauty of Christ’s character.

2. Joy
The first result of love in any relationship is true joy. It is the evidence of a healthy relationship with others. Where there is conflict and bitterness, as there was in Galatia, there can be no real joy.

3. Peace
In the first century mindset, peace was more than the absence of difficulty, opposition, and pain. It involved personal wholeness that was manifested in healthy relationships.

The Jewish greeting of Shalom was about wishing someone the highest good that promotes healthy relationships.

4. Longsuffering
This word occurs in the NT in the sense of patiently enduring wrongs without responding with anger or vengeance (2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 1:11; 3:12; 2 Timothy 3:10; 4:2; Hebrews 6:12; James 5:10).

It is the opposite of “fits of rage” or a short temper.

5. Kindness
This could be called “benevolence in action” and is used as an attribute of God (cf. Rom 2:4; 11:22; Titus 3:4), as well as a virtue to be expressed by God’s people (2 Corinthians 6:6; Colossians 3:12).

As God was benevolent/kind to us through His Son, we are to be benevolent/kind towards others because of His Son.

6. Goodness
This represents both an uprightness of soul, as well as actions that reach out to others to do good even when it’s not deserved.

These two attributes together (kindness and goodness) could be defined together as a sweet disposition while doing and being good to others.

7. Faithfulness
Because this text is a list of virtues and this noun is one of eight others, the context determines the best meaning to be “faithfulness.” It is the idea of keeping commitments in relationships...something the Galatians struggled to demonstrate toward Paul (4:13–16).

8. Gentleness (meekness)
Aristotle...defined this word as the mean between the extremes of “excessive anger” and the “inability to be angry.”

In the apocryphal writings of the LXX it is used of “modesty,” “consideration,” or “gentleness” toward others. Because “meekness” is used here as the opposite of the arrogant and self-assertive spirit that is part of the “works of the flesh,” then probably the best understanding of this word is “gentleness” or “consideration.”

Meekness is really an expression of humility as you consider the needs and hurts of others before your own personal goals and ambitions.

9. Self-control
This is a virtue that prevents all of the evil excesses of the flesh. In relationships this quality keeps a person from using others to gratify his own selfish appetites. This includes the strength to say no to yourself, as well as to the desires of your sinful nature.

”...Against such there is no law.” Is it any wonder there would be no “law” against these virtues or necessary to regulate them? With the “works of the flesh,” laws are absolutely necessary to curtail the gratuitous lusts that harm others, yourself, and society.

When you look at these two opposite and disparate lists, you begin to see the rhetorical effect Paul is trying to achieve.  

You have the singular “fruit” as opposed to the plural “works.” You have the virtues of the Spirit over against the vices of the flesh. You have a list that is heterogeneous while the other is homogeneous. One list has three groups of three virtues each while the other list is a disjointed display of depravity. One list is harmonious in tone while the other is filled with discordant sounds.

And the primary difference in the two kinds of life...one is lived under the control of the Holy Spirit while the other is lived according to that part of our human nature that refuses to submit to God (Galatians 3:3; 4:29; 5:16-19, 24; Romans 8:4-6, 9, 13).

Here’s the bottom line: the only way to be truly spiritual is to allow the spirit of God to control your life in an ever increasing way.

Three important things to remember about being spiritual:
1. Fruit is produced, not manufactured.

• Galatians 5:22, 23 is not a series of commands or exhortations. It is a list of promises!
• We can’t be spiritually fruitful in our energy alone (though we must cooperate with the Spirit - cf. 2 Peter 1:3-11).
• As you yield to the Holy Spirit you become increasingly more like the Holy Spirit.

2. Fruit takes time to mature.

• It’s a mistake to expect "instant change" in our spiritual lives.
• “Instant change” happens sometimes, but not always.
• It is also a mistake to think that God is finished with you after a certain amount of time.

3. Fruit-bearing takes patient cultivation.

• We must cultivate a desire to become spiritually mature.
• We must cultivate a life of yieldedness to the Holy Spirit.
• We must cultivate a commitment to the Word, prayer, church and spiritual examination.

Operation Pillar of Cloud - Day #3

Following is a letter from a friend of mine that lives in Israel and is experiencing the attacks from Hamas. As you will note, if you read far enough into his letter, Hamas and other Islamic entities have one goal in mind...the extermination of Israel. We must pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for our present administration to stand with Israel.

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Today, the third day of Operation Pillar of Cloud, we were under bombardment from Grad missiles and constant alarms that sent us to the sheltered room. Most of them were shut down by Iron Dome. Hamas today showed off their long range rockets capability by launching rockets to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas. It seems like an all day non-stop sirens and rockets to many cities of the south and central Israel.

According to the IDF, 510 rockets were fired on Israel since Operation Pillar of Cloud began Wednesday, and only 26 of them exploded in southern urban areas. The Iron Dome intercepted more than 160 rockets.

Beyond the physical war, it's a spiritual war between God's people and the people of Allah.

Some of Hamas' spiritual leaders prayers to Allah:

"Our battle is with the Jewish enemy today. Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.' --Words of the Martyr Imam Hasan al-Bana, of blessed memory." [Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS

"Kill so many Jews that they will eventually abandon Palestine." --Ibrahim Sarbal, Leader of Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine - Al-Aqsa Brigades

"Six million descendants of monkeys [i.e., Jews] now rule in all the nations of the world, but their day, too, will come. Allah! Kill them all, do not leave even one!" --Imam Sheik Ahmad Ibrahim, HAMAS leader, in a sermon at the Palestine Mosque in Gaza.

HAMAS and the Islamic Jihad Movement, both seek to undermine the Jewish State from within. HAMAS, the Arabic acronym of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine, was founded in 1988 as an alternative to the secular Palestine Liberation Organization PLO/Fatah, HAMAS' Charter (or Covenant), issued in 1988 calls for the eventual creation of an Islamic state in Palestine, in place of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and the obliteration or dissolution of Israel. (a reminder, Israel was called Palestine by the Romans after taking the Jewish people into captivity and destroying Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. It was changed back to Israel after it became a nation in 1948)

The acronym HAMAS, taken from the Arabic Harakat al-Muqawama al-lslamiya - Islamic Resistance Movement, literally denotes "zeal" or "enthusiasm." The HAMAS Covenant, however, interprets its name to mean "strength and bravery."  (it is interesting that Hamas or Chamas is also a Hebrew word mentioned in the Bible which means, violence, injustice, oppression, cruelty)  The charter claims that the Jews deserve Allah’s enmity and wrath because they received the Scriptures but violated its sacred texts, disbelieved the signs of Allah.

"The Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say, ‘O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews"(related by al-Bukhari and Muslim). The document also quotes Islamic religious texts to provide justification for fighting against and killing the Jews, without distinction whether they are in Israel or elsewhere. It presents the Arab-Israeli conflict as an inherently irreconcilable struggle between Jews and Muslims, and Judaism and Islam, adding that the only way to engage in this struggle between "truth and falsehood" is through Islam and by means of jihad (holy war) until victory or martyrdom.

Section 15 states: "It is necessary to instill in the minds of the Moslem generations that the Palestinian problem is a religious problem, and should be dealt with on this basis."

But our God is the Lord of Hosts, He is the God of Israel, He has not abandon His people, His word says: (Jer, 31:35,36) "Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and the starts for a light by night...if those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever."

Hamas responded when the Israeli army first started the "Pillar of Cloud" operation three days ago by announcing that "By this operation Israel opened the "Gates of Hell." Mat. 16:18: "...I will build My congregation and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." The Body of Messiah Yeshua is growing in Israel, there are Israeli believer soldiers in the Israeli army, even in commanding positions, The gates of hell will not prevail against His people in Israel.

We pray for God's protection over the Israeli army, the believers in the army, for courage, protection, ability to do a surgical work of destroying the terrorist's cells and ammunitions, for clear knowledge of each move, for cautious not to make mistakes.

We pray for the government and leaders for unity, wisdom in making decisions and direction, like David to know when to go up to battle. Above all we give God the glory, praise, faithfulness and protection. And we say: "Thank you Lord God. Praise You for your faithfulness forever fulfilling for Your promises in Your Word."

Again we want to thank you for your love and support for God's work in the Land. We love and appreciate you very much. Please pray with us according to the Holy Spirit's leading.  THANK YOU, and the Lord bless you abundantly!!!

Consider This...

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. (Titus 2:12, 13 NLT)

Christians are supposed to be distinctly different to the world around them in the things they value and the conduct of their lives. Why is it then that there is so little that distinguishes many believers from their unbelieving counterparts? Somehow in the process of trying to relate to our culture many have forgotten the importance of being righteous and devoted to God. The "cool factor" has replaced a faith that's expressed with conviction. "Fitting in" has become more important than standing out. And, the latest trends trump commitment to the eternal truth. When was the last time you were unmistakably identified as being a Christian by those who don't know Jesus?

Consider This...

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. (2 Timothy 4:3, 4 NLT)

There will always be some variation in what pastors teach from Scripture, especially on secondary matters, because none of us has a perfect understanding of the mind of God. But, too often when looking for a church home, people search for a place that will tell them what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear from God's Word. Christian consumers ask, "What programs does this church offer me, is this the denomination of my preference, and/or do I feel at home here?" Committed Christians ask, "Does this church preach/teach the truth above all else?" Be advised: the truth is not being taught in all churches even though you may be entertained by their programing or be loyal to their denomination.

Girl Football Player, 9, Dominates Boys Program

This little nine year old girl seems to be a nice young lady with a tremendous amount of athletic ability. But, I simply cannot understand parents allowing their daughter to participate in tackle football with the boys. I agree with the basic sentiment of Denny Burk who commented about this issue after seeing a video of this young lady on a national sports network.

----------------

"I saw this video yesterday that’s going viral on the internet right now. It’s a highlight reel of a 9-year old girl playing football with a bunch of boys. She looks pretty spectacular in the video as she blows past all the defenders and rumbles down the field for some long running plays. My little girls were nearby while I was watching the video, and I confess that I did not want them to see it. What she was doing was impressive, but it is not an aspirational model for little girls.

When shown on a national sports network, "...you can see the commentators from ESPN grappling with whether or not it is appropriate for a little girl to play football with boys. Most of the men say no. One of them learned the lesson the hard way after his 15-year old daughter was seriously injured playing on her high school football team. Another one sounds like he has completely succumbed to the feminist spirit of the age and says he would encourage his little girls to play. But the rest of the guys agreed that it’s a bad idea. They aren’t arguing from a Christian perspective, but something in their gut tells them it’s wrong, and they are right.

"I’m concerned about parents who would let their little girl play football with boys. But I’m even more concerned about parents who would allow their sons to participate. What have we become as a society when parents would cheer their sons to in any way strike or manhandle a girl? This is not good.

"As a Christian, I find this kind of behavior to be particularly troublesome. This goes against everything I’m trying to teach my son about the way he is to treat girls. I aim to teach him that his responsibility is not merely a passive one—not hitting girls. His responsibility is an active one. It falls to him to be the protector of the girls in his life. Right now that relates chiefly to his three sisters, but it also extends to all little girls. I teach him that while he’s a boy so that he will be that way when he is a man.

"To put my son on the football field and then to tell him to tackle a little girl would go against everything that I am trying to teach him. He would have to ignore his conscience, which I am actively trying to shape so that he will be a self-sacrificial protector of girls. Do we really want to train a generation of boys through their playtime activities that it’s okay to pulverize little girls? It will be the unraveling of everything that is decent and good if we do."

Consider This...

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT)

Paul's words read like they were ripped from yesterday's paper or last night's news. There is no biblical promise that our world is going to keep getting better and better until we usher in a utopia. Actually, Scripture is quite clear that as we draw nearer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ that our world will further degrade in character and conduct. Our task is to guard against joining in the compromise and pray expectantly, "even so come, Lord Jesus."

Consider This...

So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. (1 John 3:13 NLT)

The world hated Jesus and it's certain that it will also hate the followers of Jesus. Get use to it...you have enemies even if you aren't presently feeling their wrath. Given the right circumstances they'll call for your "crucifixion" as easily as they called for your Savior's crucifixion. Our desire should be to respond in the same manner Jesus responded, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Consider This...

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. (Proverbs 10:19 NLT)

This proverb is hard to follow, but it's true that saying less is usually the "sensible" thing to do. We almost always say too much and almost never say too little. In your next conversation try to communicate what needs to be said, not everything you'd like to say. At some point your words become your worst adversary rather than your best advocate.

On Fire: Life in the Spirit (Sin)

Ephesians 4:25-32

August 14, 2001:
A surge of electricity to western New York and Canada touched off a series of power failures and enforced blackouts...that left parts of at least eight states in the Northeast and the Midwest without electricity. The widespread failures provoked the evacuation of office buildings, stranded thousands of commuters and flooded some hospitals with patients suffering in the stifling heat.

In an instant that one utility official called "a blink-of-the-eye..." shortly after 4 p.m., the grid that distributes electricity to the eastern United States became overloaded. As circuit breakers tripped at generating stations from New York to Michigan and into Canada, millions of people were instantly caught up in the largest blackout in American history...

...Officials said that the cause of the blackout was under investigation but that terrorism did not appear to have played a role.

...The office of the Canadian prime minister...initially said the power problems were caused by lightning in New York State but later retracted that. Canadian officials later expressed uncertainty about the exact cause but continued to insist the problem began on the United States side of the border.

...Phillip G. Harris, who is in charge of the consortium that oversees power distribution from New Jersey to the District of Columbia...said that his system had recorded a "massive outflow" of power to northern New York or Canada shortly after 4 p.m. He said that the surge overloaded power lines that took themselves out of service.

...New York State officials later said the event may have begun with a power surge at the Perry nuclear power plant near Cleveland. (from two NY Times articles saved in Evernote)

This story reminds me of what happens when Christians sin. What may appear as a minor infraction to some has cascading effects on the rest of the spiritual power grid of their lives. Failures begin to manifest themselves in one area after another leaving vast regions of their lives in relative darkness.

Consider some of the effects when you wilfully sin against God and refuse to repent.

1. There is a loss of fellowship.

As clouds hide the sun for days, sin comes between the soul and the Savior. Every year I struggle with the winter blues due to the overcast skies, bitter cold temperatures, and early darkness. Just to see the sunshine for a few brief moments on a winter day does much to cheer my mood. When we have sinned against God and have failed to confess to Him our failures, our lives begin to feel the coldness of His distance like a gray and bitter winter day.

Every husband knows what it’s like to be in a relationship with your wife, but to be out of fellowship with her. Thankfully, we can never lose our relationship with God when we sin, but we do lose our fellowship with Him.

After King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba he tried to hide his sin. For nearly a year he lived with the guilt of all he had done and he chronicled what his experience was like in Psalm 32:3-4.

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer... (Psalm 32:4)

Hymn Chorus:

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

So that His blessed face may be seen;

Nothing preventing the least of His favor,

Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

Our prayer every day ought to be: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

2. There is a loss of joy.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (Psalm 51:12)

Your heart feels empty and the desire for spiritual things begins to wane. Your Christianity begins to feel like a drudgery instead of a delight. You can find a thousand things to do instead of gathering with the people of God to celebrate Him and learn His ways on Sundays. There’s a disappearing sense of boldness for telling others about your faith. The Bible seems like a closed book when you read it and your prayers feel hollow. Your personal relationships become increasingly characterized by conflict as your own personality becomes more dour. When you sin against God you lose the joy of being His child and following His will.

3. There is a loss of comfort.

The longer you remain in unconfessed sin the more difficult your life becomes and the less you sense His peace or comfort. Your life becomes increasingly characterized by unexplained turmoil (though turmoil can also be part of a trial to mature you...not always caused by wilful sin) that reflects God’s discipline (“chastisement”) to bring you to repentance.

Thayer’s Lexicon defines chastisement in this way:a. to chastise or castigate with words, to correct: of those who are moulding the character of others by reproof and admonition, 2 Tim. 2:25.

b. in biblical...use employed of God, to chasten by the infliction of evils and calamities: 1 Co. 11:32; 2 Co. 6:9; Heb. 12:6; Rev. 3:19, (Prov. 19:18; 29:17).

c. to chastise with blows, to scourge: of a father punishing a son, Heb. 12:7, [10]; of a judge ordering one to be scourged, Lk. 23:16, 22, [(Deut. 22:18)].

For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? (Hebrews 12:6-7)

Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. (Psalm 89:32-33)

4. There is a loss of reward.

Out of fellowship means out of service – out of service means that one is failing to lay up treasures in heaven. You are building with “wood, hay, and stubble” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) that will not endure the test of the judgment day.

5. There is a loss of power.

The fullness of God’s power that makes us “fruitful” is only available to those who yield themselves to the Holy Spirit. Consequently, failing to yield means diminished power and even spiritual “blackouts.”

...As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4)

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

How do we grieve the Holy Spirit? By...

A. Ignoring His presence.

Acting as if He isn’t there and living as if He doesn’t matter. At conversion we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable us to follow the Lord and serve Him. As a parent would be grieved if his child took for granted a precious gift that was given him, so the Father is grieved when we ignore the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As a wife is grieved when her husband fails to acknowledge her in their home, so the Holy Spirit is grieved whenever the believer fails to acknowledge His indwelling presence.

We grieve Him by...

B. Neglecting His power.

We are not only promised the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are promised the power of the Holy Spirit, as well. That power is realized as we yield ourselves to Him on a daily basis...moment by moment. Most of us don’t take this seriously enough and try to operate our lives in the energy of the flesh...further complicating our spiritual problems.

We will only know the liberating power of the Holy Spirit as we come under the Lordship of His indwelling presence.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

We grieve Him by...

C. Polluting His temple (unconfessed sin).

Hymn writer, W.M. Bunting wrote:

Holy Spirit! pity me,

Pierced with grief for grieving Thee;

Present, though I mourn apart,

Listen to a wailing heart.

Worldly cares at worship time,

Groveling aims in work sublime,

Pride, when God is passing by,

Sloth, when souls in darkness die;

Chilled devotions, changed desires,

Quenched corruptions earlier fires--

Sins like these my heart deceive,

Thee, who only know’st them grieve!

We grieve Him by...

D. Shunning HIs Word.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

“In its primary NT sense, to prophesy meant to speak the word of God. The inspired utterances of the prophets are preserved for us in the Bible. In a secondary sense, to prophesy means to declare the mind of God as it has been revealed in the Bible.” (Believers Bible Commentary)

“The Holy Spirit’s working can be opposed by believers. It is this that Paul warned against...There may have been a tendency in the early church, and perhaps in the Thessalonian church in particular, to underrate the value of prophetic utterances. The gift of prophecy was the ability to receive and communicate direct revelations from God before the New Testament was completed (1 Cor. 13:8)....By way of application, Christians should not disparage any revelation that has come to the church and has been recognized as authoritative and preserved by the Holy Spirit in Scripture. The temptation to put the ideas of men on an equal footing with the Word of God is still present.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

“Do not look down upon Bible study as something that is beneath you. Do not be indifferent to the Word of God. We have a lot of folks who are in Christian service, but they are ignorant of the Bible and they look down on Bible study...We had a Bible study downtown in Los Angeles, averaging fifteen hundred people every Thursday night over a period of twenty-one years—what a thrill that was! What a privilege that was! But sometimes folks would make a remark like, ‘You need to get out and do something, not just go to sit and listen to the Bible.’ The interesting thing is that those people who came to sit and listen to the Bible did go out and do something. There are several hundred of those people who are out on the mission field; there are several hundred who are witnessing for God; and there are several hundred in the ministry. I notice that the boys who do not study the Word of God run down like an eight-day clock. Their ministries don’t last too long...” (J. Vernon McGhee)

We grieve Him by...

E. Harming His church.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)

This command does not necessarily speak of a direct attack on the Spirit, but to the subtle things found in the preceding and following verses (specifically dealing with our speech) that tends to damage relationships within the body and thus mar the work of the Spirit in God’s church. God’s Spirit is grieved over any sin that divides and destroys the unity of the body.

The OT background of this verse is found in Isaiah 63:7-14. Isaiah rehearses God’s love and deliverance of His people and explains why there were times that He disciplined them.

“The links between the two biblical passages are so significant as to suggest a typological correspondence between the two events in the history of God’s covenant people. In Isaiah 63, which looks back to the exodus, Yahweh is presented as the Saviour of Israel, who redeemed his people from Egypt, brought them into a covenant relationship with himself, led them by his own personal presence (i.e., his Holy Spirit) through the wilderness, and gave them rest. For its part, Israel the covenant people had rebelled against its Lord ‘and grieved his Holy Spirit’ (v. 10). In Ephesians Paul addresses the new covenant community, ‘the one new man’ (2:15) comprising Jews and Gentiles who have been redeemed (1:7) and reconciled to God through the cross of Christ (2:14–18). They have become a holy temple in the Lord, the place where God himself dwells by his Spirit (2:21, 22). Using the language of Isaiah 63:10, Paul issues a warning to this new community not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ‘as Israel had done’ in the wilderness (cf. 1 Cor. 10:1–11), the more so since they have been sealed by that same Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (4:30). The change from the indicative (‘they [Israel] grieved his Holy Spirit’) to the imperative (‘do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God’) is deliberate and makes eminent sense in this exhortatory context.” (Peter T. O’Brien)

Closing:
If you want to know the fullness of God’s spirit in your life, you have to deal with your sins. You cannot walk in the Spirit and willfully walk in sin. Sin grieves and quenches the Spirit of God in your life! But, forgiveness and restoration are only a confession away (1 John 1:9).