When the Worst Evangelist Is the Best, Part 2

In Part 1 we considered one man's conclusion that "Jonah was the best evangelist God could have sent to Nineveh."

It is clear that Jonah is portrayed as a terrible evangelist. Think of it. He so detested Nineveh that he directly disobeyed God and ran the other way. He so resisted God's corrective pressure that he said, "Throw me into the sea," rather than repent and obey. He so focused on the coming doom that we have no record that he included the possibility of forgiveness in his message. He so desired Nineveh's destruction that he was angry with God for showing mercy. Who could have been a worse evangelist?

It is also clear that God is portrayed as a contrast to Jonah. While Jonah runs from, God sends to. While Jonah hates, God loves. While Jonah hopes for doom, God hopes for deliverance. God is seen as the one full of compassion toward His creatures. He is ready, willing, and able to save any who call on Him. By the way, this character of God is not only seen in the mercy extended to Nineveh, but also in the lives of the sailors. In the end, God's compassion is also seen when Jonah called on the Lord from the great fish.

Yet a key paradox in the work is how a God who is full of compassion seems bent on using Jonah, the terrible evangelist. Why would God call him, correct him, recall him, recorrect him, and ultimately use him to bring about the greatest revival in history? Can God want and use imperfect servants? Does God allow imperfect servants to remain imperfect?

On Tuesday, we conclude this series by answering those questions and discovering the implications for us.

Works of Jonathan Edwards for Half Price

Looking for some good reading from an historic theologian? Until August 2, The Essential Edwards Collection is 50% off at Westminster Bookstore (click here). These writings, some of the best and most fascinating of Edwards', were compiled and released earlier this year by Edwards scholars Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan.

There will be a preview copy of one volume, Jonathan Edwards on the Good Life, at the Walnut Ridge Welcome Center this Wednesday and Sunday for you to browse.

When the Worst Evangelist Is the Best, Part 1

It was one of those "wow" moments. The men had gathered at Panera Bread for our weekly review of our ABF teaching. The study had been from Jonah and the coming week would be an overview. I asked what they thought was the punchline of the book. One of the men immediately said, "Jonah was the best evangelist God could have sent to Nineveh."

I never had that thought, so I asked him what he meant. His answer was insightful and something like this: "Apparently the Lord knew that Nineveh needed to be confronted with its sin and coming doom more than it needed a comforting word of hope. Who but a man who hated Nineveh would have preached condemnation with such intensity that it caused an entire city to fear their doom and call to God for mercy? Jonah was the best evangelist God could have sent to Nineveh!"

I was about to correct that conclusion by sharing the main point: God's compassion for doomed people and God's correction to Jonah for being the worst evangelist in history. But I paused to reflect. That reflection went on for several days and led me to wonder if the worst evangelist was indeed the best evangelist God could have sent to Nineveh.

What do you think? Is his conclusion valid? Look for Part 2 of 3 on Friday as we observe God's calling of Jonah.

New Audio Available

Here is Pastor Rich's message from Sunday, July 18, at Walnut Ridge. Click the links to download the MP3 files to your computer.

The Forgiver and the Forgiven - Philemon

Due to Technical Difficulties...

...this email cannot be sent.

As I began the day and the attempt to send a message, I suddenly found myself with a computer that would not connect and work online. I was unable to prepare or send my message.

As I worked to solve this the Lord gave me several reminders:

1) Troubles Happen! How wonderful it would be to live in a world without troubles, where everything works every time! But alas, such is not the case, nor ever will be. How wonderful the reminder of Christ: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Why would I expect a day without troubles?

2) Troubles are often beyond our control and require a greater resource. With the email down, I immediately attempted to correct it. Unfortunately, my attempts revealed my limitation at fixing network problems on computers. What could I do? Nothing but wait for someone greater than myself. This morning Lynette and I were praying and were reminded of the many truths about prayer. In particular we reflected on Hebrews 4:16: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." How reassuring to know we always have one who is able to help in our time of need!

3) Troubles are generally temporary and quite insignificant. What is quite amazing is how rapidly my trouble was solved. When Sheri Lesh arrived at the office, she quickly solved the problem and I was online again. Although the problem seemed huge, in reality, once the problem was fixed it seemed insignificant. Paul had that perspective regarding all the troubles of life. He wrote, "Our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I trust your day has few troubles. But if it does have some, remember to "call unto Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).

New from Word for the World

This spring, Pastor Rich taught a Bible Institute course on church history. It consists of 12 one-hour sessions surveying the history of the church from the apostolic age through today.

The DVD set and full notes are now available for a purchase price of $50. Please contact Lynette to place your order.

Also in the works...Project Israel. The footage was shot on location in September 2009, and right now we're working hard to turn it into a 10- or 12-session Bible study with DVD and study book. I'll give you more details as they're available.

New Baptist Bulletin Issue Available

The July/August issue of the Baptist Bulletin is now available. Stop by Walnut Ridge to pick up a copy if you don't have one.

Cover Story: "The Genesis Flood" by Paul J. Scharf. Fifty years later, The Genesis Flood continues its tidal wave of change.

New Audio Available

Here are Pastor Rich's messages from Sunday, July 4 and 11, at Walnut Ridge. Click the links to download the MP3 files to your computer.

Give Me Liberty in Christ - Galatians 5:1-12
It Takes Two to Tangle but Three to Reconcile - Philemon
Life in the Pits - Jeremiah

Seven Ways to Simplify Life (and Ministry)

ht: Dave Kraft

1. Turning down opportunities that might be a good use of who I am but not the best use of who I am. Just last week I said no to two people who offered me a great chance to do something.

2. Never saying yes to anything over the phone, but buying time to think and pray about it.

3. Practicing the theology of enough. I have no list of things that fall into the category of "I would be happy if __________."

4. Asking God to deliver me from an unhealthy appetite for acclaim, approval, position, power, and honor that would push me to do more and more for the wrong reasons.

5. Praying to be released from the restless, gnawing greed for more money and more stuff.

6. Daily reminding myself of who I am and who I am not--being content to be me.

7. Carving out sufficient time alone with God for humble contemplation--to give him opportunity to quiet my anxious heart and keep me focused on my "few themes."

It’s not easy living “simply” in a culture that demands more, rewards competition, and admires power and position. But, by God’s grace, I’m going to live in biblical simplicity.

How are YOU doing? Do you need to do some clean-up in your life and ministry? How about a retreat to think through some things and be reminded of who you are in Christ and the "few themes" he wants you to be about?

The Missing Link, Part 3

I hope that you have found profit from reading parts one and two this week. Today, an idea.

The question we now ask is, how might I implement a longer meditation of the Scriptures in my life?

Repetition: Get together with a buddy to read an extended passage of Scripture. Pick a Psalm, or a number of chapters, or a full New Testament epistle. Read it aloud. Then re-read it. And re-read it again. This will give you, as Muller wrote, more understanding than a cursory reading of the passage.

Memorization: Earlier in our curriculum, author Don Whitney outlined a number of benefits to Scripture memory. It supplies spiritual power, strengthens your faith, aids you in witnessing, gives God's counsel, and stimulates meditation. Fusion is working to commit Psalm 1 to memory this month. Pick something and work on it in your group or with a buddy.

Note Card-ization: Do you have somewhere for 3x5 note card? On your desk or clip board at work? On your car's dashboard? A place in your home where you spend time throughout the day? Write just one verse on that note card. It'll be there staring at you all day. Keep reading it. Ask yourself questions about it like, why did the author find it necessary to say this? Does it answer a what, why, or how? What is the main point of the verse? What smaller phrases or descriptions shed light on that point? What implications are there in light of this truth? You'll find that you'll draw out the meaning of the verse very effectively through a long inquiry into it.

Do you have other ideas for implementation? Feel free to post them below.

On Sunday in your ABF group you'll study the what, why, and how of worship. Comments will follow here next week.

The Missing Link, Part 2

Check out this extended quote from George Muller. He speaks of a small change that made all the difference:

"Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer after having dressed in the morning. Now, I saw the at the most important thing was to give myself to the reading of God's Word, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the Word of God, whilst meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experimental communion with the Lord.

"I began therefore to meditate on the New Testament from the beginning, early in the morning. The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words of the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate in the Word of God, searching as it were into every verse to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word, not for the sake of preaching on what I had meditated upon, but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul.

"The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that, though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less to prayer. When thus I have been for a while making confession or intercession or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it, but still continually keeping before me that food for my own soul is the object of my meditation. The result of this is that there is always a good deal of confession, thanksgiving, supplication, or intercession mingled with my meditation, and that my inner most almost invariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened, and that by breakfast time, with rare exceptions, I am in a peaceful if not happy state of heart.

"The difference, then between my former practice and my present one is this: formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all the time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer. But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, etc.; and often, after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then really began to pray.

"I scarcely ever suffer now in this way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father and to my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word. It often now astonishes me that I did not sooner see this point. And yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as plain to me as anything that the first thing the child of God has to do morning by morning is to obtain food for his inner man.

"Now what is food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the Word of God; and here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water passes through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it and applying it to our hearts.

"When we pray we speak to God. Now prayer, in order to be continued for any length of time in any other than a formal manner, requires, generally speaking, a measure of strength or godly desire, and the season therefore when this exercise of the soul can be most effectually performed is after the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the Word of God, where we find our Father speaking to us, to encourage us, to comfort us, to instruct us, to humble us, to reprove us. We may therefore profitably meditate with God's blessing though we are ever so weak spiritually; nay, the weaker we are, the more we need meditation for the strengthening of our inner man. Thus there is far less to be feared from wandering of mind than if we give ourselves to prayer without having had time previously for meditation.

"I dwell so particularly on this point because of the immense spiritual profit and refreshment I am conscious of having derived from it myself, and I affectionately and solemnly beseech all my fellow believers to ponder this matter. By the blessing of God, I ascribe to this mode the help and strength which I have had from God to pass in peace through deeper trials, in various ways, than I have ever had before; and having now above fourteen years tried this way, I can most fully, in the fear of God, commend it."

Roger Steer, Spiritual Secrets of George Muller, pp. 60-62. Harold Shaw Publishers, Wheaton, Ill., 1985.

The Missing Link, Part 1

On Sunday I had the privilege of leading an ABF class this morning at Walnut Ridge. We looked at the spiritual discipline of prayer, following Don Whitney's book and study guide.

Don writes that healthy meditation on the Word of God is "the missing link between Bible intake and prayer. ... After the input of a passage of Scripture, meditation allows us to take what God has said to us and think deeply on it, digest it, and then speak to God about it in meaningful prayer. As a result, we pray about what we've encountered in the Bible, now personalized through meditation. And not only do we have something substantial to say in prayer, and the confidence that we are praying God's thoughts to Him, but we transition smoothly into prayer with a passion for what we're praying about. Then as we move on with our prayer, we don't jerk and lurch along because we already have some spiritual momentum" (pp. 71-72).

Stop and think about this. Do you ever notice anything like this in your personal study? Reading and reflecting on Scripture naturally translates into prayers to God -- prayers filled with truth about who He is and what He has done.

Tomorrow I'll post an extended quote from George Muller as he recounts the work of the Word and the Spirit in his personal study pattern. Then on Thursday I'll follow up with an example of how we might practice this well.

Critique of the New Perspective on Paul

This morning in his message, Pastor Rich explained the New Perspective on Paul which is gaining acceptance today, even in evangelicalism. Below is a link to the helpful overview and critique that Pastor Rich also mentioned. It's by one of my teachers, Dr. Doug Brown of Faith Seminary.

An Overview of the New Perspective on Paul

GARBC Conference Recap

This week I -- along with Pastor Rich & Lynette and David Kreis -- attended the GARBC's annual conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. Thank you to Walnut Ridge for enabling us to attend and benefit from the messages and fellowship.

First, what is the GARBC? It is the national fellowship of churches that our church partners with. It consists of about 1,300 churches who join together around common belief and remain autonomous as local churches, yet help each other out so that we can each accomplish more. Pastor Rich has served on the association's board for a number of years, as did Pastor Moore. And a number of our former pastors -- Robert Ketcham, Mark Jackson, and current GARBC national representative John Greening -- have been key in the group's history.

The theme of the conference was Our God Reigns, and in the first session, John Greening encouraged us attendees that, instead of repeating back hearty "amen"s during the messages, to shout back "our God reigns." Nine speakers tag-teamed to speak through the book of Daniel, and we were freshly reminded of the sovereign rule of God over all things.

Below are the messages from the conference. Click the links to save the MP3 files to your computer. I especially recommend three of them (not to the neglect of the other nine!):

- Dan Davey is pastor of Colonial Baptist Church and president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Virginia Beach. His message from chapter two gives some great principles to help guide your study of the whole book of Daniel.

- My friend Joe Earle pastors Grace Baptist Church, Harlan, Iowa. His message on chapter five's handwriting on the wall is thoroughly excellent.

- Mike Stallard, dean of Baptist Bible Seminary, spoke from chapter nine, one of the most important passages in the Old Testament.

Another benefit of the conference is the chance to connect with many friends and learn of what we can do to help each other in the coming days. This leads to some ideas that we might be able to flesh out in our church, and we'll see what the Lord has in store for us along those lines this year.

Chapter 1 - John Greening
Chapter 2 - Dan Davey
Chapter 3 - Ken Spink
Chapter 4 - Dan Davey
Chapter 5 - Joe Earle
Chapter 6 - Tim Jordan
Chapter 7 - Dan Davey
Chapter 8 - Bill Gasser
Chapter 9 - Mike Stallard
Chapter 10 - Dan Davey
Chapter 11 - Steve Lovelady
Chapter 12 - Bernie Augsburger