the heart's desire

The Joy of Following Jesus

2008-09-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

If you are considering serving or are currently serving the church in ministry, whether paid or volunteer, please watch the following video. It is an excerpt of a sermon entitled We Work with You for Your Joy delivered by John Piper at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on March 27, 2007. Piper refers to 1 Corinthians 1:24 where Paul writes, “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.” In order to understand what Paul means by “it” we must look to 1 Corinthians 11:16-33 where Paul elaborates on what he could “lord over [the Corinthian’s] faith.” But he doesn’t hold it over them! Instead, he takes pleasure (joy) in suffering for the Corinthian church because of Christ and the gospel! Listen to these words and search your heart. Are you serving the church for the sake of Jesus and the gospel?

To listen to the sermon in its entirety, click here.

God is Enough

2008-09-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

What was once reserved for televangelists as a means of personal financial gain has now taken a new turn, becoming a prevailing “gospel” in America. The so-called prosperity gospel is not only unbiblical, but it is also idolatrous. In the following video, John Piper shares his thoughts on this issue. This excerpt was taken from the sermon The Supremacy of Christ in an Age of Terror.

To listen to the sermon in its entirety, click here.

Making War

2008-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

In Romans 8:13-14, Paul makes it clear that following our sinful nature leads to death. Conversely, if, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we make war against and kill our sinful nature, we will live and be known as sons of God. In the following video, John Piper expounds on this. There is indeed a violence about the Christian life: a violence again sin.

Prayer

2008-09-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, God has worked in amazing ways. My wife and I are now living in Louisville, KY. God has richly blessed us in love, grace, and joy. One of his greatest blessings is that of our son, Joseph Aaron Swords, II. He is due December 5. God is great, and greatly to be praised (Ps. 48:1).

In the coming weeks and months, I hope to write about some of the amazing work He has done in our lives. For now, though, I will simply share one lesson I have learned over the past several months. Prayer is precious. It is more precious than any anything this earth has to offer. Prayer is our privilege, an opportunity to commune with God, who responds, as Sinclair Furguson says, “with the irresistible power by which he accomplishes his purposes.” Prayer moves us into agreement with God, so that we can proclaim with the Psalmist “delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” There are few things more intimate than having God place His desires in our hearts, making them our desires.

More to come later.

A Walk with God

2008-05-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

This morning, I took a walk. As I walked, I talked to God about my family's current situation. After praying for a few minutes a sparrow cut me off. It landed on the sidewalk just to my left. I looked down just in time to see it end the life of a June Bug. The sparrow proceeded to have its breakfast right there in front of me. I was immediately reminded of Psalm 84:3-4, "Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!"

As we look for work, a car, and a place to live; we need to remember that our home is found with God. He will take care of us when we dwell in His house.

None like God

2008-04-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are getting ready to move to Louisville. Honestly, I'm scared...was scared. We're moving in four and a half weeks; we haven't found a church (i.e. no employment), we haven't found a place to live, and she's expecting our first child.

I sat in our living room thinking about these cares and concerns, thinking about 1 Peter 5.6-7, and knowing that I needed to humble myself before God and cast my cares on Him. But I couldn't find the words to pray, so I just stared out the window. Then I remembered George Müller's advice. Instead of praying, fumbling around for words that aren't there, read. Pick up God's word and read. I did: Galatians 4 and 5, John 1, James 5. I searched and searched for something to give me hope. Finally, disappointedly placing my Bible on the floor I noticed our hymnal. After humming through several hymns, I turned to "How Great Thou Art."

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur and see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; that on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, and then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Tears formed in the corners of my eyes as I finished. How foolish of me to forget that the great God, the creator of the universe and my gracious Savior, is the lover of my soul. But God wasn't done speaking. There was a verse noted at the top of the hymn: Deuteronomy 33:26. I picked up my Bible and read, "There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

I wept.

He is God; we are in Him. He is holding our little family. That is enough for me.

Unpopular Truth

2007-11-08T04:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I was reading the account of Jacob (Israel) blessing the sons of Joseph in Genesis 48. The chapter paints a beautiful picture of Joseph bringing his sons to sit on their grandfather’s lap. As I read the story of Jacob lovingly embraced his grandchildren, I could hear the joyful thankfulness in his voice when he said to Jacob, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." At this point, Joseph placed his sons Jacob’s feet.

During that period of time, the custom was to place the sons so that the father or grandfather would set his right hand on the eldest son’s head and his left hand on the younger son’s head. Jacob knew this, yet he crossed his hands, placing his right hand on the youngest and his left hand on the eldest. Jacob then proceeded to bless Joseph and his descendents:

May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
upon the earth.

However, displeased that Jacob had crossed his hands, Joseph attempted to move them saying, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." But Jacob replied, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations." Scripture then says, “So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.”

Whenever I finish reading a passage of scripture I think about how 2 Timothy 3.16 applies to it. Honestly, I was stumped. How does Genesis 48 train me in righteousness? After a time of prayer, it became evident to me.

God had revealed the future to Jacob, and Jacob’s blessing responded accordingly even though it wasn’t the culturally correct response. Christians today are in a similar position. God has revealed his word to us in the Bible, and a lot of what the Bible has to say isn’t very popular in today’s culture; however, it is our job as Christians to proclaim the word that God has revealed to us.

to find meaning

2007-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

In a never ending attempt to find meaning and purpose, humans are constantly looking to their origin. In his upcoming movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Ben Stein continues this conversation. Check out the movie's web-site here for more information.

My Fortress . . . My Deliverer

2007-07-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

When I was 13 my parents bought a small piece of land and began building a new house. The few weeks of excavation for the basement provided large mounds of dirt, upon which I made small fortresses. I felt so safe and secure in these. As I remember the security I felt when entrench in one of my little strongholds, I gain a slight understanding of David’s words in Psalm 18.2.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

These words promptly follow David’s profession of love to God. David is quickly clarifying that he did not merely love God through the good times in life, or through the times of blessing. Rather, he loved God during his darkest moments when he faced captivity and death. That is why David knew that God is a rock, fortress, refuge, shield, and stronghold. As David fixed himself in the unshakable fortress that is our God, he came to better understand that God is also our deliverer and salvation, because not only did God provide protection for David from his enemies, He also provided a way of escape and/or victory.

This leads to an obvious question. Are you loving God in such a way that you think of Him as your stronghold? When you are confronted with anxiety, stress, and trouble where do you turn? Do you turn against someone, or do you turn to someone? If you have placed your faith in God, trusting in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for your salvation, you have been promised that you have someone to turn to: Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 5.6-7, Peter writes:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

These are words of promise to all those in need of a refuge and deliverance.

God's best.

David Wells on “Preaching the Cross in the Modern World”

2007-06-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

Part of loving God is sharing His truth with the world around us. In his talk “Preaching the Cross in the Modern World,” David Wells discusses sharing the Gospel in a postmodern world. Check out Tim Brister's notes on this powerful sermon here.

I love You

2007-06-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Think about your friends for a minute. Have you ever had a PS3 friend? Not sure what that is? It’s one of those friends that spends a lot of time with you when you get a new gaming system, or a new car, or the friend you only see the week after you get that big tax refund. However, these friends are usually in a meeting, not feeling well, or on vacation every time you are in need. They love you because of what you can do for them. On the other hand (thankfully), most of have one or two “be there in a jiffy” friends. These are the friends that call you when they get the latest Xbox, bass boat, or surprise work bonus so they can share their blessings with you. They also seem to show up at just the right time to help you through life’s unexpected burdens. These are the friends that love you because you’re . . . you. I believe this is the kind of love David was trying to express when he wrote Psalm 18.

David spends much of the psalm writing about the characteristics of our amazing God, but before he mentions any of these he writes, “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” The introductory words of this psalm establish the type of relationship David shared with God. Sure, God had (has) the coolest toys, the biggest bank account, and can give a person the fullest life imaginable, but David waits to discuss these. He simply begins by saying, “I love You.” His focus is on God first.

When you pray, thank, praise, and glorify God, where do you start? Do you focus on yourself? Do you focus on what God has done? Or, do you love Him for who He is? As you go through this week, ask God to help you love Him for who He is. Remember, He loved you before you could do anything for Him.

If not sure what it means to love God for who He is, check out these books:

Systematic Theology - Wayne Grudem
Knowing God - J. I. Packer
Desiring God - John Piper

God's best.

The Dedicated Life

2007-06-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

In his book Balancing the Christian Life, Charles Ryrie challenges believers to dedicate their lives to Christ. He writes:

Each believer stands on one side or the other of dedication. Either we have made this a lifelong commitment or we have not. Either we have faced the issue of who is to be the master of our lives or we have been plucking up one sin at a time. If there has never been a dedication of life this is the next step the reader should take. If there has been, then it is always profitable to examine the present state of that dedicated life. If in any area one's dedication has for any reason been violated, then the remedy is confession to God and restoration by God. This, too, can be done at any time--even while reading these words.

Ryrie's basis for calling believers to dedicate their lives God after salvation is found in Romans 12.1-2, where Paul calls for the "bothers" or believers to "offer [their] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" and to "be transformed by the renewing of [their] mind."

The challenge implied here is threefold. First, individuals must decide if they will put their hope and trust in God's salvation made possible by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Second, we must choose to dedicate our whole being (heart, mind, soul, and body) to God's sovereign rule. Finally, as believers who have dedicated every bit of our lives to Christ, we must continually examine all areas of our lives to ensure that we are living a dedicated life. If we are not, we must deal with sin and spiritual shortcomings through prayer. As we seek reconciliation with God, He is faithful to restore those who He has called into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thankfully Remembering

2007-06-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I noticed a small piece of paper sitting on the desk next to the computer. In my wife’s handwriting was the verse, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1.3). As I smiled, thinking about the event filled weekend my wife and I enjoyed together, I thought about who Paul was addressing in this verse.

Paul was writing to a church that filled him with joy because of their faithfulness to the Gospel message. The church in Philippi had partnered with Paul in the good work “from the first day until now” as they shared in God's grace together (vv. 5-7). In other words, Paul gave thanks for the Philippian Church because he had an enduring fellowship with them.

When we read about Paul’s thankfulness resulting from the faithfulness of, and fellowship with the Philippian Church we should consider our own faithfulness to the Gospel message and fellowship with the local church. When you remember your Christian brothers and sisters at church are you compelled to thank God for them? If not, begin by examining your personal faithfulness to the Gospel. Then, ask whether or not your church is being faithful to God’s word. Finally, throughout this process prayerfully seek Christian fellowship within the local church that compels you to say, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”

man

2007-05-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

man

Faithfully following
The reality of God's power
Resisting temptation
Leads to
Only more assaults.

Whirlwind of attacks
The mind a battlefield
In the midst of my soul
Sword and shield in hand
Exhausted from the struggle;

Yet, still
slashing
turning
defending
wishing I could be a perfect man.

A True Heart

2007-05-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I had the opportunity to spend a week in the beautiful Canadian wilderness with my father and a few close friends. In order to reach our destination, we had to hull a weeks worth of gear and four boats well over a mile. The laborious endeavor took almost the entire day. Our group was working by lantern light as we set up our tents. I couldn’t wait to crawl into my sleeping bag for some much needed rest.

In Psalm 15, David expresses his own desire to enter the ultimate place of rest: the tent of God. He describes those who will “abide in [God’s] tent” with the words integrity, righteousness, and truth. Living with integrity (or the lack thereof) determines the hidden action of a man. The man whose works are righteous exemplifies a godly character. Both integrity and righteousness come from a heart that speaks truth. John Calvin explains in his commentary in Psalm:

David does not intend to exclude faith and prayer, and other spiritual sacrifices; but as hypocrites, in order to promote their own interests, are not sparing in their attention to a multiplicity of external religious observances . . . the Psalmist, for the purpose of discovering and drawing forth into the light all who are of such a character, takes the marks and evidences of true and sincere faith.

In other words, Calvin is pointing to the root of our spiritual disciplines. Prayer, faith, and other spiritual sacrifices are hypocritical if the heart is not in God’s hands.

In verses 3-5, David goes on to list actions that exemplify a true heart: He “who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.” David’s final comment in verse 5 is encouraging in light of his opening questions. He writes, “He who does these things shall never be moved.” Not only does a true heart lead to dwelling in the Lord’s tent, it also leads to eternal residents with Him.

Jesus the Master

2007-05-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

This morning I was studying Luke 5.1-11. While reading through some commentaries, I discovered that Luke 5.5 is one of the few verses in the New Testament (NT) that refers to Jesus as “Master.” Further study unveiled an interesting truth about Peter’s understanding of Jesus.

In Luke 5.5, Peter uses the Greek word epistates (Master) to refer to Jesus. This means an overseer or superintendent. He uses this same word in Luke 8.35 and 9.33. All three of these instances are pre-resurrection. However, in 2 Peter 2.1, which is post-resurrection, Peter uses despotes for Master. By using this word Peter is stating that Jesus is an owner who has purchased his children, as a master would purchase and own slaves.

There is only one explanation for change in Peter’s language. Only one reason why a bullheaded business owner would give up everything to serve Jesus as a slave serves his master. This one reason was the physical resurrection of Jesus. An incident so indescribably awe-inspiring that it caused Peter to change the very language he used to describe his Lord.

This pattern is seen throughout the entire NT. The word epistates is used each of the four times (Luke 5.5; 8.24, 45; 9.33, 49) Jesus is referred to as “Master” before his death, burial, and resurrection. However, every time (2 Timothy 2.21; 2 Peter 1.16-2.2; Jude 1.3-4) he is referred to as “Master” after his death, burial, and resurrection the word despotes is used.

We can learn a great lesson from the writers of the NT. They recognized that following Jesus meant complete devotion and surrender to him. When these men came to understand Jesus’ divine nature, their dedication was such that they changed the very language they used to refer to their Master. As these men were conscious to reflect their devotion to Jesus in every aspect of their lives, so should we. How? For a start, Paul gives some excellent advice in 2 Corinthians 10.4-6 when he writes, “take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

When God is Silent

2007-05-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Psalm 13

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

This is one of my favorite Psalms. It answers one of the believer’s greatest questions: “What do I do when trouble is all around and God is silent?”

David was a man who knew about God’s mighty power. He saw firsthand God’s awesome wonders; yet, he asks, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” David knew that God had not left him, but he still questioned when facing destruction at the hand of his enemies. Nevertheless, David’s faith proved true in the end. In the writing of this Psalm, David exemplified the right attitude when confronted by the enemy and the apparent silence of God.

I like to summarize David’s point this way:

Because I placed (past tense) my trust in God, and He has dealt (progressive past tense) bountifully with me by means of loving-kindness and salvation; I will (presently and in the future) rejoice and sing to the Lord even when He is silent in times of trouble.

When it seems that God is not answering our heart’s cry when difficulty comes our way, we need to remember the times His mighty hand has delivered us in the past. Praise Him for what He has already done even while in the present storm. This is the right action when trouble is all around and God is silent.

A Little Epiphany

2007-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Lately, I’ve been waiting for an epiphany, a bright light, and a loud voice. While waiting, I began reading some books. First, I read Blue like Jazz by Donald Miller. It’s a very post-modern look at the church, not only as an institution, but also as the body of Christ. I don’t agree with many of Miller’s conclusions, but he raises some poignant questions and statements about the Christian life.

Do we love as Jesus loved? Are we following men, or are we looking at God’s word for guidance? Jesus told us to “GO!” (also the title of the excellent Newsboys CD), but how often do we too selectively choose to whom we will go? To these questions Miller says, “No, we don’t love as He loved. In fact most of the time we don’t even try. We generally follow men, and supplement their teaching with God’s word, instead of the other way around. And we typically go to the people that allow us the most comfort.”

That was book one. Remember, I don’t agree with everything he has to say, but it got me thinking. Then I picked up Black by Ted DeKker (if you want to know why there is one big K and one little k check out www.teddekker.com, click on downloads, then view “The Mask Needs You - PART DEUX”). Anyway, I read Black, which is a cross between Frank Peretti and the Matrix. I finished it, discovered it was part one of a trilogy, bought the other two books, and finished them in four days. I’ll get back to this in a minute.

While I was reading Black, Red, and White (The Circle Trilogy) I also started reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell and The Dust Off Their Feet by Chris Seay. Both books are post-modern looks at the church. Rob Bell spends most of his time out in left field, but his book got me thinking. Chris Seay also got me thinking about the New Testament church and their mission. Both Bell and Seay point out that the First Century church wasn’t all about politics and forcing people to agree with them; instead, they tried to love people like Jesus did. The church fathers also wrestled with Scripture, and sought the face of God; looking for His will and direction. They did this as a group, a community. As I’ve said several times, I disagree with many of the conclusions the authors make, but their initial observations are worthy of note.

Okay, back to The Circle Trilogy. At the end of the second book, Red I began to cry. It suddenly occurred to me that when God gave us the Bible it was His story about loving us. He really wants us to read it, and He really wants us to follow it. Not because he wants to put a heavy yoke on our necks and take all the fun out of life, but because he want us to have the most abundant life possible. He also wants our life to show others how wonderful living for Jesus really is. I have always known these things, but the book helped me know these things in my soul and feel them in my heart. I could write more about the trilogy because it changed me so much in so many ways, but I think you get the idea.

So today I was on Southern Seminary’s web site, and I was looking at their theological journal (slightly different reading than the post-modern books I've been reading lately). I decided to open up one of the articles, “Learning from John Today.” That’s when I had my epiphany, bright light, and loud voice all at once. Only it was more like a small voice in a small quiet room where the only increase in light comes from a random flicker from the florescent lights above.

The article brought everything together for me. We, I need to get back to His Word. I need to learn it, live it, and let it change me. Let it make me, not the other way around, which is the mindset of many Christians I’ve encountered recently. God’s providence allowed men and women to carry His Word to me over the ages. Men and women that protected the Word, lived the Word, and taught the Word. This is God’s gift to Christians today. It’s our responsibility to live it out for everyone to see, and continue living the life lived by Jesus Christ until He returns.