What is Old and What is New

In the Gospel According to Matthew, right after a section of recorded parables, we read this: 

[51] “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” [52] And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” 

Matthew 13:51–52 (ESV)

I have no idea what this means. 

I love it. It is wonderful and marvelous and mysterious. Important truths have been opened to me in the reading of this short little parable. But I don't really know what he is talking about. 

I do know that I genuinely want to be a scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Psalm 8 - For Wednesday Night

 

Psalm 8

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

On this Mountain

In my personal Bible reading this morning I came across a passage of scripture that I don't think that I have ever noticed before. It is in Isaiah 25, and what initially caught my attention was the ESV Bible's heading for this chapter: it was titled -- God will swallow up death forever.

Quite often, as I am reading through these Old Testament Prophets, my brain will slip into neutral: I will still be reading, but I have ceased to process the words. Sometimes this happens because of my Adult A.D.D. Sometimes it is associated with the fact that it is a pronouncement of judgement against some ancient nation... the Moabites or the Ammonites or such. This isn't an excuse, and I hate that I do it, but I'm just being honest... I struggle. But then, I will come upon a passage that clearly speaks out about something directly connected to me. In this case it rings true to my own benefits found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After the crucifixion and after Christ is resurrected, there is a story in the gospels of Jesus walking along a road with a couple of his disciples. At first they don't recognize him, but he begins to explain to them that the Law and the Prophets (The Old Testament for us) is all about him! (Luke 24:27)

When you read these few verse, think of Christ. Think of how you have benefited... and rejoice!

Isaiah 25:6-9
[6] On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
[7] And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
[8] He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
[9] It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (ESV)

allergic to vengeance

I am re-reading Erasing Hell: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up by Francis Chan. This book has been my guide for a current Sunday School Class that I am teaching. This is a sobering topic... in more than one way. First, the realities of what Jesus and others in the Bible actually say about Judgment is simply terrifying. Second, these thoughts of Hell leave me grieving for those that might actually end up there, or are there. Finally, I am finding that I don't know if I am actually ready to speak the same way that the Bible does on this topic.

I want to share a quote that will convey my feelings on this, and will also show that I am not alone in these thoughts. Consider these following words from Francis Chan:

Proverbs 16:16

The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.

I have been reading the book Desiring God, by John Piper. This morning I came across a lengthy quote of George Mueller's that I feel compelled to share with you:

While I was staying at Nailsworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the benefit of which I have not lost, though now... more than forty years have passed away.

unnoticed creepers

Jude is an amazingly compact little letter. There are big ideas and mind-blowing examples. There is so much in there... and such passionate words: Jude is eager, under compulsion, appealing, contending, etc. (and that is just in verse 3!)

I am preaching on a portion of Jude tomorrow, verses 3 and 4. It is a portion that I have become passionate about myself. I am hoping to grab a bit of that passion that Jude clearly was overflowing with, and minister a bit of that to Edgewood tomorrow. I am hoping it is like a shot of adrenaline. I am praying, really praying, like literally... right now... that some in the audience, including myself, will walk away ready to contend for the faith because the Church (not just Edgewood) has certain people who have crept in unnoticed, just like in Jude's day:

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
(Jude 1:3-4 ESV)

These unnoticed creepers are, whether they realize it or not, perverting Grace and denying Christ. I don't want to sound over-dramatic, but I really don't want to sound under-dramatic.

Psalm 5

Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
(How many of us can say this? How many of our voices will be heard in the morning?)
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
(Why is it when Christians post a passage like this... many start to think... "Wow. Who hurt this guy?" or "Man. What's bugging him?" or possibly "Oh. He's that sort of person.")
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
(It is important to understand that a good way to motivate yourself and direct yourself is to contrast yourself with others. I know, I know... we aren't supposed to compare ourselves with others, that is not exactly what I mean. It is important to take a step back and see which direction you are headed. It is so easy to say that you are on the Lord's side, but if you can take a step back, and there is no sharp contrast between you and "the wicked" then you might need to reevaluate.)
For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
(Once again the contrast. Once again... if I were to simply post this, it would seem over-zealous or drastic or I could get accused of ignoring grace. Why is this? Is this not scripture? Is this not true? If not for the grace of God, this would be all of our destinies. It is only by grace that we are saved.)
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.
(Here is that Grace. Here is that display of faith. Taking refuge is not ultimately something you "do" to inherit God's grace... it is a demonstration of what God has done in you.)

Thanks for reading through this Psalm.

Those who fear God, should they see me and rejoice?

"Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word." 

~Psalm 119:74

This is King David writing. In this passage he says that those who fear God will see him (David) and rejoice. The reason for this rejoicing is because David has hoped in God's Word. I find this to be quite interesting.  I mean, could I (and should I) be able to say this as well?

I am trying to imagine myself saying it... "Lord, the people that fear you are going to rejoice when they see me."

OK... That is poorly phrased. I am aware that saying it in that way is emphasizing the wrong way to say this. First, I have left out an entire phrase, the key phrase that is demonstrating the real source of the people's rejoicing! Second, I placed the source of the rejoicing squarely on me, which is not where it should be. This poor phrasing serves its purpose illustrate the problem that I am having though: For King David to say this, that is fine, but for me to say something like this feels prideful.

But maybe I could say something like this.

If I am hoping in God's word, that is a reason to rejoice. It is definitely a cause to rejoice in people who fear God. Maybe I should say this... Maybe I should not hold back, but cling to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There is nothing good in me, but because of the grace of God alone, I am hoping in the Living Word! People who fear God will rejoice when they see this!

Maybe I could even go the next step... hmm... (Saying to myself right now, "Tread carefully on Grace, Matt.  Cling to the Gospel! Matt, you are a sinner, but saved by the grace of God alone. And as a preacher of this same Gospel, it must be said... not because of you, Matt, but because of the truth of God's Word.")

"Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies." 

~Psalm 119:79 ESV

Resist the Impulse to Pay For It

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
(Isaiah 55:1-2 ESV)

The Gospel Transformation Bible's notes for this passage include this wonderful thought:

His bounteous goodness is only for those who resist the impulse to pay for it. His love and grace come to us not because we have been so good but because he has been so gracious. 

Eloquence is from the Lord

I was sitting at the dining room table this morning, attempting to work on some words to say at a funeral service later today. I was having trouble collecting my thoughts, so I turned to my Bible reading for the day, and I was ready for Exodus chapter 4. Here is what I read:

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Exodus 4:10-12, ESV)

I don't know about you, but this happens more often than not. I have opened my Bible numerous times in my life, only to find myself reading the exact thing that I need to hear. Today it was a reminder that eloquence is from the Lord.

Faith and Works

After the last sermon I preached, someone that visited our church thought I was preaching a works-based salvation. Now, honestly, I don't believe in a works-based salvation.  But, after I thought about it, I have been accused of that before.  I'm telling you though, I believe that salvation comes by God's grace alone, and it is worked through God-gifted faith. (Eph. 2:8-9) I am not upset at all about the question, I am a school teacher... I love being questioned!  But I do want to mention this because there seems to be some confusion among many Christians that I know when it comes to the relationship between faith and works.

Another example of this happened a few weeks ago.  There was a prominent Pastor in the area that did some teaching on the topic of eternal security. He taught that you cannot lose your salvation, so to speak, but that you can walk away from the faith. Now, I don't want to put words in the mouth of this Pastor, and I believe him to be a godly man, who loves Jesus, but I would disagree with him.  At the same time, I would also disagree with many of the baptists in my town who believe in an eternal security that has no evidence except a person's declaration of belief.

Normally I would say that I fall somewhere between those two camps of thought, the eternal security camp and the no eternal security camp... In this case I won't say that I am between them, instead I am more off to one side, and I would classify both of those camps as basically the same error.

They have a weak view of God's salvation.

Finally Alive by John Piper - Review

I just finished Finally Alive by John Piper and I would like to write a review for this book that will encourage you to go out and get this book for yourself.  It was good enough that I am planning on doing a Bible Study/Book Study using this book.  And it is important enough of a topic, that I want to promote its study as much as possible.

Here is what the Desiring God website says about this book:

Spiritual rebirth is precious and crucial. When Jesus said, “You must be born again,” he wasn't simply sharing interesting information; he was directing us toward eternal life.
It is essential to know what God intends when he uses this language of being born again, so that we may experience new birth and help others do the same.

So, Finally Alive is a book about the New Birth.  John Piper takes the time to explore several different passages of scripture that deal with this teaching.  That might be my favorite part about this book, it is truly an exploration of scripture, not a human-created mandate on a topic of interest to the author. In being so scripture-driven, he pulls together several different loose ends and shows the amazing power of God in the work of salvation.  This is a topic that has been near to my heart over the last several months as I have been preaching through the book of Ephesians.

As I said, I want to encourage you to read this book.  The understanding and the implications of the new birth can be life changing.  Not only will you walk away encouraged by the power of God in saving sinners, you will have a clearer picture of the necessity of sharing the gospel so that others may be born again.

You can download the pdf version of this book by going to the Desiring God website or by clicking here.

Not of Us

I've started typing this post four times, but it just isn't working.  When I have a thought on my mind that I want to post on the blog, I usually like to build up to it a bit before I really get to what I want to talk about.  I like to think that I am taking the reader (if there are any) through the process that led me up to that thought.  Today, I just can't seem to get the words to flow correctly.  So, if you would permit me, I would like to jump directly to the thought on my mind instead of building up to it.

Here it is: What is going on with people who leave the church?

I don't know about where you live, but Danville is full of people who've gone to church at some point in their life, most likely when they were young, but now they don't.  In fact, I've met many who have attended the small church where I am currently the pastor at some point in their past.

What is alarming is how many who will leave the church, but they don't believe that has any implications on their faith or their future destination.  Consider what John has to say about this:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
(1 John 2:19 ESV)

There are many implications in this passage.  Some of those implications might set you ill at ease.  It should.

Notice, if you would though, the implied benefit for those who stay.  The spiritual reality of those who have left has become plain to us.  In other words, we don't need to be bewildered or even apathetic about those who've left the church.  That is the reaction that many have.  They see their friend or neighbor or relative that used to go to church.  Instead of concern for them, the reactions tend to border on blatant disregard.  I mean, how can you really love someone without being concerned over their eternal state?  If they have left the church, then you have every reason to believe that their souls are in imminent danger and no reason to believe that they are probably fine.  They are in need of our prayers, and if necessary, some doctrinal correction.

Martin Luther on Education

"I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt...I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth."

Martin Luther

What makes good preaching? (part 2)

I started a post earlier this week and published it two days ago about, "What makes good preaching?"  If you go to part 1, you can read a little more about where this came from and why I am blogging it.  To pick up where I left off, I want to quote the passage of scripture again, and then go on to point #3.

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
(2 Timothy 4:2 ESV)

3) I am going to hone in on those three words, "reprove, rebuke, and exhort" to continue answering the question, "What makes good preaching?"  The word reprove can mean to convict, refute, or convince.  There may be a bit of a legal-feel to this verb; a little like what you might see when a lawyer gives his closing statements.  One might put it this way: Good preaching is convincing.  This doesn't mean that I have to dramatize the proceedings or to simply talk in a convincing fashion.  It also doesn't mean that I have to suck a lot of wind while I'm preaching... The way many TV evangelists tackle the problem: "The Bible says... ah... In John chapter 3... ah... verse 16... ah..."

It means that I am going to appeal to a higher authority.  It means that I will use good reason and logic to draw out of the scriptures meanings and applications for our lives.  It means that I don't build my arguments on preferences or on how things used to be 50 years ago.  If I am going to talk about parenting, for example, the crux of my speech won't be, "... when I was a boy, things didn't used to be that way... We weren't allowed to talk to our parents that way..."  instead I will rely on scripture, "...'children, obey your parents in Lord, for this is right, honor your father and your mother...'"  It isn't that good preaching doesn't contain stories, Jesus used story telling in His teaching and preaching, but he used those stories to illustrate what the scriptures teach.

4) The next word in this passage is rebuke.  To rebuke someone is to lay a charge at their feet.  You might say, Good preaching is personal.  It can get in your face.  It hits home.

As far as I know, nobody in my congregation is struggling with drug addiction.  To my knowledge, there aren't any practicing homosexuals that are regularly attending my church.  It would not make any sense for me to spend the majority of my time preaching about sins that, to my knowledge, nobody within earshot is struggling with.  I need to make it personal.  In wisdom, I need to attempt to talk about and discuss struggles that I and my congregation may be having.  I need to challenge their (and my) sins.

Sadly, many churches do not do this.  A majority of the preaching is focused on the sins of others, leading many in the congregation to develop a sense of superiority ... called pride.  Many preachers end up sounding like the pharisee that Jesus described, who, having seen a sinful tax collector, exclaimed in utter arrogance, "Thank you, Lord, that I am not a sinner like this man!"  I must not preach this way.  Though it seems like it has a show of holiness, there is nothing good about this sort of preaching.

I must preach the gospel!  We are all sinners, and our only hope is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  That cannot be forgotten, and all good preaching will ultimately preach Christ.

5) Finally, in this blog post, what does it mean to "exhort?"  A couple of Sundays ago I dealt with the word "encourage" during a service.  This is the same greek word that is being used here in this passage.  It is not a word that simply means that we say loads of positive things and build up your self-image.  It is a word that literally means to call to one's side.  To really encourage someone, you don't just tell them what they need to do and give them a pep-talk, instead you pull them up under your arm and say, "You We can do it."  It's a community word!

So, for lack of a better word, one might simply put it this way, Good preaching is encouraging.  Like I said though, it isn't that good preaching says loads of flowery, feel-good statements.  It is a call to action.  That's actually better, Good preaching is a call to action.  Unless you are ignoring the preaching or are simply not paying attention, you should walk away with something to do, something that the church is going to do, the community of believers together.  "Yes.  We will go home and work on our anger!"  "Alright!  Let's all go and be more Biblical in our parenting!" "Together now men, lets pray this week!"

There is more to this passage, so hopefully I will get to it in a part 3, but for now, take these three words together.  Good preaching will lay out a reasonable, believable, defense of the truth.  It will be done in such a way that you may walk away realizing an area where you need to change.  Then it will call together the members and the leadership of the church to face those personal challenges, because we are all in this together.

What makes good preaching? (part 1)

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Preach the word!" used before?  That phrase has meant different things to different people.  I've heard it used to describe the type of church that someone wants to attend, as in, "I really want to go to a church where thy preach the word."  I've also heard it used to describe what a particular preacher was doing when he was really a-rantin' and a-ravin'!

This last Sunday at church I attempted to answer this question by picking apart the passage of scripture where this phrase occurs.  At the same time I figured that we might be able to answer a similar question, "What makes good preaching?"  We had an issue with my microphone, so the entire message didn't record, but this topic is hugely important to me, so I'm going to make an attempt at summarizing some of that material here on this blog.

First, here is the passage of scripture:

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
(2 Timothy 4:2 ESV)

1) The very first thing we have to say is that good preaching is preaching THE WORD.  There's that phrase, but the meaning is actually quite simple. It is not preaching opinion or preference, it is to literally preach the Word of God. This is why I believe in expository preaching.  I try to pick a passage of scripture and work my way through it a verse or a few verses at a time.  Topical preaching is acceptable, but even that must be done in an expository fashion.  In other words, if there is a certain topic that needs to be dealt with or covered, I still need to go to the scripture to see what it has to say.

This means that I cannot preach what some preach when they preach their preferences on music styles or the ever-so-prevalent tendency to preach that the King James Authorized Version of the Bible is the only version that a person should use.  If I am to preach the Word, I cannot preach these (or other) things that aren't truly based in the Word but are based on traditions, opinions, and preferences.

2) The second thing to notice here is that this preaching of the word must be done whether it is popular or not, whether it is convenient or not.  Good preaching is established this way.  One might say that good preaching is timeless.  This doesn't mean that current cultural issues aren't addressed, but that the principles and truths from scripture are always taught.

For example, in much of America it is quite popular and well-liked to preach that one should love their enemies. This wasn't always the case, and in some places in the world it isn't the case at all.  Loving your enemies would be repulsive to some cultures.  Some of those same cultures would really like a preacher who focused on God's judgment or on us showing good judgment, while here in America the teachings of "judge not" are loved.  Cultures  change, but God's truth is timeless.  Good preaching should be the same way. To preach the word rightly one must not avoid those difficult or challenging passages of scripture simply because people won't like it.

St. Augustine, Tertullian, Ignatius, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Spurgeon all have writings and letters and sermons that are still applicable today, not because their examples still ring true, but because they all were men who preached the Word, whether it was popular or not.  Their message was timeless because the one whom they preached was timeless.

There is more to this question and more from this verse, but I will handle it in a part 2 because nobody ever reads long blog posts anyway.

Why study the Church?

I am starting a new preaching series at church.  This series will deal with the topic of The Church.  I don't normally preach topically, I have a strong belief in expository preaching, but I also believe that there are times when certain topics need to be addressed.  I would like to share the two most dominant reasons why I am embarking on this study.

Reason #1 - There are several major misconceptions about the Church.
I feel like, especially in the last few months, that I am constantly encountering several major misconceptions about the church.  These misconceptions are exuding from people who are on the outside of the church, but also from those who are inside the church.  (When I say "inside" and "outside" the church, I am speaking about those who attend regularly and those who do not attend regularly or not at all.)

One of the most frequently encountered misconceptions goes something like this, "The Church is an optional part of the Christian life." or "The Church isn't a vital part of my spiritual life." We've all encountered this in the form of the guy who believes that he can be "...just as close to God while I'm fishing as I could ever be in a church building!"  But this misconception is growing and is changing into an overall sense of "the church is bad, but God is good" and is resulting in (literally) millions of people leaving the church.

I recently read about a study from George Barna, president of the Barna Group, that describes this shift away from church as revolutionary and he wants to be a part of it.  He even implies that this personal shift away from church, that so many Americans are involved in, is irrelevant to God by stating, "Whether you become a Revolutionary immersed in, minimally involved in, or completely disassociated from a local church is irrelevant to me (and, within boundaries, to God)."

You can read more about George Barna's thoughts on this topic in the Christianity Today article titled, No Church? No Problem.  And though I am not recommending it, nor have I read it, there is a book by George Barna dealing with this same topic.  It is called Revolution.

Even though I do not believe that everyone outside of church is not a Christian, I do believe that it is a serious fallacy to believe that leaving the church is completely disconnected from leaving God.  Church was (and is) God's idea.  Christ is very intimately and passionately connected to the Church.  And because I've read the end of the story, I know that Christ's passion for His Church comes to fruition in the last days.  He never gives up on the idea of Church.

So, I am going back to the Bible to see what it says about church.  I want to know what God says about this topic, since it is His project.  I am praying that God will give me wisdom as I consider the illustrations, examples, and teachings concerning the church.

Reason #2 - I am convinced that Edgewood (the church where I pastor) is not as Biblical as it should be.
...or maybe I should say, "as it could be."  Don't get me wrong, I love my church.  I love the people who are there.  I love that God has brought me here at this place, at this time.  I've seen God's hand in so many ways at this church already, but I am convinced that change in a Biblical direction needs to happen.

Frankly, it doesn't do any good to study the Bible on any topic without considering how to put that into practice in your own life.  If we study the church, then we need to ask how we can be a more Biblical church. During the first few weeks of being a pastor I would say occasionally that we wanted to be God's kind of Church.  If that is true, then this is where we need to go.  I have come to care less about who is coming to church or how many are coming to church, than I do about what type of church we are.

If you are the praying sort, then I would appreciate your prayers as I study this topic, as I learn what the Bible says, as I seek to diligently preach these truths, and as my church collides with scripture, pray that we will be willing to change.

The Sabbath Breaker

In my daily Bible reading, I came across this passage of scripture in Numbers 15:

While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.

I want to offer up a blog about this passage, a profound blog, but frankly, I am at a loss.

I know that as I read this, the words of Francis Chan, from that video I posted a couple of days ago, came to me.  I don't have time to re-watch the video right now to make sure I am word-for-word, but I remember him saying something along these lines,

"We have a tendency to say things like, 'God wouldn't do this or that, because WE wouldn't do this or that.' ... Have you ever stopped to think that maybe God's sense of judgment and mercy and compassion is better or more accurate than yours or mine?"

Here was a guy who was out gathering sticks.  He either rebelled against the law that had been revealed about the Sabbath or he simply forgot, so he went out to pick up some sticks, presumably for a fire. Some people caught him in the act.  His punishment? As mandated by God -- Death.

I have walked away from this passage with a more hearty, more robust understanding of God's Law.  Every time I have broken the law, I have deserved the same punishment.  Compound that time and time again that I have erred in these clear commands.

I am thankful for His grace.

Confess Your Sins

I just finished preaching through the book of James at church.  It took me nearly a year to exposit my way through this amazing letter, but we made it.  Near the end of the letter you will find this command:

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another..."
(James 5:16a ESV)

I don't have the whole verse here, and I have excluded the surrounding verses which are important for understanding the context of this verse, but they don't change the "punch" found in this command.  I'll put it to you this way...

There are some men that I know (and I've been one of them) who have never... Never... been obedient to this command.  There are many other men who are so seldom obedient to this command, it might as well be disobedience.  In fact, there are men that I know who, at the thought of this command, will (voluntarily or not, I am not sure) roll their eyes at the prospect.

We could talk about what it means exactly and how this would take place and what the purpose would be and which sins should be confessed, but regardless of how accurately one obeys this command, it should be obeyed.  I challenged the men at my church, and me along with them, to consider ways to be open about our sins in order for us to be obedient.  I also challenge you my blog readers... if there are any... Are you obedient to this command?