Coveting

2 | July 23rd, 2008 | Posted in Christian Living

If the contentment goes and the giving of thanks goes, we are not loving God as we should, and proper desire has become coveting against God.  This inward area is the first place of loss of true spirituality.  The outward is always just a result of it.

The second test as to when proper desire becomes coveting is that we should love men enough not to envy, and this is not only envy for money; it is for everything.  It can, for instance, be envy of his spiritual gifts.  There is a simple test for this.  Natural desires have become coveting against a fellow creature, one of our kind, a fellow man, when we have a mentality that would give us secret satisfaction at his misfortune.  If a man has something, and he loses it, do we have an inward pleasure?  A secret satisfaction at his loss?  Do not speak too quickly and say it is never so, because you will make yourself a liar.  We must all admit that even when we get on in our Christian life, even in these areas where we say we are longing for the church of Jesus Christ to be more alive in our generation, often we have this awful secret satisfaction at the loss of other men, even at the loss of brothers in Christ.  Now if this mentality is upon me, in any way, then my natural desires have become coveting.  I am inwardly coveting, and I am not loving men as I should…

…When we read these things and understand that failure in these areas is really coveting, a lack of love, everyone of us must be upon his knees as Paul was upon his knees when he saw the commandment not to covet; it destroys any superficial view of the human life.

Francis Schaeffer- “True Spirituality” pg. 11-12

What more can I say.  Are you convicted by this, as I am?  I have had to search my heart and repent for areas of covetousness in my life.  The Light has revealed the true starkness of my sin and removed the guise of my thoughts and attitudes.  The words of a song come to mind:

A pure heart, that’s what I long for.
A heart that follows hard after Thee;
A pure heart, that’s what I long for.
A heart that follows hard after Thee.

VERSE:
A heart that hides Your Word
So that sin will not come in.
A heart that’s undivided
But one You rule and reign;
A heart that beats compassion,
That pleases You, my Lord.
A sweet aroma of worship
That rises to Your throne.

©1992 Integrity's Hosanna!
Words and Music by Rusty Nelson

The human heart is so deceitful that we can hardly recognize covetousness in our own lives.  The first nine commandments deal with our external actions; the tenth commandment, “Thou shall not covet,” concerns the heart.  No one knows of our secret covetous thoughts.  We may not even know that we are coveting until the Holy Spirit shines His light into the corners of our hearts and reveals our secret faults.  However, God is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  May we pray like David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,  And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

God Bless,

Erik Brown

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New Theme

5 | July 21st, 2008 | Posted in Uncategorized

I am currently working on a new theme.  Please be patient while I work out the details and customization.  Thank you.

Top Irritants… …In Recent Politics

7 | July 19th, 2008 | Posted in Politics

Biased Media

Senator Barack Obama has just commenced a world-wide tour that includes a trip to Iraq where he will meet with the generals currently there on the ground.  However, Obama has already announced his policy regarding Iraq.  Namely: withdraw the troops within 16 months of taking office.  That policy should force the Iraqis to handle the situation themselves; so he surmises.  So, why is Obama traveling to Iraq to talk with the generals when he has already announced his decision?  The answer: he was forced into going.  Senator John McCain has made numerous trips to Iraq most recently this spring.  Obama, on the other hand, has not visited Iraq in over 900 days.  He is going to Iraq not to find out the state of things and learn the general’s opinions, but merely to gain equality with McCain.  It is all about political expediency and image.  He wants to look like presidential material.  Don’t worry!  The media will help him on his way!

The major news outlets are sending their biggest anchors over to Iraq with Obama.  Meanwhile, McCain barely received notice during his visits to that country.  What does this tell you?  Our main stream media is biased.  They have an agenda which clearly implicates them as appendages of liberal politics and activists.  In everything they do they endeavor to place Obama in the most favorable light, while simultaneously playing down the strengths of McCain namely: national security and the Iraq war.  Have we been attacked by Islamic fascists on our own soil since we began the war on terror?  Then we are doing something right.

A word of caution to the wise: whatever you hear from the main stream media, do not forget that they have an agenda to which they are radically dedicated.

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Evangelism Outline

9 | July 16th, 2008 | Posted in Evangelism

For the final installment of the Evangelism Series I will present a step-by-step guide demonstrating how to share the gospel. I emphasize that this is only one way to evangelize. This can, however, help get you started and you can then modify it to better suite your needs (or use it as it is). Underlined text may be used in your conversation.

1. Start the conversation casually. Comment on the weather, ask about their family, hobbies, etc. Do you go to church around here? (The answer may provide a clue about their spiritual state or give you insight into their denominational background.)

2. Hand them a tract. Have you seen one of these? Here’s something for you to read. (This step is optional.)

3. Diagnostic Questions

A. If you were to die today and stand before God and He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my Heaven?”, what would you say?

B. Do you know for certain that if you died today you would go to heaven or are you still working on that?

4. So would you say you are good person?

5. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

Let’s look at God’s law for a minute. In order for you to get into Heaven you would need to obey all of His law perfectly.

A. Have you ever lied? Even a little white lie? What does that make you? (uh, human) If I lied to you what would you call me? (A liar.) So, what does that make you? (Okay. A liar.)

B. Have you ever stolen anything? Not even an extra cookie or a stick of gum? What does that make you? (A thief.)

C. The Bible says, “If you look with lust you have committed adultery.” Have you ever looked with lust? (once)

D. Have you honored your parents all the time? Never once talked back, or disobeyed them? Than that makes you a rebel.

E. Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? Not even once? That is called blasphemy. Using God’s name as a curse word.

So (person’s name) by your own admission you are a lying, thieving, blaspheming, rebel at heart. And that is only four of the ten commandments. How will you do on judgment day? (Note: The commandments that you use may vary depending on the audience. With an adult you would probably use “C” rather than “D”. Use the last sentence with whichever commandments you use. I would not use more than four commandments at this step.)

6. Do you think you will be innocent or guilty? Do you think you will go to heaven or hell?

7. The Bible describes Hell as a place of torment where the fire never goes out. A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. You don’t want to go to Hell do you?

8. God provided a way of escape for you. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for your sins. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus was born of a virgin, Mary, and He lived a perfect and sinless life keeping all of God’s law. God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus died in your place and everyone’s sins were placed upon Him. He took your punishment. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Jesus did not stay dead, however, as God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:20) Do you understand how much God loves you and why you need Jesus?

9. In order for you to be saved from Judgment you must:

A. Repent and turn away from sin that is in your life.

B. Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is the only way to be saved.

C. Put your trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

10. What would you like to do about your sin problem? Are you ready to turn from all your sin, trust Jesus, and obey Him from now on?

11. Pray and tell God in your own words that you are sorry for your sins. Decide to run from sin and run to Jesus. Put your trust in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection as the only way to escape Hell and enter Heaven. Ask God to forgive you, come into your heart, and be Lord of your life.

12. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 19:9) Have you done this? If you are sincere, then according to the scriptures, you will be saved.

13. What you need to do now is grow in your relationship with God. (Tell them about the parable of the Sower. Luke 8 ) Some things you need to do are:

A. Read your Bible daily. God will speak to you through His Word.

B. Pray. Talk to God. Thank Him for His blessings and talk to Him about your needs.

C. Church. Regularly attend a Bible believing full-gospel church.

D. Fellowship with other believers and get to know them.

E. Be baptized in water. Baptism is a public confession of your faith.

F. Share the Gospel. As a Christian you are called to share the Good News of salvation. Ask God to empower you and give you boldness to tell others the gospel of Christ.

Resources: City Taker Ministries, Way of the Master

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I hope this series has been a blessing to you and will be an effective tool has you share the gospel. If you have any questions regarding this series or evangelism in general, please share them in the comment section and I will do my best to answer them.

God Bless.

In Christ alone,

Erik Brown

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When to Use the Law

7 | July 8th, 2008 | Posted in Evangelism

In the last post of this series we examined the place of the law in evangelism.  The law is used to bring conviction and show a sinner their need for salvation.  Today we will look at the question, should the law be used in every situation?

Let’s return to John chapter 8 and the story of the woman caught in adultery.  Verses 9-11 read:
And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?  She said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

The woman was clearly guilty.  She had been caught and there was unarguable evidence against her.  Why did Jesus not condemn her?  After all, the law was given by God and Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh?

However, Jesus did not condemn the woman because that was not His mission.  His mission was to “seek and save” the lost.  (For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17)  The law had already been given.  Jesus kept the whole of the Old Testament law perfectly (He was the law of God).  He did not condemn the sinners, as His mission was to bring healing to the broken (like this woman.)

The way Jesus dealt with the woman was in stark contrast to the way He handled the Pharisees.  On the one hand is the woman, broken and guilty (deserving condemnation according to the law), on the other are the Pharisees, ungodly leaders trying to ensnare Jesus (deserving more condemnation as the leaders in Israel).  The Pharisees were not interested in “purging evil” from among the people, rather they were merely looking for a chance to trap Jesus.  On them Jesus brought condemnation and they left.  With the woman He showed compassion and love.  She did not need the law to reveal her error as she knew it.  She also knew she was guilty.  (Here is the key: a broken and guilty person who knows and understands their sin does not need to be hammered with the law.)  With her Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This ties into evangelism.  With the haughty, proud, I-am-a-good-person type of people the law must be used to bring conviction and show them how far short they fall of God’s standard.  With broken, humble, I-have-messed-up type of people we must show them that God loves them so much that He provided a way for their salvation.  Do you see the difference?  The humble and broken do not need to be pounded with the law they need to have someone show them the “Way the Truth and the Life.”

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In the last couple posts I have stressed the importance of using the law in our efforts to evangelize.  At the same time I do not want to neglect the importance of sharing God’s love with the unsaved.  (But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8) (Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13)  People must realize how much God does love them.  They must see the greatness of the sacrifice and price that Jesus paid to save them from Hell and restore them to a right relationship with the Father.  By no means neglect to share the depth and width of God’s love toward the sinner.

In the next and final post in this series I will give you a break down, step by step guide to evangelism.  In essence a sequence of steps to follow when you share the gospel.

In Christ alone,

Erik Brown

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Independence Day

4 | July 4th, 2008 | Posted in Holidays, Poetry

The Fourth of July with red, white and blue,
Is here to enjoy for me and for you.

With food and friends and fireworks we,
Have a big celebration in our locality.

To a tyrannical king they would not submit,
To a tea tax they said, “This is it.”

The tea then flavored Boston Bay,
With principled men it could not stay.

The cry was raised from street to street,
Watchmen passed the word as they walked their beat.

Liberty and Independence whispered about,
Hope stirred in hearts began to burst out.

The document drawn, radical and new,
Proclaiming men equal by Someone, but who?

It declared a Creator who created all things,
Endowing to men a part of His Being.

God given rights and freedoms which must,
Be preserved at all cost that we may live in good trust.

It declared the liberty of the colonies,
From tyranny and tyrants they were now said free.

A war was fought to preserve that declaration,
A war was won to cement their inclination.

Today we think back on the wonderful way,
They proclaimed our freedom on Independence Day.

Erik Brown                            Copyright July 4th, 2008

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The Law in Evangelism

6 | June 30th, 2008 | Posted in Evangelism

I was recently reading a tract and the first page said, “God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.”  This is a true statement.  But, what if I’m passing out tracts and a guy walks up half drunk, smoking marijuana, and he just got out of jail 3 weeks ago, and I give him a big smile and say, “God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for you life,”  what will his response be?  “Yeah, man, I’m enjoying it now!”  “Look at me, I’m in a mess!  And you tell me, ‘God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life!’  Get lost!”

Now, does God love that man?  Yes.  However, this approach can turn some people away because they may not be able to relate to the idea of a God who “loves” them, yet allowed their lives to end up in a mess.  In other words, the idea of something “good” happening to them is too far out and impossible.

With the man in the above scenario, I would have to show him that he is in the wrong and is in danger.  A person will only feel conviction when they come to grips with the fact that they are guilty according to the law of God, deserving judgment.  A good judge must hold them accountable for their crimes (sin) and God has no other option than to pass sentence.

The Law Brings Conviction

In John, chapter 8, we read the account of the women caught in adultery.  Verses 7-9 read (NKJ):

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Now, the scribes and Pharisees who brought this woman to Jesus knew the law.  They were bible students of the first class.  When Jesus said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first,” He was using the law to bring conviction.  Paul said, “I would not have known sin except through the law.”  These men knew the law, they knew they had sinned, and they knew that to throw a stone would be declaring their own perfection.  These men were not perfect and they realized that in a completely new way.

We have a special aid when we are using the law in our evangelism.  That aid is the conscience.  The conscience bears witness to good and evil (Romans 2:15).  When we show a sinner, through the law, that they are guilty and will stand before a perfect and holy God on Judgment day, that should cause some to fear and tremble.

Jesus was sent to earth to demonstrate the Father’s love and restore the broken relationship with God.  The only way to restore that relationship was to provide a payment for our sin so that we could be accepted by a holy God.  Our just reward for sin is eternal condemnation; our reward when we place our trust and hope in Jesus Christ, is a crown of life.  When we share the gospel we must try to strike a balance between God’s love, which He demonstrated by sending Jesus Christ, and His righteous judgment, which is what sinful man deserves.

In the next post we will examine this same passage and address the question,  should we use the law in every situation?

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Graduation Slide Show

6 | June 25th, 2008 | Posted in Graduation, Videos

This slide show was shown at my home school graduation ceremony. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

Erik B.

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Need for Evangelism

3 | June 22nd, 2008 | Posted in Evangelism

Everywhere we look today we see evidence of sin and corruption.  As we look in people’s eyes we see hopelessness and despair.  People are searching everywhere for something to hold on to, to grasp, and to put their faith in.  Christians have the answer and key that unbelievers are searching for. 

This series will cover how to share your faith.  There is no perfect “formula” and following a set rules will not guarantee results.  However, the following steps and principles can serve as a guide as you approach evangelism.

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Today we are confronted with a problem in the United States.  An ever growing number of converts are backsliding.  The numbers vary from 80% to as high as 90% of converts are falling away from the faith.  The health and prosperity gospel is falling short at producing true converts.  The attitude of the sinner is, “I’ll try this thing.  If it works then great, if not, I’ll toss it out and get mad at the person who sold me the ‘bill of goods.’” We often see there is no real need for repentance and sincerity.  Why?  Because often times the evangelist is lacking a crucial key in his attempts to lead sinners to Christ.  That key is… …the law.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul (Psalm 19:7).  Before sinners will see the need for true repentance and salvation, they must be confronted with their sin and inability to measure up to God’s standard - the law.  What is the law?

The law of God is found in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), which are the standards God gave the Israelites.  If anyone could perfectly obey all of the Ten Commandments all the time, then they would be deserving of heaven.  (If that were possible, Jesus would have died in vain.  There would not have been the necessity for his death if one person could have earned their way to heaven through their own perfection.)  Since no one has kept all of the Ten Commandments perfectly (except Jesus), we have all fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

So, a critical key in evangelism is using the law to show the sinner how utterly hopeless their case is.  The next post in this series will answer the question, how do we use the law in evangelism?

In Christ,
Erik Brown

Resources for this series:  Hell’s Best Kept Secret- Ray Comfort, Way of the Master 
Past article: Missions - Evangelism - Sharing the Gospel - We need to Hurry!

Graduation Ceremonies

7 | June 11th, 2008 | Posted in Graduation

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Well, this is it. I have completed high school and received my diploma. It sure is a wonderful feeling. Last week I posted my plans. So, I will not repeat them.

The graduation ceremonies were both very nice. The one on Friday night was kind of like a baccalaureate service. The fathers of the graduates gave their sons a charge. (A charge is a challenge and admonishment to walk in the fear of the Lord (among other cautions).) My dad gave an excellent charge taken entirely from scripture. He was in full-time ministry for 9 years and he knows his Bible well. His charge was as follows.

Character and Doctrine
I Timothy 4:12
Erik, Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity….

Watch your life and your doctrine closely…For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all

We strongly urge you, lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and all reverence.
Be a faithful man of God, be a man after God’s own heart. We encourage you to be blameless, temperate, sober minded, of good behavior, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous….

(read entire charge here)

On Saturday night we had an event with our home school group. I had the opportunity to deliver a speech toward the end of the commencement service. The speech was as follows.

Graduation Speech

Well I don’t have the Alf mask with me today but… …then again, I don’t need a hair cut.

I have had the unique experience to have been home schooled all the way up through high school. My parents made the choice to home school and I have been taught at home from kindergarten through twelfth grade. I know they made the right choice for me. The home is the training ground and launching pad for the future. Any success I may have in the future will be due, in part, to the guidance and education I received in the home.

The home school learning experience ranges far beyond just book work. Yes, we have our books of math, physics, language, etc. But, many crucial lessons in life can not be learned from the “books.” Work ethic, diligence, thoroughness, and integrity can not be instilled through classical arts. Over the years the boys in our family have been able to spend time working with Dad. The older ones have spent the most time working with him. However, the younger ones have always looked forward to the days when they get to, “go to work with Dad.” I can not stress enough the benefit it has been to learn by working alongside Dad. Especially when the job was hard!

Besides running the home and managing the everyday tasks, Mom is a great encourager. When we run into something new and hard, Mom is right there encouraging us and telling us to press on. You know, it’s easy to loose sight of the objectives and just get bogged down in the mundane, but she really helps me see the goal that’s ahead and get an all important fresh perspective.

Last year our family received the tenth addition as far as children goes. I am often asked, “What’s it like to live in such a big family?” Perhaps it is best described by sharing what it is like around our home. Obviously, there is a lot of work to do and it is only done when we do our share and more. The more comes from the younger ones who can’t yet do their share. Yes, there are challenges that are unique to a big family. Like you might not get your shower until nine or ten at night and you might be out of hot water. (And if you take too long in the shower you might be in hot water.) But, with the work and responsibilities, there are also unique pleasures and joys growing up in a big family. For example, we don’t have to call the neighbors over when we want to play volley-ball. Most importantly, however, the home school learning experience has enabled me to build deeper relationships with my siblings (relationships which I will value for the rest of my life).

Finally, I would like to encourage all the students and teachers who are schooling at home. Parents, I know it is a sacrifice to choose to home school, but the benefits and end results far outweigh the costs. Students, I just encourage you all to stick with it. Work hard, apply yourselves to your studies, and you will reap the benefits. In a time when the main institutions of education are often failing, I am firmly convinced that home schooling is the better option.

Erik Brown June 7, 2008

Congratulations to all the senior graduates who may be reading this. God Bless.

Erik Brown

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