Jesus the Thinker

Jesus is the smartest man who ever lived…We need to understand that Jesus is a thinker, that this is not a dirty word but an essential work, and that his other attributes do not preclude thought, but only insure that he is certainly the greatest thinker of the human race: the most intelligent man who ever lived on earth. He constantly uses the power of logical insight to enable people to come to the truth about themselves and about God from the inside of their own heart and mind.

— Dallas Willard, “Jesus the Logician”

(James Sire, Habits of the Mind, p.181)

on baptism

We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood, which anyone might do or wish to do in order to atone or satisfy for sins. Having abolished circumcision, which was done with blood, he established in its place the sacrament of baptism. By it we are received into God’s church and set apart from all other people and alien religions, that we may be dedicated entirely to him, bearing his mark and sign.

It also witnesses to us that he will be our God forever, since he is our gracious Father. Therefore he has commanded that all those who belong to him be baptized with pure water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In this way he signifies to us that just as water washes away the dirt of the body when it is poured on us and also is seen on the body of the baptized when it is sprinkled on him, so too the blood of Christ does the same thing internally, in the soul, by the Holy Spirit. It washes and cleanses it from its sins and transforms us from being the children of wrath into the children of God. This does not happen by the physical water but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God, who is our Red Sea, through which we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharoah, who is the devil, and to enter the spiritual land of Canaan.

So ministers, as far as their work is concerned, give us the sacrament and what is visible, but our Lord gives what the sacrament signifies– namely the invisible gifts and graces; washing, purifying, and cleansing our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving us true assurance of his fatherly goodness; clothing us with the “new man” and stripping off the “old,” with all its works.

For this reason we believe that anyone who aspires to reach eternal life ought to be baptized only once without ever repeating it– for we cannot be born twice. Yet this baptism is profitable not only when the water is on us and when we receive it but throughout our entire lives. For that reason we detest the error of the Anabaptists [rebaptizers – JMT] who are not content with a single baptism once received and who also condemn the baptism of the children of believers.

We believe our children ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as little children were circumcised in Israel on the basis of the same promises made to our children. And truly, Christ has shed his blood no less for washing the little children of believers than he did for adults. Therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of what Christ has done for them, just as the Lord commanded in the law that by offering a lamb for them the sacrament of the suffering and death of Christ would be granted them shortly after their birth. This was the sacrament of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, baptism does for our children what circumcision did for the Jewish people. That is why Paul calls baptism the “circumcision of Christ.”

— Article 34, Belgic Confession (1561)

cafea et scriptura

elementsAs we have learned, the eternal covenant was sworn by God in eternity, secured by the blood of Jesus at the cross, and sealed by the Spirit in history. God is not just a covenant-maker, he is also a covenant-keeper.

JAVA RANCH
THURSDAYS @ 7PM

The Lord Jesus is the messenger of the covenant (Mal.3:1). He gave baptism and communion as the visible signs of the new covenant; and he gave the Holy Spirit as the invisible seal of the new covenant.

Come join us as we explore the meaning of the signs and seal of the new covenant.

acts and children

Acts 2:38-39 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Acts 10:1-2 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.   

Acts 11:13-14 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

Acts 16:15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:31-34 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Acts 18:5 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

[1 Cor. 1:15-16 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.]

Acts 21:5-6 When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

[Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.]

paul and children

1 Corinthians

1:15-16 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)

7:14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

16:15-16 Now I urge you, brothers — you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints — be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.

Ephesians

6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Philippians

4:22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

Colossians

3:20-21 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

1 Timothy

3:4-5 [An overseer] must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

3:12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

5:4, 8 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God…if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

5:9-10 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.

5:14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 

2 Timothy

1:16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood (lit. infancy) you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

4:19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

Titus

1:5-7 [A]ppoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach.

2:3-4 Older women…are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children.

nueva esperanza

God moves in mysterious ways.

Three years ago this weekend Shawn Daniel and I loaded up my old Chevy Astro and started our two-day journey out of Mexico. We drove away from our mission post in Oaxaca Mexico with all the pieces of our broken hearts clattering around in our chests.

Now, three years later, God is doing a new thing. This Sunday evening I will climb into that same Chevy Astro and drive a few miles across Mesquite to offer my support to a new mission outreach. 

Starting this Lord’s Day Iglesia Nueva Esperanza will meet for the first time to worship the triune God. The small Hispanic church will be utilizing our facility for worship and ministry as they administer the gospel of God’s grace to the unreached Hispanic Community in our area.

Clemente Bustamante will serve as pastor-teacher of the new church. Clemente hails from Mexico City where he became a christian through the influence of his mother. He felt called to ministry at a young age and dedicated his life to the Lord. With the help of his home church in Mexico he prepared for ministry at an evangelical seminary in Mexico City. After seminary he served as a minister of the gospel in various parts of Mexico for over a decade.

Clemente and his family were granted a visa and have been working (and worshipping) in Texas since 2007.

Que Dios les bendiga con sabiduria y poder en el Espiritu Santo.

————–

Disclaimer — I had nothing to do with the start date and the name of the church. Clemente proposed them on his own accord. 

vintage jesus

VINTAGE JESUS
WEDNESDAY @ 7 PM
NEW HOPE CHURCH

session two | HOW HUMAN WAS JESUS?

“Jesus was a dude. He was a construction worker who swung a hammer for a living. Because Jesus worked in a day when there vintage-jesus1were no power tools, he likely had calluses on his hands and muscles on his frame, and did not look like so many of the drag-queen Jesus images that portray him with long, glowing, feathered hair, perfect teeth, and soft skin draped in a comfortable dress accessorized by matching open-toed sandals and handbag. Jesus did not have Elton John or the Spice Girls on his Ipod, The View on his TiVo, or a lemon-yellow Volkswagon Beetle in his garage. No, Jesus was not the kind of person who, if walking by you on the street, would require you to look for an Adam’s apple to determine the gender.”

(Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Vintage Jesus, p31)

Jesus and children

Jesus loved children. He received them in his presence. He took them in his arms, he laid hands on them, and he prayed for them. He accepted their worship. Above all else, he welcomed them into his kingdom. Jesus even exalted children above adults.

In these ways (and more) Jesus blessed the little children.

Alas, we are so unlike Jesus.

When it comes to our children and Jesus we tend to be more like the disciples. We resent children — they make us jealous and angry — and we reject Christ’s word about them. We resist children and rebuke those who would bring them to Jesus. We reason that children just don’t need Jesus and his grace and mercy — to name just a couple of his blessings.

“Babies don’t need Christ’s blessings.”

“Nursing infants don’t need Christ’s nurturing influence.”

“Children don’t need Christ’s church.”

Jesus to the contrary, we prohibit our children from coming to Christ — especially as babes and infants — or we prevent them from coming to Christ until they are no longer children. We reason that our children don’t need a Savior — maybe someday, but not right now. And we justify our reasons by appealing to the supposed innocence and/or ignorance of our children.*

By disobeying the word of Christ the Lord in these matters we sin — and we cause our little ones to sin. How? We sin if we do not bring them to Christ Jesus as he commanded, and we cause them to sin because they depend on us to obey the word of the Lord for their benefit. They cannot obey the command to come if we do not obey the command to carry. For this reason Jesus commanded believing parents to carry their children to him — and he commanded his disciples to clear the way for parents and children to come to him.

Jesus loves our little children even more than we do. And he knows what is right and good for them better than we do. If we love them as Christ loved them we will do more for them than provide for their physical and material needs — we will also provide for their spiritual needs. According to Jesus our children need the spiritual blessings of Christ from cradle to grave. That is the reason we should observe the teachings of the Lord Jesus and make disciples of our children — baptizing them into the name of the Triune God and teaching them to observe the word of Christ.

Jesus loves infants, nursing babies, and little kids — and he loves their parents.

Continue reading