The Blazing Center

When We’re At The Mercy Of Others

by Mark Altrogge on June 19, 2013

And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 45:3-8

Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, and he wound up spending many years in an Egyptian prison. His brothers had told their father he’d been killed by a wild animal, and never bothered to correct their story with him. Now after many years a famine has driven them to seek help in Egypt. And guess who’s the second most powerful man in the land?

When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers they are “dismayed at his presence.” “Dismayed” is probably putting it mildly – I imagine they were terrified, thinking Joseph would probably have them tortured, beheaded or thrown into prison themselves. And he’d have every right and reason to.

Can you imagine how stunned they must have been to hear these words – “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life”?

Joseph wasn’t bitter or vengeful. Why not? Because he had a high view of God’s sovereignty. He didn’t deny his brothers’ sin – “you sold me here.” But he knew that God worked their sin for the good of many – “to preserve life.”

“And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God.”

Wait a minute! Earlier Joseph said his brothers sold him into Egypt. Now he says it was not them who sent him here but God. So who sent him? Both. But ULTIMATELY, God had. Even when his brothers betrayed him they were fulfilling God’s plan. God never makes anyone sin, but he uses men’s sins to accomplish his purposes. He works ALL things – even wickedness - together for good.

So often we feel at the mercy of others and helpless to do a thing about it. We feel controlled by an ungodly boss, neighbor, spouse, relative, or government. We can be tempted to despair or grumble.

But like Joseph we must realize that ULTIMATELY God is in control. It doesn’t FEEL like God is in control, but he is.

People will sin against us, hurt us, do bad things to us. I guarantee it. And when it happens, that’s when we need to remember WHO is in control. And that God is using our affliction for good. He will somehow use our pain to benefit not only us but most likely many others.

So what do we do? TRUST God. We can ask God to deliver us. We can also try to change our circumstances if we can. Joseph tried to get put of prison when he interpreted the cupbearer’s dream. He asked him to remember him when he was released from prison. The cupbearer promptly forgot. Joseph’s attempt to get out of prison failed, yet he continued to trust God. So we can change our circumstances as much as it’s up to us, but even if nothing changes, we must continue to trust God.

God is sovereign, infinitely loving and infinitely wise. He is in control, loves us more deeply than we can imagine, and always does the right thing. The government isn’t in ultimate control. Neither is your boss, your parents or spouse. God is in control. And will do amazing things through your “out of control” circumstances.

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This Is Why British People Shouldn’t Be Baseball Commentators

by Stephen Altrogge on June 18, 2013

But seriously, I could watch this all day.

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You Are NOT Who You Think You Are

by Stephen Altrogge on June 18, 2013

Take a long look at yourself in the mirror. If you look closely you will see all the labels that have been slapped on to you over the years. Some of these labels have been put on by others. Parents, schoolmates, coworkers, friends, pastors. Some of the labels have been self-administered.

FAILURE // ADDICT // CONDEMNED // LOSER // CUTTER // GLUTTON // ANGRY // LUSTFUL // ANOREXIC

In your mind, these labels define you. You have always been an angry person. You’ve always had an eating disorder. You’ve always been addicted to porn. You’ve always been an outcast. That’s just the way it is, some things will never change. You feel like you can identify with the words of Jack Kelly (see Newsies) who said, “We was beaten when we was born.”

You feel trapped by your labels. You don’t want to be constantly angry. You don’t want to be a slave to sexual sin. You don’t want to constantly live under a cloud of gloom and condemnation. But you don’t know how to escape. You’ve been this way for so long that you no longer have hope of change. You are convinced that you’ve always been this way and will always be this way. Yes you are a Christian, and yes you will always be this way. Right?

WRONG. DEAD WRONG. SATANICALLY WRONG.

One of Satan’s greatest lies is that you will always be trapped by your sin. If he can convince you that you will never change, the odds are high that you never will change. You will believe all the labels that have been slapped on to you. You will believe you have no hope of changing. Your grandad was a lazy loser, your dad was a lazy loser, and now you’re a lazy loser.

The good news of the gospel is that you are no longer defined by your past sins, by your biology, or by your family history. You are defined by one thing: your identity in Christ Jesus.

In Romans 6:6-8 Paul says:

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Your old self, the self that was enslaved to anger, lust, eating disorders, and laziness has died! Your old, sin-loving self was crucified with Jesus Christ and was buried with Jesus Christ. It cannot return and it cannot rule you. Your old self was defined by sin and biology and family history and wounds. Labels belong to the old you.

Your new self is defined by one thing: Jesus Christ. You belong to Jesus Christ, and he has set you free from sin. You died to sin and now you have the power of the living Christ coursing through you. Jesus is the great label destroyer. You are not an addict, you are in Christ. You are not defined by anger, you are defined by Christ. You are not a failure, you live in Christ and he lives in you.

It’s time to stop letting yourself be defined by labels. Those labels belong to your old self, and that old self is long gone, buried with Christ. You may struggle with anorexia, but that sin will not rule you because Christ rules you. You may battle with lust but that sin will not define you because Christ defines you. You may feel like a loser but you are NOT a loser because Christ the victor dwells in you.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

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+photo by antigallery

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Communion With God – It’s Not A Chore. It’s Sweet.

by Mark Altrogge on June 17, 2013

From the time we know the Lord, and are bound to him by the cords of love and gratitude, the two chief points we should have in our view, I apprehend, are to maintain communion with him in our own souls, and to glorify him in the sight of men. – John Newton

I like keeping things simple.

Sometimes I feel like I’ve got so many things I have to do and want to do I don’t know where to start. But Newton makes it simple – we only really need to do two things – maintain communion with Jesus in our souls and glorify him in the sight of men.

We don’t use the word “communion” much, except when we’re talking about bread and juice on Sunday. It’s a good old Puritan word that means hanging out with God. Spending time with him. Getting to know him. Abiding in his word. Meditating on it. Talking with Jesus – thanking him, praying, casting our cares on him.

At times I’ve looked at my devotions as a task or a chore to check off each day. I can think along these lines: Take out the recycling – check. Let the dogs out – check. Read the Bible – check. Pray – check. Okay, that’s done. Now I can get on with my day.

Think of communion with God as developing your friendship with him. Think of reading his word as reading his love letter to you or getting to know a good friend. Think of “devotions” not as a chore, but spending time with Jesus.

Last week at our Youth Camp I spoke on abiding in Jesus the true vine. Jesus said that a key aspect of abiding in him is to abide in his word. We get to know people by spending time with them, and primarily through words. I know how my wife feels about different topics because she’s told me. I know what she loves and hates because she has talked to me about these things. I wouldn’t know her if I didn’t spend time talking with her.

To make my point to the campers I picked out a young man from another church who I’d never met and announced I would become his best friend in two minutes. When our “timer” yelled, “Go” I began to pepper the young man with questions. “What’s your favorite book? Favorite movie? What would you do if you could do anything you wanted for a day? Do you go on vacation? Where? Who’s your best friend? Favorite food? If you could be any animal what would you be?, etc.” After two minutes I said I proclaimed, “Now Matthew and I are best friends! I know everything about him and we never need to talk any more.” Hopefully the kids got the idea – we can’t get to know someone if we don’t spend time listening to them and talking to them.

Maintain communion with Jesus in your soul. Not just when you spend time in his word and prayer, but all day long. Cry out for grace to when your children are melting down. Ask for wisdom when that difficult co-worker insults you. Ask him to give you love for that weak sister who comes to you struggling with the same unbelief you thought you helped her with last week. Cast your cares on Jesus. Remind yourself of the gracious promises he has shared with you. Communion with Jesus isn’t hard. It’s not a chore. It’s easy and it’s sweet.

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My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad! A Tribute To Dad’s Everywhere

by Stephen Altrogge on June 16, 2013

Happy father’s day!

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I Hear Voices…Do You?

by JoshBlount on June 14, 2013

Sometimes I hear voices. Voices talking to me. Voices in my head. Do you? (Cue the creepy music.)

No, I don’t have a Gollum-like split personality, and no, I don’t need to be locked in a padded room with basket-weaving supplies. But I do hear voices, or at least a voice, and I bet you do too. I’m talking about the incessant internal dialogue going on in our heads, the voice that sounds like your voice but comes up with all kinds of suggestions, ideas, evaluations, critiques, or judgments. I don’t care what kind of chatterboxes you live with, no one talks to you as much as you do.

“You do realize they’re talking about you right now, don’t you?”

“Why did you say that? An intelligent (godly, mature, humble) person wouldn’t have said that.”

“Don’t listen to him – he really doesn’t understand you.”

“You should do family devotions (prayer and fasting, date night, personal evangelism) like that person does. You’re an inferior Christian if you don’t.”

Those are the kinds of voices I’m talking about. Often the voices are condemning, suggesting subtle or vague ways we don’t live up to an undefined standard. But they can just as easily be self-congratulating (“Nobody could have done that like you!”) and pride-enhancing (“you’re awesome with a capital A!”). The point is that they’re there, whispering to us in the silence of our selves. What are we to do with them?

Here’s the short answer: God’s conversation with us must shape our own internal conversation with ourselves. In his Son and in the Scriptures that testifies to the Son, God talks to us. And that conversation needs to have shaping power over all the self-critiquing or congratulating voices that go on in our heads. In other words, God has authority to restart the conversation.

So for example, when I hear the suggestion, “A good husband (pastor, disciple, etc.) would do this, or feel that way, or wouldn’t have said that,” I shouldn’t give that thought unquestioned authority. I need to bring God’s Word to play. Did I just sin in some way? If so, God tells me that confession and cleansing are immediately available to me (1 John 1:9). If I confess my sins to God and to the appropriate person, then I can move on with no looking back. Or maybe the suggestion has no scriptural basis, like, “A good husband would read and apply a new book on marriage every month.” Really? Says who? Only the voice in my head…but not God. And that’s the problem. Instead of letting that thought exert subtle pressure on my soul, I need to subject it to God’s authority.

Now let me be clear. This internal dialogue is inescapable – we’re not going to shut it off. Nor should we try, because it isn’t all bad. Part of the complexity and wonder of human personality is that we have the ability to think about ourselves reflectively: should I have done that? Could I improve in this area? That’s a good thing – provided that our self-analysis is governed by God’s truth, not our subjective impressions.

So don’t try to shut the conversation down, but don’t listen unquestioningly either. Consciously place your inner conversation under the authority of God’s truth, the words that God speaks about you through the living Word, Jesus Christ. He, and he alone, is the final authority in this conversation!

Photo by Visual Dichotomy.

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New Worship Song: Taste and See

by Mark Altrogge on June 13, 2013

Here’s a new worship song, called “Taste and See.” You can listen to it and download it here. Download the chord/lyric sheet here. Thank you for checking it out!

Taste and See

Verse 1

I will bless the Lord at all times
His praise is always in my mouth
My soul will boast in Jesus
The humble hear and sing and shout for joy
Oh magnify the Lord with me
Let us praise his name together

Chorus

Oh taste and see the Lord is good
How blessed are all who run to him
Taste and see the Lord is good
Taste and see the Lord is good
How blessed are all who hide in him
Taste and see the Lord is good
The Lord is good
The Lord is good

Verse 2

I sought the Lord, he answered
And rescued me and gave me life
His eyes are toward his children
His ears are open to their cry in need
His angels are surrounding us
To deliver us from every danger

Tag

Oh satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 2x

by Mark Altrogge

C 2013 Forever Grateful Music

For free downloads of Scripture Memory Songs go to Free Scripture Song in our Archives

If you would like to check out more Scripture Memory Songs you can find them at ForeverGratefulMusic.com or CD Baby

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How Not To Do A Garden

by Mark Altrogge on June 12, 2013

Ahh, Spring. That glorious time we till the ground and plant our gardens.

When we get back to the earth and connect again with our primordial selves. When we lay aside Facebook and Twitter and grab a spade and plunge it into the rich dark loam from which we sprung. Ahh, the joyous anticipation of a glorious harvest of peppers and tomatoes and acorn squash. The very thought of puttsing in the garden, pulling weeds beneath the clear blue sky, the sun warming your back and a gentle breeze caressing your brow fills you with wondrous joy.

Not. The thought fills me with anything but wondrous joy.

Years ago my next-door neighbor, Steve, had a wonderful garden. He loved spending time in his garden. He loved every aspect of it – from the planting to the weeding to the watering to the plucking. I think he just liked to get out there and gaze at it. And of course he always had a bountiful harvest – a regular cornucopia of delights.

As I observed Steve’s delight in his garden I often felt guilty. Maybe I should have a garden too, I thought. Get back to the earth. Experience the wind in my hair. Get some dirt under my fingernails. Sounded hippie-like and manly at the same time. It sounded natural. It just felt like that’s what I should do.

So I tilled the earth and planted rows of beans and peppers and tomatoes. I put down black plastic to keep the weeds out. And I even planted a pumpkin seed. What could be more satisfying than to have 20 or 30 pumpkins at the end of the summer to decorate my porch and dining room table? Country Living Magazine would probably want to do a photo shoot of my pumpkin decor.

Only problem was I never did anything after the initial planting, except an occasional watering. I didn’t do any weeding (somehow weeds found a way into my garden despite my black plastic). Neither did I do any pruning. I guess wise master gardeners break off the “suckers” or branches that don’t bear fruit. This concentrates all the energy of the plant into the fruit-bearing branches.

The result of my diligence was a pathetic harvest. Steve’s garden looked like a beautiful metropolis and my garden looked like a ghetto. Particularly interesting was my pumpkin. By September I had an approximately 200 foot vine that took up about half my backyard, at the end of which was a solitary softball-sized pumpkin. Not exactly the bulbous blue ribbon winner I’d imagined I would take to the county fair in a U-Haul.

What is the lesson you ask? If you want to finish the summer with more than a softball-sized pumpkin and a 200-foot vine, you need to prune your plants. But wait, there’s actually a spiritual truth here. In John 15:1-2, Jesus said,

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

In other words, God prunes his children so they produce maximum fruit.

He cuts off the “suckers” – those things that drain away our spiritual life. Sometimes he prunes us through afflictions. Sickness may prevent us from getting involved with ungodly friends or activities that would harm our souls. He may limit our finances so we can’t have as much of the world as we like. He may humble us to prune the pride from our lives. When we feel stuck or can’t have something, God may be sparing us from temptation.

Pruning hurts. Pruning isn’t fun. I wouldn’t naturally choose for God to prune me. I don’t love being hemmed in, limited or afflicted. But it’s good that God prunes me. It’s evidence he has given me new life and loves me.

God isn’t like I was with my garden. He doesn’t plant the seed then forget about it. God is diligent like Steve was with his garden. Why is God so diligent to prune us? He wants us to bear much fruit. He doesn’t want us to end our lives with nothing but a softball-sized pumpkin.

So if you’re suffering, first know that the Lord is full of compassion and sympathy for you. But it may also be that in some way he is pruning you for your greater fruitfulness and a bountiful heavenly harvest.

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How To Be A Weird Christian Without Being A WEIRD Christian

by Stephen Altrogge on June 11, 2013

Being a Christian means being weird. I don’t mean dances with snakes weird, although Dances With Snakes could be a great movie, especially if it starred Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall. No, I’m talking about true, holy weirdness. If we truly follow and obey Jesus, we will strike the world as being weird, odd, possibly even a bit unstable. After all, what “normal” person seeks to fight against sexual lust? What “normal” person wants to give away a significant portion of their income? What “normal” person forgives their enemies and does good to those who mistreat them? What “normal” person stakes all their hope on a dying and rising Messiah? Following Jesus means saying “no” to many of the things the world loves and considers normal. It often means offending others for the sake of obeying Jesus.

On top of the inherent worldly weirdness of Christianity, the gospel is inherently offensive. The gospel is an affront to our self-righteousness. It tells us that we are wicked, that God is holy, and that we cannot earn our way to God. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 it says:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

To those who don’t know God, the message of the gospel is folly. Insanity. Stupidity. Utter ridiculousness. It is a stumbling block to Jews, insanity to Muslims, and stupidity to Atheists.

Because following Jesus is “weird” and the message of the gospel is “folly”, we must take care that we do not add any additional stumbling blocks to the message of the gospel. We must take great pains to ensure that the only thing unbelievers stumble over is the gospel, and that the only offense is the offense of Jesus Christ himself. If an unbeliever comes to associate one of my preferences with the message of Jesus, I have created an additional stumbling block to the gospel.

Tim Keller says:

If some aspect of a new culture does not compromise the gospel itself and makes you more accessible to others, there is no reason not to adapt to that element out of courtesy and love – even if it is not your preference. Otherwise, the gospel may, because of you, appear “unnecessarily alien.” We must avoid turning off listeners because we are culturally offensive rather than the gospel…Proper contextualization [of the gospel] means causing the right scandal – the on the gospel poses to all sinners – and removing all unnecessary ones. (Center Church, 111)

What does this mean practically? It means we must make sure that we never turn the gospel into “Jesus + my preference”. Is classical homeschooling a good education option? Sure. But it’s not the gospel. Is it smart to think through different vaccination options? Yes. But vaccination is not the gospel. Are hymns valuable to sing in church? Yes. Not the gospel. Is organic living a healthy lifestyle option? Yeah. Not the gospel. Do Republicans (and Democrats) have some valuable ideas? Yep. Not the gospel. You get the point.

We must always be careful to distinguish between our preferences and the gospel. I never want someone to feel out of place at my church if they don’t homeschool, or eat a certain way, or hold to a particular set of non-Biblical political ideas. When an unbeliever comes into my church I know they will stumble over Jesus and the message of the gospel. I don’t want to add any additional stumbling blocks.

Have you added any stumbling blocks to the gospel?

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I Wouldn’t Forget If My Neighbor’s House Were Filled With Frogs…Or Would I?

by Mark Altrogge on June 10, 2013

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2

“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you-with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant-and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Deuteronomy 6:10-12

I forget stuff all the time.

I forget to buy dog food (how could I when I have so much affection for those two filthy curs – I mean, sweet little bundles of love). I forget to exercise (on purpose). Last week I forgot to take the trash out on the appointed day. Nothing like keeping your stinking garbage an extra week. Sometimes I forget to take medicine I’m supposed to take – good thing I’m such a paragon of health and vitality.

How easy it is to forget God’s benefits. God warned Israel that when they were enjoying the blessings of the promised land to take care lest they forget how he delivered them from Egypt. Really? How could they forget all the plagues, a pillar of fire and looking at the walls of water on either side of them as they sallied forth on dry land right through the middle of the Red Sea? If Pittsburgh were overrun by frogs, and even the Steelers had frogs in their bedrooms, I don’t think I’d forget that. But God knows our tendency to forget, so he warned Israel about forgetting his mighty deliverance. And you know what? They forgot.

We should try to develop the habit of regularly thanking God for his blessings. In everything give thanks. Give thanks continually. We should be the most grateful people on the face of the earth. Paul prayed for his converts to abound in thanksgiving.

A few suggestions:

When you pray begin with thanks. Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Before bringing all our requests to God, thank him for a few minutes. Thank him for the blessings of the previous day. For helping you on that exam. For protecting your child. For a great time in church.

Keep a prayer journal – write down things you are thankful for. Two or three times a week, before I begin my requests, I take a few minutes to write out my thanks. A few simple sentences. Nothing profound. But it helps me focus and remember to give thanks.

Thank God for all he did to redeem you. For Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. For all Jesus endured to bring you to God.

Thank God for your spouse and children if you have them. For their lives and health and all God’s mercies to them.

Thank God for spiritual blessings. That he pardons all your sins, joins you to Christ, and adopted you as his child. For the Holy Spirit and power. For spiritual gifts. For transforming you into the likeness of his Son.

Thank God for his word and hundreds of promises. For promising to hear your prayers, and to be with you when you pass through flood and fire. For his promises to counsel you and give you wisdom. For his promises to bless our children. For his promise to complete the good work he began in you.

Thank God for your church. Your friends, your home group leader, Your children’s ministry teachers your pastors.

Thank God for material blessings. For your health and strength. For your job and apartment or home. For your car and gas for it. For your computer and phone and all kinds of other luxuries and conveniences.

Thank God for how he treats you. For his patience and long-suffering, faithfulness, compassion and sympathy, and his steadfast love.

Thank God for as many mercies as you can discern in every affliction. For any relief and help. For somehow working your pain and sadness for your good and God’s glory. For humbling you through it. For his sympathy and compassion toward you.

Thank God for future blessings. That you will see Jesus face to face and worship and enjoy him forever. That God has prepared great rewards in heaven for you. That you will see loved ones again in heaven. That you will have a resurrection body. That Jesus will wipe every tear from you eye.

You get the idea.

Lord Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you for all your benefits. Help us to abound in thankfulness.