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Thinking Cleary at the Ballot Box – CCD Exhortation

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The culture which rejects Almighty God must resort to listening to the voice of man. But the voice of man vacillates and wavers, whereas God’s Word is certain, true, and unchanging. Election Day is mankind’s pretense of letting the god known as “the will of the populace” speak. In a godless democracy, casting your vote becomes a sacred act.

As Christians, we reject any such notion. Instead, we should treat it like an important chore, like taking out the garbage. Christians should neither elevate voting to a revered act of religious piety, nor should we consider it pointless.

This Tuesday is Election Day, with a number of local/state matters on the ballot. As Christian citizens, it’s our task to defend our liberties not just in this civic activity, but by being a people whose consciences are free. 

Only those whose minds have been renewed by the grace of the Spirit will be able to think clearly at the ballot box. The mind corrupted by lust, greed, envy, racial enmity, or vanity won’t vote with clarity. Sin clouds the mind. Sin is self-delusion. Sin in the heart leads to sin in our legislation.

True civic duty isn’t confined to Election Day. Our culture is woefully in need of a people zealous for righteousness. Righteousness in public & private. Righteousness before all men & when no one’s watching. Righteousness in the town square & in the living room. Despising government overreach while regularly losing your temper with your family is a sure fire way to get more government overreach.

Your freedom isn’t secured by a constitution. It is founded on your standing before God. Are you washed clean by Christ? Have you come to Him with all your sin? Are you free because the Son has set you free? If so, go and vote with a clear conscience. If not, repent.

Contrary to the message we hear from the media, it is only a people whose God is the Lord which can be a truly free people. For in Christ alone is the remission of sins, the power for good works, and the clear standard for justice, peace, and truth. We must go to God for forgiveness for our individual and national sins. We have encoded sodomy, usury, abortion, and many instances of unjust weights and measures. We know that all these national sins have arisen from sin which the church tolerated first. May God grant us eyes to see where we have deluded ourselves with our own sin. Then we must trust Him to wash us clean as we confess our sins to Him and those we’ve wronged. We would strive to have our families, cities, and nation truly honor and glorify God, so may we implore our Father to grant us a true heart of contrition & repentance.

The Scriptures tell the story of God delivering His people from their sins, so that they might be at liberty to serve Him rightly. This deliverance always is preceded by God humbling His people. So humble yourselves before Him, and then hear His words of deliverance: Your sins are forgiven through Christ.

Ben Zornes – November 5, 2023

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How to Get Glory – CCD Exhortation

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There is a magnetic pull, especially for men, to long for glory. The boy in the yard with his football imagines himself throwing the winning touchdown for the Super Bowl. This longing for glory doesn’t leave as we mature into manhood. Instead, it seeks it in academic degrees, promotions at work, esteem from colleagues, or a yacht collection.

Seeking for glory is not wrong. In fact, you were made for glory. The problem is that, due to sin, we seek glory in our shame. Glory is not found in the skyscrapers of the Tokyo business district, or in the halls of Congress, or in viral Social Media accounts. 

The Psalmist gives us the path to glory. He instructs us with this truth: “Surely [the Lord’s] salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land (Psa 85:9).” If you desire glory to dwell in the midst of our land it begins with the salvation that comes from bending the knee to Almighty God.

If your life has felt like a slog recently, and glory is the last thing you would describe your life as a good question to ask yourself is whether you are walking in the fear of the Lord. Have you allowed grumbling to be the undertone of your conversations? Have you allowed your contempt for others to bubble at a low simmer? Have you been rejoicing in evil, and resenting righteousness? Have you gotten good at hiding sin? Well then, glory will not dwell with you. It will elusively remain just past your fingertips.

Therefore, bend yourself before God. Bow before His every Word. Study to put all His commands into practice. Confess your sin. Forsake your evil ways. Break your vile habits over your knee. And then, know that the Lord’s glory shall rest in the land.

Ben Zornes – October 29, 2023

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Preparing Kids to Worship – Exhortation CCD

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Your duty as parents is to teach your children to delight in the things of the Lord. The goal is not just well-behaved children who have no delight in the Lord; but children who are obedient & self-controlled because they delight in the Lord.

A large part of this duty is done by training your children how to worship the Lord here each Sunday. It’s a glory to have a congregation full of little ones. They truly are a blessing, even when they might be a little more vocal or squirmy than they should be. Parents, and dads especially, should vigilantly work to teach your children how good & pleasant it is to worship the living God. Don’t get ruffled & flustered if Jr. needs ten trips to the discipline room to get his attitude squared away. After all, our Heavenly Father has been exceedingly patient to teach us the same lessons repeatedly.

The best way to prepare your children to worship rightly here at church is by showering them with attentive love at home. This means consistent discipline. Focused attention. Speech that’s both gentle & stern, without a note of irritation & annoyance. Turn your hearts to your children, so that they might turn their hearts to the Father.

Now, a word to the whole congregation. As families are laboring–and it is a labor–to train their little ones, be exceedingly gracious & helpful. This may look like lending a helping hand to a mom when the dad is taking Jr. out. Refrain from giving glares or unsolicited advice. Perhaps ask beforehand if you can help get them the wine during communion, since their hands are full of babies.

The sum is this: while children are most welcome here, we are welcoming them into the delight of God’s presence, not into the narcissist self-absorption of our culture.

Ben Zornes – October 8, 2023

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Kirkers Read: How We Got the Bible

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Be sure to check out a free resource + book discount provided by Canon Press at the end of this post!

As a diligent Bible reader, at some point you’ve likely wondered, “Gee, I wonder how we got the Bible?” This really is a bedrock question, and how we answer it can send us in either the right direction, or in dangerously wrong directions. We should remember that God has two books by which He speaks to us. The book of the World, and the book of His Word. In the World we have natural revelation, which is sufficient to reveal God to us, and tell us we should seek Him and give worship unto Him, and to leave us without excuse for not doing so (cf. Rom 1).

However, God in His grace deigned to give special revelation by speaking to mankind. He spoke in the Old Testament in diverse ways (dreams, Law, prophets), all of which was carried along by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration (Heb. 1:1, 2 Pt. 1:21).  When Christ came, the fullness of God’s glory was revealed in the Son of Man who was the exact image of the one True God (Heb. 1:2-3). The Gospels and other writings of the New Testament are all a revelation of Christ, written by men who were eye-witnesses to the Lord Jesus.

Often, people ask a version of the “who made the Bible the Bible?” question. The reality is that Scripture is God’s Word, and, being such, is powerful and effective. A Dutch theologian, Wilhelmus á Brakel, offers an insightful story about an acquaintance of his who had never heard of the church, but found a Bible, read it, was converted and began living in accordance with God’s Word. This anecdote shows that it isn’t the Church that gives authority to Scripture, it is God’s Word that begets the Church. God made the Bible.

Without going into a long survey of how all the texts of Scripture, written by various authors, over millennia, came together, suffice it to say that it is nothing short of astonishing. God committed His Word unto the Jews, then the Apostles proclaimed the Gospels and epistles, and all of it reveals the only authoritative and infallible rule for how God intends us to live our life. Remember, as you read, it isn’t man that stitched a bunch of disparate documents together. God is the One who declared His Word, oversaw it as it was committed to writing, and has preserved it over the ages. Receiving the Word of God as the authoritative rule for life should compel us to search it diligently, and conform our lives according to it.

Our friends at Canon Press have graciously provided a free chapter from Douglas Wilson’s classic Mother Kirk for you to read this week. And as a special Bible Reading Challenge gift, they are offering Mother Kirk at 40% off through Dec. 19, 2018.

“Mother Kirk Chapter 3: Receive the Word” [Read more…]

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Kirkers Read: Dark Moments with Bright Promises

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As you read the accounts of the Judges you can’t help but be saddened by what happens when God’s people descend into apathy, compromise the covenant which God gave, and delight in evil. While Judges is one of the saddest portions of Scripture, we should look for how God is behind even the darkest chapters, bringing about the happy endings. Notice that God never leaves His people long in their sins without raising up a judge. It is striking that when God sets about to reform His people He raises up servants who bring judgment. Judgement is one of the ways which God brings a people to cry out for His mercy. The promise in the book of judges is that God would one day send a Judge who would judge His people in righteousness and truth (Ps. 96:13).

While in the English Bible, as well as historically, the story of Ruth is nestled in the time of the judges, the Hebrew Bible arranges things a bit differently. Ruth follows Proverbs, and precedes the Song of Solomon. This produces an interesting rhetorical narrative arc. Proverbs warns against the strange woman, and ends with an admonition to King Lemuel to find a virtuous woman (Pro. 31). The story of Ruth uses this contrast to highlight the faithfulness of Ruth. Ruth is a “stranger” (Ruth 2:10), and thus every good Hebrew boy, Boaz included, should be wary. But at the climax of the story Boaz declares that she is a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11). In fact, Ruth’s faith in the God of Israel leads her to lay claim to the promises and laws which God afforded a woman in her position: a redeemer to marry her and care for her. Because of her faith and persistence to cling to the God of Israel and His promises, she is joined to the lineage of the Messiah.

As always, when you commit to reading God’s word daily, don’t be surprised if you miss a day or two here or there. Business happens. However, always jump back in. As you read through the dark moments of Scripture, always remember that the brightest part of the story is actually the brightest: when Jesus died for our sins.

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