I am so thankful today.  When we moved here, in order to buy a house we had to take a risk and use an ARM loan.  If you don't know what an ARM is, ARM is short for Adjustable Rate Mortgage, meaning that after a certain amount of time the rate you are paying can go up or down.  We got our loan at an extremely low rate of 5.25% and I was dreading April, 2010 when our loan could potentially go to 7.25% and April 2011 (9.25%) and April 2012 (10.25%).  Starting in 2010, this meant as much as a $350 increase in my monthly payments (up to $850 more per month by 2012), which I didn't know how we would afford. 

In many areas I have seen the negative impact of our economies' down turn - in our church budget, with friends' businesses closing and some losing their jobs.  But at least in this area, it has been very good for us.  With Tuesday's Federal Reserve decision to drop interest rates 75 points (0.75%), we were able to lock into a 30-year fixed loan at the same 5.25% interest rate - at minimal cost.  I see this as the hand of God moving on our behalf.  He fits all things together and makes all things work for the good of those who love Him.

The short of this is that I am breathing a great sigh of relief, I am hopeful that Lord willing, the Lord has cleared the way for us to stay in Fredericksburg for a while longer.

Our church is going to have a major road going in front of the building soon.  It is likely that we will go to two servi  That is a providence.  Hope of Christ mission church has started off very well, which is another providence.

What about you?  What providences do you see in your life?  Let me know...

2/1/08 Update: 
Before I signed up for the new loan I got a little greedy.  I thought< "I wonder if rates will go lower.  I could save even more money." 

After praying about it, I thought, "No this is good enough.  I need to be content with this as it is already far better I imagined getting."  So I took the 5.25 rate. 

The next day, the rate jumped up a lot, it jumped to 5.625 then to 5.75.  The 5.25 rate was a one-day opportunity.  Praise God I was able to get it!  God really showed us His care in this new opportunity!

I recently came across this article describing how you can develop a system to master the books you read, and in probably less time than you normally read anyway.  I am going to give this a try for the next few books that I read.

Article: How to Read Less More

A thoughtful article on what the gospel can do in our nation if Christians are willing to right some cultural wrongs: Why Christians should seek MLK's dream

Here is one of my favorite Martin Luther King quotes with some other quotes from pastor/theologian John Piper on the issue of racism within our churches.


From Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, pages 197, 202.

"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen." – Romans 16:25-27

As a church, we must always be willing to have a vision big enough to require God.  A God-honoring vision is one that only He can accomplish.  Through diligent prayer we must envision what God wants us to do, to move beyond comfort to what will bring honor to His name. 

The joy in the church is that as we labor in this way, we find that we do not labor by ourselves in our vision.  We’re part of something bigger than ourselves.

We are part of a denomination that has a vision for impacting our nation and world with the gospel.  The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is playing an active role in starting new churches across our country.   

Individual presbyteries are the ground forces that begin new churches in good locations.  You may ask, what is a Presbytery?  A Presbytery consists of all the churches and their pastors within a certain geographical region.  New Life in Christ Church is in James River Presbytery which contains other churches south and East, including the Richmond and Tidewater regions.

The James River Presbytery (JRP) has a very aggressive plan for planting churches.  They have learned that church planting is the most strategic method of making disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).  It is the best method of introducing lost people to the hope in the gospel.  It is also a very strategic method of training new leaders to minister to their family and neighbors.   

I recently joined the committee of our presbytery responsible for oversight and inspiration of old churches to launch new churches.  The committee has been at work for a long time now and my first meeting showed how big the JRP vision is.  I want to share a little bit of their vision.

The JRP is seeking to build three different church planting regions within our presbytery: one in the north (Fredericksburg and the surrounding areas), mid-Virginia (around Richmond), and east (Tidewater).  Churches within each area are being asked to start new churches within the next six years.   

We have been asked to start two churches in our area before 2013.  To give you a bigger picture of what God is doing, the JRP is aiming to see five more churches near Richmond and five more churches started in Tidewater.  Currently, throughout our presbytery, there are nine church plants in process, each at a different point in their church planting process.  Some are a glimmer in the eyes of the presbytery.  Others are about ready to “particularize” – that is, to become independent churches and not longer “church plants”.

If you know the NLIC vision for church planting, you will remember that we envision something bigger than our presbytery has asked of us.  Our vision is to see 5-7 churches planted over the next five years.  We are aggressively working to see that goal fulfilled.  We are encouraged by the work that has already begun in North Stafford with Leonard Bailey.  Pray for Hope of Christ church as they aim to have their first worship service sometime this spring. 

Korean Agape Church is another “church plant” in our region.  We continue to support Korean Agape church as they grow from being a church plant into a “particularized” church with their own leaders.  It was encouraging to see 3 deacons ordained in November.  This is a critical step as they go through the process of training and ordaining their own elders.

Alex Martinez also has an important part in this as he works to begin a new church among Hispanics in our region. 

Count those up … we already see three new churches started!  Remember, our presbytery is only asking for two!  Please pray that God would continue to guide us as we decide on the best process for seeing a total of 5-7 churches being planted.

I want to share this with you to show that the vision for starting new churches in our region is not just something New Life in Christ is pursuing; it is something the Lord is challenging us to do.  The other churches in our Presbytery have been an encouragement to us to see this working accomplished in our region. 

We are at a place of unprecedented opportunity as move forward together.  How do we respond to this?  Primarily we must pray for the work of NLIC and JRP.  Together, we are working to change our whole state by saturating the region with gospel-churches.  Pray for godly leaders to pastor these churches, for vision, boldness, wisdom, and resources.

Together, I am confident that we will see God working around us in a way that we have not seen in this area for a very long time.  I have heard that Fredericksburg has never experienced revival through the gospel.  May these new church bring about the spiritual renewal of our area!

"The greatest and most dangerous of despotisms is that beneath which the depraved inclination of human nature, the deadly influence of the world, namely, sin, miserably subjects the human conscience.  There are, no doubt many countries, especially among those which the sun of Christianity has not yet illumined, that are without civil liberty, and that groan under the arbitrary rule of powerful masters.  But, in order to become free outwardly, men must first succeed in being free inwardly.  In the human heart the is a vast country to be delivered from slavery - abysses which man cannot cross alone, heights he cannot climb unaided, fortresses he cannot take, armies he cannot put to flight.  In order to conquer in this moral battle, man must unite with One stronger than himself - with the Son of God."
 
- J.H. Merle D'Aubigne, History of the Reformation in Europe quoted in Teaching and Learning America's Christian History, Rosalie J. Slater, pp 159.

My wife Julie wrote an article on Liam's first basketball game.  It was quite an occasion for us, but not one that we wanted to record.  Click here to find out why on Julie's Blog.

Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO offers free audio of some of their classes.  I thought this class on Humanity, Christ, and Redemption looked excellent.  Download and enjoy!

I always like a good worship album.  Usually I really get into hymns - both in older forms and contemporary forms.  Indelible Grace has been an incredible encouragement to me over the years with their excellent work on hymns. 

Yesterday, at the suggestion of our church planter Leonard Bailey, I downloaded the album The Best of Passion (so far).  It is almost entirely contemporary worship - and supposedly the best of it.  Good stuff, I like it.

"Even saving souls is a means to an end to a perfect world where we do not have decay, we don't have disease, we don't have poverty, we don't have hunger, we don't have blindness or leprosy, we don't have these things." - Timothy Keller

I was listening to a sermon on this today and was hit between the eyes with a challenge.  So often in the church we talk about social justice as a means to evangelizing the lost.  The thought is, if we help them, they will be more open to the gospel.  They will be more responsive to the gospel because of the love shown to them by Christian people in Jesus' name.  This is very true and very good.

But, Keller is the first person I have ever heard that the purpose of evangelism is social justice.  When people trust in Jesus Christ, they now have a new desire to love others and alleviate the suffering of people.  The more people that trust in Jesus Christ, the more people who will be available and inspired to alleviate suffering in our world.  Is this not the point of Titus 2:11-12 - God has redeemed us for the purpose of doing good deeds!

If we are quick to dismiss the purpose of evangelism as being social justice - we need to remember the final position of this world as described in Revelation 21.  All the redeemed will live in a new heavens and a new earth without suffering:

I know a number of counselors who have thought this at one time or another.  It was even mentioned at the Care Group leaders meeting. 

 


We thought it was a good example of moralistic counseling (as compared with gospel counseling).

John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions, The Supremacy of God in Missions through Worship