The Easiest Post All Year....

On this blog I genuinely try to either write, or post articles that will help believers think - with my primary audience being the congregation of Trinity to whom I have the joy of teaching the Word of God each week. Every year I take a personal moment to speak about my favorite church member:  June 11^th (yesterday) I had the honor of celebrating my 18^th year of marriage with Michele, and since this is my blog, I always want to take a moment around this time to declare my love and gratitude for her being my wife.

There is no one on earth that I am more grateful to God for than my precious wife. There is no church member that ministers to me nor will ever love me more than Michele. She has watched my failures up close, she has observed the difficulties I have in leading - she is the only one that could actually write a book or blog on me that would speak truths that could damage my credibility...she knows me inside and out.  She knows how I try, and she knows how I fail. She knows the times I have desperately sought the face of our Lord and she also knows the times when my sinful, wretched flesh has won battles in my life. She knows me, and she loves me. She knows when to rebuke me with truth or when to love me and simply be a sounding board. She has watched me try to lead and fail miserably, and she has cheered me on during those times that, by God’s grace I have faithfully held fast to truth. She knows my tears, my prayers, my insecurities and my passion. Her greatest weakness is that I believe she has set too high of a standard for my boys to ever find a wife that will live up to their mother, (though I pray they do). She knows I love my Lord, her and my boys and, I pray my heart keeps that love in the right order. She has heard more sermons than any church member and she has heard and encouraged me through more bad sermons than any one person ever should. I have never had a doubt that her devotion and love is reserved for me, and in spite of all my weakness, in spite of all my failures, I not only get to be her husband but she has allowed me and honored me as her Pastor. I don’t know if there is a higher honor on this Earth, than for her to trust me to lead, love and teach her truth. I do not know of a harder worker, a more devoted wife and mother than Michele. There are many temporal blessings the Lord has given me through His great grace, but there is not one that is more valued and appreciated than my wife. Honey, I love you and I am forever grateful our Lord led you to say “yes.”

The Beauty of the Bride

Ray Ortlund wrote a very clear, concise blog below concerning the importance of the local church. The church is much maligned in our day, but the truth is, there are more and more healthy pictures of what the New Testament Church should look like. I whole-heartedly believe it will be much easier for my boys (now 12 & 13) to find healthy churches for their families one day, than it is for many today. The reason for this?  There is a renewed emphasis on the gospel, and a passion for doctrine and accountability in so many of our young men who are graduating seminary.  Praise God!!

Take a few moments to enjoy this blog from Ray Ortlund:

 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2012/02/07/my-church-or-kingdom/

                                               My church or the Kingdom? 

 “My passion isn’t to build up my church.  My passion is for God’s Kingdom.”

Ever heard someone say that?  I have.  It sounds noble, but it’s unbiblical and wrong.  It can even be destructive.

Suppose I said, “My passion isn’t to build up my marriage.  My passion is for Marriage.  I want the institution of Marriage to be revered again.  I’ll work for that.  I’ll pray for that.  I’ll sacrifice for that.  But don’t expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani.  I’m aiming at something grander.”

If I said that, would you think, “Wow, Ray is so committed”?  Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?

If you care about the Kingdom, good.  Now be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church.  Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, throw yourself into the life of your church with wholehearted passion.

We build great churches the same way we build great marriages — real commitment that makes a positive difference in practical ways.  And thus we build the Kingdom.