Sep 4, 2013 | Presidential History
Over the past two weeks I’ve been reading through Richard Reeve’s, President Reagan. Reeve is an accomplished presidential biographer. While no friend to Reagan’s political philosophy, Reeve does paint a more objective picture than many of the former president’s detractors. Typically when I am reading a presidential biography I am mostly on the hunt for the habits that mark his leadership style. Here are a few I have marked in regard to his first term: From the Introduction Reagan had the virtues and failings of an old man: He already knew what he wanted to know, he was set in his ways, stubborn, and he did not generally care what journalists or the hired help thought of him. He was not obsessed by history, as were Kennedy and Nixon (xiii). A note Reeves marked in Calvin Coolidge’s autobiography that Reagan read while in the White House: “In the discharge of the duties of the office there is one rule of action more important than all others. It consists in never doing anything that some one else can do for you” (xiii). I do not subscribe to the many theories of Reagan’s passivity. It is true that much of any presidency is essentially reactive, dealing with crises unpredictable and unanticipated-strikes, bombings, market crashes, revolutions, plagues – but the President Reagan I found in the course of my research was a gambler, a bold, determined guy (xiv). I do not think Reagan was an unwitting tool of a manipulative staff. Quite the opposite (xv). He knew how to be President. The job does not pay by the hour. Presidential naps don’t... read more
Sep 3, 2013 | Blogging, Featured Articles, Ordinary Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Personal
Another re-post from over 4 years ago. I post it again as THE CAPRANICA re-launches its regularity as a reminder of what this blog is about. I am an ordinary pastor. That is, I know myself well enough and I have been around enough extraordinary pastors to be well aware of how ordinary I am. The content, regularity, and writing style found here at THE CAPRANICA all document the degree of my ordinariness. Actually, I enjoy being ordinary. Obscurity is often bliss. Normality, more often than not, is a blessing. The front-lines of the ordinary contain enough excitement, challenge, heartache, and doldrum to keep me focused and engaged in the Lord’s work. I have been an ordinary pastor for over 20 years (I began ministry in 1988 in a rural Texas Panhandle church) and I have never been bored with ministry; I’ve always been busy, and I’m as excited today about serving the church as I was twenty years ago when I began. I really do enjoy being among the ordinary. Ordinary is not often publicly celebrated, but ordinary pastors dominate the landscape of church life across our country; we are, by far, the vast majority. In reality, only a small percentage of pastors in the world could really be called or evaluated as extraordinary. I thank God for many of them . The Savior has used (and still does) a few of them in many influential ways in my life and ministry. Yet, most of us who serve the Lord as local church shepherds will not host presidential forums; books will not host our names as authors; national... read more
Sep 2, 2013 | Bookreviews, Charismatics, Christian Living, Pastoral Ministry, Video
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Aug 29, 2013 | Biblical Studies, Eschatology, Expositions, Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
How do you prepare yourself during the week to engage with God and participate in corporate worship on Sunday? Every week our church gives a number of ways to interact with the passage to be preached, and lists the songs that will be sung, in order to help our congregation be better prepared. These posts will also begin to populate THE CAPRANICA each Thursday. Carefully Think Read Daniel 1:1; 2:1; 5:1, 30, 31; 6:1; and 10:1. Where is Daniel? How many kings does he interact with? Read Daniel 1:1-20; 2:26-28; 6:1-10. Why is Daniel where he is and how would you characterize his character? Glance through the headings in your Bible of Daniel 1-6. Make a list of the sort of events recorded about his life. Glance through the headings in your bible for Daniel 7-12. What are these chapters primarily about? Read 12:5-13. What era of human history is being described in these events and when will they be completed? Read Daniel 2:20-23; 4:2-3, 34-35; 6:25-27; 7:9-10, 13-14. What is emphasized about God in these chapters? Prayerfully Meditate What do you learn about Daniel, his friends and what commitment to God looks like in the midst of opposition? Have you every experienced opposition from those outside of Christianity to your faith? When? How? How would Daniel be a helpful example to you? How could Daniel’s overt, God-centered life-style instruct you and how you conduct yourself at work, in your neighborhood, or in our culture generally? Read Daniel 9:1-19. How could this be a helpful prayer to model your own (or congregational) confession of sin? What is the primary... read more
Aug 28, 2013 | Church History, Pastoral Ministry
I am currently reading through John Piper’s biographical sketches on William Tyndale, John Paton, and Adoniram Judson, from his book, Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ. Here are a few salient quotes from the Introduction and the chapter on William Tyndale. Good thoughts for keeping our afflictions in Christ-centered perspective: From the Introduction God’s design for the evangelization of the world and the consummation of his purposes includes the suffering of his ministers and missionaries. . . God designs that the sufferings of his ambassadors is one essential means in the triumphant spread of the Good News among all the peoples of the world. . . . suffering is a result of faithful obedience in spreading the gospel (14). But this voluntary suffering and death to save others is not only the content but it is also the method of our mission. . . . As Joseph Tson puts it in his own case: “I am an extension of Jesus Christ. When I was beaten in Romania, He suffered in my body. It is not my suffering: I only had the honor to share His sufferings” . . . Christ’s suffering is for our propitiation; our suffering is for propagation (15). So the afflictions of Christ are “lacking” in the sense that they are not seen and known and loved among the nations. They must be carried by missionaries. And those missionaries “complete” what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by extending them to others. (22). God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of his people. God really means for the body of... read more
Aug 27, 2013 | Blogging, Featured Articles, Ordinary Pastor, Personal
For many months now I’ve been wanting to take up contributing to my neglected blog presence. As the mayhem begins again, I start with a re-post (from over 4 years ago) of an article on why an ordinary pastor, like me, should regularly blog. Wouldn’t blogging be persona non grata in the life of the truly ordinary pastor? Maybe a few years ago, but no longer. I would suspect that the majority of pastors blogging today are among the ordinary variety. It helps that more than 99% of the pastors in our country are ordinarily flavored, so you would expect that the same percentage of pastors blogging will be ordinary pastors. With that in mind, why should a pastor blog? I wish more extraordinary pastors blogged – I mean really blogged. Not like those guys who have their staff post excerpts from their books. I wish they would actually take a half-hour each day and write something about their life, ministry, personal discipline, reading habits, family life, and the very unique experiences they have in ministry. It’s good to hear from some of the extraordinary guys who share from the overflow of their vast amount of time in the Scriptures and years of experience. But I also like hearing from the average Joe. In fact, I think there are a host of reasons why an ordinary pastor should blog. Here’s my list: It humanizes the ministry, allowing people to see the past the ivory tower facade. It allows you to speak to issues you could not cover in your sermon (even though your sermon was too long already). It gives another... read more
Aug 26, 2013 | Bookreviews, Ecclesiology, Pastoral Ministry, Video
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Dec 1, 2012 | Pastoral Ministry, Prayer, Preaching
Carefully Think Read Matthew 6:9-15. Recall last week’s message; what are we praying for when we ask for God’s name to be hallowed? What does it mean to “hallow” God’s name? Who is being asked to “hallow” God’s name? What is God’s kingdom and when is it “coming?” How is God’s will done in heaven? What are we praying when we ask for it to be done on earth? Prayerfully Meditate In light of Sunday’s opening message on prayer, how have you sought to incorporate it into your own prayer life? When you come to church this Sunday, think carefully about each movement of our time together. What is being emphasized in each part? How coudl this help you as you pray throughout the service? If God is sovereign, why do we pray for His will to be done? Which phrase within this prayer needs more focused attention in your own prayer time? Intentionally Act How will you specifically incorporate the first three phrases of the prayer in Matthew 6:9-10 into your regular time of prayer? Who will you pray for in this way? About what issues will you incorporate these themes as you pray? On at least three occasions this week, open your Bible to this passage and use it as a guide for your time of prayer. How does it help? What is most challenging in doing it? Use this model prayer in 6:9-13 in praying for our worship service this Sunday. Pray for those who do not know Christ and will be present in our service – that their hearts will be opened to God’s greateness,... read more
Nov 26, 2012 | Bookreviews, The Gospel, Video
Wasted Faith Click HERE for ways you can use this... read more
Oct 13, 2012 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read Matthew 5:38-42. Summarize in one sentence what the main idea is. How does Matthew 5:38-42 fit with the idea Jesus expressed in 5:17-20? Read Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; and Deuteronomy 19:21. What are these passages teaching about retaliation? Why would the OT emphasize this? How do these OT passages help you understand what Jesus is referring to in 5:38? Is Jesus contradicting the OT passages in 5:39? Why or why not? List the illustrations Jesus gives about retaliation in 5:39-42. What is the emphasis of each one uniquely (i.e., what is the issue with being slapped verses being sued, etc.)? Is Jesus advocating pacifism in these verses? Are Christians not to defend themselves? Is Jesus suggesting that we not advocate justice? Why – why not? Prayerfully Meditate How are Christians supposed to apply these concepts in 5:38-42 in day-to-day living? Over what sort of issues are you most prone to seek personal vengeance? How could you cultivate the default attitude of trusting God and not seeking revenge when taken advantage of? What sort of patterns of thinking would you need to develop? How could this affect how you pray for those who are unjustly taking advantage of you? What would help motivate a person to respond the way Jesus is advocating? How does the message of the gospel help cultivate this sort of response? Think back to what Jesus suffered. How did he respond? Why did he respond as he did? How would his responses be helpful in our cultivating a similar response? Intentionally Act Have you been expressing any personal animosity or vengeful attitudes toward... read more
Oct 6, 2012 | Christian Living, Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read Matthew 5:33-37. Summarize in one sentence what Jesus’ main point is. How does this passage relate to what Jesus said in 5:17-20? What are the similarities and differences between this passage and the previous sections (anger: 5:21-26; lust: 5:27-30; divorce: 5:31-32)? Read through the following OT passages: Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21-23. What background to the give to what Jesus says in Matthew 5:33-37? In what ways does Jesus define “do not take an oath at all” in 5:34-36? What does this suggest about the nature of an oath or what is involved in the kind of oath Jesus is referring to? Why does Jesus indicate that one should not take an oath and call heaven, hearth, Jerusalem, or your own head to account for the oath? What is Jesus’ point in bringing up these examples? Instead of taking an oath, what is the primary focus of a righteous person? Prayerfully Meditate Why does Jesus attack giving oaths? Does this include taking an oath in a court room or for those who serve political office? Why or why not? In the course of daily living, why would an oath be necessary? What are the greatest challenges to honesty? When are you most tempted to lie? Why are we often tempted to hedge the truth in what we say we will do? What would it take for you to be able to live in such a way that your “yes” or “no,” is believably sufficient? Intentionally Act As you think about the way you approach your own personal commitments, what needs to change in... read more
Sep 27, 2012 | Featured Articles, Marriage and Family, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read Matthew 5:31-32 Where did this instruction originally come from in the Old Testament? What is the connection between 5:31-32 to 5:27-30? What is the connection between 5:31-32 and 5:17-20? Is Jesus contradicting what was said in the OT by his statement in 5:32? Why or why not? Who are the various parties that Jesus indicates are guilty of sin in 5:32? Why would divorce and remarriage except on the grounds of immorality cause someone to commit adultery? Prayerfully Meditate Divorce is a prevalent and painful subject in our society. What are some of the modern day challenges with what Jesus says about divorce in 5:31-32? Why are they so challenging? What is Jesus saying about marriage in these verses? Why would immorality be legitimate grounds for divorce? Read 1 Corinthians 7:10-24. What grounds for divorce does Paul give? Read Matthew 19:1-9. What are the similarities and differences to 5:31-32? In light of the above passages and considerations, what elements would make for a stronger marriage? If you or someone you know has pursued divorce for unbiblical reasons, how could you helpfully serve them? How could you help a person who has legitimate grounds for divorce think through their heart attitudes and approach to the situation? Intentionally Act Has God put anyone on your heart in thinking through these issues? Pray for them to have a heart for God and a desire to obey His word. Plan a time to talk with them about what God’s word says on the issue. Do you and your spouse need to talk through what would make for a stronger marriage... read more
Sep 25, 2012 | Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Prayer, Preaching
Praying for the pastor who will preach each Sunday is something many Christians eagerly do each week. We realize that the task of teaching Scripture is a difficult one. Ensuring Scriptural accuracy, adequately serving a wide variety of people ethnically, in gender, generationally, socially, etc., all in one gathering is a daunting task. Doing it every week of the year, sometimes multiple times a week, makes the task even more challenging. Not only are the physical elements of preaching daunting, the spiritual challenges are even more pressing. To think in the terms Paul used, when we preach, we are either an aroma of life producing life, or death producing death: eternity is at stake each time we preach (2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 1 Timothy 4:15, 16). Above all the external challenges, the effectiveness of preaching is ultimately a work God must do in our hearts. That’s what makes praying for the preacher and the work of preaching so essential. And again, many Christians are so faithful to pray for their pastors each week as they preach. Preparation Prayer Teams For a number of years I have been honored, encouraged by, and helped by a group of people who have committed themselves to pray for me each week in respect to my preaching. But this group of people have not merely prayed in general for me and my preaching on Sunday, they have taken it a step further and have been to committed to pray for me long before Sunday. I’ve been blessed to have a team of people who commit to pray for me on the days and during the... read more
Sep 21, 2012 | Personal
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May 15, 2012 | Christian Living, Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, The Gospel
How can we apply the gospel daily? What is the Gospel? Before practically answering that question, let’s quickly remind ourselves of what the gospel actually is. God The God who created all things is the standard of all that is right and wrong, and his standard is perfection – his standard is the reflection of his own character (Genesis 1:1; 1 John 1:5; Matthew 5:48; Isaiah 6:1-7). Mankind Mankind has violated that standard and continues to rebel against their creator and reject his standard, setting up for ourselves a new standard that tends to reflect the transitory whims of our own marred character. Man’s nature is one that rebels against God, does not seek God, does not desire God, thinks more highly of himself than of his creator, and is under the control of a humanness that follows the call of a God-hating system ruled by a demonically inspired leader, the devil himself. Thus, a perfect God who lovingly created all things for man to enjoy has been offended by the very crown of his creation in that they would rather serve themselves in a way that exalts sin and Satan more than God and his glory (Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 2:1-3). Christ But the love of God and his wisdom have not only matched, but have overcome the depths of man’s depraved nature and choices. God has demonstrated the depths of his love in that he designed a way that would satisfy His perfect standard (the expression of His own character), accomplish justice for the injustice man has done against his holy standard, and apply the only sort of... read more
May 10, 2012 | Marriage and Family, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Carefully Think Read through the following passages and list everything you find that Scripture emphasizes as a woman’s and/or a mother’s priorities: Titus 2:1-5, 1 Timothy 5:14; 1 Peter 3:1-6; Ephesians 5:18-24; Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Timothy 2:8-15 For every item you listed as a priority, list what you find to be modern challenges to these priorities. Prayerfully Meditate How should a husband see these priorities and serve his wife in helping her achieve them? How could a single man use these priorities when praying about who to date/court/marry? How could a single woman without children use these priorities to serve other women, pray about her own situation, challenge her own heart’s desires? If your mother was not driven by these priorities, how could they assist you now in thinking biblically about motherhood? How could they help you in praying for and helping other mothers around you within the church? For those who are mothers, which one appears most critical for you to apply now? For those whose children are grown, how could you use these priorities in helping younger mothers or women before marriage and children? Intentionally Act Were any sinful tendencies revealed to you about your involvement in your home that you need to confess to God? For mothers, list out the actions that would be most appropriate for you to take in bringing your life in line with Scripture. Use this list for prayer. Use it in conversation with a godly older mother for input on how to apply them. Begin taking steps not to implement this list in your life. For those who are not mothers... read more
May 9, 2012 | Pastoral Ministry, Video, Worship
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May 8, 2012 | Biblical Studies, Christian Living, Featured Articles, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
This past Sunday, I completed a series of sermons on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. Each passing week’s message was used by God in some of the most providentially challenging ways in my life. My heart has been exposed and, I pray, helped in so many ways. I titled the series, “Values for Ultimate Satisfaction.” These are characteristics that people who are genuinely a part of Christ’s kingdom value and display as a result of the work of the gospel in our hearts. You can listen to the series HERE. Below is a summary of how I defined each value (beatitude) and then steps, by God’s grace, you can cultivate each one. Essentially, cultivating these values is simply applying the gospel to your heart: Be Broken – 5:1-3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What is this value? Poor in spirit is a radical dependence upon God from a thorough understanding of yourself before a holy God. How can you cultivate it? Meditate continually on the gospel, its message, cost, and application to you personally. Meditate consistently in God’s Word. Fellowship consistently with God’s people. Pray continually. Confess sin consistently and thoroughly. Avoid those things that cultivate circumstantial happiness and immerse yourself in the sorts of things that cultivate a concentration on your spiritual position in Christ. Evaluate what tends to make you a satisfied person. Be Sad – 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. What is this value? Biblical mourning is a continual, internal sorrow over those things that grieve God. How can you cultivate it?... read more
