Articles

An Average Week in the Life of An Average Pastor: Monday

May 1, 2007 | Pastoral Ministry, Personal, Time/Life Management

What does a pastor do all day (and night, sometimes)? As a means of answering this question for those who know little about, would like to know more of the average life of a pastor and as a way for me to scrutinize my time (at least for one week of the year), I am going to chronicle just exactly what goes on in an average week in my (a very average pastor) life. I really have no other aim than reflecting the various issues that crop us, time it takes to prepare a sermon, how home and family work at The Capranica Villa. I’m open to rebuke and hints that might help me be more effective in my use of time and process of ministry (maybe the first is to quit blogging – but read Steve Weaver’s posts first). My format for these posts will be to review, in a ‘tick-tock’ fashion, the previous day and compare it to what I had planned. It should be a good (perhaps quite bland) evaluation of God’s providence as well as my penchant for trying to do too much and accomplishing too little. So, here’s a quick review of how Monday, April 30 ended up in the life of this very average pastor: 6:30 a.m. Awoke to prepare for the day (shower, dress, etc). 7:00 a.m. Devotional Time in my home study. Currently, my devotional time consists of reading for about 15 minutes from a particular non-biblical book (John Owen currently), then I follow a one year Bible reading plan where I read through a portion of the Old Testament and... read more

The Aim of Universal Obedience

May 1, 2007 | Christian Living

At the end of chapter 7 of John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers [Kapic and Taylor], Owen anticipates an objection to his first principle of how to mortify sin (one must be a true Christian). Does the suggestion that one must be a true Christian mean that unregenerate men should not be exhorted to avoid or cease from evil? Owen answers, “no.” It is to be looked on as a great issue of the wisdom, goodness and love of God, that by manifold ways and means he is pleased to restrain the sons of men from running forth into that compass of excess and riot which the depravity of their nature would carry them out unto with violence (84). However, in his exhortations to preachers, Owen warns: It will not avail to beat a man off from his drunkenness into a sober formality. To break men off particular sins, and not to break their hearts, is to deprive ourselves of advantages of dealing with them (85). Can sin be killed without an interest in the death of Christ, or mortified without the Spirit? If such directions should prevail to change men’s lives as seldom they do, yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or conditions. They may make men self-justiciaries or hypocrites, not Christians. It grieves me oftentimes to see poor souls, that have a zeal for God and a desire of eternal welfare, kept by such directors and directions under a hard, burdensome, outside worship and service of God, with many special endeavors for mortification, in an utter ignorance of the righteousness... read more

Saying No

Apr 30, 2007 | Time/Life Management

I don’t say “no” enough.  I say “yes” a whole lot to commitments and requests for meetings, etc.  Maybe this top 10 list will make me think more strategically. The Gentle Art of Saying No –... read more

3 Martyrs

Apr 30, 2007 | Christian Living, Miscellaneous

Read this account of 3 Christians recently martyred for their faith in Turkey.  Pray for God’s glory to be seen and valued as a result. Denny Burk » 3 Martyrs: Men of Whom the World Was Not... read more

The First Rule for Mortification of Sin

Apr 30, 2007 | Christian Living

Chapter 7 of John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers There will be no mortification unless a man be a believer. Unless a man be a believer – that is, one that is truly ingrafted into Christ – he can never mortify any one sin; I do not say, unless he know himself to be so, but unless indeed he be so (79). A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit (80). This is that I aim at: unless a man be regenerate, unless he be a believer, all attempts that he can make for mortification, be they never so specious and promising – all means he can use, let him follow them with never so much diligence, earnestness, watchfulness, and intention of mind and spirit – are to no purpose (81). Be sure to get an interest in Christ – if you intend to mortify any sin without, it will never be done... read more

Snow Closer to God

Apr 29, 2007 | Presidential History

As reported by my hometown news channel – Tony Snow, President Bush’s Press Secretary, says his illness has brought him closer to God. KFDA – NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo, TX: newschannel10.com – White House Press Secretary Snow says cancer recurrence has brought him closer to... read more

How Do You Post Your Blog Posts?

Apr 28, 2007 | Blogging

Library clips :: The many ways to post to your blog :: April :: 2007 Here’s an interesting list of ways to post a blog. I tend to use three basic approached. For almost all of my “Short Caps,” I use the Word Press “Press It” button that I have on my Firefox browser booksmarks tool-bar. I normally read an article in my FeedReader, cut and past the link location in my browser, hit the “Cap Press It” button on my browser and then format the post quickly. For main body posts on THE CAPRANICA, I normally type my posts in MS Word 07, using the unique new tool Word has in posting blogs directly from the word processor. I prefer to compose in Word and with the blog tool, I can even add a category before posting. I can post it as a draft or go live immediately. It is a helpful tool. On occasion I actually open up the Word Press “write” function and type one in. Seldom, though. I have never posted a blog via e-mail or from my PDA. So, I’m curious – how do you normally post a... read more

What Mortification Is

Apr 28, 2007 | Christian Living

Chapter 6 of John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers [Kapic and Taylor edition] Mortification Consists in a Habitual Weakening of Sin: Every lust is a depraved habit or disposition, continually inclining the heart to evil. . . . He is always under the power of a strong bent and inclination to sin. And the reason why a natural man is not always perpetually in the pursuit of some one lust, night and day, is because he has many to serve, every one crying t be satisfied; thence he is carried on with great variety, but still in general he lies toward the satisfaction of self (73). . . . when a man first sets on a lust or distemper to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart (75). Mortification Consists in Constant Fighting and Contending Against Sin: To know that a an has such an enemy to deal with it, to take notice of it, to consider it as an enemy indeed, and one that is to be destroyed by all means possible . . . (76) To labor to be acquainted with the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions of its success is the beginning of this warfare (76). To load it daily with all the things which shall after be mentioned, that are grievous, killing, and destructive to it is the height... read more

What Mortification of Sin is Not

Apr 26, 2007 | Christian Living

From John Owen, Chapter 5 in Of the Moritification in Believers. This morning – “What Mortification of Sin is Not.” To mortify a sin is not utterly to kill, root it out, and destroy it, that it should have no more hold at all nor residence in our hearts. It is true this is that which is aimed at; but this is not in this life to be accomplished (69). Mortification Is Not the Dissimulation of Sin [outwardly forsaking a sin without any internal heart change – not that his heart has forsaken the sin, he has merely become more cunning in hiding it from the public view – that’s my commentary on this point from Owen] (70). The mortification of sin consists not in the improvement of a quiet, sedate nature (70). [My comment: some have naturally quiet and outwardly humble personalities. Mere natural improvements on one’s already quiet personality is not mortification of sin] A sin is not mortified when it is only diverted (71). Occasional conquests of sin do not amount to a mortifying of it... read more

Sin, Life and Vigor

Apr 25, 2007 | Christian Living

Owen in Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers Strength and comfort, and power and peace, in our walking with God, are the things of our desires. Were any of us asked seriously what it is that troubles us, we must refer it to one of these heads (63). In the ordinary walking with God, and in an ordinary course of his dealing with us, the vigor and comfort of our spiritual lives depend much on our mortification . . . (64) As sin weakens, so it darkens the soul. It is a cloud, a thick cloud, that spreads itself over the face of the soul, and intercepts all the beams of God’s love and favor. It takes away all sense of the privilege of our adoption; and if the soul begins to gather up thoughts of consolation, sin quickly scatters them . . . (65) The heart is like the sluggard’s field – so overgrown with weeds that you can scarce see the good corn. Such a man may search for faith, love, and zeal, and scarce be able to find any; and if he does discover that these graces are there yet alive and sincere, yet they are so weak, so clogged with lusts, that they are of very little use; they remain, indeed, but are ready to die. But now let the heart be cleansed by mortification, the weeds of lust constantly and daily rooted up (as they spring daily, nature being their proper soil), let room be made for grace to thrive and flourish – how will every grace act its part, and be ready... read more

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C.J., Lig, Al, Mark, et. al. Mark Dever and Company John Piper John MacArthur Phil Johnson and Friends the same says it all.