Author: pastortravislv

I am a husband, and father of three, serving as pastor at Providence Reformed Church in Las Vegas, NV. We came here on July 1, 2015.

That’s Not Hard for God! (2 Kings 20:9-10)

pastortravislv

2 Kings 20:9-10

9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.
.

I’d like to take issue with the words of Hezekiah in this passage. When Isaiah tells Hezekiah that God is going to heal him of his illness, Hezekiah wants assign from God that this is true. Isaiah asks Hezekiah whether he wants the sun to move forward or backward in order to allow Hezekiah to see that God’s promise is true.

Here is the point at which I take issue: Hezekiah says that it is an easy thing for the shadow to move in its normal direction. Now, there is a point at which I understand what Hezekiah is saying. He is saying that the forward movement of the sun is normal, typical, nothing out of the ordinary. However, Hezekiah is incorrect to say that it is an easy thing while the other is hard.

First, let’s address the claim that it is easy for the sun to move forward. Is that true? Of course it is easy for God, but then, so is everything else. Outside of God’s glorious power, however, this is not easy. Can you imagine if it was your job to keep the earth rotating on its axis, to keep the planets and stars and solar systems and galaxies moving in their proper patterns, and to make sure that the sun’s shadow falls just right? I’m sorry, but keeping the planets moving is not easy. The only way that it is easy is because God, in his omnipotence, holds the universe together in one effortless action. So, Hezekiah is vastly underestimating the glory of god in the simple fact that the sun still rises and goes down regularly every day.

Second, let’s take issue with the other side of this issue. It is not a hard thing for God to have the sun go backward in the sky. Why? Because God’s omnipotence is what holds the universe together in one effortless act. God can move any star, any planet, any person to anywhere he wants without breaking a sweat. God is God, and so we ought not think that what looks spectacular to us is somehow the harder thing for God to do. It took Jesus no more effort to walk on water than it would have taken him to walk down a city street in Jerusalem. God is God, and so nothing outside of God is a hard thing.

Granted, there are points with which to quibble here. Hezekiah is not trying to belittle the work of God in keeping the solar system in order. Yes, there are things that are hard in God’s view—I’m thinking here of Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. But what made that work of Jesus hard is that He, God the Son, was about to pay the infinite price for the sins of all who would become God’s children, and that payment would require him to bear our sin or “become sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). I’m willing to call that hard. But I am not willing to call a miracle a difficult thing for God. Our god is stronger, more powerful, more glorious than that.

God Can Do Anything (2 Kings 19:34-35)

pastortravislv

2 Kings 19:34-35

34 “For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

[This was one of the passages I pondered that turned into a devotion I put together for a team leader meeting this week at Super Summer.[

The situation was terribly grim. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and his forces were conquering everything in their path. They were the nation that it seemed was destined to dominate the world. No one could stand in their way. The Assyrians had taken Samaria and the entire northern kingdom of Israel captive.

Now, the massive Assyrian army had their sights set on Jerusalem. Hezekiah, the king of Judah at that time, had nothing, absolutely nothing, that he could do to defend himself. The Assyrians were even taunting Judah by saying that they would give them 2,000 chariots if they could find enough men to man them.

But Hezekiah turned to the Lord, and God spoke to him through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah made it known that the King of Assyria would not take Jerusalem. He would not even fight at Jerusalem. Though a gigantic army was massing near Jerusalem, they would not even nick the wall with an arrow.

Then, that night, what we already read came to pass. The Lord sent a single angel, one single servant, and the angel struck down 185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army. The battle was over. God won.

Here is the thing that I think we need to grasp this morning: we serve that very same God. Too often we think of things in terms of whether or not they are possible. Too often we think of things in terms of whether or not we have the strength to pull them off. But we fail to remember that we serve a God who did not strain himself when he took out an army of 185,000. We serve a God who spoke the stars into existence, created a universe out of nothing, and who certainly has the power to do more incredible things than we could ever imagine.

This morning, take time to remember the power of the God you serve. He can do anything. Yes, we say that easily, but do we buy it? He can do anything. Nothing is hard for God. Nothing makes him break a sweat. God can and will do amazing things.

And, what motivates God’s amazing action? It was for two sakes in verse 34. He did the amazing thing that he did for his own sake, for the sake of his glory, and for the sake of his servant David, his covenant faithfulness. God does amazing things when the point at issue is the glory and faithfulness of God. He will do amazing things to display for all to see the absolute awesome power and beauty of his glory. God will do awesome things for the sake of his covenant people.

So, this week, let’s have our minds set on two things. God can do absolutely anything. He is not limited. Do not let yourself think for a moment that nay task, any student’s problem, any struggle is too big for your God. Instead, dwell on the fact that the God who tossed the stars into the sky, who spoke the planets into being, who designed subatomic particles, and who struck down 185,000 soldiers in a moment is the God you are communicating with and serving this week. Second, remember that God shows his power when the purpose for that display is his own glory. So let’s focus ourselves on the person, the faithfulness, the glory of God, and let’s expect that we will see our God do what we never dreamed possible.

Eternal Thinking is All Over the Bible (Luke 6:20-26)

pastortravislv

Luke 6:20-26

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
.

One of the sermon points from this morning’s message will involve the need for Christians to become courageous by thinking eternally. So, it is wonderfully affirming to read these words from Jesus.

When I think of the beatitudes, I don’t always think of them as a call to an eternal perspective, but in this case, I see it quite clearly. Jesus points to those who are faithfully following him, even suffering for him, and he lets them know that one day, they will find their souls completely satisfied. The truth is, that satisfaction will only fully come when those who follow Jesus are fully satisfied in eternity. Having an eye on that gloriously coming eternity is something that Jesus uses here in Luke 6 to encourage his followers to stand strong, to stick with it, to do the work, or, as the sermon will say, to stoke the fire of their gospel courage.

A Philippians 3:8 View of Christianity

pastortravislv

Philippians 3:8 – Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
.

Many times we will see people attempt to put a face on Christianity to help it make sense to a lost world. Prosperity gospel preachers will tell people that, if they will just pray the prayer and give some money, God will give them back all the earthly things they could ever want. Family focused folks tell others that if they will just pray the prayer and follow the principles, Jesus will make their families love each other and the chaos will end. Social gospel folks tell others that if they will just pray a prayer and take some action, God will use them to alleviate the problems of the world.

I, however, think that Philippians 3:8 might be a very good face to put on genuine, biblical Christianity. Try it on, and see if it fits. In the light of who God is, everything on this earth—money, fame, relationships, technology, status, etc.—is nothing in comparison to the person of Jesus. This is not to say that we impoverish ourselves or turn away our families, but it is to say that we count nothing that this world has to offer us as having value in comparison to knowing Jesus. The Christian would gladly let go of anything and everything if only to be in the glorious presence of Jesus.

How in the world could that work? It’s simple, really. God created us in such a way as to only find heart satisfaction when we experience him and his glory. Thus, it is silly to seek satisfaction in anything that this world has to offer. It is worth trading everything that this world has, all the wealth, entertainment, and opportunity, to find the soul-satisfying joy of knowing and experiencing God.

If the above is the biblical picture of Christianity, then those who call you to faith in order to strengthen your marriage, fix your finances, or feed the hungry are not presenting biblical Christianity. We do not come to Jesus in order to get something other than Jesus. We do not want to go to heaven to find something there other than God. No, if we are to understand biblical Christianity, we will understand what Paul has presented to us: Jesus is worth more than anything that this world could ever offer. All is loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nine Years Ago Today

pastortravislv1 Comment

Proverbs 18:22 – He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

As strange as it is for me to recognize, it has been nine years since Mitzi and I were married. In nine years, we have lived in Bolingbrook, in Louisville, in Dongola, in South Korea, and in Olney. In nine years we have welcomed two wonderful children into the world. In nine years we have served in a variety of ministries, ministered to a variety of people, and visited a variety of places.

One thing that I am certain of, as we enter into our tenth year of marriage, is that Proverbs 18:22 is absolutely true. In my wife, God has blessed me with something good. In my wife, God has shown me his favor. In my wife, God has given me more grace and more mercy than I could ever deserve.

Why do I think this? My wife is lovely in every way. She is committed to ministry with me in a way that I seldom see among pastors and their wives. She is always learning, reading and studying even when it is hard or when time is thin. She cares for others. She is always looking for ways to give, to serve, to support, or to make others feel special.

In my wife, I have a true partner in ministry and in life. She is not someone who is only willing to go so far or take small risks to glorify God. My wife has shown a willingness to move to a foreign country or to rural America in order to follow God’s leading. She does not draw lines and say she is unwilling to serve God if it costs too much. She gives, loves, and serves for God’s glory.

In my wife, my children have a wonderful mother. She plays with them, prays with them, snuggles with them, and teaches them. She reads to them, cares for their needs, and looks for ways to make them feel special. She is not afraid to discipline the children, but she is always there to love them and to make sure that they know that all discipline is for the purpose of teaching them to follow their God in a way that pleases Him.

I could write page after page to describe how wonderful my wife is, but she’d never have time to sit and read through it all. But let me say this: If I had everything to do over, from beginning to end, I could not ask for a better wife, better friend, better mother for my children than Mitzi. I would not trade her for anything in the world. Nine years ago, today, is one of the best moments in my life, as it began a great journey that I am totally committed to until death parts us.

What is true of my wife?

Proverbs 31:26-29

She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”

Scriptures on Suffering for God’s Glory and Our Joy.

pastortravislv6 Comments

Below is a powerful list of scriptures that challenge us regarding the concept of suffering for the glory of God. 

Jesus promises blessing to those who suffer for him.
Matthew 5:10-12

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The apostles found joy in suffering for Jesus, and it stirred them up to keep sharing the gospel.
Acts 5:40-42

40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Paul says that suffering helps to sanctify us.
Romans 5:3-5

3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Suffering helps us to bless others in need.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

The reward of eternity will more than outweigh the pain we suffer in this life.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Suffering can help us to be humble before God.
2 Corinthians 10:7

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

Moses chose suffering with his eye on the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

We too should suffer with our eyes on the reward.
Hebrews 13:12-15

12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Suffering for Christ sanctifies us.
1 Peter 4:1-2

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

We should trust God even when we suffer.
1 Peter 4:19

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Jesus calls his children to suffer with their eyes on the reward of eternity.
Revelation 2:9-10

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Hard Questions Panel from FBC Columbia

pastortravislv

The audio from our panel discussion from Wednesday evening is available in the sermons section of www.fbccolumbia.com.

There were 6 of us on the panel, and we were presented with a wide variety of questions. Some of the topics included:

How can we trust the Bible?
What happens to our souls when we die? (soul sleep? directly to heaven?)
What is the difference between Protestants and Catholics?
Should Christians homeschool?
What is a biblical response to the push for homosexual marriage?
What happens to the soul of a God-fearing Jew who dies without knowing Jesus?
Why is there evil?
What would you tell a second-grader who asks about dinosaurs?

And much more!

To get the download, go to

http://sermon.net/fbccolumbia

Life Experience and Knowing God

pastortravislv

What is God like? It is impossible to put into human words in a complete way. God is love. He is a Father. He is perfect. He is just. He is jealous. He is a strong tower. He is a husband. He is a judge. He is so much more.

All of those references to God are anthropomorphic, meaning that human language and illustrations are used to help us to have a picture of who God is or what he is like. We understand that God is love because we, in some way, have seen humans love. We know that God is just because we, as humans, have seen justice carried out. We understand that God is a strong protector because, when the Bible calls God a strong tower, we can picture a strong fortress and apply the attribute of strength and unassailability to God.

Now, ponder this from Wayne Grudem:

“For example, we have an idea of love from human experience. That helps us to understand what Scripture means when it says that God is love, but our understanding of the meaning of “love” when applied to God is not identical with our experience of love in human relationships. So we must learn from observing how God acts in all of Scripture and from the other attributes of God that are given in Scripture, as well as from our own real-life experiences of God’s love, if we are to refine our idea of God’s love in an appropriate way and avoid misunderstanding. Thus, anthropomorphic language about God is true when it occurs in Scripture, but it can be understood rightly only by continual reading of Scripture throughout our lives in order that we may understand this language in the context of all of Scripture” (Wayne Grudem, systematic Theology, 159).

You and I must read and reread scripture in concert with our life experiences to better be able to grasp from day to day what our God is like. When I was younger, I understood some of what it meant that God is a father because I grew up with a father. Now I understand more of what it means that God is a father because I now am a father. With the experiences of life, I grow in my understanding of God’s attributes of patience, love, mercy, justice, and so much more.

I’ll give one more example. Being a pastor has helped me to come to gain a deeper understanding of some of the people and events in the Bible. I think immediately of Moses. He was charged by God with guiding a group of people through a wilderness and with directing them to be faithful to God. And Moses knew the sorrow of watching people who had seen the truth of God turn away from him and refuse to follow him. In a small way, every pastor has the experience of seeing individuals and families who, though they have clearly seen the truth of God and experienced his presence, turn away from following him faithfully. Thus, the life experience of a pastor helps the pastor to better understand the Bible’s picture of God.

Make no mistake, my experiences and understandings of God’s attributes do not change the truth of his attributes. If I have a warped view of parenthood, I will have an unclear picture of the reality of who God is. I could easily misunderstand who God is if I apply a warped vision of reality to him, especially if I overemphasize a metaphor to the exclusion of the remainder of the biblical picture of God.

Christians, let this encourage you to not give up on studying and restudying the word of God. You will never fully understand all of who God is. So, with each passing day and each gained experience, you should be able to, by God’s Spirit, understand a bit more of who God is and what he is like.

God Sweats the Small Stuff (1 Samuel 13:12-14)

pastortravislv

1 Samuel 13:12-14 – 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
.

Just a quick thought: Saul decided that he would offer the sacrifice because time was growing short. Besides, “God wouldn’t get all worked up about something so small as the lineage of the man who makes the sacrifice would he? Isn’t the important thing that the sacrifice is made, not how it is made?” And, as you see, Saul was wrong. Let’s be very, very careful in ever saying something like “I don’t think God is really all that concerned about whether we. . . “ God is holy. His holiness makes him concerned about every intimate detail of how we worship him.

[Repost] Spiritual Preparation H (1 Samuel 6:3-5)

pastortravislv

The following is a post from Saturday, May 03, 2008. I simply could not help re-posting this after rereading this particular passage.

1 Samuel 6:3-5 – 3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” 4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land.
.
One of my all-time favorite movie lines is Dr. Teeth from the original Muppet Movie saying, “Golden teeth and golden tones; welcome to my presence (heh heh heh).” It was just plain funny. But I have to tell you, the concept of a group of people making golden tumors and golden mice, that ranks right up there too. And, when you realize that the Hebrew word there translated tumors has also been translated as hemorrhoids, it really is hard to keep a straight face. Can you honestly imagine fashioning a golden hemorrhoid in order to pacify the wrath of an angry deity?
But before we get too snarky with the Philistine religious leadership, let’s stop and pay a little closer attention. How often do we fashion our own forms of worship or our own personal acts of penance as if those should satisfy God? How many people do you know who are thinking to themselves that they will earn their way into heaven through religious practices, personal good works, or simply not being bad on the level of a mass murderer, rapist, or climate-destroying SUV driver? Remember, God has told us that our most righteous actions are filthy in his site (Isaiah 64:6). He has told us that there is only one way to get to him, through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He has told us that salvation is by grace through faith and not by our works (Ephesians 2:8), and yet millions believe that they are going to heaven because they are basically good people. This is no different than a golden hemorrhoid.
Or how about in the area of worship? God has commanded us to preach the word (2 Timothy 4:1-ff), but many have re-envisioned the worship service so as to completely remove any faithful teaching of the Bible. Hip groups have turned preaching into a “conversation” or have set up alternative “worship” stations in the place of worship. But, if you look at the fact that God commanded preaching, is it not a little like a golden hemorrhoid to tell folks that they can go feed themselves communion, finger-paint a nice abstract, or make shapes with the chocolate syrup in the whipped cream of their decaf white chocolate mocha instead of actually hearing and responding to the authoritative word of God?
Many will be tempted to respond to the above critique of off-the-wall froofy worship styles by pointing to the large crowds that such styles can draw. Let’s be careful, however, about thinking that the results of a particular religious activity are how you can tell whether or not you have worshipped God or made a golden hemorrhoid. Once the Philistines sent the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel with their “offering,” they stopped experiencing the plagues. They very well could have concluded, “See, that particular god likes mice and tumors as offerings.” They did not realize that they were in direct violation of the second commandment by making little idols. The reason that the plagues on the Philistines stopped was not the tumors and mice, it was the fact that God graciously chose to stop plaguing the Philistines after the Ark went back to Israel. The Philistines did not do anything that would make them right with God, they simply stopped experiencing their symptoms of being under his wrath. So, without question, pragmatic criteria are no way to judge whether or not one’s acts of worship are honoring to God.
We live in a world where every nut case with a word processor, blog, or a few minutes with Oprah seems to think he, she, or he/she has come up with a new way to get in good with the divine (be that divine within or without him, her, or him/her); however, all of our creative attempts at religion really amount to golden hemorrhoid-making. Thankfully, God has not consigned us to the smithy to fashion for ourselves a new religion every time we get the notion. Instead, he has given us his word. That word tells us how to be right with him. That word gives us principles by which we discern how to worship him in spirit and truth. That word tells us that this life is not about a conversation with God, but is rather about becoming God’s child by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That word is solid, perfect, without error. God’s word is not up for post-modern reinterpretation, feminist revision, or Jeffersonian redaction. God’s commands are his commands.
So, how about this for an idea: Instead of creating a religion out of our own minds, why not use God’s holy word, his perfect revelation of himself and his ways, to learn who he is and how we should please him? Why not put away the golden mice and tumors of our own imaginings, and simply live to glorify God by obeying his commands, preaching his word, sharing his gospel, and loving his church? And in the midst of this, let’s give thanks to God for revealing to us how we can be made right with him by grace through faith in Christ and keeping us from having to make up our own crazy ways to please him.
*PS*
For you who might think I’m advocating the “regulative principle” by calling us to follow the scriptures in worship, let me simply say that I’m not. This is not about attempting to restrict all acts of worship to spelled out commands considering that the Bible says nothing to us about the use of hymnals, microphones, or electricity in worship. We have freedom in Christ to a certain degree; however, we do not have such freedom that we can simply ignore what God has called us to do, change his meaning as it is revealed in his word, or make up new and totally unrelated activities and declare them to be as valid as those which God has clearly commanded.