Click below for Pastor Skip’s Daily Devotion.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Dear Church Family,
Imagine you have been asked to put your life story into book form. Would you title it 'My Meaningless Life: The Memoir of an Ordinary Man'? I hope you answer a resounding “NO!” to my question. Sadly, an obituary in Sunday’s paper told the self-written story of a man that did write a book with that title. The deceased lived 89 years and described himself as ‘a good man.’
He wrote that he found life to be annoying because of “the things we are required to do to remain among the living and stay within the law. Set the garbage out. Mow the lawn and trim the trees. Take medications. Hobble out to the mailbox. Go to the store and buy the same old things. Back up the car without running over somebody.”
This man earned a Ph.D., published three books and taught at the university level. He certainly could be described as brilliant as he humbly did. He knew suffering as he learned through his first wife’s struggle with cancer that eventually took her life. He also had a son precede him in death.
No doubt the title of his autobiography would be different had his extensive research of religion led him to confess his sin and trust in Jesus as his Savior and Lord. Regretfully all of that study resulted in him producing “over twenty screenplays which often centered comically on Biblical figures.” The almost 800-word obit gives no indication at all that he considered living for the glory of God. He possessed a “vivid zest for life and a love for good food, democracy & learning.” He bleakly concludes, “What has my life been all about? What memories do I actually possess of it? A thousand trillion synaptic connections. You’d think I could bring some of them to the surface…And so he writes…[where ever he is.]
By definition most people can be described as ‘ordinary’. However, by faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ God’s people can never say life is meaningless. In contrast to the deceased’s dismissal that his life has counted for something” and was “not just mixed in with all the other lives like biscuit dough,” one who has been transformed by God’s grace lives with confidence that God is working in and through him with all of life mattering to the smallest detail like taking out the garbage and cutting the grass. .
So what will you title your autobiography? Regardless of the title, may it tell the story of God’s grace to you and how you lived to His glory!
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Monday, August 17, 2020
Dear Church Family,
I promised in Sunday’s sermon to give you some material that I lacked the time to share due to an abundance of wonderful truth found during the quick five-part series on the glory of God. The series could have been four times as long and not exhausted what the Bible teaches about our Creator’s infinite beauty and magnificence.
Today I focus on part of the glory of God that got a way-too-brief mention in the second sermon. Paul writes in Colossians 1:27, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Paul in the fourth verse of the same chapter Paul commends the church for “your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.” Indeed, every Christian should yearn to demonstrate those virtues of faith and love to the glory of God. Paul goes on to say their faith and love did “spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven.” The unique hope that God has blessed His people with is a driving force that pushes them to grasp the faith to embrace the Gospel and then to love God and neighbor. God-given hope instills a passion to live as becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:3 teaches that true hope has a purifying effect on the lives of God’s people.
Biblical hope finds its foundation in the finished work of Jesus who fulfilled the covenant promises of God. Hebrews 6:18-19 tells Christians as they take refuge in what Christ has done as they “take hold of the hope offered” to them and are “greatly encouraged.” Therefore, “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” In a world where people wander to and fro desperate to find the latest thing to hold on to for meaning and purpose, God’s people have a sure anchor that remains true forever.
1 Peter 1:3 gives praise for the living hope that comes by faith “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This hope looks forward to “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” One commentator notes, “Believers have an unshakable hope for the future, for Christ’s resurrection is a pledge of their own future resurrection.” As a result I could put this wonderful truth near the end of that sermon, “In a hopeless world, God’s people have HOPE!”
So I leave you with a J. I. Packer quote about the hope that comes only from a redeemed relationship with the Creator God, “The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable, so that 30 years later he might hang on a cross.”
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Dear Church Family,
Does having a Christian worldview really matter? Simple answer – yes. Life-changing answer – ABSOLUTELY!!! Let me explain with a few way-too-short points any of which should convince us that everyone – and especially God’s people – must live to the glory of God in all things.
It is what we were created to do. A bicycle functions when used properly as a means of transportation as when one pedals causing the wheels to turn so that the rider can cruise down the road to his intended destination. I suppose with some effort one could elevate the rear wheel and spin the pedals so that the wheels turn without the bike going anywhere. By feeding carrots into the spokes one could grate them so you could make a carrot salad. Most of us would say there are simple and more efficient ways to chop up veggies then using a bicycle. Most people use up much energy and accomplish little of lasting value because they live in a manner for which there were not made by the Creator of all things.
Second, if you are not living for the glory of God, it is highly likely you are living for the glory and/or pleasure of your self. Doing so shows you have bought into the lie of Satan when he told Eve that when she ate the forbidden fruit she would be like God. All people have been made in the image of God and shaped to worship. The question remains whether one will worship the Almighty God or the less-than-mighty self.
Third, having a Christian worldview gives one a purpose to live for beyond his time on earth. As we will see this Sunday, God’s people have heaven in mind – front and center – as they live each day in the presence of God and for Him. The ultimate goal for those who profess Jesus as Savior and Lord will be the City of God! [I got some of these thought from Gerrit Dawson, a pastor in Baton Rouge.] Sadly, many have embraced (perhaps unwittingly) a form of cultural Marxism. They practice ‘survival of the fittest’ and every person uses there power to throw aside anyone that might oppress them. The end goal is Utopia where “equality of outcome for the faithful” is realized.
Since this worldview and others stand in opposition to God, they lack any true transcendent meaning. All there is must be seen and is temporal. Any honest person who holds to this perspective must admit it gives no eternal hope. It holds to the motto of “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” This worldview has been lived out many times over the centuries and history has shown it produces only war, evil and emptiness. In contrast, Jesus came that His people “may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
The choice remains simple, yet life-changing. Either you live to the glory of God and have a full life or you live another way and live and empty life – on earth and on the other side of eternity. Remember the words of Scott Lee “It’s all about God and His glory!”
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Click below to listen to Pastor Skip’s Wednesday Devotion.
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Dear Church Family,
In Sunday’s sermon I briefly mentioned Rick Phillips’ article “What’s So Great About Total Depravity?” I quoted him as writing, “Total depravity exalts the cross in our eyes and fills our hearts with a holy delight.” Below is a portion that explains how understanding the depth of our sin and the much greater depth of God’s grace drives us to live to the glory of God.
“Without a quickened awareness of our depravity, we are Pharisees at best, though most of us are far worse. The best we can approach is a religious performance that brings glory to us and leaves us looking down on everybody else, just the way many Christians today look down on the rest of society, the Pharisee gazing down on the abortion doctor and the pervert.
“Jesus knew Pharisees well, and He didn’t like them. Far better to Him was the sinful woman who burst in at the home of a Pharisee named Simon and threw herself at Jesus’ feet. Jesus said to him: “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair…Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven–for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:44, 47).
“Awe and gratitude drive the true Christian life and draw us joyfully to God’s grace in Christ. It is from the pit of our lost condition that we gaze up toward a God so high and perfect in His holiness. But from that vantage point we come to see fully at least one of those four dimensions of the cross that Paul would long to have us know: its height. The cross of Christ then rises up to span the full and vast distance that marks how far short we are of the glory of God, and that cross becomes exceedingly precious in our eyes.”
May our awe of the many facets of God’s glory and our response in proper thanksgiving to Him be so evident in our lives that others join us in praising God!
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Monday, August 10, 2020
Dear Church Family,
At the opening of yesterday’s sermon I quoted a pastor named Scott Lee who after a few years of ministry realized, “It’s all about God and His glory!” Just a few words about what “it” means in the context that Scott Lee used it, as well as other things “it” must mean for God’s people.
Lee writes of a time of crisis when his “preaching had become somewhat schizophrenic – an uncertain trumpet sound! But as I kept moving verse by verse through Scripture, trying to let it speak for itself, I began to see things more clearly. Chief among them was God’s sovereignty and how it extended even to salvation. That pesky passage from Ephesians 1:4-5 continued to haunt me, “…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will.” I began to scare myself. This wasn’t what I was taught in seminary! I started to wonder if I was slipping into heresy. The Bible seemed to be saying one thing – it’s all about God and His glory – but I had been taught something else – that it depended on me working the right programs.”
Clearly in that paragraph (that is worth reading slowly) directs us to the message of the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired words of the Bible from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22 proclaim God as Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer with the purpose of showing His glory. If you do not see this as you read the Bible, you are missing its ultimate purpose.
As the Bible directs us in how we are to live, “it” refers to all of life for us. As people redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus, we must center our lives on Jesus. Just as we sing “To God Be the Glory”, so we put those words into practice as we intentionally “do all things to the glory of God.”
Think how different our lives would be if we could live with the determination to do all things for the name of Jesus and not for self. As we do so we joyfully fulfill the Greatest Commandments found in Mark 12:30-31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love Your neighbor as your self.”
I am grateful that by God’s grace we can know AND live out the words of Scott Lee: “IT’S ALL ABOUT GOD AND HIS GLORY!”
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Friday, August 7, 2020
Dear Church Family,
Last Sunday’s sermons certainly focused on a part of Israel’s history that most of us would rather forget. To say that the glory of God had departed from His chosen people certainly painted a grim picture. Remember the story did not end with that as we traveled to the New Testament and rejoiced our trust can be in our faithful Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. In Him there is victory over sin and death. In Him we have a hope that cannot be taken away!
As this is a Friday with the hope of giving you something a little lighter to think over, I encourage you to read on in 1 Samuel to find out “The Rest of the Story” as point 2A of my sermon this coming will say. Due to time constraints (Do you know how hard it is to preach only 20 minutes?) I will give only a brief mention of what happens after the declaration of Ichabod (no glory) at the end of chapter four. Read on to see if I give a good summary of what happened.
The Philistines were thrilled to capture the ark of the covenant. They place it in the temple of their pagan god named Dagon. It is placed beside the idol of Dagon. The next morning (for reasons unknown) Dagon had “fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord!” They put him back in place, but the next day had had fallen again with his head and hands broken off. At the same time the hand of God came against the citizens of the Philistine city of Ashdod. God afflicted them with tumors that caused great pain. Because Israel’s enemy failed to give God glory they said, “Death has filled the city with panic; God’s hand was heavy upon it.” They soon send the ark back to Israel with guilt offerings.
God showed mercy to His people and brought judgment of His/their enemies. It was not the end of the story. He one day would send the Redeemer as promised in Genesis 3:15. We can continue to trust God to work for His glory. That is Good News!
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Dear Church Family,
I promised in Sunday’s sermon to make a few comments about another quote I used: “When you’re tempted, the evil one will minimize Christ’s beauty and glory.” I could not determine who the author of this insightful quote. These words help us in our daily battle that we pray in The Lord’s Prayer, “And lead us not into temptation.” The prayer our Lord taught His disciple assumes God’s people will be tempted. The crucial issue centers on the need to rely for God’s grace to keep us from giving in to the lure of Satan.
I must restate to emphasize a fact of the Christian life that we can easily deny or minimize to our peril. We want to believe that we have moved beyond the possibility that we might sin now that we have come to faith in Jesus. Scripture often says this is not the case. 1 John 1:8 is written to Christians and clearly states, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Since sadly we will still sin while on this side of heaven, we must ever be mindful that sin comes in large part thought the temptations that come our way.
To battle temptation we can learn from the first record instance of it in human history. It happened in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3 tells us the details. Satan, in the form of a serpent, is described as “crafty.” That term means one is “subtly deceitful or sly.” Most people would ignore someone like that. Instead, Eve listens to him. His tools proved to be effective. In v1 he cast doubt on the truth of God’s word with, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Of course, he twists what God had said by leaving out the part about not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
In v4 he ‘assures’ her she “will not surely die.” He minimizes the holiness, justice and wrath of God. Implied here comes that ‘God loves you and would never do anything bad to you.’
Satan moves in to cement Eve’s fall into sin with the clever word, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” How could anyone turn down that possibility – no matter how far fetch it might be? Satan appeals to the ego and entitlement that leads people to succumb to temptation. Sadly Eve and Adam fell for the sly words of the evil one.
God’s glory should have been central to Adam and Eve. They lived in Eden – a place that represents the perfect place to live. There they fellowshipped daily with the holy God. The wily one took their focus on the glorious beauty of God. The consequences turned out to be fatal for all humanity. We must beware of the evil one and how he prowls seeking to devour.
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Click to hear Pastor Skip’s Daily Devotion.
https://youtu.be/06gJhEPtLDM
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Dear Church Family,
This past Sunday’s sermon closed with a section that asked “Will you glorify God?” If you trust in Christ as your Savior, then the answer can and must be a resounding yes. The last of four applications given pointed us to the truth that how we worship (live) matters. God has shown in Scripture how He is to be worshiped. And all of life is worship. Therefore, God’s people strive by His grace to do everything for the glory of God.
I found yet another J. I. Packer quote that helps guide us in this point. [For those of you who watched the sermon on-line, this quote will be new to you as I found it Friday evening after the service had been recorded.] Chew over this sentence: ‘If you ask, "Why is this happening?" no light may come, but if you ask, "How am I to glorify God now?" there will always be an answer.’
In these 28 words Packer gives God’s people two simple questions and answers that give direction and hope. The psalms of lament assure us we may ask God why anything is happening. Down deep inside all people, since they were created in the image of God, know God controls all things. Sadly, many people will deny this vigorously. Packer quickly states the answer to why may not come right away and we may never know the answer.
The second question takes us from a sometimes dangerous self-focus to proper God-focus. At any time in any situation we can ask ourselves, “How am I to glorify now?” The question rightly assumes we have been called (and commanded) to bring glory to God. This forever remains the reason God created us and all things. The Shorter Catechism’s second question tells us, “The only authority for glorifying and enjoying Him is the Bible.” God’s Word directs us to the answer of how we glorify our Creator, Savior and Lord. We go there for truth and God’s Word shows it “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
As we apply Packer’s quote, we join with David as he sings in Psalm 57:5, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth!”
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Monday, August 3, 2020
Dear Church Family,
I promised during yesterday’s sermon to expand on a quote by J. I. Packer. That will come tomorrow as this morning I was greeted by an e-mail from a dear friend Linda Eubanks (her husband Reavis has operated on some of you). A year ago this month she underwent extensive surgery at Duke for pancreatic cancer. She had her latest follow-up exam in Durham Friday. She gave lots of details about God’s providence during her treatment. Then she gets to the heart of the matter with the following words which I share with her permission:
“So – what am I learning through all of this?
· Our loving Heavenly Father directs all of our steps. It just might be that a lung fungus and shingles is helpful in healing one of cancer – who knows? But I know He knows, and that’s all that matters.
· Funks do happen – it’s OK to be sad because your dog died and to think you’re falling apart because of your blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol problem. It’s OK to be anxious about your upcoming CT. But just remember that the Word tells us ‘to be anxious for nothing’. But that same Word also tells us about Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel (in 1st Samuel). She was unable to have children and as a result was reproached by other women, including the other wife of her husband. And one day, in the temple, she was deeply distressed and weeping, silently pouring out her heart, her anxieties, and her vexations to the Lord. The Word says her lips were moving but she was not speaking, and Eli the priest thought she was drunk and rebuked her. But once he learned the true situation, he tells her to go in peace and he asks that the God of Israel grant the petition that she had made of Him. And the Bible says she went her way, she ate, and her face was no longer sad. She did have a baby – Samuel – the last judge of Israel and a mighty man of God. ‘Deeply distressed - weeping – anxious - silently pouring out her heart’ – that pretty well sums it up for me over the past week. But like Hannah, I need to fully embrace that God loves me and desires peace and well-being for me.
· Satan loves nothing more than to have us doubt our Heavenly Father. And he will tell us any lie to get us to doubt. But he must flee immediately if we ask our loving Father to bind him in the name of Jesus. I must be more diligent to ask God for protection from the evil one.”
All three points give us great truth that Linda has lived out. Doctrine remains practical for it is the living truth of the living God who has redeemed us through Christ.
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Friday, July 31, 2020
Dear Church Family,
I hope to make Friday’s devotion a little lighter than the other four each week. If you remembers ‘The Birds’ from the 60’s, they became famous for their song “Turn, Turn, Turn” based on Ecclesiastes 3. Yes, a folk ballad using the God-inspired words of the Bible topped the Billboard charts in December 1965!
As the Teacher inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” This reminds us the Sovereign God remains in control of all things and will accomplish His glory according to His perfect time table. The Teacher (the human author) uses a series of 14 contrasts to make this point.
Peter Seeger, who got a boatload of money for putting the words in a different order, added to the last phrase of “a time for war and a time for peace” just six words. They are “I swear it’s not too late.” This was written as a war raged in Vietnam. He did not see or acknowledge God’s hand in the affairs of the world. He hoped for “an ideal state of happiness, freedom and peace within and among all people and nations on Planet Earth.”
With the Vietnam conflict in the rear window of history, I hope we will focus on the great truths of the Biblical text. Those of you who garden know there is “a time to plant, and a time to uproot.” During the pandemic some of you may have taken to declutter as the phrase “a time to keep and a time to throw away” observes. Sadly we have needed to social distance as “a time to embrace and a time to refrain” instructs.
There are many duties that face no time restrictions. We can always love. We can always “trust in the Lord with all our hearts.” We can always delight ourselves in the Lord. We can be thankful always and pray without ceasing. All of our lives – all the time – can glorify our God.
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Dear Church Family,
After more than thirty years I still remember the teenager’s words as his church’s youth group met with mine in Macon, Georgia. He stated that he believed in evolution because in Genesis 2 “God admits He made a mistake.” Even now I still get a little surprised (though sad is more accurate) when someone holds to evolution. He got my attention when he said that God made a mistake. How would you respond?
I did not get to answer him that evening as his youth pastor quickly cut him off and said he would talk to him about that at some other time. Guess what my youth group asked me about as soon as that meeting ended. My explanation first affirmed that God created all things in the space of six days. Creation has always reflected the perfections of God. God cannot make one mistake. If He does, then He is not God.
In Genesis 2:17 God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” God did not slap His head and mutter, “Silly me. I forgot to make a woman!” God is the God of order. The way God brought forth humanity distinct from the rest of creation shows clear order. God made man in His image out of the dust of the ground. He declares He never intended for people to live alone. God designed us to live in community.
Jesus taught that by faith we must live in relationship with Him. Just think about what a glorious community you have as you live in union with the Creator of the universe! Jesus also demonstrated community by living with His twelve disciples for more than three years. Imagine the conversations they shared and how they got to see “God in the flesh” in daily life. Jesus calls us to live in community by being His chosen people – the saints who comprise His church. We have the “one another” instructions scattered throughout the New Testament that tell us how we are to interact with one another. I close with great words from Romans 12:10-13 that show how we can live in community – though the pandemic makes it a challenge. Try to practice at least one of these today to the glory of God.
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
May we show the world that God did not make a mistake as He created us to live in community – with Him and with our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Click to hear Pastor Skip’s Daily Devotion.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Dear Church Family,
One day in my high school cafeteria, Karen announced to those at the table that she had gotten a puppy the day before. She had named the dog Alfie. Immediately a guy started singing “What’s it all about, Alfie?” I think I had heard the song before, but did not know it was from a movie so on the edge it was the first in history to get a “Mature” rating.
Today Google led me to a summary of the film that “tells the story of a young womanizing man who leads a self-centered life, purely for his own enjoyment, until events force him to question his uncaring behavior, his loneliness and his priorities.” As the movie ends “Alfie is left lonely and wondering about his life's choices, then asks the viewers "What's it all about? You know what I mean."”
I wish the fictional Alfie played by Michael Caine who was nominated for an Oscar could hear my sermons about the glory of God. That is what is about. The first question of the Shorter Catechism asks what the chief end (purpose) of Man is. The answer is that we glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Instead, people seek meaning in living for themselves – their own pleasure and happiness. God did not create us to live for ourselves. This would be like trying to cut your grass with a snow blower. You may expend a great deal of energy, but you have made a mess of your lawn.
Sadly most people go through their entire lives without understanding why they have been born. Please give thanks to God that you not only know that purpose, but also by His grace can live out that purpose.
Again, I leave you with the words of J. I. Packer that closed this last Lord’s Day sermon, “Glorify Christ every in every way.” Alfie, that is what it is all about.
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Monday, July 27, 2020
Dear Church Family,
I started writing these devotions on March 16 – which was the day after our first Sunday of not having worship together. Now over four months later I am still at it. It is a joy to do so. However, it takes quite a bit of time, so I will be writing shorter entries from now on. Many will follow up on the sermon just preached or forward to the sermon to be preached. Think of what is to come as a ‘small plate” or ‘tapas’ at a Spanish restaurant – a serving that will nourish and satisfy while desiring more.
In Exodus 33:18 Moses demands of God, “Now show me Your glory!” In the past few weeks Moses had seen God’s glory in the burning bush; in Pharaoh’s court where his staff turned into a snake and ate those of the magicians; in the ten plagues including the last one where the angel of death struck down Egypt’s firstborn; in the parting of the Red Sea to save them from Pharaoh’s army; in getting good water in the desert twice, as well as manna and quail to eat; and in being guided by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. After all those incredible displays of God’s glory, you would think that Moses would be satisfied, yet he wants more. When I get to heaven, I will ask him why.
God shows His patience as He grants Moses’ request and allows him to see His back as His glory passes by Moses who was covered in the cleft of a rock. Before doing so, God told him words that remind us of God’s glorious character. He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
I encourage you to be bold like Moses. I hope the first two sermons on the glory of God have led you to desire to see His glory and to glorify Him in your life. God has promised in Leviticus 10:3 to answer this bold desire, “I will show Myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be glorified.” So pray and sing:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night; Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin
Friday, July 24, 2020
Dear Church Family,
It is Friday, so I will end the sharing of J. I. Packer quotes by sharing some with a variety of themes. Proverbs 25:11 can be used to describe the value of his Bible-informed words, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Enjoy these golden insights.
“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon,
hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor,
and was born in a stable, so that 30 years later he might hang on a cross.”
“Doctrinal preaching certainly bores the hypocrites; but it is only doctrinal
preaching that will save Christ’s sheep.”
“In the New Testament, grace means God’s love in action toward people who merited the
opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not
lift a finger to save themselves. Grace means God sending his only Son to the cross to descend
into hell so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven.”
“Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through
life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of
what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”
“He that has learned to feel his sins, and to trust Christ as a Savior,
has learned the two hardest and greatest lessons in Christianity.”
“To know that nothing happens in God’s world apart from God’s will may
frighten the godless, but it stabilizes the saints.”
“Your faith will not fail while God sustains it; you are not strong enough
to fall away while God is resolved to hold you.”
“I believe that prayer is the measure of the man, spiritually, in a way that nothing else is.”
“The traveler through the Bible landscape misses his way as soon
as he loses sight of the hill called Calvary.”
With great hope,
Pastor Gillikin
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Dear Church Family,
With forty quotes of J. I. Packer (his initials stands for James Innell) to share, I found a few great ones elsewhere that are worth sharing.
“Think of theologians as the church’s sewage specialists. Their role is to detect and eliminate intellectual pollution, and to ensure, so far as man can, that God’s life-giving truth flows pure and unpoisoned into Christian hearts.”
In one tribute I read about Packer, the author who is a pastor found out one Sunday that someone had attached a small sign to the pulpit that had the pastor’s name with “Sewage Specialist” after it. Feel free to call me that any time you wish.
R. C. Sproul, who teamed up with Packer on many projects, says that everyone is a theologian. The question boils down how faithful to Scripture your theology is. One Packer quote that he liked was “Bad theology hurts people.”
Along those lines where asked about “Knowing God” (that has sold over a million and a half copies) he stated, “The conviction behind the book is that ignorance of God lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today.” If you do not yet have a copy of the book, I encourage you to get two – one for you to read and one for you to give away. I spent over three years going through it on Wednesday evenings here.
When the Anglican synod of which he was a part in Canada authorized its bishop to form a service of blessing for same–sex unions Packer walked out of the meeting. When asked why, he boldly stated, “Because this decision, taken in its context, falsifies the gospel of Christ, abandons the authority of Scripture, jeopardizes the salvation of fellow human beings, and betrays the church in its God-appointed role as the bastion and bulwark of divine truth.” Ultimately, due to his strong stand for the authority of the Bible he left the fellowship of that synod for one that was faithful to Scripture.
Late in life he lost his sight due to macular degeneration. As a result he could no longer read or write. Rather than be angry Packer took comfort in the sovereignty of God. He said “God knows what he’s doing. This comes as a clear indication from headquarters. And I take it from him.”
Packer shows great wisdom that found its roots in his deep faith in His Lord and Savior. May we follow his example and lived like Packer did.
With great hope,
Pastor Gillikin