Thoughts

I'm not usually the one to express myself publicly, but since this blog is kind of a journal, I thought I'd write a post on an experience I had last night. I have practically decided to go to seminary with the aim of teaching at a seminary, but at the back of my mind there has been a thought about going into pastoral ministry. However, one of the things I have been convicted of in recent years has been my kind of indifference to the suffering and pain of others, and that is not a good omen for someone potentially going into pastoral ministry where you deal with that every day. However, God has blessed me in letting me have conversations downtown with some hurting people, and has really been working in my heart to be able to love them and mourn for them, while not compromising the gospel, which is the most comforting message. This was really hit home yesterday when I met this guy whose plight really broke my heart. I still don't know whether God is calling me to pastoral ministry, or at least full-time pastoral ministry, but in my mind He has already removed one roadblock. Soli Deo Gloria!

Because of the cross,

Alex

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Psalm 119:1-8

Just in case anybody was still watching, I thought I'd update this thing with what I'm going through in the Word. I just finished Acts and am now going through Psalm 119 one section at a time. VV. 1-8 were this morning, and I noticed two things in particular about the Word of God: 1) The blameless man is the one who walks in the law of the Lord, v. 1; 2) The one who seeks the Lord with whole heart must be in His Word, v. 2. The Christian must be daily immersed in the Word of God if he wants to be holy.

Fear of Man

This is something I posted on another blog I write for last year.

Fear of man is one of the most insidious tools the devil uses to deter us from sharing the gospel. It is a sin because it detracts from God by not trusting Him where we are commanded to trust Him. Jesus destroys this in Matthew 10, where He talks about all the fierce opposition that His followers would receive, from insults to actual physical harm, then tells them not to fear them, and instead to fear God, who can do far more. If God be for us, who can be successful against us? No one! (Just a note: this post is in no particular order, I am merely sharing some thoughts on a subject close to my heart. Please bear with me) Back to Matthew 10, Jesus suffered, why should we not share in those sufferings? Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying we can add anything to Christ's once-for-all, perfect sacrifice, but "Is a slave greater than his master?" No, for "if they called the head of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign the members of His house." Peter and John rejoiced in Acts to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake, as did Paul. To fight fear of man, we need to cultivate a steadfast faith in the unshakeable promises of God. To do that, we need to pray for God's help, become acquainted with God's character, especially His faithfulness and unchangeableness, and meditate on His promises. When we recognize that these promises come from God who cannot lie, and realize our future hope to which even death pales in comparison, we will be more equipped to share the gospel with whomever God puts in our path. Christ is worthy of all we have and much more, and though it is hard, He is worth it. Don't think this is all the Bible says about this subject, I haven't even covered 1/8th of it, so I encourage anyone, especially if they struggle with this, to study it and learn how to fight it in God's strength.

Boasting only in the cross,

Alex

Resolutions

These are posted for accountability purposes, so that this commitment is public.

Resolutions for the Week of July 12, 2009

1. To open each day as soon as I awake on my face at the foot of the cross proclaiming my utter dependence on the saving grace provided therein and continual sanctifying grace, 2 Corinthians 12:9.

2. To strive with the text of Scripture that I am reading in my devotion, praying to be led to worship afresh and to joyfully obey, 2 Timothy 2:15.

3. To work to kill each desire in me to be discontented, reminding myself that Christ is to be my all-satisfying passion, Hebrews 13:5-6.

4. To work at each duty with vigor as if I were working for God Himself, Colossians 3:23.

5. To not waste a moment of time in between anything, but to improve it by meditation and/or prayer, Psalm 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

6. To be open and honest about my weaknesses, so that I do not boast in myself but rather proclaim my own utter dependency on divine grace, 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Great quote from John Stam

Here is a great quote from 1930's martyr John Stam: "If the foreign field and the godless civilization about us both call for the faithful planting of divine dynamite that will break stony hearts and save souls, the church of Christ surely has a claim on our service."

Because of the cross, Alex

Mobile Blogging from here.

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Hilarious! (At least I think so)

How Free is Free?

As Memorial Day draws to a close, we would do well to consider just what kind of freedom the men who have served and died for our country have bought us, so as to honor them as we use it. In America, does one have the freedom to do whatever he or she wants? If you think so, just try to steal a car or something else of just about any value. If caught, you will be prosecuted and your freedom taken away. So we don't have the freedom to steal other people's property without paying for it. It is the same with murder, as well as small things like traffic laws. So our freedom is not total, we cannot do whatsoever we please at the expense of others. Our freedom is not lawlessness, it is regulated. But history and common sense tell us that this is the best kind of freedom, one that is regulated for the good of the society. Lawlessness is a bondage in and of itself. It is the same with the believer's freedom in Christ. But the Bible tells us that we are slaves to Christ, you may say, how can we also be free? The Bible speaks of both, and both are true. In a sense, slavery to Christ is freedom. Think about it, going back to the example of the civil law. Are Americans free? Yes. Are we under law? Yes. They are not contradictory. So it is with the Christian and Christ. Are we free? Yes, from the law of sin and death (Romans 7:2). Are we under law? Yes, the law of Christ found in His Word. Paul had to deal with this in many places in Scripture. After speaking of the free grace of God, Paul often had to deal with the question: "Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?" To which he replied in the strongest vernacular, literally: "God forbid!" We are recipients of the free grace of God, but we must not use this as an excuse for lawlessness. Peter says it well in 1 Peter 2:16: "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God." So then, the Christian is free, but not lawless. Christ did not die so that believers could continue to live for themselves, but for Him, and that means being obedient to His Word as a loyal and joyful slave. So as we remember the price that American men through the years have paid to make us free to exercise our freedom within the confines of the civil law, let us also meditate on the free grace of Christ that frees us from the tyranny of sin and frees us to obey Him as joyful slaves!

A lowly fellow slave of Christ,

Alex

Poem on Mortification

This is an allegorical poem that I wrote for Literature. It tells a story that every true Christian can relate to. Read these verses before you read the post so you can better understand it: Proverbs 5:3-5, 7:24-27; Matthew 5:29-30; Romans 8:12-13; Colossians 3:5-7; Psalm 19:8-10

The Friendly Foe

By Alex Long

The path I trod was straight and narrow.

I knew the prize that lay at the end,

But fatigue had begun to drive it from me.

Suddenly there stood before me a beautiful woman,

Whose lips dripped honey as she spoke,

Enticing me to come away with her

To a place of rest and pleasure.

So enraptured was my weary heart,

That little resistance did I make,

And no sooner had I followed,

Than the harlot led me to a palace.

A place like this I had never seen,

Where all my desires and lusts,

Could all be satisfied in one place.

Rich meat there was, and pleasures abundant,

And I saturated myself until

I could no longer endure,

And falling on the rich pillows

Sank into deep drugged slumber.

Fitful sleep was mine that night,

Until with a start I awoke.

To my horror, I sat in a dank cell

Surrounded by rotting corpses.

“Surely,” thought I, in disturbed wonder

“These were also the harlot’s victims.”

“How I had been the fool!”

“A wise man had warned me of her

In the Scroll that was my guide,

But I did not listen. Woe is me!”

“Surely I cannot escape from this place!”

Despairing, I remembered the words written

In the Scroll by the father of that wise man

When he spoke of a similar plight:

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction.”

I knew that the deliverer he spoke of

And He who had given to me the Scroll

Were one and the same, And He

Had turned me again to it when in direst need.

As I cried out to Him, my shackles, though iron,

Were cut like twine, and the thick doors of the dungeon

Were thrown open like a screen door.

Fleeing into the light, I raced toward the path,

Remembering the admonition of the Scroll to

“Flee also youthful lusts,”

But as I approached the path the harlot appeared.

My eyes were opened , though, and she appeared

Now as a serpent, dripping venom instead of honey.

Filled with disgust and loathing, I unsheathed the Scroll

And slew with merciless brutality the serpent,

But in the process lost one of my hands.

But that was of no consequence now,

I knew it would be restored on that Day

When battles would cease and rest ensue.

As I walked, the thought came to me:

“What will replace the pleasures that sin gave?”

It was then I remembered the words of the Scroll

In which it was described as “sweeter than honey

From the comb,” and taking it I ate and was satisfied,

And went on my way rejoicing.

...And here's why:

Jesus Died! - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Jesus is worth it!

Jesus is worthy of everything we have and infinitely more. Whoever reads these words will glorify Him one way or the other, whether in the display of His holy justice in eternal torment, or in His mercy praising Him for eternity with exceedingly great joy. Jesus is Lord, whether you acknowledge it or not, whether you obey him or not. But for those who are called by His name, know that He is worthy of your sufferings for His name's sake, and will reward you, even as He is given His reward. Rejoice therefore, and give Him the glory due Him, especially on this His day. In all you say to your brethren, make sure Christ gets the glory that He deserves.

Boasting in the Cross of Christ,

Alex

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Test of email posting

-He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.-Jim Eliot

Update for those who care.

A lot has happened since I got back from the Ukraine in January, and in this post I will try to summarize the key points and recount what God is doing in my life.

1. The expansion of our evangelism ministry.

In February, after the arrival of a brother who was experienced in and had a passion for evangelism, we experienced growth that we didn't ask for and could not even imagine. One Friday, on a night me and Andy, my fellow laborer, had set aside to go out and practice what we preach, sharing the gospel downtown, we had a flood of calls from people asking if they could go with us. Most of them had been going to our training meetings and had gone to the Fort Worth Stock Show with us, and now went downtown with us. After that one night, we decided, by popular demand, to establish Friday night as an official ministry date when we go downtown and hand out tracts and share the gospel with people. This is still continuing to grow, partly due to the next big event in my life and the lives of others in our church.

2. The Missions Conference.

At the end of February, my church had a missions conference with several missionary speakers, two of whom I had had mission trip experience with: Chris Johnson, from To Every Tribe Ministries, and Eric Mock, from Slavic Gospel Association. The entire conference was incredible and God used it in the lives of several families and young people, with 15 dedicating themselves to being ready to go wherever the Lord leads. I was one of these people, but it was not just the emotion of the conference that led me to make this decision. It was a combination of all the mission trips I have been on in the past 2 years and the ministry I have been doing downtown, and I can't think of anything else I want to do, whether on the international mission field or not.

There is so much more, but these are the key things that have been used by God to direct me.

Because of the Cross,

Alex

Divine Appointment

God blessed what I thought was an accident caused by my fumbling around my new Bluetooth headset, and used it to send a divine appoinment, a brother who was struggling and needed prayer and encouragement. It amazes me how God is sovereign even over what we call "accidents".

Because He lives!

Alex

Ukraine Journal Post #1-January 2-3, 2009

Here it is: Journal Entry #1 from the Ukraine.

Mission Ukraine 2009

January 3

"Landed in Frankfurt after a long transatlantic flight where we basically got pampered. Drinks, dinner, entertainment, and scant sleep. Sat next to an Army guy returning from leave; and I didn't take advantage of the brief opportunity I had to share the gospel with him, but gave him a tract at the end. Worked on my lesson/sermon/devotional that I procrastinated on over the break. I pray that I may still glorify God in it. We met Ruth Deyneka Erdel and Eric Mock at the airport in Chicago yesterday. Ruth is the daughter of the founder of Slavic Gospel Association, Peter Deyneka, and she is also a well-traveled missionary. She told us a jaw-dropping story about her connection to the Ecuador 5 murders, and about her and her first husband's relationships with those men and their wives, even how her husband helped bury them. It was amazing! Expecting great and mighty things from our great and mighty God."

Stay tuned for more. It gets better.

Ukraine Mission Trip journal upcoming

Two weeks ago I got back from a mission trip to the Ukraine with my church, Calvary Bible Church. I came back with a renewed fervor for gospel ministry and seeing the glory of God spread. I will be trying to post my journal from the trip one a day starting within a week. Also, the ministry I co-lead had our first outreach event last night at the Fort Worth Stock Show. A recap of that is also forthcoming.

Because of the cross,

Alex