To My Daughter

I am writing this letter while experiencing a whirlwind of emotions.  Your mommy and I have been waiting eagerly (and somewhat patiently) for your arrival.  It has been nine months since God first entrusted you to our care.  We are thankful.  We have shared the news of your coming birth with great excitement.  Our friends and family have rejoiced with us and showered us with gifts.  We can't wait to see you wearing all of the cute little dresses that have been hung in your closet with care.

We went to the doctor again yesterday.  Mommy is 39 weeks pregnant now.  We know that it won't be long before we hold you in our arms.  Perhaps it will be today.  I hope so.

But as I think about your entering this world, my heart is also heavy.  You see, you will be entering a world that is very broken.  A recent earthquake has devastated the country of Nepal.  The death toll there continues to climb.  Many are mourning the loss of those they love and trying to figure out how their most basic needs will be met.

Also recently, a young man unexplainably lost his life in police custody in Baltimore.  On Monday his body was laid to rest.  The tragic nature of this man's death has led many to peacefully protest in the streets of Baltimore.  Sadly, many have chosen to compound tragedy with more tragedy.  Buildings have been looted and set on fire.  Gunshots have been fired.  Police cars have been destroyed.  Businesses have been forced to close, and baseball games have been postponed and moved to different locations.

Even as all of this is going on, yesterday in our nation's capital, oral arguments were heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in a case that could affect the state of marriage in the country we love for generations to come.  In light of this, I want you to know that there is a God in heaven.  He established marriage in the beginning when He created Adam and Eve.  He designed marriage as the lifelong union between one man and one woman.  No human being or government official has the authority to alter that definition.

My heart aches for you, sweet girl, because I know you will be born into a world that is very broken.  Pain and suffering abound.  Our world is plagued by fear and uncertainty.  This is not a new development of course.  Sin started all the way back in Genesis 3 when our parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God the Creator.  As a result, sin has spread to the whole human race.  This is why people lose their lives in Nepal.  This is why those in authority sometimes abuse that authority.  This is why people think that the best response to injustice is to compound it with more injustice.  This is why confusion abounds in our culture about love, sex, gender, and religious liberty.

In spite of all this, I promise you that your mommy and I will do everything we can to protect you.  We love you.  We promise to wake up at 3am, feed you, and rock you back to sleep.  I promise to sing "Jesus Loves Me" to you, though it may ruin your ear for music.  We promise to do everything we can to provide for your needs.  We will teach you the Bible.  We will show you what it means to love and follow Jesus.

Despite our best efforts though, we cannot promise you an easy life.  We cannot be certain that tragedy will not come to our neighborhood.  We cannot be certain that the devaluing of human life will not increase.  We are not sure how receptive our culture will continue to be as it relates to our faith in Jesus Christ.  We do not know what the future holds for your life or ours.

But we know the ONE who holds the future.  We know that Jesus, the one who died to pay for sin and rose again three days later, is seated right now at the right hand of God.  We know that He is in control.  We know that He has gone to prepare a place for all those who repent of their sin and believe on Him.  We know that there is coming a day when He will return to right all wrongs.  We know that there is a promise of life eternal, free from pain, suffering, and sin, in the new heaven and new earth for all those who are in Christ.

Though we mourn the pain and suffering all around, we do so as those who have hope.  We are not afraid.  Fear not, little girl.  Jesus loves you, this I know.  For the Bible tells me so.

See you soon,

Daddy

A Book Review: EP Study Commentary on Acts

I recently received a copy of Guy Waters' new commentary on the Acts of the Apostles.  The commentary is a part of the EP Study Commentary series.  The EP Study Commentary is a reformed commentary series that covers both the Old and New Testaments with 22 volumes thus far.  Guy Waters is a professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary.

I was not familiar with this series prior to receiving the volume on Acts.  I found it to be very well-written.  It is written in a manner that is adequately thorough, but is not overly technical.  Lay people and ministers alike will find it to be a valuable aid in Bible study and teaching preparation.

As a committed Baptist, and because Waters is writing from a Reformed perspective, I was interested to see how he handled baptism throughout Acts.  I was pleased to discover that Waters handled the passages that address baptism in a way that is very faithful to what the text of Scripture actually says.  He doesn't argue for infant baptism in Acts 10 where Cornelius and his household come to faith in Christ.  He doesn't shy away from believer's baptism as pictured in Acts.

I also just finished preaching 1 Corinthians 14 in the church I pastor.  For that reason, I was interested to see how Waters dealt with the passages that mention tongues.  He doesn't try to explain away the occurrences of tongues in Acts.  He also recognizes that the events of Acts are not necessarily normative for Christians today.

One of the things I appreciate most about the commentary is the sections covering application.  The commentary follows its discussion of each portion of Scripture with a section on application.  Application is one of the more difficult things for me in preaching and teaching.  It is also an essential element of a good sermon or lesson.  I know that this commentary will prove helpful in the future when I am preaching and teaching from Acts.

I would recommend this volume to anyone seeking to learn more about the Acts of the Apostles.  It would make a great addition to any pastor's library.  Those planning to preach through Acts should definitely pick up a copy of this commentary.  I look forward to using it more in my own study.

You can purchase a copy of this commentary here.

I received a free copy as a part of the Cross Focused Reviews program.

The Power of Social Media

Nine years ago when I started college you had to have a college email address to open a Facebook account.  I knew about Facebook, and was excited to get my Liberty email address so that I could open my Facebook account.  Today, Facebook is not limited to college students, and it seems that the age demographics continue to expand at both ends of the spectrum. With an increasing percentage of the population logging onto Facebook, the power of social media continues to grow.  Gone are the days when you needed a prayer chain to hear and spread gossip.  Now you only need to log onto Facebook.  All the juicy gossip you desire is then available right there on your computer screen.  If you are a Facebook user, you have likely seen the negative impact that one controversial discussion gone wrong can cause. While I lament the negative impact of Facebook on relationships within families, churches, and communities, I rejoice in the positive aspects.  I am able to keep up with friends from college that I would have otherwise lost contact with as soon as we each moved the tassel on our graduation caps.  I am also able to share content with others very quickly and easily.  I also try to use Facebook to spread the word about church activities and events. That brings me to the point of this article.  I want to invite you to use your Facebook account for the glory of God and the good of Drakes Branch Baptist Church.  That certainly begins with not posting things that dishonor Christ or His church, but it doesn't have to end there.  I want to suggest six simple things you can do with your Facebook account that would be more beneficial to our church than 100 expensive newspaper ads. 1. "Like" Drakes Branch Baptist Church's Facebook page.  By "liking" our page, you will receive updates in your newsfeed that you can then share with your Facebook friends. 2. Use cover photos from the Drakes Branch Baptist Church page as your own cover photo.  I made a cover photo to promote our Easter Sunday service.  By using that photo as the cover photo on your Facebook page, you can promote our Easter service. 3. Take pictures of church events and activities, and post them on Facebook along with a brief description.  Photos help people see what goes on when we gather together.  Show people what a good time we have together. 4. Post a brief invitation on your Facebook status for people to come to something going on at DBBC.  Let your Facebook friends know that you would love to have them join you for an upcoming worship service or special activity. 5. Share the link to the church website where people can find Sunday's sermon audio.  Sermon audio from the previous day is typically posted every Monday on the church website at www.drakesbranchbc.com.  You can share the link to that Sunday's sermon on your Facebook page, especially when you found that week's sermon to be particularly helpful for you. 6. Share something on Facebook on Sunday afternoons that stood out to you from Sunday School or the Worship Service that morning.  Let people know what a good time you had studying God's Word and worshiping together with other believers.  When others see your excitement, it becomes contagious. This article is not intended to suggest that you need a Facebook account to spread the word about the things God is doing at Drakes Branch Baptist Church.  Pick up the telephone and give someone a call to invite them to church.  Speak to that person that you run into at the grocery store about how much you would love to have them join you at church.  Let's all commit to looking for ways to be intentional in reaching out to others in our community. Christ is building His church.  His kingdom will not fail.  Let's pray that God would use Drakes Branch Baptist Church as a part of His kingdom building work.