"College of Content"

Have you ever enrolled in the "College of Content" or would you be enrolled in the 'University of Discontentment'? - I am convicted that I am enrolled in the later. But I have hope and am finding encouragement through this conviction...

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11 "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."

Paul seems to be aware that contentment is not a natural attitude of man. CLEARLY - this is so true...

My hero, Spurgeon writes, "Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to soil."

Can you agree with this. I see these traits in my life, and that it is a fight not to participate in these practices! However, it appears to me that the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. So, if I want flowers, I must plant them and care for them. Likewise, if I want crops, then I am going to need to plow and sow.

I would agree with Spurgeon that, "contentment is a flower of heaven". So, if you and I want these flowers in our garden, then they must be cultivated. They are not just going to appear because we wish them there either. The only way that these flowers can be cultivated is by the new nature that comes from Christ Alone. Paul says, I have learned... to be content! It is apparent, that at one time, Paul did not know how to do this, therefore he had to learn it and practice it. This learning comes from the conviction and instruction of the Holy Spirit through God's Word and His people.

I am sure that Paul failed many times, just as you and I will fail, however that does not mean we give up and not keep seeking to learn how to be content.

Let me encourage you to hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content...

This will bring glory to our Heavenly Father, as well as being an model to our wife and children, for remember, we are parenting with and enternal perspective...

Preparedness in Dating

Do you prepare to take your bride out for a meal? Not just the babysitter, the reservations, the car washed, the bottle of grog, the details of going out, but do you prepare for the conversation when you are actually out on your date?

Now, I am a lazy bugger sometimes. If I am honest, my wife and I don't "date" as much because it takes so much work. Babysitter for 6 kids, picking a night that serves both of us, assuring that my wife has the time to have a nap, prepare a "easy" meal for 6 kids and have time to doll up to go out with her man. Those little steps can be enough for me not to make the plans. However, I am committed to making this work. And as I have thought about serving my wife on these date nights, the planning does not just stop when we get out the door.

Let me explain.

I want to think of how I can affirm my love and respect for my wife throughout the night. I want her to know that I want to be with her. I want to engage her in meaningful conversation. I want to hear what is on her heart & how she is feeling about being Mrs Chavez.

I have an ability to "check out". I will watch people, look for a TV, zone out and be interested in what other couples are doing and laughing about. Crazy aye?

Thankfully my wife get's my attention with a hand on my hand, a squeeze of my knee or a wink that brings my focus back onto her. Thankfully my wife, is aware of my ADD and knows how to get my attention... She does not brow beat me, or attempt to make me feel guilty, however she will express how it can tempt her to feel like I would rather be someplace else.

Listen guys, I don't want it to be like this. I desire it to be like I earlier mentioned. I think I am getting better but I don't always succeed, however I am going to keep working at it, so check in on me... it's a constant battle to be self absorbed, ain't it?!

So here is how I am preparing:

Exposing my weakness to mates:
Being held accountable:

ORGANIZING the FOLLOWING - Weekly -

Date Night:
Time to go out:
Who is Babysitting:
Reservation:
Is menu "easy":
What do I want to communicate to my bride on the night:

Easy & REWARDING!!!

Try it brothers - because it will help you to parent with an eternal significance...

Heaven or Hell - Myth or Reality

Do you ever question if Heaven is a myth? What about Hell? Is Hell a reality? Can it be proved?

Please listen to this talk...

Just click here

I trust you will be served and encouraged!

ONLY because of the cross...

Some Personal Reading Recommendations

I always appreciate being put on to a good read. Let me serve you with a couple of books that I have been enjoying.

1) 'Since Nobody's perfect... How Good is good enough?' by Andy Stanley

This book is asking some wonderful questions, but then providing some equally wonderful answers. It is a brief but concise book. I am still working through it, but I am finding great encouragement from it!

2) 'The Reason for God' Belief in an Age of Skepticism - by Timothy Keller

Another fantastic read. This one takes a bit longer to work through. I have found that the continual wisdom Mr. Keller pours out takes a bit of pondering. I am still working on this book as well.

3) 'The Prodigal God' Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith - by Timothy Keller

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read most of it in one night because I could not sleep. This book helped me in ways I really needed. The book is about the parable of the prodigal son. Mr Keller has done a fantastic job of explaining this parable and bringing to light the significance that each of the characters represents. This book has helped me readjust my understanding of God and His Grace - which is so rich and free!

4) 'The Invisible Hand' Do All Things Really Work for Good? - by R C Sproul

R C Sproul has written this book so well. I found it easy to digest and read. He has used great illustrations and brought through many truths that many Christians struggle with! Highly recommended.

5) 'Worldiness' Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World - Edited by C J Mahaney

Love most things that Mr Mahaney has put his paws on. This book is confronting and challenging. Just what we as father's need. How are we protecting the door to our house and what we are allowing to come in and influence our wife and children. The grace and truth the is used to support these biblical idea's is powerful and humbling. I trust it will serve you as a man, husband, and father!

6) 'The Valley of Vision' A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions - by Arthur Bennett

This is a must have in your library! Boy have I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It is not a pick up and read cover to cover. It is a complimentary reading, with your own personal devotions. Reading one or two of these prayers a day is good for the soul!

Now I know allot of men say, "I am not a reader". Please brothers, these books will serve you to love your Saviour more, as well as assist you in being a husband and father. Who doesn't want that?

Waiting on the Lord

One of my favourite movies, in the world is: The Princess Bride. Have you ever seen it? It is a great family movie! Anyway, there is a part in the movie where a Spanish sword fighter is waiting to fight 'Wesley' (the hero), who is chasing after the Princess, who has been kidnapped, because of "True Love".

In one part of the movie, Wesley is climbing up the face of a mountain to catch the princess but he must get past the Spaniard. Now the Spaniard has been instructed that he must "kill him" so he is ready to fulfill his duty. The Spaniard keeps checking over the cliff of the mountain to see Wesley's progress. In the movie the Spaniard is shown as being irritated and impatient but then he begins engaging Wesley in conversation. Clearly he wants Wesley to hurry up so they can have their duel. Wesley is doing his best to maneuver himself up the mountain, but not quick enough for the Spaniard. The camera then shows the Spaniard pacing and in sheer frustration he finally asks Wesley, "You donta thinka you coulda speed things up do ya?" Wesley responds more or less, he's gonna have to wait. The Spaniard exhales "I hate waiting".

Boy, as a father I can relate to this. I hate waiting!

This morning our family reviewed Pslams 27:14 (NIV), it says - 'Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.'

You know, a farmer knows what it is like to wait. A coach knows what it is like to wait and watch his team develop. A spouse knows what it is like to wait for growth in their partner. A parent watches and waits for their child to walk, speak, grow, drive, marry and have children of their own. A pastor knows what it is like to wait for the people he has been entrusted with to, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Waiting effects us all! Young, old, married, single, rich, poor, healthy or unhealthy, all of us have an opportunity to practice waiting.

How are you waiting?

Let me encourage you from Psalms. 'Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Beth & Belle are 5

I remember the day these baby girls were born in Modesto, California. My mother-in-law just arrived from Sydney Australia, thinking they were already born. Nope, the next day Elisabeth & Isabelle arrived - during the super bowl, mind you - and costing a small fortune!

What a treasure they are to us! Funny you know, out of all of our kids, they are our best sleepers! They love to sleep! The rest of the family is usually up and moving by 6:00 AM. Not Beth & Belle! You will find them snuggling with their blankets and enjoying God's good gift of rest!

Well a new year has been given to us by God with these young ladies! What a privilege to be entrusted to raise twin girls. Oh sure, as they get older and smarter the temptation is to want to lock them away in a room and feed them through a slot in the door. However, that is only a dad wanting to protect them from the world! But you know that is a reflection of my heart, that I am not trusting God's sovereignty over ALL things! Yes, even over my twin girls.

May these girls experience the grace of God in ways that I have only read about! I pray that they will enjoy being daughters of Christ and live joyfully, graciously and freely in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Happy birthday Beth & Belle! What an honour to be your daddy!

Here but Gone

Hey - Viewer of this blog...

I am sorry that I have not been updating my blog lately. I think I am over the month mark of not posting.

Disappointing? Yea, for me it is. So really, I am here but I am gone from blogging, temporarily.

Let me give you a quick, undetailed account of what has happened over the last month.

• I have completed my theological study with the Baptist.
• We have packed up and moved from Sydney to Newcastle.
• Our baby girl Keziah turned 2.
• I said good bye to a church family that I dearly love.
• My wife informed me that baby 7 is being knit together in her womb...

Whew...

I am on my way to Wales, but will return at the end of January... I hope to be more frequent in my postings in February...

Thanks for your patience with me...

See you in early Feb...

Habakkuk 3: 17-18

As fathers, husbands, sons, sons-n-law, brothers, men in general, we are faced with trying and sometimes challenging circumstances. And whether we like it or not, our wife and children pick up on that.

When they pick up on it, how do they observe we are handling the trial we are being entrusted with?

At the moment, I am being strengthened through trials. The question is - what are my wife and children and friends observing in their husband, father, friend? A mate of mind said to me the other day, "don't loose your joy in these circumstances mate". My son said to me last night, "dad, you seem angry!"

So clearly, joy is not being evidenced! I'm not angry, but I am allowing myself to let my mind wander and question if God is going to come through. Will He? Won't He? Has He ever let me down? No! But sometimes I do allow myself to play that game too long and it breeds unhelpful thoughts which then affects my joy.

I was reading some helpful thoughts from one of my hero's Charles Spurgeon. He was offering some cross centered reflections on these verses from Hanakkuk.

A song of joy, in a state of affliction:

Habakkuk 3:17-19

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my
salvation.
GOD, the Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's
he makes me tread on my high places."

Oh Lord, thank you for salvation! You are my strength! In You I trust!

Contending for Supremacy with God...

There is a book that I have been wanting to revisit once I finished my theological training.

The book is called;

'Humility, True Greatness' by: CJ Mahaney.

WHY???

Great question!

The reason I want to study & reacquaint myself with HUMILITY is because, I see a struggle with PRIDE being evidenced in my life. Let me share with you how; as I am finishing up theological training and ministry in a local church, there is a desire I have to want to be affirmed and valued. I am very tempted to want to comfort myself with all of my achievements. I am tempted to tell myself how much I have done and how hard I have worked & how much I deserve.

Friends, trust me, this is not the proper talk I need to be giving myself. Instead, I ought to be reminding myself of all that God has done for me. I ought to be reminding myself that my purpose is not to glorify myself but glorify Him who gave me life.

As I have been re-reading this book - I am once again, convicted by the Holy Spirit, of the evidence of pride in my life.

Oh, the temptation to reason, excuse, justify & deny the evidences of pride in my life, are numerous. However I do not want to be guilty of contending for supremacy with God. I do not want the opposition of God. I mean, really - who is going to lose that battle? Not that that is the reason I don't contend for supremacy with God, however it is because of the gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

So what is contending for supremacy with God? Contending for supremacy with God is when I am taking away the glory from God and putting it on myself, or allowing it to be placed upon me instead of Him!

My purpose is to glorify God. That can be done in whatever circumstance I find myself. In theological training or not in theological training. In "paid" ministry or in "lay" (unpaid) ministry. What ever I am doing I am to glorify God.

Revisiting this book has ministered to me greatly. If you are a father, husband, son, male... READ this book... It will highlight your thoughts about the topic - it deals with our objections & understandings on the topic.

By reading this book, I dare say, it will help you better serve your Lord, your wife, your children and your family...

It's a great tool to assist you in parenting with an eternal perspective...

Leading in Temptation and Not Tempting My Family

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it".

1 Corinthians 10:13

Do you ask yourself, 'what's the good of temptation'?

Oswald Chambers explains that the word 'temptation' has come down in the world; we are apt to use it wrongly. He says, "temptation is not sin, it is the thing we are bound to meet if we are men".

So many times as a husband, father, brother, son, son-in-law etc... I am tempted. I am tempted to be self absorbed. I am tempted to put my needs before others. I am tempted to want my way and not consider how my choice will effect others. It is a real battle. God's Word is such an encouragement to me knowing He will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear. What a wonderful truth to live out, not just mention!

Let me share with you another area that I have recently been considering. It's not only how I am being tempted, but how I can tempt others to sin.

Have you ever considered how you are able to tempt others to sin?

Here are some ways I have discovered that I can tempt my family to sin. I can tempt my family to sin by my actions or lack of actions. I can do this by my tone of voice. Am I yelling, being harsh, patronizing in the way I speak to them or question them? If I am, I need to change this behaviour. It is not serving

In my role, I am tempted in many ways. However God has entrusted me to lead my family. I must consider how I am tempting my family.

I am so grateful that during these times I can run to the Gospel and remind myself of His great saving power! It is in these times I am provided with an opportunity to rehearse the Gospel. For it is the power of salvation to all who believe.

I trust you will consider how you are serving your family when you are being tempted. Are you being tempted to sin? Are you tempting others to sin? Remind yourself of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...