Jared Longshore's Blog, page 3

Raised With Him

By baptism we are buried with Christ into death. The old man dies. And in that death we die to sin, no longer to walk in it. Being baptized into Christ dead, we are also raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Baptism signifies that Christ has made all things new, including us. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection (Romans 6:5).

The post Raised With Him appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Tumbling off the To Do List

You come before the Lord in worship today as people with full lives. You have duties and responsibilities that tumble off of your to do list. And for that reason, you must remember where you are and what you are doing as a matter of first importance. David expressed the words that must be on all of our hearts and lips, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquirer in His temple” (Psalm 27:4). And it will not do to say that you have more distractions clanging around than David for just before this declaration he said, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should arise against me, in this will I be confident (Psalm 27:3).

The worship of God is always rendered in the midst of battle, amid dominion, amid the trouble of life. So you must offer the primary thing amid all of that, and that primary thing is to enquirer in this temple of the LORD. As you do so, remember that you do not go about this service in your own strength. The Spirit is within you, Christ before you and beside you. The Father smiles on you in the tumult. Trust Him and worship.

The post Tumbling off the To Do List appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Whey They Ask

When the passover was instituted, it was instituted as a memorial of what God had done for Israel. God’s judgment fell upon Egypt and His judgment passed over Israel. The passover meal was a continual testimony to God’s favor upon Israel and this favor was to be communicated to the children. In Exodus 12:26 Moses writes, “When your children shall say unto you, ‘What mean ye by this service?’ That ye shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt.’”

This new covenant meal before us is a memorial. Our children partake and thanks be to God. As they do, remember that this meal is no substitute for your teaching but an aid to it. Your words to them of what this meal means should be added to their eating and drinking. Tell your little ones what we are doing here. Remind them that this bread is the body of Christ broken for us. This wine is His blood shed for us. His judgment has passed over us and He has looked upon us with favor. You are a busy congregation so ensure that in the hustle of life, you are turning your hearts and your faces toward your children and speaking to them of the wonderful works of God. So come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ.

The post Whey They Ask appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Worship as Apologetics

If worship is the center of our cultural reformation, and it is the center of all of our cultural endeavors, then worship is also central to our apologetic. This means that, while you may not view yourself as an apologist, refuting attacks against the kingdom of God and compelling unbelievers on college campuses to come and welcome to Christ, you are nonetheless a leading apologist here at this covenant renewal service. Every first day of the week, we assemble on this Mount Zion, heaven and earth touch in a unique way. God opens heaven, we ascend, and He announces in heaven and on earth, “You are in my Beloved Son, and as such with you I am well pleased.”

Your duty is to ensure that your worship is not perfunctory. Faith is the very substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. The world needs this evidence and your faith in this service of covenant worship is that evidence. So sing with understanding and with faith. Pray with knowledge and faith. Hear God Himself speak to you through His Word, listen and obey in faith. 

The post Worship as Apologetics appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Your Mouth Is a Mailbox

As you come to this table, come remembering that it is His sign to us of His covenant promise. He has sworn an oath to give us eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. And He has not only sworn this oath but given us this bread and wine as a sign of His promise. It is your duty to read the signs of the times. The Father speaks to us at this meal. And He does not tire of reassuring us of His faithfulness. As you eat this bread, it is a word in your mouth from our Father in heaven. As you drink this wine, it is a message on your tongue and that message is grace and peace. Your mouth is a mailbox.

To live by faith means you look to these God given signs and believe them. And what you do here at this sacramental meal, you are to do everywhere you go, namely live by faith in the Word God delivers to you. He never tires of speaking and this is good news for man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the Father in heaven. So come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ.

The post Your Mouth Is a Mailbox appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Measuring Themselves by Themselves

Humans have a pernicious tendency to compare themselves with one another. And we can see how easy it is to fall into this trap that stunts our growth in glory. We are created in the same image. And we naturally notice each other’s virtues and vices. But, after the observation, comes the comparison. Another’s wealth or wisdom, her talent or beauty, his fruitfulness and generosity becomes the standard by which we measure ourselves. This type of measuring requires no look to Christ and can only result in pride (when we outmeasure another) or malice and envy (when we fall short). 

Paul warns of this in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “They measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” The remedy is to measure ourselves according to the rule which God has given us. Doing that results in a two-fold blessing. We will always see the true place where we have fallen short. And we will, at the same time, see grace upon grace. As you prepare to confess your sin, look to the face of Christ, ask the Father who knows you inside and out where the shortfall is. And do so knowing that in His goodness and kindness, He will sanctify you completely.

The post Measuring Themselves by Themselves appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Bibles Laid Open

Bibles laid open, millions of surprises, fine nets and stratagems.

George Herbert

The post Bibles Laid Open appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Eat the Fat and Drink the Sweet

One of the truths that has fed the spirit of our church for some time now is that we fight with our joy. Joy is the sword we weild against the enemy. It is the canon balls that we fire against the world, the flesh, and devil. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” There have always been lies, slanders, and sassy citizens railing against the kingdom of God. And we shouldn’t be surprised, “If they called the master of the house beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household?” (Matthew 10:25). But it is remarkably frustrating to the spite brigade when the people they’re shooting their arrows at, namely you, keep eating the fat, drinking the sweet, and offering them steak and cupcakes.

What really frustrates the enemy in such moments is that he has run up against something other worldly. Something that he won’t overcome but might be overcome by. Namely, the joy of the Lord.

You are the elect of God, holy and beloved. This joy is yours. It has been bought and paid for. So, don’t make the mistake of trying to chase down joy as if it is illusive. Your joy has already come down. It is saturated in the earth beneath your feet. It is before you and behind you in the very air of this world. It is pumping into your eyeballs, nostrils, and ear drums every day.

Here at this table you eat that joy as bread and wine. And it indeed is your strength. It will never fail. You will be a jolly and generous saint for Christ has given Himself to you. Come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ.

The post Eat the Fat and Drink the Sweet appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

High Time He’s Evicted

What you must remember about confession of sin is that the man who confesses his sin has taken a step into greater freedom. He is a man who has taken a step farther up into glory. In other words, Uncle Screwtape is going to give Wormwood a beating for what is about to happen here in a moment. Screwtape won’t be happy. The holy heavenly hosts will be, and you, your spouse, and children will be, too.

This is all the more important to remember because it takes a good dose of strength to confess the sins that really need to be confessed. We often let the Lord in and say, “Do pardon the dust on the lamp shades” while the real problem is a dank lizard living like some squatter down in the basement. We do that sort of thing because the smelly reptile seems like far too much to handle.

It is true enough that the lizard is too much for us to handle. But no one said you were to handle the lizard. You are supposed to name him. You are supposed to point at Him and say, “Lord, it is high time that he be evicted.”

It only takes one look around this morning to see that we live under the heavy blessing of God. And when your Father in heaven asks you, “How much of my blessing would you like in the days ahead?” The only possible answer is: “All of it, sir.” The pathway forward then is simple, honest confession, “This is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2)

The post High Time He’s Evicted appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.

Too Much to Handle

“The one principle of hell is — ‘I am my own.’” George Macdonald said that, and he was right. By contrast, this table speaks the exact opposite. It may be possible to come in an “I am my own” spirit to try and grab at this table. But it is very hard to attempt such a feat and no one has done so successfully. The Spirit of this table has a way of overwhelming the selfish and prideful spirit of hell. As with the gates, the table of hell cannot stand against the table of heaven.

Here you come to a table that is not your own. And you are very much not eating alone. You come with other purcahsed ones. Here He strengthens you with righteousness that is not your own and the joy of another. So if the one principle of hell is “I am not my own,” then the one principle of heaven is “I was bought with a price.” Here you were carrying yourself around as if you had purchased yourself at the market (and this was stressing you out given all the maintenance required). But this heavenly table disposses you. This bread and wine laughs at your fussy and possesive self-management until you start to laugh at it too, realizing you were too much to handle. Come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ.

The post Too Much to Handle appeared first on REFORMATION & REVIVAL.