Loving God with our very all
Published October 7, 2011 | 
The greatest command is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Therefore, the greatest sin is to not love God with all our heard, soul, mind and strength. What does that mean to love God in this way?
I have found the commentary by Adam Clarke on loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to be very
sobering and enlightening and an excellent guide for me to use to evaluate my affections. Adam Clarke ministered in England from 1782 until his death in 1832, a fruitful 50 years of ministry.
The commentary expounds upon Matthew 22:37 where Clarke begins by saying, “This is a subject of the greatest importance, and should be well understood, as our Lord shows that the whole of true religion is comprised in thus loving God and our neighbor.”
Below I have paraphrased Clarke’s commentary to fit modern English and our culture. I trust you will find it to be a blessing as I have over the years.
Thou shall love the Lord—
He loves God with all his heart
- loves nothing in comparison of Him,
- and nothing but in reference to Him;
- is ready to give up, do, or suffer anything to please and glorify God;
- has everything in their heart; love, hatred, hope, fear, inclination, desires, delights- related to God, and are regulated by Him.
He loves God with all his soul, or rather, with all his life,
- is ready to give up life for his sake;
- is willing to endure all sorts of torments;
- is willing deprived of all kinds of comforts, rather than dishonor God;
- utilizes life with all its comforts, and conveniences, to glorify God;
- life and death are nothing, but as they come from and lead to God,
- From this Divine principle sprang the blood of the martyrs, which became the seed of the Church. They overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and loved not their lives unto the death.
He loves God with all his strength
- exerts all the powers of his body and soul in the service of God;
- who, for the glory of his God, spares neither labor nor cost in His service;
- sacrifices time, body, health, ease, for the honor of God: the Divine Master;
- employs in his service all goods, talents, power, credit, authority, and influence for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.
He loves God with all his mind (intellect)
- applies himself only to know God, and His holy will;
- receives with submission, gratitude, and pleasure, the sacred truths which God has revealed to man;
- studies no art nor science but as far as it is necessary for the service of God, and uses it at all times to promote His glory;
- who forms no projects nor designs but in reference to God and the interests of mankind;
- banishes from understanding and memory every useless, foolish, and dangerous thought, together with every idea which has any tendency to defile the soul
- thinks of God at all times—having his mind continually fixed upon God, acknowledging Him in all his ways
- who begins, continues, and ends all his thoughts, words, and works, to the glory of God’s name.
This is the person who loves God with all their heart, life, strength, and intellect; they are crucified to the world, and the world to them: they live, yet not they, but Christ lives in them.
Source: Adam Clarke commentary on the New Testament
Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Encouragements, Shepherding, Worship | 
great commandment, greatest sin, heart, Loving God, mind, soul, strength, true religion | 
Leave a commentSocial Networking and Media – A Helpful Analysis
Published November 19, 2010 | 
I appreciate the value of social media and networking. They can be a useful tool for communication and a helpful means of keeping up with old friends in a way that doesn’t demand a lot of time or money. We post family pictures and communicate with old friends through Michelle’s facebook account, and for the most part find it a useful tool.
At the same time, it can suck an amazing amount of time from the lives of people called to be good stewards of their time. On the Grace to You blog, Pastor John MacArthur has posted a helpful article highlighting some striking statistics, and giving some important warnings about the uses of social media and networking. I encourage you to read the whole article by clicking the link above. Here is his summary and conclusion.
Social networking can be a useful tool when it is used in moderation and for the right things. At the same time, however, pitfalls and temptations do exist; and believers need to arm themselves accordingly. Social media are obviously not going away any time soon. But that doesn’t mean we can be undiscerning in how we approach them.
For me, as a pastor, this issue is particularly important from a shepherding perspective. Christian leaders are called to equip their people to think through every area of life with biblical wisdom. And this is no exception.
Moreover, believers (and especially pastors) need to be careful what they communicate to the world about their lives. Once something is posted online it can be seen by anyone else. Once it’s cached, there is a permanent record of it. That means every status update and every tweet is part of the believer’s public testimony as a Christian.
As Paul told the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (2:20). Like Paul and every other believer, my life is no longer my own. The focus must not be on me, but on Christ. When someone hears from me publicly, I want it all to point to Him.
For the glory of Christ! I trust you’ll find this a helpful reminder and encouragement. I would have linked to the article on my facebook account, but I don’t have one.
Pastor Brian.
Preaching to those who suffer
Published March 3, 2009 | 
I was encouaraged by this quote. In the book Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching, Pastor John Piper writes,
It is true that we must be bold in the pulpit and afraid of no man but courageous as we contend for the truth. But it is just as true that our boldness must be a brokenhearted boldness, that our courage must be a contrite and lowly courage, and that we must be tender contenders for the truth. If we are brash and harsh and cocky and clever, we may win a hearing with angry and pugnacious people, but we will drive away those who suffer (2 Cor 1:4).
Having preached a couple of sermons recently about different kinds of suffering (Psalms 4 and 73), this was a good reminder to me. I saw it on a friend’s website (Expository Thoughts). Our suffering is aimed at producing Christlike character in us, and it is true that we often sin in the midst of our suffering. A shepherd can’t overlook how we often “sin in our suffering,” but we aren’t to break off the battered reed, or snuff out the smoldering wick either (Matthew 12:20). Christlike ministry to the hurting is a challenging task indeed. We love you, and hope the Word and Spirit are ministering to your hearts.