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Persevering Prayer

Posted by Michael Breznau on 6:46 pm in Church & Praxis, Podcast, Sermons, Theology | 0 comments

A nuclear war is not fought with 12-gauge shotguns nor is a F-18 dogfight waged with M-16 rifles. Appropriate weaponry must be used for the context of the battle at hand.

The war we face as Christians is an intense, spiritual conflict that is not fought with typical, human-designed weapons. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul gives us detailed intel on Satan’s mafia-like forces:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

So what are we to do? How can you and I “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (6:10) when we’re up against the “schemes of the devil” (6:11b)? Here are God’s clear instructions: “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day…” (6:13a). Following this imperative is a short handbook on the combat armor God provides for His people, set to the analogy of a Roman soldier’s gear — what Paul would have been seeing everyday as he remained under house-arrest (cf. 6:20). Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God all function together as the necessary equipment you and I need every hour of every day as followers of Jesus.

But if you’re anything like most Christians I know, you’re still kind of wondering, “So how do I ‘put on’ and ‘take up’? Does this mean I stand in front of a mirror and imaginarily put on this armor each morning?” No… God’s guidance here is straight to the point and intensely practical:

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)

When the apostle Paul exhorted the believers in Ephesus to pray, he wasn’t outlining an optional tool for Christians. In fact, persevering prayer is one of the most central tools by which Christians are equipped with God’s weapons for war. Our real, ultimate fight is not against persons, people groups, or political parties but against Satan, sin, and his system. And when the bullets of Satan’s lies and the assaults of doubt and discouragement rip into our lives we must pray and keep praying because this is the way we fight and keep fighting the right fight… God’s way.

The syntactical connection between verses 18-20 and the preceding verses (14-17) is vitally important – even tactical. Don’t miss it. Two participles “pray/praying” and “be on the alert/being alert” are embedded in verse 18 and both carry the force of instrument or manner. Now catch this: the instrument God has sovereignly ordained for the utilization of His armor is prayer. Persevering prayer — praying against all odds with unrelenting intensity, commitment, and faith is the way we “put on” and “take up” the armor God has provided.

We stand strong in the strength God provides, that which is not sourced in ourselves but sourced in God, when we pray. For a full exposition of the reasons why we should pray and how we should pray, scroll down to the audio player where you can listen to my message from this past Sunday, entitled “Battle Ready: Persevering Prayer” (Eph. 6:18-20).

Our Call to Prayer

We here at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids are calling one another to 12 days of focused prayer. If you’re part of our church family, I invite you to join with me in praying the 12 requests below over the next 12 days. You might take just one per day, following the sequence below. If you have additional time, you could pray through the list several times over the next 12 days. But most of all, let’s pray and keep praying because this is the way we fight and keep fighting the right fight… God’s way.

12 Days of Prayer for North Park

As an expression of our desire to be a church committed to personal and collective prayer, we encourage you to pray for the following items:

1. Ask God to give our people boldness and depth in our commitments to personal and communal prayers.
2. Ask God to richly bless our church with an experience of His presence and power, transforming us and empowering us to love and to serve in extraordinary ways.
3. Ask God to raise up and develop new leaders and volunteers who would leverage their lives for God’s purposes for our church and the greater Grand Rapids area.
4. Pray for God to give guidance, understanding, and encouragement to those who preach and teach the Word of God.
5. Ask God to open all our hearts to the convicting work of God’s truth and the healing balm of God’s grace as we receive the food of the Holy Scriptures.
6. Pray for God to move in the hearts of our men to take spiritual initiative in their homes, in our church, and in our city.
7. Pray for God’s deepening influence in the lives of our people through our ABFs and other groups. Pray that these groups might be a catalyst for spiritual formation among our church family and for missional initiatives within our neighborhoods. Ask God to encourage and equip new and existing teachers and leaders.
8. Pray for those living in our city who do not know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask God to lead people to a place of considering Christ and entrusting their lives to Him. Pray that they might be brought into the fellowship and ministry of our church or another like-minded assembly.
9. Ask God to make our church a benevolent and beneficial presence, positively contributing to the well-being of the people in Grand Rapids.
10. Pray for God to cultivate a spirit of radical generosity among our people, as they give of their time, energy, talents, gifts, and offerings to the work of the ministry. Ask God to provide the resources our church needs to minister efficiently and effectively in our city.
11. Pray for wisdom about the future facility needs we may require, as classroom and parking space becomes increasingly limited. Ask God to provide additional space we can use for our worship gatherings and other ministries.
12. Pray for God to continually strengthen our unity in mind, spirit, and mission as we serve together for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Other Helpful Resources on Prayer:

• Praying for a Breakthrough by Jon Bloom at www.DesiringGod.org
• 20 Quotes from Tim Keller’s Book on Prayer at www.TheGospelCoalition.org
• 10 Questions on Prayer with Tim Keller at www.DesiringGod.org

This article was adapted, in part, from my message entitled, “Battle Ready: Persevering Prayer” (Eph. 6:18-20) delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI on Oct. 25th 2015, as a part of the series “WAR: Fighting the Right Fight… God’s Way.” You can listen to the entire message by clicking the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.

Lies We Believe

Posted by Michael Breznau on 2:03 pm in Devotionals, Podcast, Sermons, Story Time, Uncategorized | 1 comment

One bright summer day about 10 years ago I decided to receive a pre-op test to determine whether LASIK eye surgery was right for me. Although I ended up not forking out the $2,000 to go ahead with the surgery to cure my rather severe near-sightedness, I will never forget the horrendous after-effects of the test. I’m sure a LASIK exam is worth the final outcome but…

When I first arrived, they dilated my eyes in order to perform various measurements, including a metal object placed against my cornea to determine the thickness of the corneal tissue. However, my eyes quickly adjusted back to normal before they had time to finish their tests. What did that mean? They dilated my eyes a second time…. and because my eyes seemed to again quickly recover from dilation… they put a third dose of drops into my eyes.

“Ah…we will use a stronger prescription to dilate your eyes this third time.” remarked the doctor, with a professorial tone.

By the time the testing was done I felt like my eyes were spun in 20 circles and spliced into some sort of quad-vision. I stumbled out of the test area and over to the front desk where a 4-headed receptionist happily smiled and handed me goofy paper sunglasses to wear over my glasses.

“Drive slowly and cautiously,” she said with a grin.

“Is this some sort of cruel joke?” I wondered, as I groped my way over to my pick-up truck, narrowly missing the curb. To make matters worse, the doctor’s office was 45 minutes away from home. This was no short “hop, skip, and a jump,” as my grandpa used to say.

My drive back home was the scariest ride I’ve ever experienced. Bar none. It was nuts. The giant paper sunglasses left me with no peripheral vision whatsoever and the vision I did have was still double and blurry. If I turned slightly to the right or left they would pop out of alignment with my regular glasses and I would have no vision at all. In my dilated delirium I could not accurately see the road. Cars seemed closer and farther than they actually were. Everything was wildly distorted… my vision was not reality.

Blurring the Lies

Satan, our real enemy, uses a similar tactic in his attempt to deceive, discourage, and destroy followers of Jesus Christ. The devil drips the dilating drops of diluted teaching, dainty temptations, and discouraging doubts into our vision so that we buy into his lies. This scheming “serpent of old” utilizes lies to distort our view of the truth. He subtly twists what is true to sound like a lie and craftily forms his lies to sound like truth. Pricking at our pride and pain, he entices us to turn our eyes away from the truth that unlocks chains and opens cell doors.

Satan blurs the lies to appear as truth.

Jesus said, “He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44b). As my friend, Pastor Eric Russ, wrote, “Deception is Satan’s favorite tool. He tries to misrepresent who God is by blurring God’s truth and will for us (Gen. 3:1-5; 2 Cor. 11:3, 14; Matt. 4:5ff).” (in Discipleship Defined, pg. 40)

Satan wants to get in your head and convince you that his lies are true. But don’t expect his schemes to be obvious. He is cunning and smart like a snake. He bites into us when we’re exposed to pain, hurt, and abuse. He splits hairs to craft wrong to look almost right. Our enemy camouflages destructive ideas with the appearance of life and light (2 Cor. 11:14b).

The legendary preacher, Charles Spurgeon, echoes this point from the past, “Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.”

So how do we discern between truth and lie? How can you and I stand our ground “against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12)”?

God’s answer is simple, strong, and secure: We guard against Satan’s lies with God’s truth. We wrap the truth around ourselves like battle gear (Eph. 6:14). We wield the Word in the face of lies (Eph. 6:17). We smash down the destructive ideas of the devil with the dead-blow hammer of faith rooted in the risen Christ.

These thoughts are not at all original to me. Listen to what God spoke through the apostle Paul, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

So let’s smash the lies with God’s truth. Right now.

Lies we sometimes believe…

“We’re not really in a spiritual war or facing assaults from Satan or demons.”

• TRUTH: We are in a real war. Our real, ultimate fight is not against persons, people groups, or political parties, but against Satan, sin, and his system.
• “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8; see also Eph. 6:11-13; 2 Cor. 10:3-6)

“My sense of worth and value is in what I do, what I have, and what I look like.”

• TRUTH: For those in Christ, our worth and value is in what God calls us: His children – adopted inheritors with all the saints in light.
• “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Eph. 1:5-6; see also Eph. 1:13-23; Col. 1:12)

“My past will always define me.”

• TRUTH: Your past may explain the way you are, but it need not define what you will become.
• “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away;  behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17; see also Rom. 12:2)

“If I’m really honest and authentic with my friends, I will be rejected…alone.”

• TRUTH: All who are in Jesus Christ are part of God’s family. He’s holding us together and building us together into a holy temple, with Jesus Christ being the Cornerstone. No matter who rejects you, God accepts you in His Son.
• “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22; see also Gal. 6:2)

“My education and intellect is the measure of my value to my society and family.”

• TRUTH: You’re intrinsic value is in how God defines you, not in how others describe you.
• “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7) “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9)

“What other people have but I lack would make me happier or more content in my soul.”

• TRUTH: God grants contentment to His people when their greatest treasure is in Him, not in what they possess on earth.
• “…I have learned to be content in whatsoever circumstances I am in…” (Philippians 4:11-12). “Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; for for your body, as to what you will put on. . . . Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt. 6:25-34; Luke 12:22)

“An occasional thought of lust for someone other than my spouse will do no harm to my marriage.”

• TRUTH: “…everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her as already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  (Matt. 5:27-28)

“Spending multiple hours per day viewing social media, TV, or movies yet only 5 minutes per day reading the Bible won’t inhibit my spiritual growth.”

• TRUTH: We will harvest the crop we plant and nurture. What kind of harvest will you reap?
• “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Gal. 6:7-9; see also Gal. 5:19-24)

Internalizing Bible verses is impossible for me and not really worth the effort.

• TRUTH: God’s Word is our central weapon against Satan’s attacks. How did Jesus confront the lies of Satan? With the Truth of God’s Word (Luke 4:1-13; Matt. 4). Know the Word and be ready with the Word.
• “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:13; see also 1 Pet. 1:14; John 17:17)

“Small sin decisions won’t have serious consequences.”

• God’s TRUTH: Every decision we make is aligned with the way of sin or the will of the Spirit. Apart from the unmerited kindness of God, we will reap the consequences accordingly.
• “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Gal. 5:16-17; cf. “Be sure your sin will find you out…” (Num. 32:23b)

What lie are you believing… today?

Are your actions or emotions built around a lie you sometimes believe? How would you complete this sentence?

“___________________________ will make me happy or at peace when I’m stressed, depressed, or angry.”

Stand strong in the strength that God provides. Guard against Satan’s lies with the weapons God provides.

Find hope again in the secure and timeless words of Jesus the Christ:

“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31b-32)

Watch my message “Battle Ready: Truth and Righteousness” (Eph. 6:10-14) from the series: WAR: Fighting the Right Fight… God’s Way, preached at Mayfair Bible Church on 3.37.3022; click here:

Show Me Some Mercy!

Posted by Michael Breznau on 6:25 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Pain and Suffering, Theology | 0 comments

“Show me just one shred of evidence that God has mercy! Give me some mercy!” shouted a small, elderly woman named Gladys.*

Her words stung into my heart and rang like a bell throughout our empty auditorium. Silence swallowed up the end of each sentence that burst forth from deep within her grieving soul. A piercing sound, then hushed silence… as if she were waiting to see if God might audibly respond for all to hear.

___________________________

My Tuesday morning had begun in predictable fashion as I dropped my son off at school, headed over to our church’s main facility, quietly prayed near the front of the platform, answered a few emails in my office, and then continued with our pastoral team and support staff meetings.

After the regular agenda wrapped up, John Nixon (our student ministries pastor) and I dove into a discussion on outreach and visioneering that pulled us passed lunchtime. But in the middle of our rambling, three quick rings on the doorbell at the main entrance grabbed our attention. We quickly stepped out of our impromptu conference to see who it might be.

One middle-aged man and three women (two middle-aged and one elderly) stood anxiously waiting for us to open the door. I greeted these unfamiliar folks with a smile, “Good afternoon! How are you? What can we do for you?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, all four visitors burst into a torrent of tears.

“Hi…my name is Frank. Can we come in a sit for a while?” the man whispered.

The elderly woman put her hand on my arm and between sobs told me, “My 27-year-old grandson committed suicide last night… and we didn’t know where else to go or what to do, so we came here. Can we go inside?” She motioned toward the auditorium with a quivering hand.

John and I quickly ushered them in and helped them find a quiet place to sit.

A Storm of Suffering

Like a dark, ominous thunderstorm the story poured out between intermittent sobs and sorrows. The middle-aged man, Frank, was father to the young man who died the night before. His son was an Army veteran, recently back from Iraq, and had married a beautiful young woman just this past June. He had been struggling with PTSD, yet his life was blessed in so many ways.

Laura, one of the two middle-aged women, spoke up, “more than thirty years ago we came here for a children’s program… called AWANA and vacation Bible school – we always felt loved and welcomed here.”

Frank spoke up, “We hope it’s alright that we came here. We just didn’t know what to do or where to go, but we knew this church would be a peaceful place…”

His words trailed off into a stream of tears as I reassured them that they were welcome to stay as long as they needed.

“Frank,” I said quietly, “May I pray for you and your family?”

“Would you, please? That would mean a lot to us right now.” Frank replied.

As I asked God to show them His abiding comfort, mercy, and peace during this heart-wrenching tragedy, I sensed some movement behind me coming from Gladys. I finished praying and turned around to see her shaking her head back and forth with her hands clenched tightly around her forehead.

_______________________

With eyes filled with sorrow, anger, and frustration she again turned her gaze toward me and demanded, “Can you show me some tiny piece of proof that God is merciful?! You can’t, can you?! You don’t know what our family has gone through! How can God be merciful when there is such pain and sorrow… suicide and murder in the world?”

All at once a hushed silence enveloped the room again. But I sensed there was more from deep within the mountain of her grief.

She again yelled back at God and me, “If God were real and merciful and loving… how could He allow this to happen!?”

“I feel like maybe I should go over to Satan! Or maybe my uncle who was an atheist had it right! It’s all just a bunch of hocus-pocus. Maybe there really isn’t any God at all.” She gasped at the echo of her words as they reverberated off the high wall at the front of our auditorium. I saw her eyes furtively glance up at the large cross that hangs as a centerpiece…

Her body sunk down into the chair as if her heart had just been squeezed like a lemon. But her weary, aging eyes focused intensely into mine.

I felt tears well up as I inwardly cried out to God for an answer. Should I say anything? Should I simply allow her to keep venting and releasing her frustration to God? But her eyes would not let me remain silent. She wanted to know, see, and sense that God really cared about their pain and suffering.

My heart ached as I reached toward her with words of hope, “Well, sometimes my wife and I have cried ourselves to sleep and wondered what God was doing – especially when we lost five babies to miscarriage,” I said softly. “We struggled with doubt and pain… but we’ve come to know and experience that God’s mercy and justice met together at the cross in the death of the His perfect Son, Jesus. The only hope we have for mercy is at the cross; that Jesus died for broken people and a broken world. . . .

. . . But His death wasn’t the end of the story. He rose from the dead on the third day just as He said He would and more than five hundred people saw and heard Him before He returned to heaven. The only hope we have for mercy is in Jesus, because in Him we know this life is not all there is… this life is not the end. There will be a day when all our tears will be wiped away and Jesus will make all things new. This will be true for all who trust in Him as the Savior, the one to Rescue us from sin, brokenness, and death.”

Gladys’ eyes dropped their gaze for a moment and she shook her head again, “But how does that give me some mercy RIGHT NOW! I want to see that God has mercy now! Is God really God if he can’t bring our Charlie back to us?!” She again demanded an answer, not merely a pastoral presence but a pastoral response.

“Gladys,” I replied, “One day Jesus’ closest friends lost their brother. He, too, was one of Jesus’ dear friends. The two sisters, Mary and Martha, were weeping and overwhelmed with grief because their brother, Lazarus, had died. But here’s the shocking truth: Jesus entered into their grief and He wept with them (John 11:17-37).”

…Tears streamed down God’s face. God’s heart ached with grief.

Jesus, God-in-the-flesh, mourned with those who were mourning. And, today, Jesus Christ still weeps over the destruction and death wreaking havoc across the world.

Charles Spurgeon, a brilliant Baptist preacher from a previous era said, “A Jesus who never wept could never wipe away my tears.”

Yet God has wept and, right now, He is still here to wipe away your tears. The presence of Christ is seen through the work of the Spirit in His people. And we, too, are here for you.

The dark day of Lazarus’ funeral became a celebration when Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, turned over the tables on death itself and brought Lazarus back to life. . . .” (John 11:38-46)

“Gladys,” I continued, “God sees your pain and tears and suffering. And one day that same Jesus the Christ is coming again and He will make all things right.”

Mercy for Weary Souls

After continuing to listen and pray, I’m not sure about the direction of Gladys’ heart or of the others huddled together that day in our auditorium. But maybe some of you reading this right now have yelled the same questions back at God… waiting and hoping that He would respond. We have, too.

As I’ve reflected on my conversation with Gladys’ grieving family, God has taken me on a journey in His Word over the past few weeks. He’s walking me toward a larger portrait of His mercy.

Let the following truths about God’s mercy soak into your weary soul…

your grieving heart…

your tired mind…

your fractured faith…

In the deep cistern of despair after the nation of Judah had been overtaken and hauled off to captivity, the prophet Jeremiah called out:

“Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s loving-kindnesses indeed never cease, for His mercies [compassions] never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:19-23)

Our knowledge and experience of God’s mercy is wrapped in His faithfulness within and beyond our present circumstances. The only hope for mercy is found in the God who knows the future better than we know our past.

The prophet Isaiah recalled God’s mercies in the ancient past:

“I shall make mention of the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His compassion and according to the abundance of His loving-kindnesses. . . . In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them . . .” (Isaiah 63:7, 9)

To paraphrase my friend and teacher, Dr. James Allman, “What God has done in the past is a promise and a model for the future, but He is too creative to do it the same way twice.”

The rather obscure mouthpiece for God, Hosea, wrote of the futility of putting our hope for mercy in anything or anyone besides the Lord,

“Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips. Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses; Nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; For in You the orphan finds mercy.” (Hosea 14:1-3)

Human methods for genuine mercy eventually fail. Human inventions of rescue and relief are only temporary. But God will give mercy to all who turn their hearts from man-made hopes to God-designed redemption.

All of the Triune God’s mercies toward humanity climax in Christ. Hear these words of prophecy from the father of John the Baptist that describe the dawn of redemption:

“…For you will go on before the LORD to prepare His ways; to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76b-79)

God the Father planned our redemption by His grace, God the Son accomplished our redemption through going to the cross, and God the Spirit draws us to God’s Good News and fills us with new, resurrection life in Jesus Christ the Son, all to the praise of God’s glorious grace. So the apostle Paul declared:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:4-6)

In our grief and pain and tears, we look upon the cross and see where God’s mercy and justice meets with broken humanity and offers the hope of redemption to us through what Jesus Christ did for us.

If your struggling with pain, suffering, doubt, or grief, would you tell a bit of your story below in the comment field? We want to listen and pray, and by God’s grace, be the presence of Christ by the work of the Spirit  for you.

We can trust in His mercy… even today. In His mercy is the hope that is unstoppable, unquenchable, and unconditional because Christ will always remain faithful.

*The names of these four visitors to North Park Baptist Church have been changed to protect their anonymity.

Sun in the Storms

Posted by Michael Breznau on 2:06 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Pain and Suffering, Podcast, Sermons, Worship | 0 comments

As the old saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather in Michigan, just wait five minutes.” Today is proving the wise old sage knew what he was talking about. Yet from sunshine to storms…and back again to sunshine then storms this is the day the Lord has made, therefore, let us rejoice and be glad in the One who has ordained it! This same truth connects with our everyday lives, too. The difficulties and happy moments, the valleys and the mountaintops are all part of God’s work of grace in and through His people. God’s testing and God’s blessing are all part of His design to refine the character of His people.

Songwriter, Laura Story, wrote in an incredibly moving song entitled Blessings,  “What if Your blessings come through raindrops, what if Your healing comes through tears, what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know Your near? What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”   

Listen to these words of truth that outline the same message:

“Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. . . . Bless our God, O peoples, and sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life and does not allow our feet to slip. For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; you laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance. . . . Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul.” (Psalm 66:1, 8-12, 16)

Did you catch the movement in that psalm? You didn’t quite expect that, did you? God’s refining, sanctifying work of grace in His children sometimes involves deep difficulty… but also great rejoicing. He may bring “burden . . . fire and water” yet he also does not allow our “feet to slip” (even though it may seem like it at the time!). And, ultimately, God leads us through and out of those stormy valleys.

On the other side of the trial, we turn yet again, like the psalmist, and proclaim, “Come and hear . . . Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me.” (Psalm 26:16a, 20).

What storms are you going through right now? What is God teaching you through the “thunder, lightning, and rain” you’re experiencing right now? I’d like to hear about it and pray for you. I will look forward to your reply.
Looking for strength in the middle of your storm? You can listen to a recent message I preached entitled “Strength for any Storm” (Psalm 8) by clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
Delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Good News for America

Posted by Michael Breznau on 6:57 pm in Devotionals, Morality & Ethics, Podcast, Sermons, Theology | 0 comments

From my family to yours… we hope and pray that you are enjoying a wonderful weekend celebrating America’s independence and the abundance of freedoms God has granted us in this great nation.

Over the past two and half weeks, we’ve gone through several serious storms here in the United States. Even as I write this, dark storm clouds seem to be looming off in the distance. I’m not speaking necessarily of thunder, lightning, rain, or hail (although we certainly could experience those at any given moment in Michigan!). No, I speak of the murderous actions, vitriolic hatred, and national applause for immorality that have filled the media-sphere.

Individually…on Wednesday night, June 17th, a young man strolled into a church in Charleston, SC, for their small group prayer meeting. After sitting in the circle for more than 45 minutes, he stood up and opened fire on the people, leaving 9 dead. His hatred for our African-American brothers and sisters brought us to deep grief and tears…

Nationally…the United States Supreme Court took action a week ago this past Friday, and in a 5-4 split, voted in favor of a position directly opposed to both natural law and God’s revealed design in creation and in His Word.

Internationally…immorality is being applauded across the Western hemisphere, and globally, more Christians are being martyred for their faith than at any other time in history.

The storm of nations and peoples is raging, but for all the talk of “freedom ringing,” our nation and world seems to be fracturing into splinters. True freedom is squelched, ignored, and even criticized.

As I’ve interacted with many of you who are following Jesus Christ, there has been an unmistakable tone of despondency. On this Fourth of July weekend, many of you may understandably feel torn between a wholesome love for our country and a sense of sadness about the direction our society seems to be taking.

In Jon Bloom’s insightful article “Loving and Celebrating a Defective Nation,” he wrote:

“Our national celebrations have always been tempered with the reality that the U.S., throughout its history, has at times legalized terribly destructive immoral things, such as the enslavement of African peoples, the genocide and social alienation of native North American peoples, and the systematic killing of 50+ million unborn children, just to name a few. It is right to be grieved over legalized sin.

But let the current events increase our resolve to seek America’s greatest good. Being citizens of a better country frees us from trying to make this one the kingdom of heaven. Our time here is short and “here we have no lasting city” (Hebrews 13:14). Jesus’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). So let us give ourselves to bring as many Americans to the better, lasting country as possible.”  Click HERE for the full article at www.DesiringGod.org

As I noted on my Facebook wall yesterday morning, let true freedom ring… today and everyday. Rescue, refuge, and reconciliation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Sharing and showing the Good News is the most loving thing we can do for the United States of America.

In the midst of despair about the state of our nation, let us not lose sight of God’s mission and our eternal home. God is still in control and He is still on His throne. And one day Jesus the Christ will return and vanquish all His foes.

Those who stand against the rule of God today and seek to omit Him from their lives will one day stand before Him for final judgment. When the storm of nations and political activists and scheming sinners rages into the sound of a roar, we know all the noise is utterly futile…vain schemes that will not accomplish one iota against the LORD and His Christ.

Yet God’s judgment is also joined with God’s mercy, for the One who died in our place on the cross of Calvary is the only secure hope of rescue and refuge from God’s just judgment. He alone is the Good News for America.

This morning at North Park Baptist Church we fixed our gaze on Jesus Christ as we celebrated the Lord’s Supper and looked to Psalm 2 to gain understanding about a storm of nations and peoples who are opposed to God and His Messiah.

You can listen to this sermon by clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast.
You’ll learn what God is doing in the middle of this storm, what He will do in the future, and what He calls His people to do right now: “A Storm of Nations” (Psalm 2:1-12) delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I’m Traveling to India…

Posted by Michael Breznau on 12:17 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Mission, Theology | 0 comments

Dear Family and Friends,

Make no mistake about it: Jesus the Messiah calls every single one of His followers to go. The question is not if you will go, but when and where. After rising from the dead on the third day in fulfillment of the Scriptures, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples,

“Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)

Jesus later explained the essential framework of this divine sending mission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

God’s mission may not send all of us out-of-country and overseas, but you and I are called to engage “all the nations” with the saving, transforming message of Christ. Your “going” might entail having intentional gospel conversations with your Muslim neighbor next-door, an agnostic co-worker, or the Hindu family across the street. Yet God also gifts and guides His people to pray deeply and give specifically for those living and working in foreign lands for the sake of the Gospel. In this way, we are all woven into the fabric of sending and being sent… for the joy of all nations and the glory of God.

Mission: India

God has opened up a unique and exciting opportunity for me to go to the other side of the globe – Northeast India – to share the Good News of Jesus Christ through three large-scale Vacation Bible School programs and by teaching and preaching at a pastors and Christian workers conference, aimed at encouraging, equipping, and uniting the many national Baptist pastors in Assam and Mizoram, India. (see further details about the trip in the Prospectus below)

Watch this short video to hear more about where we’ll be going, how we’ll be spreading the Good News of Jesus, and how you can partner with us:

As many of you know, this will not be my first journey to India. In 2005-2006 I spent five weeks in the state of Andhra Pradesh (near the city of Visakhapatnam) ministering alongside national Indian Christians through tribal village medical camps, teaching/assistance at an orphanage and school, evangelistic meetings, pastors’ conferences, a week-long VBS program, baptism services, and itinerant preaching.

“Tribal” mountain village ministry near Paderu, India. (2006 – I’m on the far left)

My wife and I are thrilled that God has brought along this opportunity for me to return to India to serve on God’s mission.

Would you like to join with me in sharing the message and mercy of Jesus Christ in India?

Here are two ways you can partner with us:

1. PRAY. Please pray for our team as we prepare to share and declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for great unity and joy within our team and that God will draw hundreds of spiritually lost people to the saving message of Christ. Pray that the many national pastors will be strengthened and encouraged through the conference will be hosting, and that God will develop unity among the region’s many Bible-believing churches. Thank you!
2. GIVE. Consider financially partnering with me to share the grace and truth of God in Northeast India. I will need $1500 by June 6th and the total amount of $2500 by June 24th. Thank you! Note: Your financial gifts will be tax-deductible because all donations are being sent directly through North Park Baptist Church (a registered 501c3 non-profit corporation).

Click here to go to my YouCaring fundraising page to make a safe and secure e-donation: https://www.youcaring.com/MissionIndia2015

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I am grateful for your friendship and partnership in the exciting, life-changing mission of God.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

In Christ Alone,
Michael Breznau

Lead Pastor

North Park Baptist Church
3365 Coit Ave. NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Prospectus :: Mission Team Objectives ::

Team Leaders: Bruce and Judi McJones (10+ trips to India)

The objective of the missions trip is two-fold:

The first objective is to encourage and meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are working in North East India. The people we will be helping are nationals who are reaching nationals. Many of the people are the children of men and women who came to know Christ through the ministry of Paul and Genella Versluis as well as other missionaries.

The second objective relates to our church members. Through mission trips, our church members are able to serve using the talents with which God has gifted them in short term missions service. Some of those who go on a missions trip will return to use those talents at home through our church and community. Others will develop long term relationships with nationals who they will pray for and encourage through e-mails and other forms of communication. All who go will be challenged spiritually.

Trip Dates: July 29 – August 18 2015.

Project Outline

The locations of service will be in the state of Assam India in the Allipur and Pailapool community as well as the state of Mizoram in the city of Aizawl.

Pastor Michael Breznau and Isaac Gajendran will be hosting a pastor’s retreat and conference for Christian workers, focusing on our unity in Jesus Christ and our mission together for the glory of Christ with messages from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians and the Gospel of John. Others in the group will be helping at Burrows Memorial Christian Hospital in various roles depending on individual talents/skills.

While in the state of Mizoram we want to continue to build our relationships with two schools where we previously ministered through VBS and evening counseling programs.

Everyday Moms in a Superwoman World

Posted by Michael Breznau on 7:04 pm in Bible Study, Devotionals, Podcast, Sermons | 2 comments

Sometimes it’s not just the children who want to throw a tantrum…  check out this 30-second video clip:

Yes, there comes a point in the life of every mother (and most fathers, too) when they feel like throwing a tantrum…

…maybe it was the “adventure of the dirty diaper” when your toddler decided to paint the walls with a certain smelly brown paste they found in their drawers after a nap,

…or perhaps it was the seventy-ninth time you pierced the sole of your foot on a tiny Lego block,

…or maybe it was the third burnt dinner (with the fire alarm going off) while you were trying to bathe your kiddo after an “accident” – and your husband walks in the door…

…or perhaps it was the fifth time your rambunctious 5 year old flushed a toy down the toilet and successfully plugged it up and created a flood on the bathroom floor for his Little-Tikes Noah’s ark…

…or maybe it was the plate of dinner flipped over onto the carpet…

…or perhaps it was the giant stain that somehow appeared on your favorite shirt (and you have know idea how it got there!)…

…or maybe it was having to break the vacation piggy-bank in order to make end’s meet…

…or the missing sock, the missing shoe, or the missing Chimpanzee in the zoo (just making sure you’re listening)

…or MAYBE it was when another mom posted on Facebook a giant list of everything she and her perfect little kids accomplished in one day – and you aren’t even sure what happened at all that day!

…or perhaps it was when another woman saw your kids, your sometimes messy van, or cluttered house, and gave you “the look”…

And you’re overwhelmed and trying harder but you still feel like you’re treading water.

SuperWoman Expectations

Under the weight of everyday mishaps, tantrums, and accidents, I’m convinced most moms are overwhelmed and compounded by expectations to be a Super-Woman-Super-Mom.

Most moms I know regularly feel like the frazzled woman pictured on the left (below) rather than the smiley-dazzled “super-girl” on the right:

Everyday moms have all the charts and books and courses (available on Amazon or at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore nearest you) to “make” them Super-women:

They need to use the right kind of organic baby food, use natural cotton skin-sensitive diapers (or if you’re the extra super-mom you re-use cloth diapers). Super moms never have toddlers who perform temper tantrums on the floor in the grocery store, they never miss an alarm clock, never have melt-downs in the church bathroom, and never forget to have a perfect meal ready for their husband at 5:30pm. They never get depressed, always post happy thoughts on Facebook, always live with a big smile, always are on time for every soccer game, never miss a PTA meeting, and never even need a second cup of coffee!

But with all these totally unrealistic expectations, what can everyday moms know is true about God and true about how He works in all of us (today, especially moms) when we feel so “everyday” in a “super” world??

Five Everyday (even messed up) Moms

God’s Word highlights five women in Matthew 1:1-16 – women who had obvious flaws, struggles, and sin-issues, yet all were in the line of Jesus the Messiah-King. In a very shocking way, God’s story in their lives tells us what is true about Him and what is true about how He works with and through moms… even today. Let’s take a look:

“The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham . . . Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram…” (Matt. 1:1, 3)

1. Tamar acted as a prostitute with her father-in-law, Judah, after he reneged on his commitment to give her to his youngest son, Shelah, after he came of age. (Gen. 38:6-30). Tamar first married Judah’s firstborn son, Er, who died because he was evil in the sight of the Lord (v. 6-7). Judah then told Onan, his second-born, to have sexual relations with Tamar to carry on the name of his brother in covenant loyalty (acting as kinsman-redeemer). However, Onan rejected covenant loyalty and acted in deception by refusing to impregnate Tamar. As a result, God took his life (v. 8-10). Judah then promised Tamar marriage to his youngest son, Shelah. So Tamar dutifully returned to her father’s house to wait it out. However, Judah didn’t fulfill his promise. So Tamar played on Judah’s sexual lust and seduced him like a prostitute in order to force him to make good on his promise (apparently he didn’t know it was her because her face was covered behind a veil). Tamar became pregnant by Judah with twins: Perez and Zerah. And Perez would ultimately be in the line of David and Jesus the King.

This story is like the worst of the Lifetime Network Soap Opera shows…it’s one giant mess of sin, deception, and death! Yet through this mess God works in unexpected ways through messed up, ordinary people to display His extraordinary grace… in the coming of Jesus the King. Now don’t misunderstand me, this doesn’t make this mess of sin “right” or good, but it displays God’s radical grace to people who don’t deserve His love and yet He works out His plan despite their issues.

“Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab…” (Matt. 1:4-5a)

2. Rahab was labeled a prostitute, a “harlot” (Josh. 2:1) and was a Canaanite pagan from Jericho. But God, by His sovereign grace, turned her heart to make this bold confession of faith: “the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Josh. 2:11). Her faith in the LORD (YHWH) also saved her and the rest of her family from death when the Israelites invaded Jericho. But even more shocking is the fact that Rahab would marry an Israelite named Salmon and give birth to a baby boy named Boaz… (Matt. 1:5).

God is displaying His radical grace… turning tables…redeeming. God works in unexpected ways through ordinary people to display His extraordinary grace.

“…Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king.” (Matt. 1:5b-6)

3. Ruth was raised a heathen, a Moabitess (Ruth 1:4). The very label “Moabitess” was sprinkled throughout the book of Ruth to drive home the point of God’s grace to people outside ethnic Israel. Ruth, no doubt, would have been considered a societal outcast in Bethlehem. Yet God draws her to believe in Him, the God of Naomi (1:16-18), and follow her empty-handed and bitter mother-in-law out of Moab and back to Bethlehem (1:19). Then in a whirlwind turn-of-events, Ruth, the Moabitess, by God’s plan, married Boaz and gave birth to a son named Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse… was the father of David the king of Israel. And again, God proves that He works in unexpected ways through ordinary (and even unusual) people to display His extraordinary grace.

“David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.” (Matt. 1:6b-7)

4. Bathsheba was the former wife of Uriah, one of David’s fiercely loyal warriors. But King David took Bathsheba in adultery, and then plotted Uriah’s death (2 Sam. 11:2-27). If you thought the giant mess-of-a-story with Judah and Tamar was maddening and depressing, this one will set your teeth on edge. David’s lust-driven treachery ends in a train-wreck of darkness, death, and tears     …but God again displayed His shocking, radical grace.

“…Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.” (Matt. 1:16)

5. Mary was a very young woman who’s story was, no doubt, surrounded by gossip, slander, and raised eyebrows around her small village. But through the agency of the Holy Spirit, this simple, ordinary, yet faithful young girl carried the incarnate Christ to full-term and delivered Him at God’s appointed time of light breaking through the darkness to bring the message of salvation to the whole world (Matt. 1:16ff).

God works in unexpected ways through ordinary people to display His extraordinary grace. 

The Bible is so incredibly honest. God’s divine revelation contains no sugar-coating or glossing-over the real-life details and imperfections of God’s people. You see, it’s not a book of heroes or rules (as Sally Lloyd-Jones put it in “The Jesus Storybook Bible”), but a book about the ultimate Hero, God in Christ, who came in love to rescue us back from the darkness and death and sadness of sin.

A Savior for Everyday Moms

The truth is… no mom can be a perfect super-woman because all moms are sinners and live in a fallen, messed up world, just like all five women in the line of Christ. However, God displays His grace in unexpected ways through ordinary people, especially everyday moms. God always prefers to operate with grace through people who know they are not super or special or perfect.

My Everyday Mom: I recall my mom working her tail-end off to make her best attempt at homeschooling me. Ha! I was crazily energetic – some sort of mix between my German-Czechoslovakian bloodline and the jackrabbit at the zoo. She used to chase me around the house with a school book in one hand and the phone (with my dad on the line) in the other hand.

But you know what eventually got through to my thick skull and stubborn, rebellious heart? My mom’s consistent, obvious dependence on God’s grace. She openly admitted her failures and faults. She often requested our forgiveness. She always spent significant portions of the day in prayer. Why? Because she knew she could not handle me without God’s power.

So maybe right now you’re overwhelmed with expectations, burn-out, or fear of the future. Perhaps your rambunctious toddlers are now wayward teenagers. Maybe you’re coping with an angry husband, loss of a job, or the extreme challenges of single-parenting. Through all of these difficulties, trials, and fears Jesus has a message for you.

Come and Rest.

Because God works in unexpected ways through ordinary people to display His grace, you can come to Him and rest. Really.

In the first century A.D., the everyday Jew was weighed down by an unbelievably long list of unrealistic rules and expectations enforced by the Pharisees. So through the haze and sweat and fear, Jesus the Christ announced healing, hope, and rest in the grace of salvation through Him alone. Here is Jesus’ message:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

God promises rest for all who come to the Son. Because Jesus has finished the work, won the battle, and fought the fight, we can rest and hope and enjoy life again – in Him. But what does this mean for everyday moms? You don’t have to be superwoman because your life is sourced in the life of the supreme King, Jesus Christ.

The unrealistic expectations placed on women today to perform as the super-woman-super-mom are built around the belief that to be successful in this world is to be happy in this world. But that belief is a “master” who will never be satisfied and never fully happy. You will never do enough to satisfy the “master” of success or happiness. But Jesus is the Master who is gentle and humble. He bears our burdens with us. He brings us to the end of ourselves to do through us what we could never accomplish on our own. He is the Master who gives real healing, hope, and rest.

So Jesus beckons to everyday moms:

• Receive Healing from the sores of carrying the burden on your own.
• Take Hope in God when you’re overwhelmed by the fear of never being perfect enough.
• Find Rest from the labor of doing what only God can do.

God will always accomplish His plan to the display of His glorious grace, especially through everyday moms – not superwomen. Receive healing. Take hope. Find rest. 

To Every Mom…

…struggling with dirty diapers and a messy kitchen, God offers His presence

…coping with a wayward child, God offers hope

…dealing with physical burnout, God offers rest

…grieving the loss of children through miscarriage, God offers comfort

…groping through emotional depression, God offers strength

…grappling with single-parenting, God offers community with His people

…worrying about not doing enough, God says Jesus Christ is enough

…battling against fear of the future, God provides peace in the chaos.

So moms, mothers, grandmothers… right now you may feel overwhelmed, inadequate, frazzled, and afraid, but know that God is working out His plan and He is King. God displays His extraordinary grace through the lives of ordinary and often very messed up people. And He just might be doing the same through you.

Have a joy-filled Mother’s Day.

Click on the play button below or subscribe to our iTunes podcast channel to hear my full message from Matthew 1.1-16; 11:28-30 (“Everyday Moms in a Superwoman World”), delivered on Sunday morning, May, 10, 2015 at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids.

Liberty or License?

Posted by Michael Breznau on 4:51 pm in Church & Praxis, Morality & Ethics, Podcast, Sermons, Theology | 0 comments

Right = Wrong? Wrong = Right?

We’ve opened the proverbial “can of worms.” Yet we believe it’s a really important “can” that must be opened and understood in light of the Gospel. Are you ready to dig in?

Our culture is filled with a multiplicity of messages about morality and ethics. Throughout social media, TV, movies, and music, it’s easy to hear all sorts of propaganda about recreational drug use, alcohol, sexual experimentation, and of course, how we MUST watch the next season of [you name it]. But what does God have to say to His people about these moral and ethical issues?

Here at North Park Baptist Church, where I serve as lead pastor, we’re wrapping up 5-part study (a Sunday evening series, aside from tomorrow’s morning message) that is geared toward answering questions like:

• “Can a person who knows and loves Jesus Christ drink alcohol with a clear conscience?”
• “Why do some Christians have different standards about what TV shows or movies they watch? Is that okay?”
• “Are there “gray areas” of personal conviction or is everything clear-cut, black and white?”
• “I understand that we can’t add anything to the Gospel of Christ to be saved, but what about after you’re already saved? Aren’t we required to do some things?”

Our series on these important questions dove-tails with the following proposed amendment to our church constitution, relating to “Position Clarifications,” on which we plan to vote tomorrow evening (4/26/2015):

Christian Liberty and Ethics: We believe humankind was created with the primary purpose of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever, through demonstrating love for Him in worshipful obedience and showing His love for others by serving on the mission of Christ’s Gospel (Matt. 5:43-48; 22:37-40; 28:19-20; John 1:18; 20:21; Eph. 1:5-6, 12, 14). In light of our purpose, we believe the deliberate misuse or abuse of food, drugs, and alcohol (e.g. gluttony, intoxication, etc.) violates the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of a believer in Jesus Christ and is contrary to God’s will for His people (Prov. 20:1; 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-6; Rom. 13:14; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 10:31; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 5:15-21). We recognize the personal liberty of conscience enjoyed by followers of Christ to develop personal standards under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:1-23; 1 Cor. 6:12). Yet we also teach that our love for the brethren reminds us to take care with our liberty regarding areas where no clear scriptural command is present (Rom. 15:1-2; 1 Cor. 8:1-9:27; 10:23-33).

This amendment is also in conjunction with additional position statements pertaining to the sanctity of human life, as well as marriage and sexuality. Go here to access messages and materials pertaining to the topic of marriage and sexuality: https://www.graceexposed.org/2014/11/17/love-in-design/

Listen to the full audio messages below by simply clicking on the play button below or by subscribing to our iTunes podcast. These messages were originally delivered at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI,
Part 1 – Pastor John Nixon: “Grace Both Ways” (Gal. 5:1-13)  on Sunday evening, March 22nd, 2015.

Part 2 – Pastor Michael Breznau: “Intoxication: Good and Bad?” (1 Cor. 8:1-13; 10:23-33; Eph. 5:15-21), Sunday evening, March 29th, 2015.

Part 3 – Pastor Michael Breznau: “Greed, Gluttony, and the Gospel of God” (1 Tim. 4:3-5; 6:6-19, and selected passages), Sunday evening, April 12th, 2015.

Part 4 – Q & A – Panel Discussion with Michael Breznau, John Nixon, and Keith DeBoer (audio not listed), April 19th, 2015.

Part 5 – Pastor Michael Breznau “Freight-Train Flesh and Sticks on the Tracks” (Col. 2:16-3:5), Sunday morning, April 26th, 2015.

The Cup of Death

Posted by Michael Breznau on 10:46 am in Devotionals, Podcast, Sermons, Worship | 0 comments

One of my “old favorite” movies is geared around the search for the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper, some call this cup the Holy Grail.

And why in this film are the Nazis, a medieval-oriented religious group, and Indiana Jones on a mad-dash against each other to find Christ’s sacred cup? Because they believe anyone who drinks of it will have eternal life – but they are not talking about eternal life as a new and forever relationship with God, as the Bible defines it. No, they think it is like the so-called “Fountain of Youth” that will give them life forever, immortality right now, and invincibility (which, of course was very important to the Nazi general). Now all that is a silly twisting in order to make a Hollywood blockbuster film…

But what was the cup Jesus spoke of? Not the actual cup He drank from at the Last Supper, but the cup Jesus spoke of when He expressed His desire to let “this cup” pass by Him, meaning that He longed to not drink of it? Listen to how His prayer to the Father is recorded in the synoptic Gospels: (taken from the Garden of Gethsemane)

Matthew 26:39, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Mark 14:36, “And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Luke 22:42, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

John 18:11, “So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” Thus pointing to Christ’s focus on perfectly fulfilling the Father’s plan.

The Cup Jesus Drank…

So what was this cup, what was in this “cup” that Jesus Christ agonized over it so deeply? What is the meaning behind this metaphor?

Throughout the Old Testament there are references to the “cup of God’s wrath” being poured out in judgment on the unrighteous or even that the unrighteous would be forced to drink from this cup (Psa. 75:8; Isa. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15-29; Ezek. 23:31-34; Hab. 2:15-17). Continuing in the New Testament, the book of the Revelation talks about the cup of God’s wrath being poured out in judgment (14:10; 16:19; 18:6-8).

Specifically to the cup Jesus willingly drank from until it was empty, He would take upon Himself all the just and holy wrath of God against sin, in submission to the Father’s will and in love to save condemned sinners (cf. John 3:16-19; Luke 19:10; Matt. 18:11).

Yet this cup signified more than just His physical death. Jesus would not only take upon His body the full wrath and opposition of God against sin through every lash from the cat-of-nine-tails whip, every nail driven into His hands, each thorn that lacerated His head, and each agonizing, gasping breath on the cross as he suffocated under his own weight…

But also, the penultimate sacrifice in drinking this cup was the moment in time when God the Father turned His face away from His Son in judicial separation of relationship. God the Father could not look upon sin and therefore turned His countenance away from God the Son, “who became sin, who knew no sin, so that we could become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

In this agonizing moment, Jesus, the Son, who eternally dwells in perfect oneness and communion with God the Father,“cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46; cf. Mark 15:34; Psa 22:1).”

As Louis Barbieri wrote, “Jesus sensed a separation from the Father He had never known, for in becoming sin the Father had to turn judicially from His Son (Rom. 3:25-26).” (TBKC, pg. 89)

For the first and only moment in time, Christ called out to the Father and there was silence. This was the cup of death – complete death. To be torn – even for just a brief moment in time – from the perfect love-relationship – seems unthinkable yet it is unmistakable.[1] Such was the death Christ endured.

Why was it necessary for Jesus Christ to go through this physical and spiritual death? Because Christ’s physical death on the cross would alone not be enough to erase the sin-debt resting upon all of mankind. Christ’s death had to be total – as the One who would drink all of God’s wrath for us and for our salvation.[2]

And so a hymn-writer captures the scene:

“…How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away…as wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.” (from How deep the Father’s Love for Us)

First Adam: Death

In Genesis 3:1-7, Adam and Eve rebelled against God and believed the word of Satan, that serpent of old, rather than the word of God. Although God said, on the day in which they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would “surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Satan, sneered, “surely you will not die…” And so the husband and wife sinned in unbelief. They bit into the forbidden fruit and pitted themselves against the will of God.

Adam’s body remained yet strong, but he knew true death had already come.

Life as it was meant to be lived is only found in a personal love-relationship with the Life-Giver. But now Adam and Eve lived separation, alienation, and condemnation from the One who gave them life.

And so God the Creator turned His face…In agony, He drove out the progenitors of the human race (Gen. 3:23-24).

But God was still rich in grace.

Second Adam: Death to Life

As Jesus drank the entire cup of God’s holy and just wrath against sin, He, in turn, was offering the cup of salvation in the New Covenant, which is in His blood (Luke 22:14-23). All the justice and righteousness of God was satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 5:6-11).

So the apostle Paul wrote in His letter to the Romans:

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, have now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:6-10)

So through Christ’s complete death we may receive complete life in Him. Christ’s death was the pathway to life.

Suddenly the moment of agony and silence is complete. The cup of death and wrath and judgment is empty. Jesus the Son cries out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

And so Christ can proclaim in His last breath, “It is finished.”

Paid in full.

Sacrifice complete. (John 19:30)

Have you received the salvation from the cup of death, freely offered in the One who died for you and me?

[Scroll down and click on the play button to listen to the audio message from our Good Friday service at North Park Baptist Church. (Begins with a scripture reading from John 19)]

FOOTNOTES (For the extra curious):

[1] We want to be very careful in interpreting the meaning and full extent of Christ’s death, so that in our zeal uncover rich truth we do not do violence against essential Trinitarian theology. John Piper provides some helpful restraints in understanding the full death Christ endured: “The forsakenness cannot mean, for example, that the eternal communion between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit was broken. God could not cease to be triune. Neither could it mean that the Father ceased to love the Son: especially not here, and not now, when the Son was offering the greatest tribute of filial piety that the Father had ever received. Nor again could it mean that the Holy Spirit had ceased to minister to the Son. He had come down upon him at his baptism not merely for one fleeting moment, but to remain on him (John 1:32), and he would be there to the last as the eternal Spirit through whom the Son offered himself to God (Hebrews 9:14). And finally, the words are not a cry of despair. Despair would have been sin. Even in the darkness God was, “My God,” and though there was no sign of him, and though the pain obscured the promises, somewhere in the depths of his soul there remained the assurance that God was holding him. What was true of Abraham was truer still of Jesus: Against all hope, he in hope believed (Romans 4:18). . . .

…Yet, with all these qualifiers, this was a real forsaking. Jesus did not merely feel forsaken. He was forsaken; and not only by his disciples, but by God himself. It was the Father who had delivered him up to Judas, to the Jews, to Pilate, and finally to the cross itself. And now, when he had cried, God had closed his ears….” From http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-have-you-forsaken-me

[2] One of my seminary professors, the late Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost delineated this further during class discussion: “The consequence of sin is spiritual death. The One assuming the obligation to pay this debt had to pay it to the full. Christ could not save us by being simply crucified to the Cross. His physical death would have only been a token payment. The indebtedness would not have been canceled. . . . The separation of the Son was an eternal separation of the Father – not related to time, but related to kind. This was the separation of an eternal One within the realm of an instance in time. In the Incarnation, Christ did not give up His glory or lay aside His deity. But His glory was veiled. The veil in the Temple was not to keep man out of the Temple, but to allow a holy God to dwell amongst the people without destroying them with His searing presence. By this [Christ’s complete sacrificial death] we are as acceptable to God as His Son is. God could impute and impart the righteousness of Christ…” (from BE446, Dallas Theological Seminary). In other words, because Christ is eternal, this momentary “separation” (though I do not mean a division of the perfect Trinitarian communion) paid the debt of our eternal separation from God.

P.S. Click on the play button below or subscribe to our iTunes podcast channel to hear a Scripture reading from John 19 and my devotional message (“The Cup of Death”), delivered on Friday evening, April 3rd, 2015 at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids.

No Longer Indestructible

Posted by Michael Breznau on 7:47 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Pain and Suffering, Podcast, Sermons | 2 comments

Tears welled up in my eyes. Fear raced across my mind. Anxiety tightened my heart. I never thought it would come to this. Not at thirty-one years of age. Not now… not ever! Never did I dream I’d be pushed along in a wheelchair into the triage unit of a large ER department… in order to evaluate ongoing chest pain that had bothered me for more than four weeks.

The eerie chimes of a dozen heart and respiratory monitors echoed through the hallway as the attendant quickly wheeled me into a room. I could hear Stephanie’s footsteps quietly shuffling along behind me. As they eased me onto a stretcher and began taping me up with wires for the EKG test, I glanced at my wife’s worried countenance. Her lovely eyes were overwhelmed with distress.

My mind was screaming, “Why me? Why now? I need to be the strong, indestructible Michael I’ve always been… my wife and children and church are depending on me! Why is this happening to me now, God?!”

Charging the Mountain

Life has always been my mountain to climb, my hill to charge. My mom still jokes around about how I was ready to take over the world as soon as I grew out of my crib. Apparently you can be a junior Napoléon in diapers, too, because they never seemed to slow me down.

When I was six or seven years old, I built a small wooden, foam-board plane in my parent’s basement (with about 2 boxes of 10-penny nails). I then secretly dragged it up on top of the garage roof and readied it for flight with a neighbor kid. I recall my mom frantically stopping us just before we launched our first “take off.” What a bummer.

However, she didn’t prevent us from crashing my plane to the ground from the utmost heights of our backyard jungle gym. Sheesh… that was sort of hard on my ribcage.

If a tree appeared climbable, it didn’t matter how tall it was – I would race to the highest “safe” branch. And not once but at least three or four times I fell down, limb from limb… without any broken bones.

If I was mountain biking, the most advanced trail was the only viable option for me. If was I running in a race, I wouldn’t be pleased unless I knew I had push past all mental and physical barriers to utilize every ounce of endurance I could muster. When operating my landscape business, maintaining the status quo was also never an option – we had to be the most efficient, professional, and highly skilled company in town.

Ministry Mountain

My inner drive naturally translated over into numerous ministry activities where my mustang approach to projects was happily applauded. Throughout my college and seminary education I always had to strive for an A-grade… in every single class. If I was preaching, witnessing, teaching, or leading music, I was always working toward the never quite attainable goal of perfection and success.

When I met my lovely Stephanie, I wanted our relationship to be done in just the right way, following all the specific rules that had been handed down by a plethora of “this for that” Christian relationship guidebooks.

And, by and large, my life hummed along looking rather extraordinary. My list of achievements continued to grow. Yet, just maybe, my longing for control, which was rooted deep down in my pride, was also beginning to grow. Now, I wasn’t necessarily trying to control other people, I just wanted to know that I was in control of me – my surroundings, circumstances, and success. Oh sure, I would say that my strength was in Christ alone, that He alone saves, and that all I am and ever hope to be is only by His grace.

But we can be so easily fooled by the words that come from our own mouths. We think because we spoke what we know is true to others, that it must also automatically be what we believe and practice as truth. Verbally professing what is true doesn’t always indicate someone is sincerely believing and living in the truth. A pastor can preach true words with passion yet be failing to faithfully live in the truth with conviction.

And for many, it often isn’t a major moral blowout, a crash into financial embezzlement, or a shocking DUI on an expressway. No, it’s the insidious drive toward self-sufficiency and pride that often grows sharp, destructive branches in the hearts of most people – people like me.  

Re: Learning

But every once in a while, in the mercy and providence of God, He sees fit to gently but firmly hit me over the head with the proverbial 2 X 4. And ironically, I most often have to relearn the lesson I thought I already learned through a previous season of pain or difficulty. I guess it’s my thick, German-Czechoslovakian skull. Ahem.

…When I returned from a five-week mission trip to India (05’-06’) with a semi-paresis of my upper-superior laryngeal nerve [read the whole story here] – God taught me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. By His undeserved love, my vocal nerves healed after a gut wrenching, tear-jerking ten months of learning to wait, pray, and trust.

…When our son Hudson nearly died from Pertussis (the “Whooping Cough”) at just three weeks old (read the story here) – God taught me the reality of His presence through the Spirit and His people when I doubted whether He really had a good plan or even saw what we were going through. After five “code blue” sessions and eleven days at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, God brought us home and Hudson has been healthier than a horse ever since.

…When Stephanie suffered not just one or two, but five miscarriages we cried ourselves to sleep and prayed through our tears – God taught us that Jesus the Son weeps with us and that He is the Hope for our tears. And still… we wait.

Crawling…

These are just a few of the valleys we’ve journeyed through over nearly the last ten years, but I’m sure you’ve walked through pain and difficulty, too. Maybe you started reading this story because you were looking for answers or comfort for the anxiety or sorrow that’s ripping through your life right now.

Perhaps you lost your job and the mountain of bills is caving in on you. Maybe a terminal illness is eroding the strength from your body or tearing a loved one away from you. Perhaps the stress of an adult child choosing to run from God and straight toward the seduction of sin is squeezing at your throat. Maybe your spouse slammed the door in your face and shouted the word you never thought you would hear: divorce.

And sometimes all we can do is crawl…and wait…and trust…and hope.

But I want to run. I’ve always wanted to charge ahead and deliver solutions to my problems. I want to take the “bull by the horns” and win. I innately want to meet the expectations I have for myself and all the expectations others may have for me, as well. So my natural response to problems or difficulty is to work more, try harder, and probably sleep less.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I believe God wired me with high-octane energy and an inner drive for a reason. A strong work ethic is God-glorifying (2 Thess. 3:10-13). Laboring to provide for your family is a God-given responsibility (1 Tim. 5:8). However, I so easily resort to my control over a problem or issue that I forget about the complete control of He who first gave me life and breath.

You Can Do Nothing

But what must I do when I am longer the superman I thought I was? What will happen when people start to see the cracks and leaks in my pottery shell? When the “indestructible Michael” is no longer so indestructible? These are the questions that coursed through my mind as a nurse strapped on my medical wristband.

I could have resisted the protocols that required me to immediately sit down in a wheelchair. But instead I quietly agreed. I could do nothing but sit…and wait. I was forced to be completely reliant on the medical personnel as they wheeled me back into the Wege Chest Pain Center, here in Grand Rapids.

As they rolled me along toward my room, my eyes filled with tears. Yet then God reminded me of a verse from the very passage I was planning to preach that coming Sunday:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

For at least several months, I had been working more and trying harder to solve problems, resolve challenges, and reconcile issues at home and in ministry. But God in His kindness would not let me just apply the text to others – He wanted me to live His truth right now. Even though I thought I had learned the stupidity and fruitlessness of living out my own self-sufficiency, I realized those sharp, insidious branches were spreading yet again.

I had not been necessarily looking to control others, but I was working like superman to control me – my surroundings, circumstances, and success. Through the noise, I again heard the words, “…apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5b).

Jesus didn’t say, “Apart from me you can do some things or a few things.” He didn’t say, “I’ll take care of some of the big things while you work on all the little stuff.” Nor did He say, “Do you want to abide in Me? Okay, then work more, try harder, and sleep less – because it’s better to burn out than rust out.”

No, Jesus said that a life that glorifies God is only possible through Him. A life aligned with His purposes only comes by depending completely on His life. A fruit-bearing life is only possible through abiding in Jesus Christ. But how does this work? What does it really mean to “abide” in Christ? Jesus explains:

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:9-10)

Through receiving the life of Christ by grace through faith, we have been brought into a love-relationship through which we can rest in the perfect, loyal, covenant-love of the Savior. And as He abides in the Father’s love, so we abide in His love. Nothing will ever change God’s love for us because we are in union with Christ the Son. Yet in the same way the Son has love for the Father, His love toward us also fills us with love for Him. Our abiding, resting, and remaining in Christ, draws us to respond with believing, loving obedience to His commands. And through our loving obedience to Christ, as we abide in His life and love, the Father is “glorified” – made known and revealed through our lives (John 15:7-8). This is the “fruit” of a life abiding in Jesus Christ.

What is the ultimate result of abiding in Christ? True and lasting joy. Jesus promises:

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11)

Back to the Noise

Yet somehow I lost view of Him – His sufficient life and love – in the middle of my problems and challenges. I kept pushing and running and working in order to achieve some fruitfulness in ministry and resolution to my current challenges.

When the nurse asked if I could get myself out of the wheelchair and onto the stretcher, I choked out a feeble, “yes,” not because I couldn’t breathe but because God was getting my attention. Even the step onto the stretcher I could not do without Him and His life. How foolish I was to think I could solve all my husband, daddy, and pastor challenges on my own.

Suddenly there was peace. I knew why God had me on this stretcher – I probably wouldn’t have slowed down and shut-up any other way. All the pressing needs of the day that were worrying me just moments before simply vanished from sight.

Through the incessant noise of heart monitors, Christ gripped my heart again with His sustaining life and love.

I’m learning again…that all fruit-bearing, Christ-exalting ministry comes out of an intimate abiding relationship in Jesus Christ.

I’m listening again… to Christ’s words of love and comfort in the middle of my stress.

I’m resting again… in the fact that He is always working and loving even when I’m sleeping.

I’m joyful again… because Jesus, the risen Savior-Messiah-King, graciously got my attention, reminding me that He is always with me and in me, and always completely trustworthy to take care of my problems and difficulties.

After a couple of hours waiting, the physician told us the EKG, blood tests, and chest x-rays showed no signs of heart trouble – I was all clear to return home. But they did say my chest pain might be caused be stress or anxiety, or some infection in my chest wall area. Interesting. Yet Christ’s rest and peace had already arrived before the test results. Through this incident now eight days ago (3-13-15), He got my attention and I knew He already knew how the tests would turn out… either way He would be with me with His unstoppable love and life.

Many stories don’t end this way in our fallen world. But regardless of how your story is unfolding, Jesus Christ is calling you and me to find His life and love sufficient for your life, so that your joy will be full through the pain, issues, or difficulty your facing.

So I’m praying through His vignette in my life that He is made known in power and grace and truth… to you.

UPDATE 3.26.2015: My follow-up visit with our primary care physician went very well yesterday. He confirmed the hospital’s diagnosis that there is, in fact, no indication of cardiac trouble. In his words, “your heart condition looks perfect.” However, elements of stress and anxiety build-up, coupled with some out-of-place joints in my back and ribcage, likely resulted in the chest pain I experienced. On a personal level, I am much relieved by this diagnosis and, interestingly, have had little to no chest pain since my visit to the ER on 3.13.15. So thankful to the Lord…

In God’s Vineyard,

     Michael

P.S. Click on the play button below or subscribe to our iTunes podcast channel to hear my full message from John 15:1-27 (“A Life Not Wasted”), delivered on Sunday morning, March, 15, 2015 at North Park Baptist Church of Grand Rapids.