more and more, not less and less

Every year about this time -- Kentucky Derby season -- I'm reminded that we believers are to be about more and more, rather than less and less. That is, we are to keep on keeping on with greater faithfulness (not less), rather than looking for reasons to do less and less.

The race in this life is not over until it's over. We are not to set the cruise control and coast along without aspiration to finishing well.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers...

"...may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you." (1 Thessalonians 3:12 ESV)

"...we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more." (4:1)

"...you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more..." (4:9-10)

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (5:23)

Which means, as we walk with the Lord, and grow in him, there should be more faith (not less), more love (not less), and more obedience (not less).

Also, the longer we walk with the Lord the greater is the temptation to feel that we no longer have need of those disciplines that "got us off the ground." So, we cut back on dedicated times of prayer, on the study of Scripture (reading and memorization, too), and on intentional outreach to the people around us. We may feel like we no longer need some of the accountability that church, small groups, and mentoring gives us. We've been there, done that.

We should think of the Christian life, which is a race (2 Timothy 4:7), as being like the races that the young thoroughbred, Secretariat, ran in 1973. He was the Triple Crown winner that year, setting several unbroken records.

In the Kentucky Derby that year, Secretariat ran each quarter-mile segment faster than the one before it. The successive quarter-mile times were 25.2, 24.0, 23.8, 23.4, and 23.0 seconds. This means he was still accelerating as of the final quarter mile of the race. Down the stretch Secretariat was running 49 mph.

In the last of the three races, the Belmont Stakes (above, the longest of the triple crown races, being a mile and a half in length) Secretariat opened a 1/16-mile lead on the rest of the field, but at the finish won by 31 lengths. He ran the fastest 1.5 miles on dirt in history with an average speed of 37.5 mph for his entire performance.

Now there's an example of "more and more" for us to follow!

clement quotes hebrews

Clement of Rome wrote to the church in Corinth around AD 90. This is perhaps the same Clement, companion of Paul, mentioned in Philippians 4:3. Many hold him to be the first bishop / pope in Rome, aka St. Clement I. Clement quotes from the letter to the Hebrews. Origin suggested that Clement was in fact the writer (as transcriber or amanuensis) of Hebrews. Perhaps this letter began as a "word of exhortation" given by Paul at the synagogue (Heb 13:22; cf Acts 13:15) which then became a circular letter for the churches. Other possible authors of Hebrews include Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos. The theology is Pauline, but the transcriber is obviously second-generation (Heb. 2:3-4). At any rate, this early church leader in Rome, is already quoting Hebrews in his letter in AD 90: CHAPTER 36 ALL BLESSINGS ARE GIVEN TO US THROUGH CHRIST This is the way, beloved, in which we find our Savior, even Jesus Christ, the High Prie...

Howard Hendricks on OT books chronology

When I was in seminary, Howard Hendricks (aka "Prof") gave us a little card with the books of the OT chronologically arranged. The scanned copy I have was a bit blurry and I wanted to make something like this available for our church class in OT theology ("Story of Redemption"). A few minor edits and here it is...

a brief history of bcf

Blacksburg Christian Fellowship, or BCF as it is popularly known, was founded in November 1969. Prior to this time several families had been meeting for Bible study and prayer, with a particular concern that the Lord raise up an effective biblical ministry to the students of the Virginia Tech campus. Growing from these meetings, the Lord led them to begin a public ministry on Sunday mornings. The Wesley Foundation agreed to the rental of their facilities, and the first meeting was held in November 1969, with about 30 people in attendance. Since the first meeting BCF has been greatly blessed by the Lord and has seen a steady growth in ministry and in numbers. Two other local churches were formed in part from BCF. In 1974 the Lord led Houston Couch, who at that time was an Elder in BCF, to leave and start Dayspring Christian Fellowship. In 1980 Max Harris, who was a regular attender at BCF, was encouraged by the Elders and members to start a ministry which has now become Grace Cov...

my burg

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