So “why Catalyst,” you ask?

Posted by Rod Hamilton

There are plenty of things I could have called this blog, and some would be quite clever. But I have found over the last 7-8 years that if I could categorize “worship” as anything other than worship, I would call it a catalyst for change. Worshiping God is serious stuff, and to do so demands a lot from us in our lives. It demands a life truly set apart. It demands daily walking with our God. It demands a level of forgiveness that the world cannot understand. It demands a sincere level of humility that doesn’t take credit for any of the good things that we do, but bears the burden of accountability for our words and deeds.

One definition of the word “catalyst” is: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. Speaking from life experience, aside from the initial giving of myself to Christ, nothing else precipitated change in my life like the act of worship has and continues to do. In fact, through the Worship Ministry at Valley View, I have seen many lives changed by the simple act of a person’s giving his/her time and talent back to the One Who gave it in the first place. This is the stuff that precipitates radical change.

I encourage you to check in from time to time at this blog and see what’s going on at Valley View. I also encourage you to visit our church if you aren’t currently plugged in somewhere else. If you are a Valley View person and know that God has gifted you in worship, I encourage you to get involved in the worship ministry and I challenge you to view your involvement not as a new activity, but as a link to God in a way that will change your life.

Train up your child.

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Feb 03, 2010

It seems that the longer I live - and it is becoming longer everyday - that I learn more about how to “train up” my children. A good lesson was taught to me last year by a man whom I respect very much, when he mentioned, in passing, The Heidelberg Catechism. It was a certain thing that he said that caught my attention; it was this: “...and that’s how Christians taught their children 500 years ago.” Out of sheer admiration for this man and his faith, I decided to explore exactly what that meant. For starters, I’ve come up through pretty contemporary Christian channels via the Church Growth Movement (CGM), and seriously, a catechism was something that I knew some Catholics used with their kids but it was not at all anything I understood Protestants to use. And to say the least, the CGM has left far behind many of the great practices and principles of The Reformation. Wow, how that partial sentence has changed the lives of my family and me!

A couple of months ago my wife began teaching our five year old daughter “The Catechism for Girls and Boys,” and just what she has learned, and what we all have learned, is astounding. When you study a Protestant Catechism, the first thing you learn is that this whole faith thing ain’t really about us! It’s about a mighty God Who created us with some expectations, and a Catechism teaches those expectations and formalizes a system of theology not just for the young, but for the old as well. Now, can a girl of 5 years old fully understand all that she is reciting? No, but that’s not really the issue. What is developing is a lens, and as she enters into an age of critical thinking, she will read and understand her Bible through that lens. Why is that important? In a world so inundated with different doctrines, where so often all doctrines are accepted as equal, she will grow to recognize heresy and poor teaching when she reads it and hears it.

Proverbs 22:6 exhorts us to “train up a child in the way that he should go” with an understanding that “when he is old he will not depart from it.” It is of premium importance that we (particularly fathers) plant solid doctrine in our homes by employing solid biblical practices in the area of teaching and understanding our Bibles as well as using other tried and true methods to reinforce those things. The Catechism for Girls and Boys is the best tool I have found.

Here are the first ten questions/answers. They become more challenging as you work through them. Trust me; if you are interested in teaching your child this way, he or she is highly capable of learning this way.

1.Q. Who made you?
A. God made me (Gn 1:26, 27; 2:7; Ec 12:1; Acts 17:24-29).

2.Q. What else did God make?
A. God made all things (Gn 1, esp. verses 1, 31; Acts 14:15; Rm 11:36; Col 1:16).

3.Q. Why did God make you and all things?
A. For his own glory (Ps 19:1; Jer 9:23, 24; Rv 4:11; 4:15).

4.Q. How can you glorify God?
A. By loving him and doing what he commands (Ec 12:13; Mk 12:29-31; In 15:8-10; 1 Cor 10:31).

5.Q. Why ought you to glorify God?
A. Because he made me and takes care of me (Rm 11:36; Rv 4:11; cf. Dan 4:39).

6.Q. Are there more gods than one?
A. There is only one God (Deut 6:4; Jer 10:10; Mk 12:29; Acts 17:22-31).

7.Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. In three persons (Mt 3:16, 17; Jn 5:23; 10:30; 14:9, 10; 15:26; 16:13-15; 1 In 5:20, 2 In 9; Rv 1:4, 5).

8.Q. Who are they?
A. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20, 21).

9.Q. Who is God?
A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men (Jn 4:24; 2 Cor 3:17; 1 Tim 1:17).

10.Q. Where is God?
A. God is everywhere (Ps 139:7-12; Jer 23:23,24; Acts 17:27,28).

Another book suggestion? Sure. “Minority Report” by Carl Trueman

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Oct 12, 2009

I bought a few great books a week or so ago from one of my favorite sources, Monergism.com. While I’m currently reading a couple of them, I wanted to go ahead and recommend this one right now: “Minority Report” by Carl Trueman.

Trueman is a professor and Dean of Faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary. The book, as the subtitle reads, addresses “unpopular thoughts on everything from ancient Christianity to zen-Calivinism.” It’s a thought provoking, vocabulary developing read. I particularly appreciate Trueman’s thoughts on postmodernism as it relates to church and on the necessity of church history and doctrine, despite the current railings against each of these.

Here’s an excerpt that, I believe, does a great job of identifying a poor attempt on the part of some to cater to a style that has no substance:

“Now, when one approaches the major texts of postmodern evangelicalism and asks what they are saying, the answer is exciting: they claim they are opening up radical new directions for theology; but when one approaches the same texts and asks what they are doing, the answer is somewhat more prosaic. Far from pointing to new ways of doing theology, these texts are on the whole appropriating an admittedly new idiom, that of postmodernism, in order to accomplish a very traditional and time-honored task: they are articulating a doctrinally minimal, anti-metaphysical “mere Christianity.” Like pouting teenagers in pre-torn designer jeans and Che Guevera tee-shirts, they look angry and radical but are really as culturally conformist and conservative as a tall latte from Starbuck’s.”

That is an amazing passage to me, but it won’t strike everyone that way. If postmodernism is simply a matter of personal taste and attire, we’re going to find ourselves bending to the constantly shifting sands of culture, even as it sifts right through our fingers. I appreciate good writing by smart people, but I appreciate so much more the perfect word of God written through men who were inspired by God’s Spirit - perfect and infallible. Isaiah 55:10-11 says “"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

I’m am so very grateful to God that despite my best efforts to sing and speak to bring glory to Him, it is His word that will always be that which does the work!

Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Sep 21, 2009

I have been reading, off and on, a fairly quick read by John MacArthur called Twelve Ordinary Men. This book is a must read for anyone desiring to know more not only about the 12 disciples, but also about God’s call in our ordinary lives. Check it out!

Yet another good book….

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Jul 29, 2009

I make it a point to read books that are known to be good books; books by theologians and thinkers who are known to be good theologians and good thinkers. I don’t take too many risks on books, mostly because I don’t have much time to invest in experimental concepts, but also because I’m fairly boring. If I’m going to go out and spend a lot of money on food, I’ll typically go to a restaurant that is known to be worth the bucks. I feed myself the same spiritually, I guess you could say.

So what I just finished “eating” this morning is a book by A.W. Tozer called The Knowledge of the Holy.  It’s a great book that deals primarily in the areas of the character of God and our typically low view of God. I highly recommend this book.

A good book I just finished: “The Holinesss of God” by RC Sproul

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Jul 09, 2009

Could it really be that the biggest problem plaguing our churches today - the very root of the cause of our declining numbers and ever increasing ineffectiveness - is due to a lack recognition of the holiness of God? I thought so before reading this book and much more so after reading it. As is the case with anything most anything RC Sproul writes or preaches, this book will challenge you to a higher view of God, and to be frank, I realize more everyday how low my view of God, His sovereignty and His grace, at times can be.

So today it occurred to me…..

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Jul 08, 2009

Today it occurred to me that though fully trusting God is never easy, trusting God when it’s just God and me is easier than trusting God through somebody else. The greatest part of that revelation? I ask somebody everyday to trust God through me. That’s a lot to ask, I think.

Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Jul 02, 2009

Paul said that had it not been for the Law (The 10 Commandments) he could not have known sin. (Romans 7:7) I would also contend that aside from a knowledge of the Law we cannot understand God’s grace at all. A simple litmus test for both of these thoughts would be to ask many non-Christian if they are “saved.” A very common response from that person would be to ask “saved from what?” While I might at first take that response as sarcasm, further investigation would lead me to a better understanding of the question “saved from what?”

In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul tells the church at Corinth that “the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” So, if a person who does not know Jesus does not see the need to be “saved” we ought to fully understand that they can’t see the need to be saved. Apart from the Law they will not EVER repent because they cannot EVER understand the point in repenting. Though a person may struggle with addictions, marital issues, anger management issues, financial issues or gender identity issues, none of this is a reason to get saved. The bible is clear that Jesus died as the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 2:2) He satisfied the debt that we owed God for our sins. Though He can and does cure our diseases and our habits, hurts and hang-ups, He paid the debt on the cross for our sins so that we would have life everlasting through reconciliation to God so that we would not perish (aka go to hell).

Until a person has a real meeting with the Lord of All he is dead in his sin. Have you ever tried to talk to a dead person? Trust me, the conversation is all one way up to the point that someone catches you trying, then it can get a little weird! Seriously, dead people can’t hear, they can’t talk, they can’t react and they cannot respond. They can only be dead. The great news comes to us in Ephesians 2:4-5 when Paul writes “but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” “Even” when we were dead. I can’t talk to dead people and be heard and neither can you. But Jesus, Who is able to do all things, has the ability to bring the dead back to life. Consider the story of Lazarus and of the little dead girl whose mother brought her to Jesus. Both of these were literally brought back to life. Only Jesus can do that, and only Jesus can speak life into those of us who are dead in our transgressions.

Whoa! This post could go on forever, but I can’t let it. All of this is to say two things: 1) we must rely on God’s Law to reveal sin in our life and to point us toward the need for salvation and 2) we must rely on Christ alone to do the saving work by breathing life into the repentant sinner.

What you and I who are saved must do is speak the gospel into the lives of the dead and allow Jesus to bring those whom He will to salvation. Wow, that sounds so easy, huh?

And the two shall become one, uh, flesh?

Posted by Rod Hamilton on Jun 03, 2009

So what does it take to please your god? My God is pleased with me because I have faith in Him. Other gods, not so much. Here’s a story from Bangladesh about some Hindus who have some interesting ways to petition their false god. (one of millions of gods they recognize, by the way). Frog Wedding

So, what exactly would a frog wedding look like? What about the vows? What sort of gifts do you give frogs? “Mr and Mrs. Frog, on behalf of the people of our village and in honor of your marriage, we would like to bestow upon you this bag of house flies.” What kind of scene is that anyway? Can you imagine 250 people gathering for the wedding ceremony. Do you dress up for that occasion? What do the bride and groom wear? Is dancing allowed at a frog wedding reception because it isn’t at a Baptist one, you know. I find the whole scenario ribbitting....riveting.

So many questions I have about this thing. Can you imagine how busy you would be trying to petition as many as 300 million gods for this or that as the Hindus do. I’m grateful that my faith pleases my God and that without faith it is impossible to please Him.