Ben Zornes

Living and Dying to Show the Preciousness of Christ

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Much More than Emotion

Much More than Emotion

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David’s famous Psalm of repentance contains this lovely phrase, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation lightstock_79852_xsmall_user_5740715(Psa 51:12a).” I have found that Christians often apply this verse after assessing their inward emotional condition and concluding that their emotions are out of whack, and therefore something must be wrong; so they pray out “restore to me the joy of my salvation.”

The problem is that we as humans are prone to mistake emotional vibes for authentic joy. One is entirely subjective the other is divinely objective. When we are assessing our spiritual life (which we ought often to do, see Phi. 2:12 & 2 Cor. 13:5), we must never inspect it on the basis of our own light and understanding. The glory of God alone, in the face of Christ, through his revealed Word is the only light bright enough to pierce through all of our emotional log-jams and show us the truth about ourselves. [Read more…] about Much More than Emotion

The Rebellion of Trailblazing

The Rebellion of Trailblazing

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These verses from Matthew’s gospel ought to remain ever fresh in the believer’s mind and heart: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Mat 7:13-14).” In each generation, Christians must determine to enter the strait gate and walk the narrow way; however, our Enemy is quite cunning and though the Word makes clear what his craftiness looks like, we are still often duped.

Think of it this way, as history rolls along, and God continues to build and grow His kingdom and as His purposes ripen, we are also sure to be tempted by Satan with old lies in seemingly new packages. Two hundred years ago for instance, fornication looked very different in one sense, and very similar in another sense; it still looked like improper use of one’s sexuality, but today it looks more like a smutty website, and perhaps less like a brothel in London’s East End. The sin and temptation are much the same, the package is different. [Read more…] about The Rebellion of Trailblazing

Worship as Taunt

Worship as Taunt

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In a time when the enemies of Christ seem to be advancing, and the Church seems to be either running for the hills or betraying her Lord, the true saint can often be discouraged and tempted to despair. This is indeed an alluring response to perilous times, but I think we can learn the proper response from one of David’s Psalms.

What Worship Leaders used to look like.
What Worship Leaders used to look like.

A real problem has emerged as a result of the “modern worship” movement, and that is that we have mindlessly accepted songs such as this as acceptable for corporate and individual worship in the life of the saints:

Find me here at Your feet again everything I am, reaching out, I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance on the wings of forever [Read more…] about Worship as Taunt

He Will Answer

He Will Answer

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One of the most troubling things a believer faces during trials of the soul or circumstance, is the sense that lightstock_57761_xsmall_user_5740715all their prayers, petitions and cries aren’t making it past the roof. We know that this experience is one that is universal for all believers throughout all the ages. This can be an incredible burden on the soul, and I think this is one of the most revealing ways which God uses to show the genuineness of our faith.

It is easy to praise God when the answer to our prayer comes swiftly. But what about when He tarries? What about when the circumstances grow darker, rather than lighter? What about when prayer seem useless? What about when heaven seems silent? I believe this is where true faith shines, and where the real genuineness of one’s devotion to Christ and His Word is proven. [Read more…] about He Will Answer

Guarding & Gardening

Guarding & Gardening

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God told Adam to “dress and keep” the garden. The hebrew word for “keep” is shamar. It means to guard, 3359670074_7ba7662fa4_b (1)defend, watch, preserve, protect. A Gardener must “keep” a garden and this means he must be watchful against weeds and pests that would harm the garden; but also it infers a careful tending to the actual plants of the garden. The word is also used in reference to “keeping” a flock, which again would mean watching against a wolf, and taking good care of the sheep.

The word shamar is used 450+ times in the Old Testament and is translated as keep (283x), observe (46x), heed (35x), keeper (28x), preserve (21x), beware (9x), mark (8x), watchman (8x), wait (7x), watch (7x), regard (5x), or save (2x). This word is used over and over again throughout the Old Testament; and in Psalm 119 alone it is used 21 times!  [Read more…] about Guarding & Gardening

The Consequences of Repentance

The Consequences of Repentance

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The goddess Diana
The goddess Diana

An often unforeseen result of preaching a Gospel which demands repentance is that it is certain to cause discomfort to our current way of living. We need to understand that repentance is the first domino to fall, but it isn’t the last. When either an individual or a society repent, we need to understand that repentance is only the first tremors of the earthquake and that there is more shaking to be done down the line! Simply put, when a man repents of his sinful and idolatrous ways and confesses his faith in the One True God, and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, he is turning his back on one way of living, and embracing an entirely new way of living. This is as much as saying repentance has consequences.

One biblical example of what I’m referring to is the fellow named Demetrius, an Ephesian, that we are told about in Acts 19. Demetrius was a silversmith (Acts 19:24) and by all accounts a pretty good one; and also, it would seem, rather a mover and shaker in the whole silversmithing business. His specialty was making silver shrines of the goddess Diana. As Paul was lingering in Ephesus (preparing for his return to Jerusalem), and as a result of other preachers who had come through that city, a vibrant church was beginning. These believers, as a result of their repentance, were forsaking the worship of the false goddess Diana. [Read more…] about The Consequences of Repentance

A Boon of Strength

A Boon of Strength

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One of the great battles for many believers is the assurance of their salvation. The fluctuations of our feelings, the failures we see in our life, the all-too-often lack of passion for the things of God, the accusing voice of Satan all mingle together to confuse and confound the saint. Bunyan, who knew this battle for assurance intimately, dedicated a short passage of his famous “PilgriSorrowm’s Progress” to this battle.

I took notice that now poor Christian was so confounded, that he did not know his own voice; and thus I perceived it. Just when he was come over against the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and stepped up softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind. This put Christian more to it than anything that he met with before, even to think that he should now blaspheme him that he loved so much before; yet, if he could have helped it, he would not have done it; but he had not the discretion either to stop his ears, or to know from whence these blasphemies came.

[Read more…] about A Boon of Strength

Ben Zornes