Getting ready to board a flight to India's holiest city - Varanasi...where Hindus go to die. We will spending a day and a night there. So far, we have seen the work of the Gospel. Now we are preparing to see the work of the Evil One. Keep praying!

Gospel Growth in Lucknow

The most populous province in North India is Uttar Pradesh. We journeyed to it's capital city, Lucknow. The inhabitants are 60% Hindu and 40% Muslim making this city one of the most heavily populated Muslim cities in India. But the Gospel is advancing. At the Lucknow training center, we spent the morning and afternoon with 9 students who have been saved from around the province and are now being trained for church planting and evangelism ministry by a two men sent out by DBI. I an excited to return home with their stories.


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Location:Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Wow! Just returned to Dehli from a day-long trip to Derahdun. Amazing work going on there in the foothills of the Himalayas. I am unable to post pics at this time. Hopefully, I will be able to very soon. Catching a flight in 4 hours to Lucknow. I'll keep you posted!

Great day of worship and fellowship! Now we are preparing for an overnight train ride to Derahdun. We were told that few things compare to the "adventure" that awaits us on this train. Please pray for our safety. Also, pray that as we plunge deeper into this spiritual frontier that our hearts would be broken and our eyes would be opened to the greatness of God's plan and the majesty of His glorious love. We miss our church family at Immanuel as they will be worshipping on the Lord's day today!

Sunday Morning Worship in Dehli

We are beginning our worship of the Savior here at Bible Bhavan Christian Fellowship in Dehli. We are excited to be with Dr Shaw and the believers here.



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The morning of our first day in India, and we are preparing to join the believers at Bible Bhavan Fellowship here in New Dehli..."So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom...Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." Ps 90:12, 14

Whew! What a long time to be couped up in an aircraft! But we are here! We've landed and we are looking forward to being with Dr Shaw. Now pray that we can get over the jet lag...

Finally! We boarded...next update from Delhi...see you on the other side!

B.J. has been battling the stomach flu all day today...pray!

Flight delayed...just starting to board now, about an hour after we were supposed to depart

Manhattan Skyline

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Location:NYC

Heart Preparation

As I travel, I am always sure to bring along a good book or two (or three!). Books make for good travel companions when actual human beings (BJ in this case) are otherwise occupied (e.g., studying or snoring). I have brought along with me "Future Grace" by John Piper. Though I enjoy reading Piper, I haven't actually read this book yet. But Piper never fails to capture his reader's attention right from the get go. Check out this quote on pp. 9-10:

"Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. No one sins out of duty. We sin because it holds out some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us until we believe that God is more to be desired than life itself (Psalm 63:3). Which means that the power of sin's promise is broken by the power of God's. All that God promises to be for us in Jesus stands over against what sin promises to be for us without him."

What an earthshaking statement! God, please prepare my heart as I meditate on this biblical truth: "All that God promises to be for us in Jesus stands over against what sin promises to be for us without him."


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Location:Flight 734

And so it begins!

It's early in the morning on Friday, Oct 15...we are excited as we prepare for a long journey. We need your prayers! On a light note, we just wondered out loud how funny (not) it would be if we got food poisoning from food at the PHX airport terminal...Comment on this post and let me know what questions you have about India that you are interested in having answered.


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Follow Our Trip Through Northern India!

Pastor B.J. and I will be heading to India this week to spend 10 days with Dr. Isaac Shaw viewing firsthand the work of the Gospel as it is advancing in Northern India. I am hoping to be able to post regular updates about our travels here on my blog. We would love to have you praying for us! Download a copy of the special prayer calendar here.

Special Marriage Q & A for Wives

The following are general questions with general answers. Every situation is different. If one question touches on an issue for you and your marriage, and you have tried to approach him or feel uncomfortable approaching him, please talk with me. As your pastor, I am here to equip you and help you regardless of the situation.

1.       What if my husband isn’t submitting to the Lord?

This is a very broad question which to answer will require some clarification. Is your husband is a genuinely converted believer? As a Christian, how would your husband describe his spiritual growth and walk with the Lord? Is he sensitive to the things of the Lord? Is he humble and aware of his weaknesses and need for growth? Would he agree that he isn’t submitting to the Lord? What is the nature of his lack of submission? Is he refusing to yield to clear biblical commands? Are you interpreting a difference of opinion with him as a refusal to submit to the Lordship and will of Christ? Is the area or issue in question an issue of biblical principles or is it a question of expediency? If your husband is clearly not following biblical principles and/or commands, is he aware of it? Have you both discussed it? Is he willing to consider his lack of submission or is he unwilling to confront it? Generally, if your husband is a believer but refusing to submit to clear biblical instructions (for example, let’s say he is stealing from his company) and he is unwilling to talk about it or he is making excuses for his sinful behavior, then your responsibility to lovingly and confront him about it. As his wife, you should pray about the right time and right opportunity to bring up the issue. If this is where you are at, I recommend reading the following article: Hope for Troubled Marriages. Your focus should be on following Matthew 18 (see the article “About Church Discipline” for more information on applying Matthew 18). What if you don’t have any clear-cut evidence that he is not submitting to Christ? What if you just sense in him a growing ambivalence toward the Lord and the things of the Lord? Pray about it. Ask the Lord for wisdom and insight. If after prayer you still feel the same, talk to him about it. His response to a gentle, loving, and honest approach will tell you a lot about where he really is spiritually.

2.       What if my husband isn’t stepping up to take responsibility to lead?

First of all, don’t get discouraged! Pray for him. Love him. Encourage him. Resist the urge to take the lead. He needs to know how you feel and specifically where and how he needs to be a spiritual leader. There are right and wrong ways to do this, of course. The following article offers great advice: A Word to Wives Who Desire Husbands to Lead Spiritually. Your job is to encourage and help him to lead without manipulating him or giving up on him.

3.       What if I am naturally the better leader?

You might very well be a naturally more gifted leader than he. But remember, capability doesn’t always equal calling! God called you to come under his leadership regardless of his natural giftedness or skill in leading. But also remember that good leaders know how to be good followers. Leadership is influence. As his helper, you are called to influence him toward godly leadership. As hard as it may be to fight off the temptation to assume command, you must rely on the grace of God to help you rechannel your energy into helping him lead.

4.       What if he lacks wisdom and discernment in making good choices?

It is likely that one or both of you have made some really poor choices during your marriage. Perhaps he has made a series of bad calls. Maybe he has absolutely blown every major decision that he has had to make. If this is true, then you have undoubtedly been affected by the results of these poor choices and you don’t want that to happen again. I understand. But remember Matthew 18:21-35. To the degree that you have experienced forgiveness, you need to forgive. To the degree that God has shown you love and mercy, you also need to show your husband love and mercy. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t need to grow in the area of wisdom and discernment. It just means that in order for him to grow, he is going to need to have more opportunities to learn (and fail) in this area. Pray for him to grow in wisdom. Encourage him to gather advice and input from other wise and spiritually mature believers (Prov. 11:14; 24:6). Talk to him constructively about some of the decisions that you think could have been handled better. Give him advice without being contrarian and without being disrespectful (Eph. 5:33). Offer up a different point of view and help him to think through the likely results and consequences of the choices ahead of both of you. If the matter is not one of biblical principle but rather personal preference of expediency and, after listening to your advice, goes a different way that you would have gone, you still must support him. Remember, God will hold him responsible for his decisions and leadership of the family.

5.       What if my husband doesn’t deserve respect?

Trust takes a long time to build in a marriage. But it can be lost in a moment. Husbands and wives must remember that their spouse’s trust is earned and is a precious treasure. Often in marriages, wives refuse to follow their husband’s lead because their husbands have squandered the trust and faith of their wives. Perhaps your husband has behaved in a way that has lost your respect. Perhaps he has broken your trust. If this is the case, then you are going to have a very hard time listening to him or yielding to him as a leader. If this is where you are, then you both need help. You need to talk to your pastor or a Christian counselor about it. But consider this: even if you feel he doesn’t deserve respect, God calls you to respect his position as head of the home. You are called to follow him “out of reverence for Christ”. You can’t change him; you can only control your own attitude and behavior. Remember that Jesus instructed people to respect their teachers though he clearly disagreed with them and had issues with their leadership (Matt. 23:1-3). This isn’t easy. It will require grace from God to obey the Lord. But God promises to provide all the grace we need (2 Cor. 9:8).

6.       What if my husband abuses his authority? Is there ever a time when it is right to refuse to submit to his authority?

If your husband ever asks you (or commands you) to do something that clearly violates biblical commands, then you are under no obligation whatsoever to follow his lead in this. In fact, your responsibility is to speak the truth in love to him and point out the problem. It is appropriate to respond by saying, “You have no right to command me to do this. I cannot follow you into obvious disobedience to the will of the Lord. I am asking you to reconsider your direction because you are headed where I am not allowed to follow.” If your husband abuses his authority by becoming abusive, verbally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually, you need to take action. First, you must be safe. If your husband physically assaults you or threatens to do so you need to get to safety immediately and/or contact the police. Domestic violence is a crime. God has established police and government to deal with this kind of behavior. It is NEVER permissible for either spouse to physically abuse their spouse or any other members of the family. The following article from Focus on the Family addresses the matter well: My Spouse is Abusive: What Do I Do? If you still have questions as to what constitutes physical, verbal, emotional, or spiritual abuse, please contact me. 

About Church Discipline

What is church discipline?
Church discipline, ultimately, is an extension of the church’s obligation to make disciples. God has instituted church disciple in order to bring about peace, harmony, and holiness in Christ’s body (1 Cor. 1:10; Gal. 5:22-26; Phil. 2:1-4; 4:2; James 3:18. Similarly, the discipline that parents administer is intended not only to address disobedience but to build sound character. Church discipline is necessary for the spiritual health of the individual members as well as the whole body. The church that fails to biblically practice discipline fails to protect Christ’s body against spiritual illness (1 Cor. 5:6-8; 11:27-32), subjects Christ’s reputation to slander (1 Cor. 5:1), and jeopardizes Christ’s work with ineffectiveness (Rev. 2:18-24).

Church discipline, on the other hand, is not punishment. Only God can punish. For believers, the punishment that sin deserves has already been carried out. Thankfully, our punishment was taken by the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross (Rom. 5:8). Now, standing in His grace, I am no longer under sin’s (or the Law’s) condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

Church discipline is taken up as a part of the church’s responsibility to disciple its members (Matt. 28:19-20). With discipline, a loving church seeks to lead a sinning believer to repentance (2 Thess. 3:14), literally “turn about” with regard to the sin. Discipline also helps the church to strengthen the faith of a sinning believer (Titus 1:13). This ministry of reconciliation ought to also be effective in restoring and helping to heal the spiritually disheartened (Heb. 12:10-13), encouraging them on to holiness. Further, church discipline can effect true restoration (Gal. 6:1-2) which in turn will bless the entire congregation.

Why practice church discipline?
The primary reason for the practice of church discipline is to facilitate reconciliation (Matt. 18:15). Sometimes that is reconciliation between two believers (Matt. 18:15-17). Sometimes it is reconciliation between a sinning believer and the whole church (2 Cor. 2:3-11). Sometimes it is reconciliation between a sinning believer and God (1 Cor. 5:1-8). The Lord has given to us the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). This is a difficult ministry but one which is immensely rewarding if faithfully pursued. Inevitably, calling others to reconcile with God or with one another requires that believers be confronted with their own sinful actions. This is not easy, but it is absolutely essential to the process of reconciliation.

What sins are deserving of church discipline?
Those sins which demonstrate a gross neglect of one’s own spiritual faith are the types of sin that usually will end up being matters of church discipline (i.e., 1 Cor. 5:11; Gal. 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-22; 2 Tim. 3:1-5). All believers are called upon to exercise self-discipline (Gal.5:23; cp. 1 Cor. 11:31). All should examine their own faith and put their spiritual life to the test (2 Cor. 13:5). When believers see an area in their lives (or when it is brought to their attention by others) that is displeasing to the Lord they ought to know how and they ought to be motivated to confront it, repent of it, and replace the unrighteous behavior with righteousness (Rom. 6:11-13). When spiritual life and duties are neglected and sin creeps in and takes hold, and then when it is left unchecked, the situation is ripe for evidencing itself either in conflict with others (which leads to Matt. 18:15-17) or in unrighteous living which is damaging to the church’s reputation (as in 2 Cor. 5:1-8).

How is church discipline to be carried out?
As with every area of church life, our guide is the Scriptures which give us the essential principles on which we can operate.

Matthew 18:15-17
“15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

Step 1 – Private Reproof
In love, with a spirit of humility and gentleness, the offended is to go to the offender to point out and to explain the offender’s sin. If the offender acknowledges the wrongdoing and then repents of it seeking restoration with the offended, the matter is closed. If the offender either rejects the reproof of the offended or denies the charges brought against him or her, then both parties proceed to the second step.

Step 2 – Private Conference
The offended is now to secure the assistance of one or two more in confronting the offender. Ideally, the offender should involve others who either observed the offense or in some other way have first-hand knowledge of the incident. If that is not possible, the offended should be able to present the issue to others (preferably church leadership) and explain the offense to them. This group is now to seek out a meeting with the offender so that they collectively can bring the matter to the offender’s attention once again, calling the offender to repentance. These others are able to provide a more objective ear (both for the offender and the offended) and also are able to press the case to the offended. If the offender acknowledges his or her sin and repents, reconciling with the offended, the matter is resolved. If the offender still refuses to either acknowledge his or her sin or rejects this further reproof, then the offender and his or her party are to take the next step to resolve the matter.

Step 3 – Public Announcement
The refusal of a sinning brother or sister to acknowledge his or her sin and repent requires that the matter be brought before the church. The issue must be presented to the congregation with the intent of simply stating the facts and explaining the particular sin. This step is not intended to shame, humiliate, or punish the sinner. Rather, in publicly calling the offender to repent, the whole body is seriously warned to avoid similar (and all) sinful habits and practices (Gal. 6:1-2; cp. Acts 5:1-10, 11).

Step 4 – Public Exclusion
If the offender still refuses to repent, the church is left with no other alternative but to “let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector”. This means that as long as the offender remains unrepentant he or she is restricted from participating in the church’s worship. The offender is not allowed to participate in communion nor continue engaging in any other church-related responsibilities (such as teaching). Obviously, any offices that are held by the offender are relinquished (such as pastor or deacon). This does not mean that communication is not permitted. It means rather that association in terms of ministry, Christian brotherhood, etc. is disallowed. When communication with the unrepentant offender does occur, it is to include further urging to repentance. Further contact with the unrepentant believer must reassert the truth that though the person has forsaken the way of Christian discipleship, full restoration is still possible on the basis of confession and repentance.

How should restoration after discipline take place?
Restoration is the goal of all formal church discipline. Confrontation that has been biblical provides for a possibility of a wonderful experience of restoration. If the offender has expressed true brokenness and confessed the sin and sought out the offended and reconciled then restoration is in order.

What this means is that association and fellowship with the church is restored. The repentant believer is received back into church with a public declaration of how God led the person to change. The repentant may resume worship and communion with the church. Depending on the situation, however, some of the ministries, offices, and other activities may still be restricted for a time.

The church that receives the offender back must be sure to grant genuine forgiveness (cp. 2 Cor. 2:3-11). This is crucial so that any lingering bitterness, resentment, anger, or hurt may not be allowed to fester, giving Satan an advantage (2 Cor. 2:11). In addition to granting forgiveness, the church is required to provide comfort to the repentant person (2 Cor. 2:7). This means that the body must be instructed and exhorted to show solidarity, extend help, and continually encourage the repentant believer. Finally, the whole church must dedicate itself to showing Christlike love to the repentant by continuing to find ways to demonstrate tender care and loving acceptance of the believer (2 Cor. 2:8).