Here is the foreword I wrote to Pastor Al Martin’s new book Glorifying God in your Body. You can buy it at Amazon for $8.95 or at Trinity Book Services for $6.95.

I count it an enormous privilege and honor to write this foreword for a man who has pastored me from the day after I became a Christian. Although I was never a member of Pastor Martin’s church in New Jersey, and only visited it twice in twenty-five years, I have devoured hundreds of Pastor Martin’s sermon tapes over the years after being introduced to them by a friend just after I was converted. His messages gripped my soul from the first moment of hearing them, with his passionate presentation of the Bible’s doctrines and duties leaving an unforgettable and indelible impression upon me.

When I was called to my first congregation, the first thing I did in my new study was start listening to Pastor Martin’s pastoral theology lectures. I took careful notes throughout the next few weeks and still consult them to this day. They set a direction for my life and ministry that I will forever be thankful for.

All of this was happening, of course, without Pastor Martin’s knowledge. I was just one of the thousands who were being transformed in hundreds of countries by Pastor Martin’s worldwide tape ministry. Little did I think that I would ever get to meet the man that I owed such a debt to on both the personal and pastoral level.

So how do I find myself now writing a foreword to my distant mentor’s latest book? Well, it’s a long story, and one neither of us could ever have written. But God’s story involved both Pastor Martin and I moving to Michigan, meeting at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, worshipping in the same church now for a few years, and, in God’s mysterious providence, becoming firm friends.

You can therefore imagine something of the joy with which I pen this foreword for a man that God has used (and still is using) so mightily in my life and that I owe so much to. As I read through this book with a view to writing this foreword, and heard Pastor Martin’s “voice” in its pages, it brought back memories of many precious hours I spent with my tape-recorder and Trinity Pulpit cassettes. It reminded me of so many of the characteristics of Pastor Martin’s ministry that had impacted me through the years: God-centered, biblical, practical, relevant, passionate, memorable, balanced and Gospel–centered.

This is a God-centered book. Unlike secular books on care for the body which are entirely focused on selfish motives and aims, Pastor Martin helps us do all that we do for the glory of God and he ultimately leads us to the worship of God.

The is a biblical book. You’ll probably be surprised at how many texts there are in the Bible relevant to this topic. Pastor Martin rounds up these scattered Scriptures and organizes them into a comprehensive theology of the body.

This is a practical book, offering numerous down-to-earth instructions to help readers in everyday life. These are not couched in vague generalities that might leave us wondering what Pastor Martin really means. No, the instructions are detailed, specific, and challenging, leaving us in no uncertainty as to what God requires.

This is a relevant book, dealing with the twin modern problems of body-neglect and body-worship. Indifference towards the body or idolatry of the body have characterized many cultures through the years, but our own seems to have taken these vices to new heights and depths.

This is a passionate book, one born out of Pastor Martin’s painful pastoral experience of seeing Christians choose unhealthy patterns of life, and experiencing premature death through failure to care for their bodies in a biblical way. You will feel him grabbing your heart in his appeals to consider the impact of your choices on spouses and children.

This is a memorable book, based as it is on an illustration of string of pierced pearls, a beautiful way of showing the connection between doctrine (the string) and practice (the pearls). As he writes, “Doing needs doctrine and doctrine is for doing.” You’ll never look at a necklace in the same way again.

This is a balanced book, as can be seen in Pastor Martin’s use of both biblical instruction and scientific research, his concern that Christians don’t run from one extreme to the other, and his careful combination of both law and Gospel.

On the latter point, this is a Gospel-centered book. Pastor Martin does not want to promote proud Pharisaical behavior modification, but rather wants to see Gospel-motivated, Spirit-wrought change.

“Your body—whose is it—yours or his?” asks the subtitle. It’s a question that will be burned into your heart and mind when you finish this book, and will influence every decision about how you use your body from now until eternity. I hope and pray that you will be as blessed through Pastor Martin’s written words as I have been by his spoken words.

Glorifying God in your Body at Amazon for $8.95 or at Trinity Book Services for $6.95.

Blogs

Four Tips to Encourage Single Christian Women in their Work
“The topic of Christian singleness and vocation, like life’s most pressing and difficult questions, deserves a rich theology. Whether we’re packing lunches or sitting at an office computer, we owe it to ourselves to wrestle with the Lord and dig into scripture to reflect deeply and soundly about our vocations.”

Pastors, Learn From Non-Pastors
“Here are five reasons we must devote some of our best time, energy, and resources to training up and learning from electricians, lawyers, teachers, and bankers.”

Sleep Disorders & the Glory of God
“Whether you battle with sleeplessness or care for someone who does, here are a few thoughts on sleep disorders and the glory of God: ”

Bill Gates reveals the ‘safe’ minimum age for kids to get a smartphone
“The world’s richest man for the fourth year running has said he and wife Melinda banned their three children from owning phones until they were 14.”

How to Harness Sleep to Boost Your Productivity – Michael Hyatt
“The Lancet studied doctors who went without sleep for twenty-four hours. Physicians in that restless state were 20 percent more likely to make mistakes and took 14 percent longer to do routine tasks. The effects of sleeplessness were similar to what you’d see if the doctors had been drunk. What’s true for doctors is true for all highly motivated people, Stevenson said. Folks may think it’s smart to skimp on sleep but “in reality, most of the people who are buying into that are not successful—they’re not even close to successful.” While a few “anomalies” might pull it off, most of eventually “fizzle out.”"

The preacher-listener connection
20 suggestions for a better connection between preacher and listeners.

The Case for Idolatry: Why Christians Can Worship Idols
Very persuasive

Kindle Books

Married for God: Making Your Marriage The Best It Can Be by Christopher Ash $3.99.

The People of God: Empowering the Church to Make Disciples by Trevor Joy $2.99.

Gospel-Centered Family by Tim Chester $2.99.

A Heart Set Free: A Journey to Hope through the Psalms of Lament by Christian Fox $3.99.

Why pursuing sanctification is more than just remembering our justification

When did you realize you were an imperfect pastor?

How do I avoid ministry burnout?

Going Home: Graduation Story

Just over a week ago, Matthew Bryce decided to go surfing off the Scottish coast. Within a few hours the tide and wind had blown him thirteen miles out to sea. He watched the sun set, knowing he would not survive the night.

During the night he saw some distant ships and fishing boats and tried calling out to them and paddling his board towards them, to no avail.

Sunrise came and he was still alive but the morning turned to afternoon, then evening, and another sunset was looming. This time, he knew for sure it was over. “I was pretty certain I was going to die.”

Then, the sound of a helicopter overhead. He jumped off his board and waved it around to draw attention, but they flew past him. His last hope turned to despair…and then hope again, as the chopper banked and started flying towards him.

“But then they turned round and when I saw them turn it was indescribable,” he said. ”It was a combination of the worst and greatest moment of my life…it was surreal.”

“I can’t describe it at all. These guys were the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I owe them my life.”

Watch the video below or a longer deeply moving interview here to feel the full emotional impact.

But do so while thinking about the parallels between this and your salvation. Ponder where you were drifting towards. Remember your hopelessness and despair. Recall the fear of death. Think about the sound of the Gospel hope and your attempts to get God’s attention. And, Oh, the moment when he turned towards you and came to rescue you. Was that not the most beautiful sight in the world? Kindle gratitude and worship as you re-trace his work of grace in your dying soul.

It was the worst of times. But it became the best of times.

Blogs

Eight Reasons Churches Became Too Busy
“Perhaps understanding the origins of dysfunctional busyness will help churches avoid this problem in the future.”

4 Ways Christians Can Stand Out at Work
“Driven by a unique view of humanity and a love rooted in the wisdom of the cross, we can stand out at work in at least four ways.”

A Tale of Two Men with ALS | Gentle Reformation
“Two men with bright minds, one known as Stephen and another as Steven, have ALS.”

The Surprising Upside to Sadness
I loved this article and have seen it proven true in many Christian lives

Depression. Discouragement. Sorrow. Too often we find ourselves here. Waves of emotions overcome when we least expect them. While I’ve learned a lot about choosing light, daring to hope, hard thanksgiving, and spiritual battle, there are lessons yet to learn. The more I consider these emotions I’d rather not experience, the more I see multiple reasons that depression—yes, depression—has been a gift to me. Here are five.

The Deep Dark Pit of Lost Words
A Christian comes to terms with a dementia diagnosis:

All the stuff I have learned and the people I know and have known are in the archives of my brain.  All the information is there buried in the vast gray matter and wire system. However, now, when I’m talking to anyone…new friend or old, if I need to finish a story that I had started, I can’t. The story is gone! I can’t remember it! All I can see in my mind is a “white blank”!

The words that will finish my story are GONE!  I can’t retrieve the words from my brain. They won’t go from brain to tongue. They are lost in “The Deep Dark Pit of Lost Words.”

Get the Free Version of Logos Bible Software

Kindle Books

Let not your Heart be Troubled by Martyn Lloyd Jones $2.99.

Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel by Ray Orlund Jr. $2.99.

This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence by John Piper $2.99.

Following the posts on pastors who fall, (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), I was contacted by a pastor who has begun to minister in a congregation where the previous pastor fell into sexual sin. He said there was a real shortage of resources, but recommended a book, Restoring the Soul of a Church: Healing Congregations Wounded by Clergy Sexual Misconduct. Although the authors come from what seems to be a largely Episcopal background, and therefore accept bishops, women priests, etc., there’s much extremely helpful material in it.

It’s heart-rending to read the impact of pastoral abuse of power on people’s lives even decades after the offenses. Margo Maris has compiled a list of victims’ needs from her work with them over the years (p.26).

1. To be believed by the Church

2. To hear stated that it is not the victim’s fault. For officials to believe that it is the behavior of the perpetrator that is wrong, not the fact that the victim reported the behavior.

3. To hear that others won’t be hurt by the perpetrator and that other victims will get help.

4. To hear an apology. Most victims will accept it whenever it comes.

5. To be advised that they should not go to congregational meetings in which the exploitation will be disclosed.

6. To have justice for themselves, to know that what happened was wrong.

7. To be considered courageous, not troublemakers.

8. To heal.

9. To be accepted within the community and know they are loved by God.

Regarding #2 and #6, the books’ introduction insists that “the apparent consent of a victim to a sexual or romantic relationship seldom determines whether there has been sexual exploitation because the imbalance of power between the church worker and the person in a pastoral relationship may undermine the validity of such consent” (Introduction, x). Maris maintains that the wounded person needs to be told that sexual involvement with one’s pastor is wrong and that it is always the pastor’s job to maintain the boundaries (p.10).

Does anyone know of any other resources that can help congregations through this?