The Sweet Dropper

REMEMBER

Ascension Sunday: Scripture teaches us that on the fortieth day after his resurrection our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven where he is now seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, ruling and reigning over the universe as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Ascension is one of the five great evangelical feast days observed by many Reformed churches (the others being Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas). Below is a quote from Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, in which he reminds us of the importance of the ascension in understanding our union with Christ and its significance for living the Christian life:

“Union with Christ in his death and resurrection is the element of union which Paul most extensively expounds…if we are united to Christ, then we are united to him at all points of his activity on our behalf. We share in his death (we were baptized into his death), in his resurrection (we are resurrected with Christ), in his ascension (we have been raised with him), in his heavenly session (we sit with him in heavenly places, so that our life is hidden with Christ in God), and we will share in his promised return (when Christ, who is our life, appears, we also will appear with him in glory) (Rom. 6:14; Col. 2:11-12; 3:1-3).

This, then, is the foundation of sanctification in Reformed theology. It is rooted, not in humanity and their achievement of holiness or sanctification, but in what God has done in Christ, and for us in union with him. Rather than view Christians first and foremost in the microcosmic context of their own progress, the Reformed doctrine first of all sets them in the macrocosm of God’s activity in redemptive history. It is seeing oneself in this context that enables the individual Christian to grow in true holiness.” [Sinclair Ferguson, 'Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification', Ed. Donald Alexander, Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1988]

Reformed Youth Ministries: Sunday evening my friend Joey Stewart will be visiting to report on a great REACHING effort: Reformed Youth Ministries (RYM), a ministry on whose board I have served for the past 13 years. Most of us know RYM as the conference to which we send junior high and senior high students each summer. That is the backbone of this minstry, but in recent years it has expanded in a number of other exciting directions.

RYM exists to reach junior and senior high school students for Christ and equip them to serve Him in the church and in the world. For more than 30 years RYM has provided conferences for youth that are Word-driven, God-centered, and Gospel-focused. God has blessed RYM, growing us from our original one conference to now six conferences that are reaching and equipping students in the Southeast, West, and Pacific Northwest. We give all praise to God for the abundant grace he has extended to us and the more than 2000 students and youth leaders who attend the summer conferences.

Joey is an 1988 graduate of the University of Mississippi in 1988 and a 1992 graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary. After spending several summers ministering to youth at camps such as Alpine Camp for Boys in Mentone, AL and Twin Lakes Camp in Florence, MS, he became the director of youth and educational ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Yazoo City, MS where he ministered for nearly 5 years. In 1993 he accepted a call to become the assistant pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Crossville, TN with the responsibility of planting a PCA church in Cookeville, TN. Grace Presbyterian Mission was immediately formed and he remained in Cookeville as the organizing pastor and later senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, PCA for 14 years. He then accepted a call in February of 2007 to become the Executive Director of Reformed Youth Movement (RYM).

Joey has served on the TN Area Joint Presbytery Committee on Campus Ministry (RUF) since 1994 and as chairman of that committee since 1998. He has also served on several General Assembly RUF committees. Additionally, he has been a member of the board of directors for Reformed Youth Movement since 1990 and possesses a resolute zeal and passion to serve the church and extend the kingdom through the expanding mission of RYM.

Joey and his wife Connie have four children, Ashley Grace (16), Joseph Wesley (14), Hannah Faith (11), and Jennifer Cawthorn (6) as well as a newly acquired Hungarian Sheepdog, Maggie (4 months). The Stewarts currently reside in Cookeville, TN.

Evening Worship: Last Sunday night I could not cover the entire pause in Revelation 10-11, so I split the passage in half. Revelation 10-11 covers the pause between the sixth and seventh trumpets (just like the pause bewteen the sixth and seventh seals in Revelation 7). This Sunday night I’ll cover the second half, and we’ll consider what Revelation unveils for us about Christian witness.