Greever Contemplations

Worshiping in Grief

2010-09-16T11:16:00.002-05:00

2 Samuel 12:20-23.

David has spent what seems to be an eternity praying to God for the life of his child. He fasted and prayed seeking God for the life of his sick child. But the day came when the child died. David's servants trembled in fear, because if David has shown such emotional trauma during the child's illness what will he do now that the child has died? But surprisingly when told of the child's death, David arises, washes himself, eats, and worships the Lord. When asked about this seemingly strange response to the child's death, David replies that he cannot now bring the child back, but David will one day go through death to be with the child.

It would appear that the Lord includes this story in the Bible to teach us concerning death and our response as God's children to the emotional trauma associated with death encounters. It appears that the following truths are being communicated through this story:

We are permitted to beseech the Lord in prayer when scared and in a time of deep personal need. Never fail to take your burdens to the Lord when you are overwhelmed. There is freedom to pour out our hearts to the Lord in such moments of life.
We are NOT permitted to question and blame the Lord when we are emotionally distraught. To do so is foolishness. We are not wise or good enough to question the God of heaven and earth. Emotional pain is not an excuse to do what is wrong.
Emotional pain is not a reason to rebel against the Lord.
When hurting we need to worship God. No matter what happens in life worship of the living and true God is the great healing agent.
When grieving over death, do not refuse to live. Life is God's, and it is His gift to us. When life is hard, we must not refuse God's gift of life. Our lives are sacrifices unto God for His glory.

PERSONAL: I dread the day; that awful day looming before me. They say it will come; there is nothing more they can do. His life, which has seemed so insignificant and small to the world, is precious and a joy to me. When that day of his departure comes, I will no longer feel the gentle touch of his hand and uninhibited giggles and simple smile.

When he was born I wondered both at his handicap and how I would cope. The great question seemed to be - "What am I going to do with this little handicapped boy?" Now that the real risk is that he will not live with us many more years and every day brings the real possibility of his eminent departure, I now ask myself - "What will I do without him?"

And yet the mystery and majesty of life itself grips me with meaning and depth. God is the constant pillar upon Whom life is grounded and nourished. When the worst happens, the best remains. All is well!!!

Eutychus and the Debilicrat

2010-09-10T11:26:00.002-05:00

Eutychus, having grown up under Roman occupation, had two issues with modern day American politics. First, he was used to living under tyranny, so he knew quite a bit about it and seemed to have a "nose" for such things. Second, he had trouble understanding American politics and politicians. It seemed to him that American politicians campaigned one way, then they governed a different way when they got elected. Strange! Well, given the fact that it is harder to govern than to campaign, it seemed to Eutychus as he watched several election cycles that many times the politician acted differently when elected than when he was campaigning. It was as if the elected politician could say to the electorate, "You should have paid attention to what I am, not what I said during the campaign."

Well, one day, our 1st century hero transplanted to the modern time, met a Debilicrat, a long time member and faithful supporter of the Debilicratic Party, a political party of some note in the nation. Eutychus was glad to meet a Debilicrat, because he had some questions about how Debilicrats thought.

Eutychus: "Oh, hi, I'm Eutychus."

Debilicrat: "Hi, I'm Nostie Potossi."

Eutychus: "I understand you are a Debilicrat; is that true?"

Debilicrat: "Absolutely, one hundred percent; I am a Debilicrat through and through. I take my orders from the Debilicratic National Party. I change my views regularly to conform to what I am told by the Party."

Eutychus: "Wow, is that a lot?"

Debilicrat: "Every day, and sometimes several times a day. The wind changes a lot you know."

Eutychus: "I have a question: Doesn't a political party have values and truism that they embrace for political purposes? What are the values of the Debilicratic Party?"

Debilicrat: "It is simple - our beliefs are whatever gets us elected and keeps us in power."

Eutychus: "You mean you cannot state what you absolutely and unchangeably believe?"

Debilicrat: "Listen, it is a good gig. All you have do is tell the people you will give them paradise, and they will elect you. They never ask questions. For example, if we tell them we will give them money and jobs and houses and cars, they never ask, 'Who is going to pay for it?' It is amazing how gullible people are. If you tell them what they want to hear, they will vote you right in."

Eutychus: "But what if someone does ask the hard questions, like, 'Who will pay for all these amenities? How will the economic factors be affected? What about the value of hard work?"

Debilicrat: "You're Eutychus, the guy from the first century, right? You are new, so I will explain to you the infallible, never-failing, three-fold strategy of the Debilicratic Party. First, you tell the people the biggest goof-ball promise ever. Second, you use the media as outlets to distribute the promises (we have the media in our DNP pocket; they never criticize us or even ask hard questions. Ha! This is so easy!). And third, if someone asks, 'Who will pay for all these things?' you simply say 'The rich.' No one likes the 'rich', so it works every time. It is an infallible gig."

Eutychus: "But what do the rich think about it?"

Debilicrat: "Oh, we cut a deal with them behind closed doors. It's all done with 'smoke and mirrors'. And no one is the wiser."

Eutychus: "What if you spend more money as a government, than you have coming in? Then what?"

Debilicrat: "Just borrow, borrow, borrow, and let the generations to come pay for it. Ha! What a deal!"

Eutychus thought and thought. And he wondered how long this would last. Although he did not know much about politics and economics, he did use his brain (which is more than many do). And he didn't think this system would last long; perhaps soon the 21st century would go back to being like the 1st century.

Eutychus Signs Up for Class

2010-09-06T13:09:00.003-05:00

Today we find our friend, Eutychus, signing up for his college classes this semester. He has been assigned to a counselor whose job it is to help Eutychus get set for school.

Counselor: "I have very pleased to tell you, Eutychus, that every student here at PCU (Politically Correct University) is given a computer when they matriculate."

Eutychus: "A computer! Really!" (Eutychus had wanted a computer since he arrived in the 21st century)

Counselor: "Well, yes, it is a computer. But candidly, it isn't a very good computer, but before long the internet virus' will eat the hardrive, so who cares?" (The counselor said this with a laugh)

Counselor: "Now, it is important to remember, Eutychus, that what matters here at PCU is that you do all your work on the computer. In fact, we want you to live on the computer, spend as much time as you can on the computer. Get information on the computer, make friends through the computer, be entertained on the computer, why if we could figure it out we would feed you through the computer. And concerning class - we don't care if you go to class or not. The professors put their lectures on our new academic software 'BlueBoard.' You can read the professor's lectures, take the tests, email and dialogue with other students, and even post your class attendance, all on the computer."

Eutychus: "But why should a student go to class? Why do you have classrooms or a campus at all? Why not just make the university an online school?"

Counselor: "What! We are not 'one of those schools'. Besides, online school would get most of the college administration fired. We can't have that."

Eutychus: "But you don't encourage class attendance and personal contact?"

Counselor: "Well...I'm not suppose to say this, but we here at PCU are trying to impress the accreditation group. And of course, with the use of computers we can lower our cost, and that makes more money for the university. And that is what it is all about."

Eutychus: "What is it all about?"

Counselor: "Making money!"

Eutychus: "I thought education was the issue?"

Counselor (laughing very loudly): "I can see you have a lot to learn in the 21st century academic environment.

A Gentle, Loving, and Wise Guide

2010-09-06T12:59:00.003-05:00

Psalm 48:14, "For such is God, our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death."

Life is such a maze! The twists, turns and complicated paths quickly confuse and overwhelm us. But there is One who stands with the Christian always - the Lord God Himself! The precious Lord walks with us in the trails of trials. But He does more than this - He guides us also. He guides us with great wisdom and power; He leads us with a tender concern born of His sovereign grace and mercy. He can never abandon us, for we are His own. His heart is touched with our griefs and our despair; He feels the pain of our struggle. Yea, it is even by His own hand that we are led to and brought through the valleys of our deepest troubles. But all is done with wisdom and love. God never acts arbitrarily; He always leads with purpose and glory in mind. If not in time, surely in eternity, the wisdom and goodness of God's leadership will be validated.

Today, no matter what we face or endure, let us as God's people trust fully and confidently in the knowledge that our Lord will be our God forever, and He will guide us until death.

Vessels of Mercy

2010-09-04T19:12:00.002-05:00

Romans 9:23, "He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy...".

One can hardly give a greater and more elaborate expression of what a Christian is than the one used in this verse - "vessels of mercy." The previous verse in this chapter from Romans says that sinners are vessels of wrath dwelling under the the dark shadow of the wrath of God because of sin. Ephesians 2:3 says of unregenerate sinners that we were "by nature children of wrath." How sad, but how true!

And yet Romans 9:22 speaks of the mercy of God giving birth to patience with sinners that we might, by Christ's atonement and God's saving grace, become vessels of mercy. Ephesians 1:8 speaks of the grace of God being "lavished" upon unsaved sinners.

God could judge sinners, and one day God will judge sinners. God could have judged us a long time ago. But wrath is not part of God's essential being; it is His right response against sin and sinners because of the justice of God. And yet, God, the merciful and compassionate God, longed to pour out His grace on us for His own glory. And that is what He did! He planned to be merciful, and in the redemptive work of Christ, applied by the Holy Spirit to the soul of man, God achieved mercy. Mercy elected sinners, mercy sent Christ in human flesh, mercy paid for sin on the cross, mercy conquered death at Christ's empty tomb, and mercy is preparing a home for God's people in heaven.

When I go to church tomorrow, I will try to preach on Romans 9:22-23. I pray that God will lift my heart to the stratosphere of gratitude and joy; may divine mercy buoy my heart that the name of God may be exalted above all. Because now and forever I remain - - - a vessel of mercy.

Eutychus and the Bored Church Member

2010-09-03T11:33:00.002-05:00

Eutychus loved church! He loved the Lord's Day and worshiping with other brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the best parts of church was the time to hear God's Word preached. He loved to think about the reality of the true and living God, and he loved to hear the Bible faithfully and sincerely preached. Somehow that always comforted him no matter what he was going through in life.

One day the pastor preached a message on the joy of knowing eternal bliss through Christ. The pastor did a great job exegeting the biblical text, and it was obvious that the truth of the God's Word spoke to the pastor's own heart. Eutychus was excited!

On the way out of the worship center to the foyer he ran into a member of the church leaving worship, and the man was yawning. Eutychus thought the man must have had a late night Saturday night, but the man replied, "No, it is just these boring sermons we get from the pastor." "Boring!" Exclaimed Eutychus! "What could be boring about hearing the greatest and most glorious destiny ever?", Eutychus queried. The man said, "Are you kidding? All this talk about God and the Bible text and eternal bliss in heaven is not relevant to my life. What I need is something practical and applicable." "Like what?", asked Eutychus. The man stared disdainfully at Eutychus and retorted "Well...you know...how to get rid of negative feelings about yourself when you sin. Or, how wonderful I am and how God doesn't want me to have a bad day. At the very least pastor could tell us a few good jokes to make us laugh, or give an inspirational speech about human accomplishments." Eutychus almost laughed, because he thought the man was joking. A quick glance at the man's face told him that this bored church member was deadly serious.

Eutychus didn't really know what to say, so he just stood there dumbfounded. Finally the man left trying to avoid shaking the preacher's hand as the bored church member slinked towards the front door of the church. Eutychus wondered, "How can the most glorious God, His most glorious Revelation, the Bible, and the greatest news one could hear ever be boring? Some people are really strange."

Eutychus thought about the bored church member all week. He thought of some things that he wanted to tell this man. Eutychus was looking forward to the next Sunday, and he was hoping to see the bored church member again. When Sunday came Eutychus entered the worship center quickly making a broad glance around the sanctuary hoping to see the bored church member. But the man was no where to be seen. After church Eutychus asked a friend about the bored church member with whom he had talked the previous Sunday. Eutychus' friend replied, "Haven't you heard?" "No, what", asked Eutychus. The friend paused and said, "He died this week." Eutychus was stunned! And all he could think about as he left church that day was, "What is relevant now?"

Once Upon a Time

2010-09-02T13:16:00.004-05:00

Once upon a time in a land call "Freedola" there lived a people called "Freedolians." Freedolians came in all sizes, shapes, and colors. They walked and talked differently; they even had different customs. There was no one way a Freedolian looked, but they all shared the same vision and dream of freedom. They understood what freedom was, and they worked together in unity to build and maintain the great freedom of Freedola.

The Freedolians were a hard working, happy lot. They considered work a blessing, and to build dreams and a community of free and happy people consumed their time and energy. They built homes, schools, churches, and a host of healthy and positive institutions to maintain and propagate their way of life. They had a government that was Freedolian in nature. Their laws encouraged freedom and respect for all Freedolians.

But other people started to come into Freedola. The "WeAreTheOnlyOneianS" (WATOOS) came to live in Freedola along with the "GiveAllToMeianS" (GATMS). The WATOOS and the GATMS did not appreciate Freedola, nor did they desire to perpetuate the goodness and joy of Freedola. The WATOOS wanted to change Freedola into a land of coerced conformity, and GATMS did not care as long as they had their desires and demands met. The Freedolians wanted to trust all people; they wanted to let all enjoy their freedoms and their happy land. But they forgot that only those who understood and supported the freedom of Freedola could perpetuate the joys and delights of their happy way of life. Only Freedolians could nourish Freedola.

Slowly but assuredly the Freedolians were outnumbered by the WATOOS and the GATMS. The government was eventually changed from the idyllic Freedolian vision. Soon freedoms eroded and anti-happy laws were passed. The important beliefs and laws that caused Freedola to live were thrown away and forgotten, replaced by restrictive laws and customs. Slowly the Freedolian way of life was lost. The sun now never shined in Freedolian land, and the colors of the flowers seemed to fade into indiscriminate gray. The smiles of the people were changed to looks of suspicion and doubt. And one day, before anyone knew it, Freedolia was gone never to return again.

Wisdom and our Coming Destiny

2010-09-02T10:06:00.002-05:00

Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

God's people walk a trail that is a trail of ever-growing wisdom. The longer we live the less our hearts imagine our soul treasure to be here on earth, and the more we are convinced that the fair and happy eternal land beyond the distant sunset is where our joy lies. Our eyes yearn to see, and our souls strain to know, the bliss and beauty of that land. Wisdom indeed!

Eutychus Goes to College

2010-08-30T14:58:00.004-05:00

Today we find our beloved hero, Eutychus, enrolling in college. This is quite a new experience for our friend, Eutychus. Higher education is different today that the first century. Eutychus had some major surprises ahead.

Eutychus met with an enrollment counselor. This was supposed to get Eutychus all "fixed up and ready to go."

Counselor: "So, Son, are you ready for school to start?" Eutychus: "You bet, ready to go." Counselor: "Great, let's get started. First, let's get some classes arranged, then we will go over the rules of college life here at Politically Correct University, or PCU. You will, of course, take the required class on Tolerance; this is required for all students at PCU. We must be tolerant of all people and all beliefs."

Eutychus: "Sounds good. We should be tolerant of each other in love. By the way, is there a Christian Bible study on campus." Counselor (grimacing like he was gut-shot): "O no, we can't be tolerant of that; that is most intolerable!"

Eutychus (his forehead wrinkled with confusion): "I thought you said...never mind." Counselor: "Now, let's get on to one of your classes. We need to enroll you in the 'All cultures are good except Western culture' class." Eutychus: "But isn't that contradictory to say all cultures are good except...?" Counselor (with a smirk): "You are new here, and it is obvious you need to be educated, so I will let this pass. But, son, you need to understand that the obvious reason for the degeneracy of the entire world is based on the American Christian culture, probably a hold over from the Puritanical ramblings of early Christians. You will soon learn that the reason for all the world's problems is conservative Christian American middle class culture. The answer to every problem is liberal compassion, kindness, and understanding which needs to be tyrannically forced on all people, for their own good."

Eutychus was really confused now. He stammered, "But isn't your viewpoint just a biased and baseless way to manipulate others and force your worldview upon them? Isn't that intolerant?" The Counselor was a bit miffed, and said, "I can see you are going to need remedial training before we can enroll you into the 'Make Everyone Like Us' curriculum." Counselor: "Let's just start you with a simple class - Learning to be Tolerant of the Intolerably Tolerant and Learning to be Intolerant of the Intolerably Tolerably Intolerant." Eutychus let out a sigh; it was going to be a long semester.

The Great Unseen Reality

2010-08-30T14:45:00.003-05:00

1 Samuel 23:14 "David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand."

If we could interview David during the time when he had to flee from Saul's threat, we may not find a man full of faith and confidence. WE: "How are things going, David?" David: "OK, I guess." WE: "You don't sound very sure." David: "Well, to be honest, everything seems to be going to pot in my life. I have to run for my life every day, because Saul is determined to kill me. I can't let my guard down at all; every day I am on pins and needles watching carefully for an attack from Saul. I sometimes wonder if God is watching over me."

But Saul did not catch David, though he got a close a time or two (See 1 Samuel 23:26). Why? Why could Saul not catch David? The answer is found in our text: "God did not deliver him into his hands." God was orchestrating all the circumstances in David's life. God was protecting David. No matter how much appeared to be against David, God was planning David's life. There was so much unseen reality in support of David that David could not observe.

This is true in every Christian's life. This is the great iceberg of the Christian experience. Just like only a tip of the iceberg appears above water, and so much of the iceberg is below the water, so there is so much behind the scenes in a Christian's experience. God is watching over us, protecting us, strengthening and blessing us in ways we cannot fathom. God is achieving His plan and purpose through us. And so much of all this is beyond the scope of our vision.

This is where faith comes in. As God's children we must believe that God is working for us and on our behalf. We must believe that God is causing all things to work for our good and His glory. We must trust God when we cannot see His hand.

No matter what you face today, God is working for you. God is working to make His will happen, no matter what anyone else does or doesn't do. That is the Great Unseen Reality of God's will for your life.

Joy in the Lord

2010-04-26T20:42:00.002-05:00

Habakkuk 3:18, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Oh, how I grieve to say that the so-called joy of my heart has often been in the trite trinkets of the world; trinkets that cannot give satisfaction to the soul, nor endure the waves of trials that surely will come through the journey in this vale of tears.

May my heart cry out with Habakkuk that I will rejoice in the Lord, and only in Him will my soul take pleasure. I will take joy in the God of my salvation. He is worthy of such passion, for He is the infinite of joy itself. The ever-joyful God can make the soul glad for all eternity. We find our sweetest pleasure in His blessed presence and gracious favor. It is in Him alone that we find the truest contentment and the most settled and secure serenity. One day in heaven, when sin, sorrow, and suffering are past, we shall enter into His glory and into His JOY. If there is permitted any tinge of regret, we will say in that hour, "Why did we rejoice in anything but the Lord on earth?"

The Church and Culture

2010-04-23T15:49:00.005-05:00

I recently read an article by Ken Meyer in Touchstone magazine (March/April 2010, pages 10-11) entitled, "Contours of Culture." Meyer discusses the relationship of the church with culture, and he notes that there are some important changes in the development of culture in our day.

First, the rate of cultural change is rapidly increasing. And this is continuing with each succeeding and passing generation. I remember reading in the early 1970s a book by Toffler entitled, "Future Shock". In this book Toffler postulates that this kind of rapid change would occur. One of his theses was that change would ultimately occur so fast that people could not adjust, thus creating a social and cultural crisis. Meyer agrees. As a result of this rapid cultural change the church is losing its ability to assess culture; we simply have no time to analyze and evaluate it. Thus, the minister and the church loses its ability to be prophetic with the culture.

Second, the predominating cultural feature of modern culture is that culture is meaningless. According to modern thinking culture is meaningful only as we impose meaning upon it. This is a direct influence of Nihilism and Evolution upon cultural thinking. In the pre-modern era people generally began their meaningful contemplation of reality with the existence of God and the creation of material reality. This gave a foundation for meaningful pondering concerning life and all that exists. We have lost this in the post-modern culture. The sovereignty of the individual and meaningless meditation in cosmology leaves us barren and empty. If the universe is simply a bunch of meaningless stuff, and we ourselves are meaningless stuff going to a meaningless destiny, I mean, what's the point?

The church must rise in our day to proclaim the moral and spiritual bankruptcy of all of this type of thinking. Our thoughts are rooted in the time-tested wisdom of ancient biblical thinking and teaching. We seek to apply in a fresh and modern context the truth of eternal wisdom and knowledge. We assert that epistemologically we are created to "know" that which is "knowable" in the universe, and this knowingness is from God in His revelation. "Knowing" is not related to modern instruments of knowledge; accessing information is not the same as assessing information. May God help us to see the ancient, yea the eternal, for our present time.

God's Competitor

2010-04-23T12:23:00.002-05:00

John 19:15, "We have no king but Caesar."

In the context of the passage Pilate is now trapped; in order to survive politically (and perhaps physically) he must condemn Jesus. The Jewish leaders have coerced the crowd in their devious complicity so that the cross is now just a matter of time. Pilate has no where to go intellectually except to condemn Jesus. How did this occur? The issue of ultimate authority has become the apex of discussion. The final discussion ended when the crowd said, "We have no king but Caesar." Pilate, who represents Caesar, then was required to capitulate.

It is interesting in the world of human affairs how often this very question becomes the primary center of debate. The question of ultimate authority is the ultimate question of all. Who is in charge, and is this power just and right? All through human history the story of this issue is prominently displayed, and the conflict between competing options is all the more obvious. Hitler, Stalin, and all other tyrants demanded capitulation from the dominant religion of their day. If the religious institution in question did not acquiesce, then it would be destroyed by the state. The state would not allow for another competing power.

It is the same today. The state, in the minds and logic of many people, is the lord and savior of the people. Notice how many times the state is presented as solving problems, correcting injustices, and granting favors. How can a state assume to do such audacious things? There is only one way to do all of this - BE IN CHARGE AS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY. All others must bow in obedience to the state. The state becomes enthroned as the merciful bestow er of gifts or the punishing avenger of all competitors. And the single solitary competitor of the state is religion.

The United States of American was born in a pristine vision in this regard. Our national documents seek to protect both the state from the tyranny of religion, and they seek to protect religion from the state. Can these two (state and religion) be held in constant and continuous tension? Can they seek to co-exist without one imposing on the other? The Founding Fathers of the USA thought so, and they sought to make it so.

Let us pray, as the state seems to grow in power and assertiveness, that our original American vision rises in the hearts and minds of the people to protect religious people from the restraints and the demands of Caesar. Let Christian people never join in the chorus, "We have no king but Caesar."

Jesus before a Truthless Culture

2010-04-23T11:33:00.002-05:00

John 18:37-38, "Therefore Pilate said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?"

The text before us here is stunningly applicable to our own culture. Here we have the Lord Jesus standing before a governmental representative who rejects and questions Jesus' self assertions. Jesus admits that He is a king of another heavenly kingdom and that He has come to bear witness to the truth. Jesus then declares a very remarkable thing - everyone who is of the truth listens to Him. I can hear our culture howl with angry voices, "bigot!" How dare Jesus challenge our radical individualism and self-autonomy? "Does Jesus not know", squeals our truth less culture, "that we create our own reality, our own truth, by our powerful and all-important choices?"

And there stands Pilate, alone in his struggle and truth less foundation. Is his problem an epistemological one? Is he stating that he thinks there is truth but he doesn't know it (agnosticism)? Or, is he asserting that he does not believe in truth (atheism)? Or, is he simply expelling his own personal, bitter, and angry feelings of one who has lost all hope and meaning in life (nihilism)? Such is the sequential paradigmatic journey of culture. First, there is an uncertainty about truth, then there is a denial of truth, and finally all meaning in life is lost altogether. Such is the case in our day. The secular, pagan culture of American vacillates between "no truth" and "self-idolatry creating truth."

In this setting and challenge the church of Jesus Christ is planted. What is our task? What must we do? What does God call us to do? We have come to bear witness to the TRUTH, to Jesus Christ and God's revelatory truth about redemption in Christ. We do so using the only means God has given - the proclaiming of the Scriptures. "Lord God, please raise up a generation of proclaimers who stand tall and strong against the winds of an anti-Christian culture. May they speak with a clear, loving, yet firm voice informed by the truth and revealing a love for the truth. Amen."

Getting a True Picture of Treasure

2010-03-29T09:36:00.001-05:00

Oh, Lord, help me to have a true picture of what truly counts in this world. So much seems so important, but in the end it all turns to dust and is no more. Lord, grant to me the wisdom and discernment to see eternity when temporality is swirling around me like a vortex. Lord, this is my prayer today.

How much did he leave?

(J. R. Miller, "Counsel and Help" 1907)

"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:5

People are badly cheated in this world. They imagine that the things they can see are the real things--that the gold, lands, and stocks are the true treasures. So they toil for those things and gather them into their possession, piling up what they suppose to be wealth. Thus they live in pomp, with their fine houses, and all their brilliant show. But one day their supposed riches sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Or they may keep their wealth, perchance, and die at last in the midst of it, and have a great funeral; but they find that they cannot carry a penny of it with them. "How much did he leave?" was asked about a rich man who had died. "All of it!" was the answer.

If only people knew that there are things which will never fly away--they would no longer live for fleeting worldly wealth. They would pass by the glittering unrealities, to lay hold of the true riches. He who is rich toward God--is the truly wealthy man.

He Has Done All Things Well

2010-03-25T11:16:00.001-05:00

There is a statement made about Jesus in Mark 7, and this statement is astounding to me. This is one of those statements that encompasses a great deal; it is an extensive and comprehensive assessment. It can be applied to Jesus in any way possible, and one will see that is true in every respect. “He has done all things well.”

The context of this statement is described both historically and humanly. The historical context is healing. Jesus had healed a deaf man who spoke with a great impediment. The text specifically references in Mark 7:37 the fact that Jesus healed the deaf and the mute. But the text also says that the obvious power and supernatural ability that was evidenced here in this healing caused the people to be “utterly astonished.” The people saw this unbelievable miracle, they were utterly astonished at what they saw, and they responded and said of Jesus, “He has done all things well.” But I would suggest that when all is said and done, when all has come to an end, everyone would testify that Jesus has done all things well.

1. This is the testimony of those who knew Jesus and observed His life.

2. This is the testimony of those who opposed Him.

3. This is the testimony of Pilate.

4. This is the testimony of the Heavenly Father.

5. This is the testimony of the sinner saved by grace.

6. This is the testimony of God’s pilgrims in eternal glory.

· “There were times when I sinned…”

· “There were times when I hated myself…”

· “There were times when I was confused…”

· “There were times when I was disappointed with life…”

· “There were times when I was burdened and overwhelmed…”

· “There were times when I was worried…”

· “There were times when I was sorrowful…”

· “There were times when I was sick…”

· “There was a time when I came to death…”

But no matter what happened, what I felt, and what was going on around me, in the end I have come to know that JESUS DID ALL THINGS WELL.

God Speaking in Life's Whirlwinds

2010-03-10T10:37:00.001-06:00

Job 38:1 NASB “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind…”

Job 38:1 NCV “Then the Lord answered Job from the storm.”

Storms and the Scripture

Storms, like mountains, are copiously used in the Scriptures. Elijah experienced a storm before the Lord spoke to him in a still, small voice in the cave. Jesus calmed the storm, and thus, demonstrated who He was and the power with which He manifested His divine glory. In this case in the Book of Job, the Lord is speaking to Job out of a storm in order to address the questions and issues that have confronted Job in the storms of his life.

Life’s Troubles are Storms

Life’s troubles are like storms. They sometimes come upon us suddenly and unexpectedly. They sweep down upon us with terrible ferocity and great power. Life’s storms of trouble can sweep us away; they can take the very lifeblood of hope out of our hearts. They are both awesome and awful. God’s people are not immune from life’s problems and hardships. They are not exempt from life’s great tragedies. These storms, though not inherent within the material universe, which God created, are now normal and natural because of the sin-broken nature of the world in which we live.

Job’s Storms

Job had been living in a storm for a long time. Job’s life had been decimated by the tragic and painful events of his journey. He had, quite literally, lost everything except God. God in the days and weeks of pain’s shadow, Job could not see or find God. He would cry out, “Oh, that I might find Him.” Eventually Job’s perception of everything became warped: he had a warped perception of himself (thinking he was righteous), he had a warped perception of life (he thought life was not worth living), and most of all he had a warped perception of God (he thought God was angry with him, and thus God abandoned him). But Job was wrong on all accounts. When we are hurting we become horrible philosophers. In pain our spiritual vision is clouded, and our mind is dulled to the truth. In moments of hopelessness apparitions of horror will fill us with a terrible dread.

God Speaking from the Whirlwind

God begins speaking to Job in Job 38 and He speaks through chapter 41. What does God say? What does God not say? What is God doing for Job in this section? What does Job really need from God?

· God does not answer Job’s questions.

· God does, by asking His own questions to Job, re-orientate Job to life, reality, and God.

· By doing this, God awakens Job to a deeper understanding of God, life, and even Job’s experiences, and by doing this God gives Job the greatest gift ever – illumination to the truth with eternal application for living.

Comforted by God

2010-03-02T20:30:00.003-06:00

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

First, I want us to think about the true assertions made about life in these verses. These assertions deal with suffering and comfort in suffering:

It is normal and even expected for Christians to suffer in this world of sin.
God is the God of all comfort. All comfort comes from Him.
God wants Christians to be comforted by Him.
God also wants to pass comfort along to others through the ones whom He comforts, so that the comforted Christian becomes the conduit through whom divine comfort flows to others. However, this is processed and accomplished in such a way so that the hurting person receiving comfort from a comforted Christian turns to the Lord for more comfort. All true comfort comes from God Himself!

Second, I think it is vital that we understand that this passage is not teaching that we should turn to people for comfort when we hurt. This is the common mistake made by many people when they hurt. Many people unfortunately turn to other people when they turn. Why do we do this?

Because it is easy to do.
Because we falsely think that is where real comfort is found.
Because when we turn to people for comfort it is an attempt (perhaps inadvertent and unintentional) to pass off to others the responsibility that we bear for our own decisions and comfort. Turning to others takes the pressure off of us.

If we turn to people for comfort when we hurt rather than to the Lord, then we will never grow in our understanding of life's depths. The richness of spiritual truth that could have been learned in the vortex of suffering, will never be perceived if we turn to people instead of the Lord. If we turn to people for comfort instead of the Lord, we will never truly experience comfort, and we will never be able to comfort others with the comfort God gives to us.

Does God want to comfort His hurting people? Sure. Does God want comforted Christians to pass that comfort along to others who hurt? Again, absolutely right. But let's remember that if by sharing God's comfort we turn people to ourselves rather than to God, then we do them a disservice, and they will not have learned to be comforted by God.

Some People Just Don't Get It

2010-02-27T21:23:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I am amazed as I read God's Word, the Bible. Well, truthfully, I am always amazed when I read the Bible, but I have one particular type of passage in mind that really amazes me. The passages to which I make reference are those passages of Scripture that reveal the stubborn dullness of those who saw Jesus heal and heard Him teach, yet still did not get it.

Luke chapter 11 is one such passage. In Luke 11 delivers a demon-possessed man, but there were those who attributed Jesus' power to the devil (verses 14-15). There were still others who, after they witnessed Jesus deliver the demon-possessed man, asked Jesus for a sign (verse 16). I mean, give a break. Can you imagine what it was like when Jesus delivered this man from the powers of darkness, powers that held him in bondage. Then someone was watching all of this with their arms folded, yawning, and examining their finger nails. Everyone is rejoicing at this great miracle, and this hardhearted person nonchalantly walks over to Jesus and says, "Hey, Mr. Big Shot Rabbi, why don't you show us a real sign of Your divinity?" Huh?! That question doesn't even deserve an answer. Then a woman shouts out, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed (verse 27)." But Jesus (I wish I knew the tone of voice with which He spoke this next line) said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God, and observe it." Some people have a hard time understanding the real issue. Evidently the crowd clamored for a sign, because Jesus starts admonishing them for wanting a sign (verse 29), and He points them to only one sign - the sign of His resurrection (verse 29). And Jesus gets really exhortative when He says the Queen of Sheba acknowledged Solomon and the Ninevites acknowledged the preaching of Jonah, but Jesus is greater than both of them. But the people refused to acknowledge Him (verses 30-32). Jesus has lunch with a Pharisee, but the Pharisee is more concerned with pre-meal ceremony than what matters most (verses 37-41) (good grief!). The Pharisees made their religion a show instead of a matter of the heart (verses 42-44), and the lawyers were offended (Oh my goodness; today Jesus would have been sued! Verses 45-46). But Jesus warns them that they belong to the "Let's Kill the Prophets Club (verses 47-52)." And the chapter ends with the text referencing the hostility of the Pharisees and scribes resulting in a plan to kill Jesus. THEY MISSED THE WHOLE POINT!

The human heart is so hard, so sinful, so depraved that unless God opens the heart by grace, it will never understand the truth. The sinful eyes are so blind that unless God by grace causes the sinner to see, he will never discern truth.

This is why we pray for the lost. This is why we beseech God's mercy on sinners. Unless God illumines them, they will never see. Unless God softens their hearts, they will remain rebellious.

Obsessed with your Weakness?

2010-02-23T09:17:00.002-06:00

Read Exodus 6

God begins the process that will deliver the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage in Exodus chapter 6. Twice in this chapter God tells Moses to essentially get on with it. God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh again and demand that he release the people of God. But Moses is not convinced. He does not believe this is going to work. And do you know why? He is obsessed with the fact that he has a speech impediment! Twice, when God says "go", Moses responds and says essentially, "Lord, I can't go and do what you ask. I am not skilled in speaking. Why the people of Israel don't listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me. I am not gifted and talented enough for this job (The Greever Free Paraphrase)." If you remember, when God called Moses on the mountain, Moses brought this same weakness up to God at that time. Moses is obsessed with his inability!

There is one critically important component to all of this that Moses has missed - God is not dependent upon Moses to get His will done! But Moses thinks God is limited to the abilities or inabilities of man. God is not linked to our strengths or weaknesses. He uses people for His glory, but He is not limited by the abilities and capacities of the people He uses. God will always do His will in His time in His way.

If we are to serve the Lord, we must remember the following:

Serving God is more about God than us. God saves us, and God will use us. God will incorporate our loving and feeble service for Him in His achievements. But God is not dependent upon humanity in any sense in order to get His plan completed. It is always about Him, not us.
God works in us, through us, around us, in spite of us, and beyond us. God is sovereignly working His plan and will through all sorts of people and circumstances. He is not limited to working simply through His people. Read the Bible (particularly the biblical narratives) and you will discover this. God uses sinners and saints, God uses pagans and Christians, God uses good things, and God uses bad things. In fact, the doctrine of Providence teaches us that all things are used by God to bring about good for His people and kingdom.
God is particularly pleased to work through the weaknesses of His servants. The reason God did not take Moses' speech impediment away (We are not sure what kind of speech problem Moses had. He may have simply been a really bad speaker.) is that God wanted to use Moses the way he was. God made Moses, and Moses was created to do what God wanted him to do. God builds us in such a way that His glory will shine through us, even our weaknesses and frailties. Paul learned this in 2 Corinthians 12. He had a "thorn in the flesh", and three times he asked God to take the thorn away. God refused for two reasons: 1) It was not God's will to take the thorn away, because 2) God had plans to use Paul's thorn in order to demonstrate His glorious power in Paul's life.
Recognized human difficulties and problems humbles man and gives God the glory. If we are to learn anything from the heart of God in the redemptive work He achieved throughout history culminating in the incarnation of Christ, it is this - people need to be reclaimed to the recognition of the greatness of God, and they must be brought back to the true worship of God. Sin has robbed man of his perception of who God is and the genuine worship of God. Jesus said in John 4 that God wants true worshipers. Everything God does in redemption in history humbles man and glorifies Himself. This is a truism that must be remembered. The central question in the Egyptian bondage of Israel and their deliverance is this - who has the power, Pharaoh or God? God took humble people and demonstrated His sovereign greatness over the greatest nation in the world at that time. It is always about God and His glory!

So, remember, Christian friend. You are made to serve the Lord, and you are constituted by God's power and will to serve Him the way He wants. Don't look at your weaknesses as barriers to God using you. Rather, look at your weaknesses as the means by which God will be glorified in your service.

Eutychus Discovers "Old Time Religion"

2010-02-22T13:30:00.002-06:00

In his on-going quest to find a church home, Eutychus stopped in one bright, sunny Sunday morning at a church whose sign said, "Bubba Baptist Church - Where Old Time Religion is always Up-to-Date." This looked very promising to Eutychus because he was from the first century, and one could not get more "Old Time Religion" than that!

So, Eutychus approached the door where a nice gentleman handed him a bulletin and said, "Y'aint from around here, are ya?" Eutychus rather timidly admitted that he was indeed "not from around here", so the fellow looked him over thoroughly and said, "Well, ya might as well stay since yer here; it might do ya some good." Eutychus slid into a seat mid-way down the aisle hoping that no one would notice he was new. He was beginning to think he might have made a mistake in coming to church here, but he decided to stick it out. A little old lady came swooning up to Eutychus and said, "Young man, Do I know ya?" Eutychus dropped his head quietly murmuring , "I don't think so." She continued, "Ya look sorta like Mr. Bagwag's grandson who is in prison; yer not his brother, are ya?" "No", said Eutychus, somewhat embarrassingly. The song leader got up and said, "We're glad ya'll are here. I do surprisingly see a visitor. Well, that's good 'cuz the preacher has got him a sidewinder sermon today. Now, let's all sing our church song, 'Gimme that Ole Time Religion.' If you forgit the words, then I'll remind ya. Verse one is 'It was good for pa and ma', verse two is 'It was good for great uncle Roebedoe,' and the final verse is 'It was good for the ones who started this church in the early days of this county' - (that there is my favorite verse)." At this point Eutychus was wondering how old was "old?" It seemed to him that old surely meant before the founding of this county. The song leader never said a word about the early church fathers or the Apostle's Creed; now that would have been "old."

After the singing the preacher started to wail out his sermon, which was entitled, "Don't Ever Change Nothin, Cuz We Don't Want It Changed - Got That?" The preacher, filled with vigor and vim, regaled against modernism and what he called "new fangled thinkin." Why to hear him, you'd think the whole problem of the world was found in improvements. Coming to the climax of this stirring address, he made his final and clearest point - "We want to keep thangs as they is, just like they used to be in those great days of the early church" (Eutychus got excited, because he knew the early church well). The preached continued with passion, "And we all know when them days wuz - betwixt 1932-1957. Everything started to go to pot when old man Fedaro put in that there new restaurant in this here town. New folks started comin, and doggone it if thangs have been hankerin for destruction since."

Well, Eutychus was unsure what opening a restaurant had to do with the decline of the church and the community, but he felt he was probably not welcome here. He was hoping that the end of the service would come quickly. And it did, followed immediately by a sharp rap on Eutychus' shoulder. He turned around to find himself staring into the militant eyes of a older lady with a stern look on her face. Suddenly she said, "Young man, when yer comin in here again make sure that you don't sit in Mrs. Dootletootle's seat. She has been sittin in that seat for last forty years, and doggone it you haven't upset her somethin terrible." Feeling the scolding eyes of the congregation on him, Eutychus hustled out the front door, and as he did he read the message on the church sign, "Visitors Always Welcome."

When Things Seem to get Worse

2010-02-22T11:35:00.003-06:00

Read Exodus chapter 5

In this passage of Scripture we have Moses going to Pharaoh to request that the people be allowed to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord. The Lord has sent Moses, but this results in making Pharaoh mad, and as such, he causes the labor of the Israelites to be more severe. Therefore, the first act in this drama of deliverance is that THINGS GET WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER. Why did God cause His people to suffer more as a result of divine intervention in their affairs? Why did God allow Pharaoh to persecute them all the more? Why didn't God deliver the Israelites immediately? And, why did God record this in the Bible for us to read? I think there are several reasons:

Life is not about instant solutions and immediate answers. This is very difficult for modern people to understand and accept. Our technology creates a false understanding of life. People who live in a context of immediate information, instant communication, and real-time involvement in current events, have a difficult time understanding real reality. In real reality one must wait, one must persevere, one must accept challenges and disappointments.
This situation exposed sin for what it really is. The Egyptians kept getting worse and worse. They imposed more restrictions and caused greater difficulties for the Israelites. God was demonstrating to the Israelites the true nature of a pagan society and sinful action. Later, in the wilderness, some of the Israelites would clamor to go back to Egypt. This is remarkable in light of the great suffering they endured there.
The circumstances allowed the people to see who God really is. I think one of the keys to the interpretation of this whole history of deliverance in Egypt is the question Pharaoh poses when Moses seeks for permission for the people to leave. Pharaoh asks, "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?" This is the central crux of the matter - Who is the Lord? Pharaoh was under the delusion that he was in charge, that he had power. Pharaoh did not know that God was the One who is always in charge; He is the One who has all power. Both Egyptians and Israelites learned one great lesson in all of this - The Lord, He is God!
God demonstrated His love for His people. The pain and suffering of the people of God is the context in which God is able to better show His love for them. Another way to think of this is - in suffering God's people are better able to understand and perceive the love of God for them. Trouble brings about situations whereby God's mercy and delivering power are brought more into focus.
God foreshadowed the deliverance of sinners through salvation in Christ. It is thought by many Bible scholars that the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage is the central motif of salvation in the Bible. This foreshadows the salvation of sinners through Jesus Christ our Lord. I agree with this hermeneutical assessment. The reason this story is included in the Bible is to become a permanent and prominent expression of salvation, which will later be more fully demonstrated in Christ.

When things seem to get worse instead of better, it is good for us to step back and take a look at the big picture. God is always working, even when He doesn't seem to be working. God is always in charge, even when He doesn't seem to be in charge. God is performing His plan, even when everything looks chaotic and depressing. Be patient, wait on the Lord, and trust in Him.

Eutychus goes Hip

2010-02-17T22:40:00.002-06:00

In Eutychus' search for a church home, he has found some very interesting and unique churches. He is almost over culture shock moving from the 1st century to the 21st century, but culture shock is nothing compared to the "church shock." We must be patient with Eutychus; I mean he has to bear the awful burden of living in the first century with fresh and unadulterated Christianity. There have been 20 centuries since; 20 centuries for culture and history to plop their garbage onto Christianity, forming it to cultural sensibilities and preferences.

Well, on this one occasion Eutychus wandered into a modern, contemporary, real hip church. Eutychus supposed it was a church. There was a sign outside the building, but come to think of it, the word "church" was not on the sign. He went inside eager to meet brothers and sisters in Christ, to warmly greet them in the love of the Lord. But most were too involved sipping their lattes that they had just purchased at a booth in the corner. There was a coffee booth there; it was called "Starstrucks." Starstrucks coffee, he was told, was real cool, and everyone drank it if one wanted to be culturally engaged. I mean one could not simply witness to an unsaved person unless one was holding the familiar coffee cup from Starstrucks. In fact, there had been studies done indicating that more people accepted Christ when the person witnessing to them had been drinking Starstrucks coffee in a Starstrucks coffee cup. Eutychus said, "cool" (Hey, Eutychus is starting to speak hip.).

So, Eutychus tried to start a conversation with the people in the foyer, but he didn't get very far. He didn't know the television shows they watched, and they seemed to want to talk about the latest games they were enjoying on their computers. Eutychus supposed it was easier to talk about being open and accepting than to put it into practice.

Eutychus went into the sanctuary, no wait, he was told it was fellowship space (It used to be called sanctuary, but that was so 20th century, then it came to be known as worship center, but that seemed to make unsaved people feel uncomfortable. It was hoped that the term "fellowship space" was generic enough to make the hardest sinner feel comfortable. I mean, after all, we don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable in church, do we? Who knows, Hitler may have become Hitler because some hard-headed Christian traditionalist tried to preach repentance to him in church instead of making him feel comfortable. Eutychus even thought he saw a guy in the hip church raise his glass of beer and say "To spiritual comfort.")

Looking around, Eutychus saw nothing that made him think he was in church, and when the service started, the music leader said, "Hey folks, glad you are here. Isn't it a great day to rock daddy with God? Let's hear those pipes of yours as you raise your culturally sensitive songs. And hey, everyone, today we have a new software right here in church. Here is how it works - if any song offends you, please push the "I'm Offended" button on your electronically outfitted seat, and you know what? We can change the words to the song right before your eyes. Hey, we can even take votes on what text you like best. Because remember our motto here at "Hip Church" - it is all about you. God is all about you, church is all about you, you are all about you, and hey, let's throw that cross stuff out the window; the cross is so uncomfortable and demanding. This is a NEW DAY."

Well, Eutychus was getting the feeling that this church was not what he was looking for. He was getting real homesick for his brothers and sisters in the first century. He wished he could worship with them again. He actually missed the days when Christian discipleship was sub-cultural, when speaking of Christ was a heart-felt expression. Some day, he would try to go home. Eutychus was homesick.

Eutychus and the Television

2010-02-17T22:17:00.004-06:00

Curious Eutychus has really been intrigued by the television. He first thought it was a box with a painting on the front - a painting that moved. But how could a painting move? High Definition technology is a bit ahead of Eutychus, but he is trying. And after all, life is much more than technology, right? Right? RIGHT?

After Eutychus mastered (well, mastering would be a bit of a stretch) the remote control he "surfed" (someone told him that is what he was doing, whatever surfing means) through 150 channels (whatever channels means). He learned about cooking omelets, watched "reality TV" (although Eutychus thought the persecutions under the Romans had a lot more to do with reality than swapping "mommies."). But there was a show he watched about a guy using a straw to suck "M-n-Ms" and carry them by means of suction with a straw depositing the M-n-Ms in another place. The longer Eutychus watched the TV, the more amazed he was that people would watch such a show. Could it be that the American culture was reduced to the absurdity of watching a man suck "M-n-Ms" with a straw.

For the first time, Eutychus started getting home sick. He thought of his brothers and sisters in Christ living in Jerusalem, an occupied city with Roman soldiers everywhere. He recalled the faces and the names of people who lived life everyday in the dusty, dirty streets of Jerusalem. He remembered the sermon Peter preached at Pentecost, and he thought of the hopes and dreams of Christians in the first century as they pondered taking the gospel to the world. Is it possible that 20 centuries later the wealthiest and most prominent culture and nation in the world is described by people watching a guy suck "M-n-Ms" on television. Eutychus pondered with amazement.

The Christian's Victory through Death

2010-02-17T11:42:00.003-06:00

Today I want to talk to you about death, death for the Christian. I want us to think about death, not as a defeat or tragedy, but as victory and means by which the Christian goes into the glories of heaven. Let's look at John 14:1-6 and think about the Christian's victory through death.

1. Death cannot defeat the Christian because it did not defeat Christ.

Jesus is soon to face the cross in John 14, but there is no anxiety, no worry, no panic, and no fear. In fact, Jesus doesn’t even speak of the cross. Rather, He speaks of what He is going to do after the cross, after He dies. He is implying that death is not the end of Him, and He is implying that death will not defeat Him. He speaks of what He will do after He goes back to heaven, therefore He is affirming His resurrection and ascension – He is affirming His post-death victory and life.

2. The Christian possesses great joy as he contemplates death.

There is a sense in which the Christian feels the violent contradiction and violation of life in the essence and experience of death. Death is not part of God’s original plan for life. The Christian knows it and feels it. But at the same time, the believer knows, as he contemplates death, that death will not result in the cessation of existence, the termination of life, or the displacement of self. The Apostle Paul mocked death when he said, “Death, where is your victory; Death where is your sting?” Hebrews 12 says that Jesus endured the cross despising the shame, because of the joy set before Him on the cross. The Christian’s joy in death is to know that death is God’s instrumental means by which the believer enters into the greatest joy, peace, love, comfort, and beauty. The believer in death goes home to God and God’s love and eternal provision for him in Christ.

3. The Christian experiences transcendent glory beyond death.

It is impossible for us to fully contemplate how wonderful heaven, and the Christian’s heavenly experience, is. John spoke of heaven and its beauties in the Book of Revelation. Stephen spoke of heaven opening, and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Jesus was standing to receive him. Jesus here says, “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Here is love to the maximum degree; here is our eternal, saving relationship with Christ fulfilled to the utmost. The Bride of Jesus, the church, will be in heaven without blemish, spot, or wrinkle.

Jesus said in John 17:24 in His prayer, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see my glory, which you have given Me…”

Paul referred to this in 2 Corinthians 3:18 when he wrote, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

Finally, when John writes in the last chapter of Revelation (22:3-4) “There will not longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night…” The longing of Moses' heart, to see God's face and glory, is fulfilled in heaven. The great blessing of the Old Testament, "May His face shine upon you" will be fulfilled in the fullest extent in heaven. Hallelujah!

Application: John 14:1-6

· The eternal promise of the gospel fulfilled wonderfully and gloriously in heaven is absolutely and undeniably real.

o “If it were not so…”

· The promise of heaven, along with attending glories and blessings, should be our daily consolation and comfort.

o “Do not let your heart be troubled…"

· The certainty of heaven, for the Christian, is part of our belief in God and Christ

o “…you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

· The way to heaven and all of its joys is through Jesus Christ.

1. Christ’s active righteousness is applied by imputation on the cross.

2. Forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrificial, substitutionary atoning death on the cross.

3. Eternal life through Christ’s resurrection demonstrating His victory over death and sin and affirming His authority, power, and life as the Lord of all.

"Afterwards"

2010-02-16T13:56:00.002-06:00

Hebrews 12:11 NASB, "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, AFTERWARDS, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

The last part of this verse in the Phillips translation reads, "Yet when it is all over we can see that it has quietly produced the fruit of real goodness in the characters of those who have accepted it."

1 Peter 5:10 NASB, "AFTER you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you."

In the NASB translations of these two verses there are two words that stand out to me: "afterwards" and "after." The text is clearly indicating that sometimes the Christian's life is very hard to bear. This may either be the discipline of the Lord (normative or corrective discipline), or it may be as a result of the enemy's attack (see "suffering" because of Satan's attack, 1 Peter 5:9).

No matter what the Christian goes through in his journey, no matter what may be the experience in life's race, there is always an AFTERWARD for God's people. Suffering, heartache, sorrow, grief, and sadness are not the final words for Christians. We are a people who overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 8:37). Our God's grace is sufficient for the need of the hour (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Tears may flow down our cheeks like rivers of sadness, but there is a joy in the end for God's people. The Psalmist said, Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5) . For the believer in Jesus Christ the night of sorrow, of despair, and overwhelming pain, gives way to the morning of gladness, goodness, and glory. This is true because there is always an AFTERWARD for God's people. God will never leave us in the Slough of Despond. Jesus promised His disciples His own joy (John 15:11). Nothing and no one can keep Jesus from bringing His joy to the hearts of His people.

Christian friend, when joy seems like the rarest of jewels, when the night of despair seems to be interminable, let us do the following:

We must never judge our Lord's grace and love for us in the midst of great pain when our Lord's mercies seem rare and infrequent.
We must remember, especially when we hurt, that God is working a plan beyond the scope of our knowing. We must trust Him with all our hearts and minds.
We must learn to leave unanswered questions with our Lord and His sovereign wisdom.
We must remember when our strength runs out to rest fully on God's strength and grace; these will always bear us up in the waves of adversity.
Finally, we must force ourselves to believe, no matter how hard it may seem, that there will come a time when the present pain will end and the day will grow bright with joy. There will be an AFTERWARDS.

Curious Eutychus Attends a Global Warming Conference

2010-02-11T22:48:00.004-06:00

As we pick up with our time-traveling hero, curious Eutychus, we discover that Eutychus has been invited by a consortium of environmental groups to attend a Global Warming Conference in Chicago. Eutychus is very curious about this because, other than being plopped down in St. Louis by some time warp, he has never been outside of Judea, and he isn't real sure what a "global" anything is. And he wasn't sure what a "warming" meant. He did remember the hot days he had spent in the summertime in the Judean wilderness. That was pretty warm. Once he tried to cross the Judean wilderness in the middle of July, a decision he soon learned to regret.

Eutychus was sitting in the St. Louis Lambert Airport waiting for something called a "flight" to take him to Chicago. A very serious looking gentleman sat beside him and began reviewing what looked like some very important notes. Curious Eutychus is...well...curious! So, he asks the man what he was doing. The scholarly looking gentleman turned his head toward Eutychus much like a turtle turning his head to survey a leaf of lettuce, and looking over his spectacles he said he was too busy to be disturbed by a commoner like Eutychus. Eutychus couldn't contain himself. He asked why the man was so busy. The man sighed loudly with what seemed to be exasperation and said, "I am Dr. Arrogantstein with the department of Socialististic Intervening Citizens Krafting Interpolate Deterministic Incremental Opportunities involving Total Subterfuge or SICK IDIOTS for short." He laid down his pen and papers as if to suggest that he would have to condescend to explain to this fruitcake about the obvious realities of the world. Dr. Arrogantsten explained, "I am part of a very elite group of world class scientists studying the undeniable and tragic effects of the extraordinary trend of global warming." Dr. Arrogantstein didactically said as if in a classroom, "You see, we have developed computer models that demonstrate beyond all logical doubt that the environment is being rapidly decimated by a right wing conspiracy to destroy all semblance of humanity and install a republican as King of the World." Eutychus got excited because he had just read a report in the newspaper about the very group in which Dr. Arrogantstein was a member. Eutychus, wanting to sound academic and well-read said, "Ah yes, I just read about your group in the paper. The report said that the data and the reports related to the computer models you have developed relating to global warming are fraudulent and lack the integrity of sound science. The report stated that your group had "stacked the deck" by manipulating the data to bring about the consequence you desire. Is that true?" "Well," replied Dr. Arrogantstein (looking like a boy who was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar), "I suppose we did stretch the research a bit, but it was all for a good cause. You can't just trust the average citizen to make the right decisions, you know. We have to "force", er...I mean "encourage" the population to make the right decision." "But," inquired Eutychus, "Aren't right scientific decisions and deductions made on the basis of solid science and proper interpretation of that science, and shouldn't the entire process be conducted with integrity without prejudice or bias?" Dr. Arrogantstein was a bit miffed with this obviously dense midwesterner who demonstrated a total lack of understanding of reality. He asked Eutychus quite abruptly, "Did you go to Harvard? Are you a card-carrying liberal? Have you ever been to Manhattan? Are you part of the elite who will overrule the common, hard-headed men or women?" Eutychus did not know what Dr. Arrogantstein meant, but he sensed he was supposed to say, "No." So, he did so. Dr. Arrogantstein smiled as if to placate an innocent ignoramus and said, "Son, you best leave the real issues to those of us who are smart enough to deal with them. Trust me, we are in a dangerous global warming trend that could change the entire meteorological climate overnight. I just hope we can make great paradigmatic changes before it is too late."

Eutychus looked up to the television screen to notice that their flight to take them to Chicago to the Global Warming Conference had just been cancelled for snow.

The Distortion of Wounded Feelings

2010-02-11T15:51:00.002-06:00

Job 10:1-3, "I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; let me know why You contend with me. Is it right for You indeed to oppress, to reject the labor of Your hands and to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?"

When we are hurting, grieving, sick, or distraught, then our emotions are a wreck. Damaged emotions are so effected by our pain that they are distorted greatly. This is indicated in Job's experience. He made the following miscalculations because of his pain:

He thought God was oppressing him.
He thought God was looking favorably on the evil plans of wicked people.
He thought God was condemning him.
He thought God was contending (opposing) him.

All of these false ideas seemed so real to Job because of his pain. His spiritual eyes were clouded by the mists of sharp pain and grief. He hurt so much that he said he loathed his life, and his soul was bitter.

Let's think about the following when our wounded feelings create an emotional distortion.

God's love for His people is constant; it never fluctuates or diminishes. There is nothing a child of God can do to make God love him more or less. When we feel unloved by God, remember how much God loves you. Christian friend, God demonstrated His love for His covenant people by sending the blessed second Person of the Trinity in human flesh as a sacrifice for their sin.
Our wounded feelings are inaccurate barometers of reality. What we feel is not necessarily what is true. We must learn to differentiate between what feels real and what is real. Reality is based on truth not feeling. We must learn God's holy Word (the Scriptures) in order to rightly understand reality when we are hurting. It is best to learn truth before you hurt, so that when pain comes you can reflect meaningfully and comfortingly on what you know to be true in the Scriptures.
Never make big decisions in a time of great pain. A wounded person makes poor decisions. When we are hurting deeply, attempt to refrain from making big decisions. Let time pass, try to get your emotional balance, before making big decisions.
Soak in the confidence of future glory. When a Christian is hurting, he is in the perfect position to reflect on the joy and majesty of future glory. Often present pain enables us to better anticipate the glory of eternity.
Do your duty trusting fully in God. It is best to not try to conquer the world when hurting. It is best, when hurting, to focus on what lies at hand. "What is my duty?" "What is my responsibility?" The answers to these questions will guide us as to best spend our time. We must act, work, live, and serve during times of pain. Do not soak in self-pity or self-loathing. It is better to be busy doing what we ought to do. As we do this, trust fully in God for the future.
Worship the Lord. There is nothing more calming, more correcting, more soothing, more inspiring in the Christian's life than true worship. In worship we see ourselves in the context of the greatness of God. In worship we see our sin in the ambiance of divine purity. In worship we see the light of the providence of God when we think nothing but darkness is all around. If you would be healed of heart, go worship.

Curious Eutychus meets a Feminist

2010-02-10T20:50:00.005-06:00

Friend, I want to welcome you to a new series of contemplative ruminations of uncertain quality. Today begins the ADVENTURES OF CURIOUS EUTYCHUS! I take the name of this fictional character from the interesting young fellow who had the infamous experience of falling asleep during one of Paul's sermons in Acts 20 (not something one would like to have etched in one's legacy..."Oh, your the one who fell asleep during Paul's sermon; wink, wink!"). Well, Eutychus is now visiting us in the 21st century, and an interesting visit it is! He will meet some "peculiar blokes on this beach." Today, curious Eutychus meets a modern feminist.

Eutychus was reading in the newspaper about the recent Focus on the Family commercial that ran during the Super Bowl (Eutychus had to be really "brought up to speed" on what football was, but that is for another story) in which Tim Tebow (monstrously successful former football quarterback for the University of Florida Gators) and his mother express their pro-life story. The general sense of the story is that Mrs. Tebow (Tim's mom) was told when she was pregnant with Tim that she was in great risk during this pregnancy. The doctors in their "all knowing wisdom" (after all, anyone in a white medical smock knows what they are talking about, right? I think the medical smock is now the sign of authority similar to the clerical robe in the middle ages, but that is for another story as well) advised Mrs. Tebow to abort little unborn Tim. But Mrs. Tebow CHOSE to face the possible risks of the pregnancy and have little Tim, who turned out to be fine along with mother. This is where the feminists start to get angry, I mean, after all a woman who would CHOOSE to have her baby deserves to be criticized, right?!

Well, back to Eutychus...he was telling this story to an acquaintance of his at the local coffee shop called "The Double Dip Caffeine Trip All Hip Getting Ready for the Trip We Won't Let You Slip" coffee shop. As he told of the heroic CHOICE by Mrs. Tebow to continue the pregnancy and how everything turned out fine for both mom and her son, the young lady grew more and more agitated. As the story continued she began to glow red with anger and obvious indignation. Eutychus, not having been in the 21st century very long, was confused. When he inquired concerning her problem, she burst out, "Don't you understand you slime ball of male testosterone filled with overtly womanly hatred; you bigoted, arrogant, stupid, insensitive man full of all detestable manly irrational thought." Eutychus was stunned; he had not detected his own male stupidity by simply reading the wonderful story of the courageous story of a young mother CHOOSING life because of her love and belief. He replied, "I don't understand." She shouted with elitist fury, "Of course you don't understand. How could you understand the importance of a woman's CHOICE in a time of great struggle and fear. You pro-lifers are all the same; you haven't got the foggiest clue of what it means to be PRO-CHOICE!" Eutychus exclaimed, "But didn't Mrs. Tebow make her own CHOICE, and shouldn't we applaud her love and sacrifice for her child?" The feminist snootily retorted, "CHOICE! Having a baby is not a CHOICE. Don't you understand that you cannot be PRO-CHOICE unless you CHOOSE the CHOICE that pro-abortionists prefer!" Now Eutychus was really confused. He asked, "But isn't a CHOICE, a CHOICE, whatever the CHOICE is?" The feminist laughed with disdain and cried, "How stupid of you PRO-LIFERS! You don't even know CHOICE when you see one!"

Eutychus went on sipping his latte with a bit of skim milk and artificial sweetener, and wondered, "How is it that CHOICE is not CHOICE?" These are strange thinking people in the 21st century. He wondered if logic had made it to this point in history.

A True Example of Faith

2010-02-01T20:34:00.002-06:00

If you are like me, I often feel that my faith needs a boost. I want to trust God, but sometimes it seems so hard to do. I think I am doing great until a test of my faith comes along, and suddenly I feel like I am in the kindergarten school of faith. One of the most encouraging passages on faith for me is the passage where Jesus said that faith need only be as large as a mustard seed, and that is enough. But even that size of faith is too large for me. I fall before the Lord and say with the man, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief."

Paul used Abraham as the example of true faith in Romans 4. What does faith really look like? How does faith act in the face of obstacles that threaten to undo it? Look at Romans 4:16-21 (NASB):

"For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace...to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all...in hope against hope he believed...without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able to perform."

OK, here is the gig - Hebrews 11:6 says one cannot please God without faith. Faith is just that important. But faith is not only a subjective trust in something one wishes to be true. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. God speaks His Word (the Scriptures) to His sheep, and Jesus' sheep hear the voice of their beloved Shepherd in the words of the Scripture. And as a result, the sheep believe Jesus and His Word. The sheep have faith in what Jesus says in the Scripture.

Faith says several important things. (1) Faith says, "I want to get God's Word right; I want to rightly interpret the Word of God." (2) Faith says, "I will rest my convictions, my hopes, and my expectations on what God has said in His Word; He cannot fail in any promise He makes." (3) Faith says, "I will trust God to bridge the gap from the promise of the Word to my personal human experience; I will not put demands on God, but rather, I will trust God to be true to Himself in fulfilling His Word." (4) Faith says, "I will not quit believing God no matter what I see or don't see, what I feel or don't feel; sight and feelings do not verify God." (5) Faith says, "I will smile always knowing that God will certainly come through to do what is best, wisest, and good for me."

But there is one more thing; something bothers me about the reference to Abraham and faith in Romans 4. If one reads the story of Abraham and Sarah and the promise of God, one realizes that there is a disconnect here. Abraham and Sarah tried to work out God's promise with their own rationale and in their own strength. They tried to accomplish God's will by conniving and scheming and working their own plans. And it failed MISERABLY! But when I read Romans 4 about Abraham and his faith, I see absolutely no reference to Abraham's failure of faith. Rather, Abraham is presented as a model of faith. Did God forget the failure of Abraham? No, but God chose to overlook the failure of Abraham. The greatest of people are rotten failures in the eyes of God. This is a given; no question or debate. Someone has rightly said, "The best of men are men at best." But God's grace moves beyond the failures of His people, and God shows His glory in their successes, because those successes demonstrate God's grace in the lives of His people. God is not keeping a book of your mistakes in order to "pound" you one day with judgment. All of your sins and failures are nailed to Christ's cross, and the debt has been paid in full. Paul may have called himself the chief of sinners, but God never called Paul that. To God, Paul was one of His chosen ones whom He loved with all His heart.

So, Christian friend, trust God, lean on God, rest in His promise and faithfulness. Stop beating yourself up for your failures, and live by FAITH!

His Joy, Our Joy

2010-01-30T21:31:00.002-06:00

John 15:11 (NASB), "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

John 17:13 (NASB), "But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves."

Hebrews 12:2 (NASB), "Fixing our eyes on Jesus...who for the joy set before Him endured the cross..."

One would be a bit pressed to find a concept more desired and sought, and less experienced and understood, than the virtue of joy. Joy is that marvelous possession which does not come by money or achievement. It cannot be bought or earned or artificially induced. Although one may feel that he has caught joy, often he does so only to discover what he has grasped is a fleeting fancy.

Equally tragic is the fact that many Christians haven't the slightest clue of the importance and central significance of joy in their faith experience with Christ. Joy goes with everything in the Christian life: obedience, worship, service, study, prayer, fellowship, ministry, and theology. The mature Christian realizes the painful necessity of walking with God through this vale of earthly tears because of the real nature of sinful reality. But it is only the few who actually rise to see through the clouds of despair the true vision of the color of joy in the glory of God made understandable through the suffering of this life.

Jesus made the issue clear and certain. He gives to His own His joy, and His joy cannot be less than full. This joy, the promised joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ applied with power and grace to the inner life of the true Christian, is the joy that enabled Jesus to EDURE THE CROSS. Therefore, I must say that the joy of which He speaks must be, along with all the divine virtues and grace that belong to the Lord, the greatest power on earth. It must be brother to the virtue of love. But what is Christian joy?

1. Christian joy is that discovery made in the heart of the believer whose soul has been transformed by divine grace that indicates Jesus is more precious and beautiful than the believer could ever conceive, and He belongs to the Christian. ("and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory." 1 Peter 1:8 NASB) Jesus is not the means to something else, but Jesus is Himself the gift, and in Him we have all. No wonder the New Testament describes the inheritance of the believer as the Lord Himself. What else could we want that is not in Him? What joy to know that we know Him as He indeed knows us, that we have Him as He has us, and we belong to Him as He belongs to us. It is oneness that is complete in its love and joy.

2. Christian joy is that assurance that all that matters most is most secure in His promise to us. Nothing can separate us from Him, and nothing can separate us from His love. There is not the slightest possibility of failing to experience and enjoy God's glory in heaven, for the child of God. Christian friend, you are as sure of heaven and the glory of God in which you will be an integral part, as if you were there already! This is not a reflection upon you, but it is a reflection upon the awesome power, love, and grace of God who chose you before the foundation of the world and who has accomplished His regenerative power in your heart. He who began His work in you will finish what He intended, planned and began in your life. And nothing, absolutely nothing, can stop God from accomplishing His holy will in your life. It was His will to save you, and God will not lose what He intended to save!

3. Christian joy is also hope, anchored in the soul by virtue of truth and the assurance by the Holy Spirit, that each and every tomorrow in the journey with God adds a layer of glorious perspective in our walk with Him. And each step in this journey only takes us closer and deeper and wider into the greatest and most magnificent experience a human could ever know - to join in God's eternal glory with Him. Christian brother and sister, one day you and I will know what even Adam in all of his innocence and ethereal experience could never have known - the joy of being found and saved and made like Christ, even though once we were utter rebels against God. Our failures will only cause the greatness of God to shine all the more. Our sin will only add luster to the glory of God's saving power and grace. Our weakness will only add more melody to the angelic song of God's glory in saving sinners. Sin, the worst act the universe will ever witness, is by God's power and grace, the means by which God's glory shines with an eternal beauty.

We have joy, everlasting joy, deep and abiding joy, joy beyond all human comprehension and imagination, JOY, JOY, JOY! May we rejoice this day in the joy of Christ made full in us.

Jesus Wept

2010-01-28T12:39:00.003-06:00

In preparation for my Sunday sermon this week, a sermon from Isaiah 53:3 on the sorrows and suffering of Jesus on the cross, I had opportunity to reflect again on John 11:35. The significance of this verse is not that it is commonly conceived as the shortest verse in the English Bible, but the significance of the verse is what the verse truly, deeply, and meaningfully says about God. Jesus was, and is, God. Here at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus (God) is weeping. Twice more in this chapter (verses 33 and 38) the Bible speaks of how much Jesus was moved with emotion and compassion in the presence of death and grief. Jesus is not "putting on a show" for the crowd; Jesus is really and genuinely overwhelmed with emotion.

The thing that stuns me about this is that it is God who is weeping. He is standing at the tomb of a dear friend, a friend whom He will momentarily resuscitate from death, and He is weeping! Why? Is He weeping because He is bringing Lazarus back to a life of pain, sickness, and death? Is He weeping for Martha and Mary who grieve horribly over their brother's death? Is He weeping for His people who suffer, struggle, endure all sorts of sorrow and disappointments, sickness and ultimately physical death? Is He weeping for the world? Luke describes in his Gospel Account (Luke 19:41) that as Jesus approached Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, "He saw the city and wept over it."

God is not insensitive to the needs, pain, and heartache of His dear people. Isaiah 63:9 (NCV) says, "When they suffered, He (God) suffered also." Hebrews 4:15 explains to us that Jesus, as our High Priest, sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, faults, and failures. And added to this, Paul argues and teaches in Philippians 3:10 that Christians find in common suffering with Jesus (Note also Paul's reference in Colossians 1:24 to his filling up, in his suffering for the church, the suffering of Jesus.) a sweet and intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ. There is no more sweeter or more soul-satisfying fellowship with Jesus than the fellowship we have with Him in suffering.

In the film, Gods and Generals, at a particular point in the War Between the States, the Confederate General Stonewall Jackson has developed a friendship with a family whose home is near the place where the army is bivouacked. General Jackson enjoys the company of a young girl in the family. In the midst of a brutal and tragic war, General Jackson finds an innocent and precious respite in the fellowship of this little girl. But she becomes ill and ultimately dies of scarlet fever. When the report of her death is brought to General Jackson, he is immediately and obviously overwhelmed with grief at the news. He quickly and decisively walks away from the tent and his staff where he sits on a stump of a tree and begins to weep. He weeps convulsively and uncontrollably. His staff watches in stunned silence. General Jackson has never shown emotion before now; he has never cried over fallen comrades and friends in the war. Finally, one speaks voicing the confusion that many of them were feeling, "He has never wept before. When all of his VMI students were killed, when his friends and fellow soldiers were killed in battle, he never wept for them." But a wise man standing nearby says, "No, you are wrong. I believe he is weeping for them all."

When you think of Jesus weeping at Lazarus' tomb remember that He weeps for you as well. He is weeping for you when you hurt, when you are scared and uncertain, when you sin and fail and your heart is broken with conviction and guilt, and when you stand before death, He is weeping, He is weeping for you. HE IS WEEPING FOR US ALL."

The Suffering and the Glory

2010-01-27T12:47:00.002-06:00

OK, I admit it - I'm addicted to Romans chapter 8! I love to preach the Bible, all parts of the Bible, but I especially love to preach from Romans 8. By the way, I am preaching through Romans 8 in my sermons at church as I work my way through the Book of Romans. Romans 8:28 was the source of comfort my mother gave to me repeatedly as I was growing up. She loved this verse so much, and she applied it is such a way in her life, that when she died we etched this passage in her headstone at the cemetery. Romans 8 just seems to house within it all of the great and comforting truths that extend to the extremity of life. I cannot fathom a circumstance in life for which Romans 8 would not speak or could not give comfort.

I was reading Romans 8:18 and pondering afresh the pervasive problem of human suffering in light of the majestic glory of Christ. The glory of Christ in its existential reality and eschatological promise form the expansive refuge of hope for the Christian. With weakened heart and trembling hands I take this word from the Word and press it to my aching soul. Here in God's Word I see the following:

1. Suffering, though in contradiction to God's un-fallen creation, is not outside of the realm of normalcy in terms of living in a world in rebellion against God.

2. Suffering is the part of the experiential fabric of Christian's life as he or she seeks to live out in this world authentic faith in and love for Jesus Christ.

3. There is a sense in which suffering Christians continue to share in the sufferings of Christ (see Colossians 1:24).

4. As such, Christ suffers with His suffering people as they live out their active and anchored faith in Christ for the sake of the Gospel.

5. Because of this suffering Christians have a sweet fellowship with Jesus, and Jesus makes Himself known to them in the context of their pain.

6. The Christian life is not intended to be an escape from suffering, but rather a glorious declaration to the universe of the worthiness of God and the wonderful life Christ gives in spite of any and every circumstance.

7. Suffering becomes the ambiance in which the Christian begins to formulate an understanding of the greatest gift of all - the gift of glorification in eternity in which the believer will join Christ in eternal joy, hope, peace, and glory! Thus, suffering becomes, in effect, the window through which we see the glory of God, and death becomes the door to our greatest victory.

Oftentimes we Christians will confess these truths through the veil of our tears. We will weep and grieve, yet rejoice in the process. For pain and sorrow and suffering are nothing to be compared with the glory Jesus shares with His darling Bride, the church. And, Christian friend, you and I are part of that Bride. Our destiny is GLORIOUS! Rejoice today in all things through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Remarkable Purposes of God

2010-01-26T13:09:00.004-06:00

Reading Genesis 27 one wonders how in the world God could ever use such a family as Isaac's. I mean, talk about dysfunctional - this bunch would make a great reality television show. Here we have the wife/mother conspiring with one of her sons against her husband (father) and another son, and we have the conspiring son deceitfully arranging a situation whereby he can steal the firstborn son's blessing. Add to that the so-call "great" firstborn son is really a hair-brain: impulsive, shallow, undisciplined, and willing to trade his future for immediate gratification (What a great leader in the making! Can you feel the sarcasm dripping from my statement?). Esau, the firstborn, would have been voted by his class to be the most likely to succeed in the soup business (Ha! Sorry, couldn't help myself). On top of this we have the husband/father (Isaac) who seems to be the doofus in all of this.

The burning questions one must asked in all of this is...Can God use this family? Can God bring about His sovereign plans in the midst of this mess? One might assert that surely such sinners as these would be disqualified for God's use. But, if we think like this, then we would be mistaken.

In fact, Romans 9:10-12 says, "And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according his choice would stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." Wow! There is more going on in Genesis 27 than first meets the eye. That is usually the case in life. Don't look at the surface of things; learn to look deeper, and learn to trust God.

I take from all of this the following:

1. God's plans are bigger, more complicated, and more involved than any of us can determine. We must learn to trust God's plan and choices.

2. God picks folks for His own reasons; we must learn to accept that.

3. Sin does not stop God's plan. God is so transcendently great that sin (evil though it may be) can only serve to enhance the grace and glory of God. God's purposes will be established.

4. Folks are saved by God's grace without contributing anything to their salvation. Even the faith we exercise to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord is a gift from God.

5. Don't analyze a situation too quickly; wait till God is done with it. In the end, God will be shown to be the sovereign and good God in charge of all things accomplishing His will.

When I read passages like Genesis 27 informed by Romans 9, I have only two things to say: (1) Praise God for His all-powerful sovereign grace and plan, and (2) I'm glad God uses sinners; that gives me hope.

Same Question, Different Meaning

2010-01-25T20:48:00.002-06:00

Oftentimes there are clues to the proper interpretation found right in the biblical text itself when interpreting Scripture. One must learn to make careful and close observations of the text and make insightful and correct conceptual connections within the text itself.

I think this is true in Matthew 25:31-46. This is what is commonly called the Olivet Discourse named for the place where Jesus made predictions relative to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the end of time (eschatological) events that will occur. But there is a major theme included in this section - the theme of divine judgment and divine redemption.

In this section the saved and the unsaved are clearly indicated and delineated. There has always been, and there will always be, those who "get it" and those who don't. When Jesus comes again the Scriptures say that there will be one taken and the other left.

One of the most fundamental differences between saved people and unsaved people is how each group thinks. There is a world of difference between the two groups. Notice in the text in Matthew 25 that this contrast of perspective is clearly marked by a question that both groups ask God in the day of judgment. The day of judgment, for God's covenant people who are saved by grace through our Lord Jesus Christ, is really a day of salvation. Yet it is clear that the people of God know instinctively and experientially that they are not worthy of salvation. God commends them - the lives they have lived and the heart they possess, in verses 35-36. But the saved respond to God in verses 37-39 that they do not believe themselves to have been obedient to God in their lifetime. They cannot remember the times in their lives when they saw themselves faithfully performing the duties that reflect their salvation. When God said to the saved, "You gave...you gave...you invited...you clothed...you visited...you came...", the saved respond, "When?...When?...When? (verses 37, 38, 39)." The saved never feel pride, arrogance, and self-achieved honor. The saved always feel that they are the unworthy recipients of divine grace and mercy, which in fact we are.

But look at how the unsaved think! To the unsaved the Lord says, "Depart from Me...you gave Me nothing...you gave Me nothing...you did not...you did not...you did not... (verses 41, 42, 43)." With stunning dullness, insensitivity, and hard-headedness the unsaved say in response, "Lord, when did we...and did not?" Theirs is not a heart of repentance, contrition, or even admission of guilt, sin, and failure. Instead, the instinctive nature of the wicked, unregenerate heart is to make excuses, to seek to justify, to cover up, and to deny all guilt and sin. What a difference there is between the heart of the saved and the unsaved!

The heart of the saved people of God never feel that they have done enough, they never feel they have been as obedient as they should, they can never forget the awesome, sovereign grace of God poured out freely and abundantly upon them in Christ. The people of God, when they ponder their salvation through Jesus Christ, marvel that God would love them and choose them and want them for His own. They do not speak of God not being fair to them; they do not demand justice from God. Rather, the people of God relish the divine mercy lavished upon them in Jesus Christ. They rejoice in the cross of Christ, and they take hope in Christ's resurrection. They (we) are a joyful people; they (we) are a grateful people.

If this Scripture narrative is indicative of a saved heart (and it is), in which group does your heart seem to fit? Are you joyfully and gratefully amazed that Jesus loves you? Or, are you one who will hear a different message from God in the end, and will your heart rise up on self-centered denial revealing the blindness of your soul?

Faith and God's Provision

2010-01-21T16:31:00.002-06:00

Genesis 22 is a marvelous passage of Scripture. We call passages like this "Messianic" passages because they anticipate, foreshadow, or predict the Messiah/Christ in some way. Genesis 22 is so sweet because it anticipates the death of the Lord Jesus as a substitute, atoning sacrifice for our sins. On Mount Calvary Jesus Christ gave Himself as our sacrifice for sin, as God the Father's sacrifice for sin. Just as God provided the ram for the sacrifice on Mount Moriah for Abraham, so God provides Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, for our sins on the cross. Wow! Just thinking about this is glorious! Indeed Calvary is God's provision for the sinner. In the cross of Jesus Christ, we see God's provision for the sinner.

1. God provides forgiveness for our sins.

2. God provides cleansing for our sinful guilt and shame.

3. God provides justification whereby the sinner in Christ is wonderfully acceptable to God and clothed with divine righteousness.

But there is also a teaching on Christian faith in Genesis 22 as well. Using sanctified imagination I wonder if Abraham struggled when God told him to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac. Surely Abraham wondered why God would give to him a son of promise, and then ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar. And yet, Abraham demonstrates absolute, undeniable, and unwavering confidence in God. He did as God commanded. Whew, that must have been tough! But Abraham did it, and he did it because he believed God that much!

Hebrews 11:17-19 says, "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, 'In Isaac your descendants shall be called.' He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type."

Two main ideas are given here: 1) Abraham's faith in Genesis 22 is a type of Christian faith, as is indicated in Hebrews 11, and 2) The essence or core of Abraham's faith, and Christian faith, is the belief that God is able to save us in Christ. Thus, the critical component of Christian faith is not the faith itself, rather, it is that God is able to do what He has promised in Christ.

OK, I want to draw some relevant and associative connections between Abraham's faith and true, Christian, saving faith, such as...

1. True faith is based in the revelation of God.

Abraham believed what God had said to him. He believed God's word and promise. Today we must believe God's word which is God's Word, the Bible. The Bible is the focus of our faith today. God has spoken today, but not in dreams or visions or prophetic thoughts in our heads (see Hebrews 1:1-3). Rather, God has spoken in His Son (Jesus) and the Scriptures; we are called to believe God's Word, the Bible.

2. True faith is real hard.

In fact, true faith is impossible for people to provide. This is why God gives faith as a gift (see Ephesians 2:8). If one has faith, true faith, then God is operative in his life to provide this as a gift to him. It must have been very hard for Abraham to have faith in God when God asked him to sacrifice his son. But Abraham did the hard thing; that is faith.

3. True faith is sacrificial and life-changing.

Faith in Abraham's life radically changed him completely. It changed where he lived, what he wanted in life, and what his life was all about. This is true of true faith. Faith in Christ is not a "ticket" to heaven or a "fire insurance" policy to keep us from hell. True faith is certainly the means by which we are brought into a saving relationship with God, and thus avoids hell and gains heaven, but this is not mean that faith leaves us unchanged. True faith transforms our will, our affections, and our mind. This is so radical in our lives that Paul calls Christians "new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17)."

4. True faith is convinced of God's ability and promise.

True faith does not look at itself; true faith looks at God. It depends upon God. It takes God at His Word; it rests upon the veracity and integrity of God alone. This is true faith.

Now for a final caution: Be careful to not misinterpret a non-prescriptive biblical passage and make it prescriptive. For example, some might read Genesis 22 and say, "Well, God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, therefore God calls all of us to do the same." No, no, a thousand times NO! The text in Genesis 22 is not prescriptive, that it does not command us to do the same as Abraham did. Rather, the passage is DESCRIPTIVE and ILLUSTRATIVE. The passage is descriptive in that it describes what God told Abraham to do, not us. But it is illustrative of true saving faith. The application of Genesis 22 has nothing to do with offering one's children to the Lord as sacrifices. It is about how God provided a type or foreshadowing of Christ in a remarkable moment and event in the life of a man long ago. If a biblical passage is prescriptive and exhortative, then it will be clearly seen all through the Scripture. Just a word of caution...

The Comfort of God's Faithfulness and Compassion

2010-01-20T11:39:00.003-06:00

When I teach biblical hermeneutics to my college students I tell them to take the biblical text very seriously. Many questions must be asked concerning the text including, "Why does the Bible say what it says in the way it says it?", and "What does God want us to know about Himself in this text before us?" Often approaching the text in such a way will enable us to perceive, with meditation and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, some important truths that are meant to be extrapolated from the text.

I was reading Genesis 21 today, and I was struck by two verses that seem to shout out a marvelous truth about the nature of God's sovereign goodness and faithfulness - verses 1 and 17. Verse 1 reads, "Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised." The application and reference concerning the content of this verse is the conception of Isaac in Sarah's womb in keeping with God's covenant promise to Abraham and Sarah. God had promised Abraham and Sarah that though they were childless, He would give to them a son through whom God's covenant to Abraham would be realized. This verse (above) speaks about the person and nature of God in light of that promise. God did not forget His promise, and God kept His word to Abraham and Sarah.

Abraham and Sarah had disobeyed the Lord by trying to work out God's promise on their own. They had utilized an ancient culturally acceptable arrangement whereby a man could have a son to call his own by having a child through a female servant of Sarah's (Hagar, Genesis 16). But when Sarah had her own son, the promised son, friction developed between she and Hagar and Hagar's son, Ishmael. The result was that Hagar and Ishmael were driven away into the wilderness of Beersheba (Genesis 21:14). There, destitute and without any resources for survival, Hagar thought both she and her son would die. One can hardly imagine the emotional trauma this mother felt as she gently and lovingly laid Ishmael under the shade of a bush knowing that soon he would die without water. She could not bear to endure the suffering of her son, so she moved a distance away because she did not want to watch him die. There she wept in agony of heart and soul (Genesis 21:16). But in verse 17 the Bible says, "God heard the lad crying." It also says in the same verse that the angel of the Lord called to Hagar from heaven and said, "Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is." The angel of the Lord gave her the promise of the Lord's provision and pointed her to a nearby well where water was available for them. And they both survived.

Now, why did God put this passage here? Why does God tell the story in the way He tells it? What is God wanting the reader to grasp from the story and how the story is presented? Perhaps, as some would suggest, this story essentially describes the origins of the descendants of Israel and the Ishmaelites (nomadic Arabic tribes in northern Arabia). But I feel differently on the matter. As interesting and helpful as this information in the story is concerning the ancient genealogical referencing of people groups, I think more is being said here. I believe something is being said about God; God wants us to see Himself in the story. What can we learn about God in this passage?

1. God is the God who sees, understands, cares, and acts.

There is an essential, absolute, transcendent goodness in the character and nature of God. And God is involved in His creation and human history in such a way that His wisdom, truth, and goodness are seen in evidential means giving hope and purpose to history. This will be ultimately demonstrated in the application of the Lordship of Jesus Christ at the end of history. The Bible wants us to know that God sees, and this should comfort us. God understands what we are going through, and He cares about us. And God acts in accordance with His eternal decrees, sovereign wisdom, and providential will to bring about goodness for us in our circumstances. This is our hope.

2. God never forgets His promises.

The very fact that God makes promises to humans is a phenomenal truth. God's promises can be categorized into a number of categories including promises regarding the physical continuance of the earth and seasons and His promise not to flood the earth again, but most of God's biblical promises are identified with His covenant of redemption and the people He has chosen in that covenant. All through the Scriptures God is shown to be trustworthy and faithful, keeping His promises to His people (Numbers 23:19; Joshua 21:45; 23:14) . God cannot fail to keep His promises to His people, because God is the faithful God. God can be counted upon to stand by His Word absolutely and undeniably.

3. God is compassionate and merciful.

God delights in showing His compassion and mercy in the lives of people. This is most powerfully seen in the life of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 20:29-34 two blind men cry out to Jesus to heal them as He was passing by. When Jesus asked them what they wanted, they replied, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened (verse 33)." How simple and straightforward this request is, and yet it is so full of pity and pain. The very next verse says (verse 34), "Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes..." God is moved with compassion; He is full of mercy, grace, tenderness, and compassion. Thus, did God declare Himself as He prepare to pass by Moses hidden in the cleft of the rock in Exodus 33:19.

4. God is the Master of the big picture.

There is one more point to which I turn my mind for our deliberations this day. Even though God showed His faithfulness and mercy to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar, and Ishmael, there is something greater being revealed here. We must not miss the underlying point in all of the story - God is working on a larger scale to bring about His redemptive plan and will for the benefit of the world and His own glory. If we think God is simply present to help us because we are so important to Him, we miss a bigger point that is included. We must understand that our lives are part of the larger historical and eternal mosaic of divine glory. Everything that happened to the people in the story in Genesis 21, and everything God did for them, resulted in blessing to many other people. And ultimately redemption is achieved in accordance with God's plan, and God is shown to be the glorious God that He is. We must never lose the understanding of the purpose of our individual lives as connected to God's greater plan.

Bigshotitis!

2010-01-18T21:49:00.002-06:00

Matthew 18:1-6 - "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

I have had my fill with "bigshotitis." You know what bigshotitis is - it is that attitude that is centered on the perceived importance of self, nourished by a magnificently warped view of our own self-achievement, basted with a heavy dose of the sauce of arrogance and bragadociousness. Whew! That recipe stinks!

And the worst part of it all - I see it too often in myself. Ours is a day that instills pride and self-inflation as primary characteristics of a healthy self-esteem. We don't want our children to lose at athletic games because it may hurt there psychological development. We want them to make the highest grades in school (whether or not they earned them; it looks so good on the resume!). Ours is a culture that has so exalted self-deification that our bookstore chains have whole sections of the store dedicated to how to improve self (or at least, improve your opinion of yourself, whether you improve or not!). It is all so yucky! And worse, it is all so unbiblical!

I read our passage of Scripture referenced above, and I was once again struck by how God thinks so differently than we do. We want to order people around, God says serve them. We want to be thought important in the eyes of others, God says humble yourself. We want to be big shots, but God says be a servant. We want others to invest in us, God says give yourself to others. We are so backward, so upside-down, and so inside-out.

But I live with someone who lives what Jesus is talking about. His name is Joel, and Joel is my son. Joel is 17 years old, and Joel has the marvelous distinction of being very special - he has Down syndrome. Joel's emotional and spiritual DNA is a mosaic of giggles, hugs, kisses, and smiles that would bring the sunshine back on a dark and cloudy day. I come home to the patter of running feet to find Joel leaping into Daddy's arms, and giving him (me) a big, wet kiss. Priceless! The world calls Joel retarded; I call him, "gifted." The world calls him a burden; I call him a "delight." The world calls him limited; I see the unlimited love potential of a boy whose heart is as big as Texas. On the day Joel was born I said, "What am I going to do with Joel?" Now, seventeen years later, I say, "What would I do without Joel?" Something has changed. Life hasn't changed but I've changed. Joel has been my teacher and mentor. He is showing me the beauty of simplicity, the majesty of love, and the glory and depth of sweetness. I want to be more like Joel! I think God wants me to be more like Joel. I think Joel is more like Jesus than I ever will be.

I think Jesus was describing Joel in Matthew 18. May God give us all minds to understand and hearts to embrace the wisdom of gentleness and kindness. May God give us the joy in knowing God's ways are way above our ways. May God give us the courage to grasp God's ways and will regardless of what the world says. Amen!

Logical Biblical Thinking

2010-01-15T11:43:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I use my blog to express ruminations of all sorts relative to my Bible reading, current events and trends, theology and ministry, and "burrs" that get under my metaphorical saddle. Today is a "burr" day. This is a period of our national history where logical, rational, and balanced thinking is almost disappearing. We make assertions without evidence, and we make declarations without knowledge. And many times it doesn't seem to bother us much.

This kind of thinking carries over into the Christian world as well. Regularly, consistently (shall I say), almost every day, I hear Christians make assertions and declarations that they contend is biblical, but have little evidence of being a biblical view at all. Many Christians have become "parrots" simply repeating what they have heard or read. If they hear a preacher, teacher, or leader say something that seems to register as being right, then they repeat the view or "fact" without knowing if it is fact or not.

The most obvious and blatant of this kind of faulty reasoning comes from the recent statement that the earthquake in Haiti came because God is punishing Haiti for its sin. Now, there is NO DEBATE about the issue of whether or not God punishes sin; He does, and He will. But the question is, "Did the earthquake occur because God was punishing Haiti for its sin?" If we say, "yes", then we are stating that we have absolute certainty based on absolute epistemological evidence that this cause and effect is clear and undeniable. And we must answer why God has not judged other sinful nations (including our own) in a similar way. The truth is, God does not give us the epistemological insight and certainty to make such statements. The best response that I have read on the biblical and theological meaning of Haiti and the earthquake comes from Dr. Albert Mohler on his blog. I would suggest you read his entry on the topic.

I would like today to think with you about logical, biblical thinking in general. How can we as Christians do a better job of discerning and declaring true biblical truth?

1. Make sure you get the Bible right.

The Bible gives many trans-generational, trans-cultural, and transcendent statements regarding many things, especially in theology including moral and ethical behavior. The main teachings of the Christian faith ("worldview", if you prefer) are clearly, consistently, and obviously taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible. These theological truths are clearly seen when appropriate and right hermeneutical principles are applied to the interpretive process. It is vital and necessary for a Christian to have a right understanding of what these hermeneutical principles are.

2. Don't go beyond the biblical material.

Once President Abraham Lincoln was asked to submit a biographical for use in a speaker's forum. He did so with this note, "Please don't go beyond the material." I believe God would say the same thing to us. Don't say God said things that He did not say. Don't leave out what God said, as if He did not say it. Stick with the material. Dr. James Shields was one of my Bible professors in college at Howard Payne University. He used to say to us preaching students: "When the Bible talks, then talk; but, when the Bible shuts up, shut up." Good advice. Be especially careful to not ADD to the Bible or speak extra-biblically with authoritative power. Do not, for example, speak as if God has TOLD you something in a subjective experience. There is NO SUCH THING AS EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION. God does not speak to us in dreams, visions, or even subjective reasoning (as an old friend of mine used to say, "It must be right, because it seems so right to me." He always said this with a smile knowing and admitting the ludicrous nature of the assertion.)

3. Handle uncertainties with wisdom and care.

There are many modern (and ancient) questions for which we have no clear biblical statement. In such cases we look for guiding principles inherent and stated in the Scriptures that give us guidance for opinion making and decisions. But when one does not have CLEAR and CERTAIN biblical background for making a statement, then it is best to couch such comments with language of moderation and personal perspective. One may say, "It appears to me, in light of what I know about Scripture, that this may be the true explanation of..." Those who hear this type of introductory statement automatically understand the speaker to be saying: "I can't speak definitively from the Scriptures, but what I am about to say seems to me to be right in light of what I know." This is acceptable language in such cases. It is VITAL that if we don't KNOW something, then we should not speak as if we do know something. We can still talk about it, and even offer opinions, but let's reserve the authoritative language for those things about which Scripture speaks authoritatively.

4. Speak the truth with love.

The theology of the Christian faith, and the moral issues relative to the broad-based understanding of what is right and wrong, are all taught clearly, authoritatively, and sufficiently (that is, we have no other authoritative revelation from God other than the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.) taught in the Scriptures. But even when we speak truly, genuinely, and accurately from the Scriptures, we must do so with love and kindness. The Scripture verse that speaks to me on this topic is Ephesians 4:15. Christians are conduits and voices of divine love speaking the truth from God in light of the Scriptures. We must never forget this.

For your convenience, I have put a link here with Dr. Mohler's blog which I referenced earlier in this blog.

Dr. Mohler’s blog

WHY?

2010-01-13T19:53:00.004-06:00

Today the news broke about the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Our church is personally connected with Haiti because we have a church member who lives in Haiti (serving the Lord), and we know several in Haitian ministries. The news reports about the terrible destruction causes us all to pause and pray for the many people who have been grieved and hurt by this terrible tragedy.

Many, after such overwhelming events, ask the question, "WHY?" Why do bad things happen? Why do bad things happen to poor people? Why is there such pain and suffering in the world? Although such questions are deep and complicated, it is good to ponder the central issues related to the question, "WHY?", with the following:

1. Why do we ask why? What is the purpose of the question? Are we looking for ways to attack God? Are we looking for ways to justify our sin? The sinful nature is always ready to lash out at all that is good and pure. It looks for ways to excuse our sinfulness rather than confess and repent of it. Often our motives are hidden, even to ourselves. It would wise to ask, "Why do we ask the question, why?"

2. What good would it do to know the answer to this question? Are we capable of understanding the answer to this question? I think Job wanted to know "why?" Job suffered as few of us will ever understand. But in the end God did not explain "why?" Rather, God gave to Job a fresh understanding of Himself, of transcendent reality, and Job's humble place in it. God gave Job a sense of renewal based on a higher appreciation for the Person of God and for his relationship to God and life itself.

3. When natural disasters occur, we need to remember that creation is groaning. Paul would write in Romans 8:19-21, "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Here we are reminded that creation is groaning because it is subjected to the awful and terrible effects of man's sin. I think this is why there are earthquakes and other natural disasters. Sin has caused the curse of God to fall on the natural environment. But one day this curse will be removed when God will remake all of creation. Each natural disaster is a reminder of the terrible effects of sin and the joyful anticipation of the coming eschatological victory.

4. These times remind us of the transiency of life and sudden and unexpected reality of death. When things like earthquakes occur, we are reminded that life is like a vapor; it leaves quickly sometimes (James 4:14). We need to always be prepared to die.

5. We are also reminded of our constant dependence upon God. We often think we do not need God. Sometimes we hear people speak of other successful people as "self-made people." Well, this is not really true. No one is self-made. We are all dependent upon God, absolutely, completely, and undeniably, whether we know it or not.

6. We need to care about each other. When tragedies occur, like this earthquake, we are reminded of our responsibility to each other. We need to care for each other, pray for each other, and reach out to each other. Let us pray for the people of Haiti, pray for the workers in Haiti, pray for the gospel workers in Haiti, and pray for the nations who will try to help Haiti.

The Savior's Call

2010-01-11T20:53:00.004-06:00

I have many favorite passages of Scripture to which I repose my heart regularly. These Scriptures are like trusted, faithful fountains of living water from which I enjoy drinking cool and refreshing truths to renew my soul. One of these passages is Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto Me (Jesus), all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." This is the sweetest invitation I have ever received, and it comes from the Love of my soul - the Lord Jesus Christ. Even now reading this call from Jesus causes my soul to leap with joy within me. He needs only to whisper this alluring word, and I run into His arms with all the trust of a little child believing, trusting, yielding, and rejoicing.

Note the DIRECTION of His call. He calls us not to a philosophy or to an ethical system. But He calls us unto Himself. He will not entrust His darling children into the keeping of an angel, no, He will care for us Himself. He has given Himself to us, and He has saved us for Himself. He has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He has said, "I will watch over you and care for you with the grace of My heart, and no one will take you from my hand." His call to us is always to come to Him.

See also the OBJECTS of His call. He calls those of us who are weary and heavy-laden. Surely this is specifically addressed to those in sin who need a Savior. But it also addresses the Father's little ones who hurt and struggle all through their earthly sojourn. Every pain, every need, every struggle, every weakness is a cause to fling ourselves into the mighty, majestic arms of our darling Jesus.

Again, give attention to the INSTRUCTION of His call. He calls us to take His yoke upon us and to learn from Him. This is the most basic definition of Christian discipleship I have ever read in Scripture. Be yoked to Jesus; you belong to Him. Learn from Him, walk with Him, follow Him, obey Him, share your heart with Him, and listen to Him. This is Christian discipleship - one cannot fathom life separate from Jesus! It is all about HIM!

And finally, please see the PROMISE associated with His call. I can hardly imagine a more precious promise than is given and guaranteed to us by the Lord Jesus in this passage. He says, "I will give you rest...You will find rest for your souls." He says again, "I am gentle and humble in heart...My yoke is easy and My burden is light..." Jesus is no hard taskmaster for His own. Jesus is the kindest, most wonderful Boss one could ever have. There is no more tender heart for us than His. There is no ear more ready to listen to our cries than His ears. There is no hand more prepared to strengthen, support, and deliver than His powerful hands. And best of all, we will have rest in Him. This is rest from the condemnation of the law, the wrath and judgment of God, the shame and sorrow because of our sin, and rest from worry and anxiety of life. We are forgiven, cleansed, renewed, protected, cared for and linked to God's love and family. Jesus is our Savior, the Spirit our life, God our Father, the Bible our guide, grace our strength, and our home is heaven. We rest in the blessings of the gospel, we rest in His providence as we run the race He sets before us, and one day we will rest eternally in His love, glory, and grace. Hallelujah!

The Struggle from Sifting

2010-01-10T14:52:00.003-06:00

I am speaking on spiritual warfare at my church on Sunday evenings, and I re-read Luke 22:31-32 in my preparations for those talks. Jesus says to Simon Peter, "Simon, Simon , behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

This is a frightening passage, but it also holds great comfort for Christ's disciple. Satan attacks God by attacking God's people. Satan releases his fury and power against God's people in an attempt to hurt God. This attack is called "sifting" in the text. The word, "sift", contains the ideas of pain, struggle, and hardship in it. How terrible it is that some preachers tell people that if they are "right with God", then they will not struggle at all. The Christian life is inundated with struggle, but this is not bad. This shows two things: (1) Christians have spiritual life, and (2) Satan hates them for it.

But Jesus told Peter that He was praying for Peter. And Jesus is praying for us. One of the most encouraging parts of the gospel is the intercessory, mediatorial ministry of Jesus Christ. He prays continually for each of His people by name and need at the throne of the Father. This has often given me comfort and strength to keep going - Christ is praying for me. He is praying for us concerning our justification and our faith. Jesus is praying that our faith will not fail, and our faith will not fail, because Jesus is praying for this very thing.

And Jesus also said that Peter would need to repent ("turn again"). This implies that there will be times when we will wither in the heat of spiritual battle. Our strength is not sufficient, and sometimes the Lord allows us to fall. But we will not utterly fall; we cannot utterly fail. A Christian's fall is not fatal; the Lord will always bring us back. He Himself will see to this. He will not allow us to absolutely and completely fall. He will always bring us back. And when we are renewed and restored, then we must help out our brothers and sisters in Christ, as the text says. We are not meant to fight the battles alone, and we must seek to help our spiritual family with their struggles in battle.

Several implications and applications come to mind as we ponder what Jesus said:

1. Christian, expect to be attacked; this is normal and natural in this world of sin.

2. Don't be overwhelmed by spiritual attack. Keep fighting, and do not lose hope.

3. The Lord is with us everywhere all the time; we are never forsaken.

4. There will be set backs, but we must always come back to the Lord.

5. Spiritual battle has both individual aspects and community aspects as well. Stick together as Christians.

Who Has Authority?

2010-01-09T14:25:00.002-06:00

In Matthew chapter 9 Jesus heals a paralytic man. But before He does this Jesus heals the man's soul. Jesus said to him, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven (verse 2)." This caused no small consternation on the part of the scribes who were nearby and heard Jesus say this. They screamed, "This fellow blasphemes (verse 3)." The point they were making is that only God can forgive sins, and this fellow is not God! They were, of course, right and wrong. They were right to say that only God can forgive sins, but they were wrong in believing Jesus was only a man. Jesus knew what they were thinking (He always does), and He said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - then He said to the paralytic, 'Get up, pick up your bed, and go home (verses 4-6)." And the Bible says, "He got up and went home (I love the magnificent simplicity of the text; if man were writing this, we would have made it much more sensational. Thanks be to God that God wrote the Bible through human writers) (verse 7)." Jesus, the Creator and authoritative Son of Man, demonstrated His power and authority for salvation and renewal.

Here is the crux of the matter - authority. If I was asked what I think is the greatest essential, basic issue of religion, I would answer, "Who has authority?" So much in religion and spirituality centers on this issue. In fact, so much of life centers on this issue.

The New Testament says that Jesus Christ has all authority. In John 5 Jesus has authority to execute judgment, in Matthew 28 Jesus says He has all authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And Philippians 2 says that every knee will one day bow to Jesus and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. This is the language of exquisite authority! John writes in Revelation that Jesus will come back with power and authority to take His rightful place over human history.

In today's culture, the main question that arises again and again in moral and theological discussion is, "Who has the authority to tell me what is right or wrong, true or false?" The critical component of life is authority! Well, Jesus Christ has authority, the God of heaven and earth has authority, and He has invested His authoritative revelation in written Scripture. All ethical, moral, and theological questions must be relegated to the question, "What does the Bible say on this subject?" This is authority.

No Christian should speak in self-exalting, self-authenticating, self-determining language. The Christian speaks with authority when he speaks the truth of the Word of God. We who know Christ must confront a post-modern (self-deifying) culture with the claims of the authoritative Christ. Churches must not seek to affirm self-centeredness (I.E. Churches must not ask questions of visitors, "What do you want from us? How can we meet your needs?" Etc.). But churches, pastors, and Christians must bear witness to the transcendently self-existent God who has made Himself known in Christ through whom we have life eternal and the forgiveness of sins. It is ALL ABOUT HIM because of His authority.

What Should We Do?

2010-01-08T15:24:00.002-06:00

Reading Romans 13:11-14 one immediately resonates with the imagery and motifs utilized here by the Apostle in describing living the Christian life behind enemy lines. If we Christians are to live our lives and give a witness in this world, we need to understand the situation.

Present Darkness

Paul uses two terms, aptly applied, to describe the present situation in human history: night and darkness. These concepts are consistently expressed as colorful explanations of where we are in human history (in fact, these terms can be said to describe all of human history). We are in night; we are living in a time of darkness. These are days of biblical and theological ignorance, cold hearts, disrespectful communication, lost priorities, war and bloodshed, confused ethics, and contradicting post-modern morality (or, shall we say non-morality, or perhaps a-morality, or even pan-morality which is no morality at all?). Self-centeredness, godlessness, and growing manipulative power, all flavor today's world. What a time of darkness this is!

Nearing Salvation

But the Bible text before us describes this also as a time of nearing salvation. History is not cyclical but linear. We are pressing forward on a historical timeline that is purposeful and divinely ordered. The times in which we live seem to be controlled by the enemy of all that is good and right, but the circumstances are NEVER out of God's control. God was not elected to office, and He cannot be voted out. He needs no referendum, and He is absolutely, undeniably, and immutably GOD! The time when our salvation is going to be complete is getting closer and closer and closer. It won't be long before the easter sky brightens with a holy and glorious coming. Soon all the powers of darkness will be banished into that one eternal victorious day, and all the earth will ring with the praise of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Christian Response

So, what are Christians to do now? How are we to live? What should we be doing in light of these wonderful truths? There are several things I think are clearly given in the Scripture in Romans 13:11-14 that respond to these questions.

1. We must know the time, recognizing where we are in history, what kind of day it is, and what is coming. This requires discernment that is identified with spiritual liveliness. We must see all things through the perspective of our Christian faith and teaching.

2. We must wake up. The term "sleep" is used in this passage as a metaphor for apathy, indifference, and neglect. Christians must not be passive, afraid, or uninvolved. We must act in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.

3. We must live our lives in the knowledge ofd who we are, whose we are, and where we are going. We are told in this passage to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, which is defined in six ways: (1) Live with God's future applied victory clearly in your vision for life.

(2) Refrain from all things that represents spiritual and moral darkness. Christians must never be associated with darkness.

(3) Live with purposeful intent disciplining yourselves as watchful servants of Christ.

(4) Refrain from fleshly lusts.

(5) Control your anger, demonstrating Christian love and respect to others

(6) Live your life manifesting your understanding of what matters and what is valuable (do not be jealous)

The Christian life is not a categorical part of who we are as Christians. The Christian life is our life; it is all that we are. We cannot think or act in a way that is contrary with who and what we are in Christ. Christ is our life (Colossians 3:4). Until the eschatological light dawns, let us live as people of light in an age of darkness.

The Anchored Christian Life and Ministry

2010-01-07T17:42:00.003-06:00

I read Ezra 7 today as part of my daily Bible reading, and I came across a verse with which I have been much familiar over the years. But the reading of this passage struck me with fresh importance today. The last portion of Ezra 7:9 reads, "...the good hand of his (Ezra's) God was upon him." Then verse 10 states, "For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra was a priest, a called representative of God. And God was blessing Ezra's life and work. Here the biblical text speaks of the essence of Ezra's life and commitment; here the Bible tells us what God was blessing in Ezra's life. Ezra took God seriously by taking God's Word seriously. He studied the Word of God, then he put the Word of God into practice into his life, and finally he taught God's Word to the people. This is, in a nutshell, the essence of an anchored Christian life and ministry. Learn the Word, practice the Word, then teach the Word.

Over the years I have learned that I have been mistaken many times in my life. But there is one place in my life where I have been right all along - the Bible is the Word of God, and it demands our study and obedience. Any Christian, and any Christian preacher and teacher, who does not get this, does not get the point! I am continually stunned by the fact that God HAS SPOKEN in language. The natural implication is that we should listen to Him, learn from Him, live out what He says, and pass the Word of God along to others. What else is there in life?

In addition, I am growingly amazed at how many so-called Christian leaders, churches, pastors, teachers, and denominations miss this point. Recently I received an advertisement from a denominational office that promoted an up-coming conference where I could learn the principles and truths about how to break the growth barrier in my church. If I attended, and learned these so-called powerful truths, then, the advertisement said, I could make my church grow in numbers far beyond what I could ever expect. And, the advertisement went on, God wants my church to grow, but...(the implication is that God could not grow His own church; He needs a little help from those who will go to the growth conferences). First, what Bible book, chapter and verse states that numerical growth is the indication that God is blessing a church? What about passages that speak of many going down the road to destruction? What about Jesus' statement that the road to life is narrow, and the gate to it is small. Few people find it! I have never heard this passage quoted by the growth experts. Wonder why? Second, why do we present God in our ministries and training as One who is impotent? Why do we present Him as One who cannot get His will done; He needs help from the almighty human? Huh? That is a different presentation of God than I find in the Bible. And to cap it all off, the advertisement said the conference would be held at a church that I know does not preach the doctrinal truths of Scripture. So, here we have a so-called good denomination linking with a conference promoting ideas that are not biblical, and the conference is to be held in a church that does not preach and teach the truth. We have come far from Ezra and Ezra's commitment!

No true change will occur in this world until God is taken for who God is, and God will not be taken for who He is until His Word is taken as His Word, and His Word will not be taken as true until the church believes the Word, obeys the Word, and preaches the Word. It is always the Word of God (the Scriptures) that will bring about the change that God wants.

I also read Acts 7 today. Stephen preached a powerful sermon regarding the truth, and he was killed for it. But there was one there, who witnessed and approved of the killing, who would one day be one of God's greatest servants - Saul of Tarsus. Studying, obeying, and preaching the Truth may get us killed, but it will bring forth the fruit of divine glory. Christian, let us learn the Truth, obey the Truth, and preach the Truth for God's glory. Amen!

Faithfulness Confronting the Challenge

2010-01-04T17:40:00.003-06:00

OK, work with me here...I want you to stop and read Genesis 4, Ezra 4, Matthew 4, and Acts 4. This is the Scripture reading for January 4 on the Robert Murray McCheyne Bible reading plan. I have read the Bible following this plan for many years. Today as I read these four chapters, I was struck by the congruity and consistency of something found in all four chapters. In these four chapters there are three things to be noted: righteous obedience to God, a challenging trial given to the obedient servant of the Lord, and a faithful response on the part of God's servant to the challenge. In Genesis 4 Abel presented an offering that God honored, but Abel was killed by his brother (Cain) who hated him for his righteousness. God responded to Cain's sin on Abel's behalf avenging Abel. In Ezra 4 Zerubbabel and his friends were building God's temple. They were challenged by discouragement and fear by many around them, but they kept their commitment to God and the vision of obedience to Him. In Matthew 4 Jesus was tempted by Satan, yet Jesus faithfully fought off the temptation using the Word of God as His sword. In Acts 4 the apostles were abused and mistreated for preaching Jesus, yet they committed themselves all the more to the truth, trusting in God to give them strength to be faithful.

In all of these passages we see the following truths presented:

1. The righteous will be opposed by those who are not righteous.

2. True doctrine will be opposed by those who do not believe in true doctrine.

3. Obeying and following the Lord will bring challenges, trials, and struggles.

4. God calls His people to look to Him in these difficult times, and He will give them grace and spiritual strength.

5. As we obey the Lord by grace, we become a witness and an encouragement to others as Abel, Zerubbabel, Jesus, and the Apostles are to us.

Christian friend, this is our moment in time. These are our days of faithful life and service. We are, and will continue to be, challenged and tried by many things, but we must be faithful even to the end. God will not abandon us. He will stand by us, He will stand with us, and He will stand over us to shelter and care for us in the hour of our need. We must trust Him to be true to His promise to us. Let the people of God arise and go forth in faithful proclamation of truth and obedient service for the Lord!

A Serious Reminder

2010-01-03T18:08:00.003-06:00

Tonight I begin to give a series of talks at my church on the topic of spiritual warfare. Topics such as this always remind me of my constant and abiding need for the sovereign and all-sufficient grace of God. Speaking on spiritual warfare reminds me that my arms are too short to box with the enemy! My dependence on God is total and complete.

Yet, as Satan discovered in Job's case, when Satan does his worst, God achieves His best. Satan wanted a shot at Job to tear down God, but all he accomplished was to honor God all the more in Job's heart. What a joyful reality this is! This is the end of all spiritual resistance against God - God's glory. The glory of God shines through all the more richly.

Yes, we are warned by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-12 that we fight against spiritual entities, and this should cause us both to prepare our hearts in serious contemplation and prayer for the fight, and also to put on the armor of God by God's grace. But the victory is complete already; Christ has won the battle. He stands as KING of kings and LORD of lords. Christians are more than conquerors in and through Christ.

So, as Christians:

1. Let us not overemphasize the enemy and his power.

2. Let us not neglect to recognize the seriousness of sin and Satan's power in sin.

3. Let us seek to use the means God has provided for our spiritual health and service (Bible study, prayer, worship, biblical preaching, fellowship with believers, and confession of sin).

4. Let us seek to live in the light of Jesus' victory all along the journey of life.

The Comfort of Christ's Victory

2010-01-02T18:53:00.004-06:00

As I refresh my heart this night with the message that I will attempt to deliver to my people in church tomorrow, I am challenged, encouraged and blessed. I have been thinking about Jesus' appearance and message to the aged and beloved John in Revelation 1:8, 17-18. John was the last of the apostles. They were all gone now, except him. He could close his eyes and recall those exciting days when he and James had first followed the itinerant Rabbi from Nazareth. He could blank everything from his mind and remember. He could remember the sound of Jesus' voice as He preached and taught the Word to the people. He could remember the sound of the stunned gasping of the crowd as Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. He remembered the tears of those whom Jesus had saved from sin. He remembered the deep and abiding gratitude of healed lepers. He also remembered when Jesus had sent the apostles out to preach. He was there when Christ commissioned them to go and preach to the world. But now John was alone on an isolated island, separated from all opportunity to preach and all he held dear.

But suddenly Jesus appeared miraculously to John and said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega...who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty...Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One...I was dead...behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Revelation 1:8, 17-18). What did Jesus mean by all of this? Did Jesus mean to encourage John? I believe He did. But He spoke words that are not only intended to encourage John, but us as well. What did John understand in the words of Jesus? What does Jesus want us to understand in these words? How can this passage challenge and bless us Christians as we sail into the waters of a new year?

The central issue of this theophany to John is the VICTORY OF CHRIST. The Christian faith centers on the victory of the Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ is victorious over evil, sin, Satan, and death. Jesus Christ is Master over history and the entire world. Jesus says in John 5 that the Father had entrusted to Him the authority to judge the human race, and Jesus would give His people eternal life and raise them from the dead. Jesus' victory engages life's realities. Christians live their lives facing the realities of their struggles with the knowledge and application of the Lord's victory. No matter what hardships befall us, we are strong in the Lord's victory. Jesus' victory is timeless; it is trans-generational, transcultural, and transhistorical. It is consummate and immutable. Jesus' victory is total, sovereign, absolute, and complete. Nothing can take the believer from the Lord's hands. And finally, Jesus' victory is over death and Hades. Even the great enemy, death, must give way to KING JESUS. Because our resurrected Lord lives, we shall live also. Not even death can separate us from our precious Lord! All of these ideas are interwoven into the passage in Revelation chapter 1. John understood it, and he rejoiced greatly. We must understand and rejoice as well. Although we do not know what lies across our paths in the future, we know that in Jesus, the ever living and victorious Savior and Lord, we too are "more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)" through Him who loves us.

Diets, Trash, and Credit Card Bills

2010-01-01T12:02:00.002-06:00

OK, the new year has come, and all this "holiday" stuff is winding down to a new normality. This is where the path usually gets tough for most folks. All that "good will" to everyone is over, and reality now is "diets, trash, and credit card bills." Yep, that's pretty much what is left over from the indulgences that have been made since Thanksgiving. So, while you are putting your "I resolve for the new year" list together, I would like to make some observations and suggestions.

1. Keep first things first. A thousand little things will crowd out the important things every single time. The Bible says the little foxes spoil the vines, and yes, they do indeed. Distraction, delay, encumbrances, wasting time, doing the urgent thing over the important thing, doing the visible thing over the unseen eternal thing, will all rob you of the best. Little things often need attention, but learn to put the first things first.

2. Strategize for the distant goal. Christians live today in the light of eternity and God's glory. Even if a Christian doesn't know too much Bible or theology yet, he can usually chart a fairly strong course for life by asking, "What will I care about in heaven, and what brings glory to God?" This question is a very good counselor when decisions need to be made. Of course, many decisions are complicated, way too complicated to be resolved by simplistic reasoning, but this is a good start. Live today, but live for eternity.

3. Set goals, make plans, and create a schedule to evaluate. Christians read their Bibles, then seek to obey Christ by God's strength and grace. They do this by focusing on goals and making plans to reach those goals. Goals without plans are fairly useless. Plans must include details and thorough thinking about procedure and process. The Christian knows that he does not know the future, and God will indeed change things as he runs the race set before him. So, flexibility and submission are required for progress. But plans are needed none-the-less. And Christians take the time to stop periodically and evaluate where they are in life, to review their progress, confess their failures to God, and ask God to renew their vision.

4. Keep looking up as your feet walk on earth. The Christian walks on earth (every day life) but his heart and head are in heaven (see Colossians 3:1-4). Christians don't drop out of practical living, but they live their lives with a heart awareness and appreciation for things that ultimately matter every day. I think this is what is meant by "stop and smell the roses." Take time to listen to children giggle, roll in the grass and get grass stains on your bluejeans. Sometimes sip your coffee really slowly. Take the time to read a chapter of the Bible slowly and meaningfully asking yourself questions about the text as you go. Call someone on the phone who is lonely. Bake a cake for a sick person. Do something that matters while you do something that just NEEDS TO BE DONE, but will be forgotten in 72 hours.

5. Watch out for the legalism trap. In the process of changing your life you might begin to feel you are doing pretty well. Or, if you begin to be critical of others because they are not doing as well as you are. Then, you are falling into the "legalism trap." When one tries to improve life, there are two traps: the discouragement trap and the "I'm good" trap. Both are deadly, but the latter one is more subtle and pervasive. When you are comparing yourself with others, when you try to correct everything in everyone else's life, when you try to show others how good you are (there is a theological word for this - - - it is - - - YUCK!), then you are one big STINKO! Nobody died and made you boss. Back off and go to the temple, kneel beside a humble tax collector, and pray with him "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

6. Learn to enjoy God's gift of life to you. Which brings me to my final suggestion (actually this belongs in the "legalism trap", but it is so powerfully deadly I wanted to put it in a separate category); enjoy the life that God has given to you. Nothing will ever be perfect; live with it. Pain and sorrow will come; pour out your heart to God and trust in Him. Try to breathe in a cup of divine glory every day! "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it", the Scriptures say in Psalms. Read your Bible, pray, go to church, confess your sins, and do all those things that are a means to helping you stay spiritually healthy. But don't forget to do other things that enable you to be the kind of human being God wants you to be: read a book, plant a garden, repaint the house, plant a tree, take a special trip and enjoy God's creation, hug your children a lot, and smile, smile, smile! You will probably never be rich (thank God!). You will never be a BIG MOVER AND SHAKER (does that come as a surprise to you?). Just live your life with the joyful knowledge that you are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. God's love and grace have been lavished upon you (and you didn't do anything to get it or deserve it, so there!), and there is in heaven today a reservation with your name on it! And angels are excited about having a party with you when you get there (forgive me, I have a rich, and I trust sanctified, imagination!).

So, the new year is here, forget the diet and the trash and credit card bills (well, better pay the bills!), and let's get on with it!

The Last Day and a Vision of Destiny

2009-12-31T16:38:00.002-06:00

I was reading Revelation 22 on this last day of the year 2009. What an extraordinary chapter this is! One must read Revelation 22 with Genesis 3. All that was lost in Genesis 3 in the sin of the human race is regained in Revelation 22 in and through Christ. The curse is taken away ("There will no longer be any curse", verse 3), and people have, in this glorious eschatological destiny, access to the tree of life (verse 2), which access was lost in Genesis 3. As I read with relish each and every verse in this chapter, my heart's yearning for the future grew and grew until I thought my soul would burst open with joy. I cried out with John, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Come, beautiful bridegroom of my heart; come and take Thy royal throne. Come, and before You our knees bow and our tongues confess Your glory and kingdom.

There is much about which to be concerned as we journey timidly (and perhaps frightfully) into a new year. But Christians rejoice to know that there is much that has not changed. God is still on the throne, and nothing happens to us except what God has wisely and lovingly decreed for our good. Also, our precious Lord will not abandon us, but He will accompany us in every trial and in every struggle. Our journey is His journey, and we journey together with God, hand in hand. And finally, God will by His sovereign grace, love, and power bring us this year toward home to heaven where we will joyfully share in His glory. Our destiny is assured and worthy of all we can give to it.

So, Christian friend, let us give of all we are and have for Him in this new year. May this year witness God's faithfulness to His own promise to His own people. "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen (Revelation 22:21)."

Beginnings, Endings and the New Year

2009-12-30T20:45:00.005-06:00

The end of one year and the beginning of another is emblematic of life itself. Life is a series of beginnings and endings, of starting and finishing. But the Christian hope is linked to the great ending of all. And for the Christian this ending is the true beginning of something that will never end. In Revelation 21:1-4 states, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, make ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.' "

Every completion of something in the time-space dimension is a reflection of the fleetingness of life. Life is transient at best. James said it was like a vapor that soon passes away (James 4:14). Ultimately no man (except Jesus) leaves a footprint, carbon or otherwise, on the face of history. We live, love, work, plan, grow, fail, and struggle until the end. Paul said that if only in this life the Christian had hope, then Christians are an extraordinarily pathetic people, and they should be pitied by all (1 Corinthians 15:19). The Christian's life is beyond the ravages of time and the vicissitudes of life. Our joy is beyond the grave, and the reflections of joy we share here pale in comparison to what is coming. It is the Father's good pleasure to share His kingdom with His children, and the children will giggle in divine glory beyond the distant ethereal sunset.

In the Book of Revelation the old apostle John, who had seen so much in his life (good and bad), was now waiting for the upward call to go home. Exiled on the penal island of Patmos he had a remarkable vision of Jesus. Jesus came to the sweet John and reminded the elderly, weakening apostle that Jesus was the alpha, the omega, the almighty God. Jesus was once dead, but now He is alive forevermore. He is the King of Life, and in His sovereign hands are the keys of the greatest enemies of all: death and Hades. For John that was the greatest news of all. John's aging eyes saw the end of that which will pass, and he saw the beginning of that which is to come. All of God's people, joyfully adorned as a bride for her husband, described also as a new city, will rejoice in the new heavens and new earth. And God, with tender mercy and intimacy, will touch their cheeks to wipe away every tear with His merciful finger. Those tears, salty with pain, sorrow, and agony of heart and body, are precious to our God. And He loves us enough to wipe these tears away Himself.

At the end of things there are often tears, but sometimes there are tears at the beginning of things. But the end of mortality and the beginning of immortality will be cause for the greatest wiping away of tears of all time. This awesome promise, this dynamic anticipation will make all worth while. So, finish your year, Christian friend, and begin with the joyful knowledge that you are in God's sovereign and good hands. And remember, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, or entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9)."

The Scriptures and the New Year

2009-12-29T20:15:00.007-06:00

I always become nostalgic, a bit sentimental, and do a whole lot of self-analysis as the end of the year approaches. As I near the beginning of a new year, I smell the fresh air of beginning over, and a newly minted vision is manufactured in my heart. All sorts of questions abound at a time like that: What will last? For what is worth giving my life? What is valuable in this life?

Pondering these type of thoughts, my meditations drift back to the preciousness of and the majesty in the divinely revealed Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. God has spoken! He has spoken in language, and as such, He has spoken perspicuously, authoritatively, sufficiently and with the energy of life. No wonder David wrote, "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul (Psalm 19:7)." Again he would write, "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97)." Paul charged Timothy to "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)." Jesus quoted the Scriptures to Satan when the evil one tempted the Master. Jesus gave the Scriptures the highest place of value and worth when He said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)." Paul urged Christians to take up the Word of God like a sword to fight off the evil one (Ephesians 6:17).

Thomas Cranmer extolled the Scripture when he said, "For the Scripture of God is the heavenly meat of our souls: the hearing and keeping of it makes us blessed, sanctifies us, and makes us holy: it turns our souls; it is a light to our feet: it is a sure, steadfast and everlasting instrument of salvation: it gives wisdom to the humble and lowly-hearted: it comforts, makes glad, cheers, and cherishes our consciences ("The First Part of the Exhortation to the Reading of Holy Scripture" found in "Certain Sermons or Homilies", 1864, p. 3)." God has not only spoken His mind and heart in the Scriptures, but God has also so empowered them as to accomplish His will in human hearts. Jesus spoke of the sanctification of His people when He said, "Sanctify them in truth; Your word is truth (John 17:17)." For, as Hebrews 4:12 states, "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." John Calvin said, "God is true, not only because He is prepared to stand faithfully to His promises, but because He also really fulfills whatever He declares; for He so speaks, that His command becomes a reality ("Commentary upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans")." God's Word understood, affirmed, and believed is part of the divine power that causes the sinner to be born again (1 Peter 1:23), and it the Word of God that will cause us to grow in faith and grace throughout our lives. Paul declared, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17)."

As we approach a new year, let us recommit ourselves to the God of the Word by being committed to the Word of God. Let's pursue the Word of God with a holy passion, an authentic hunger, and a deep desire to glorify God in the understanding and application of His Word. May we who are preachers refresh out commitment to preaching exegetically and systematically the Word of the Lord, and may every Christian plan to regularly and meaningfully read and obey the Word of God. For God's Word will never pass away. The Psalmist wrote, "Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in heavens (Psalm 119:89)."

A Divine Promise for the New Year

2009-12-28T11:29:00.002-06:00

Reading in my private devotions today, I was reminded of the beautiful and tenderly scripted passage in Hebrews 13:5-6, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?' " This statement in found in the context of the exhortation to extricate ourselves from the love of money. The real issue here is "security." Security is not found in money, power, prestige, or one's station in life. Security has always been, and forever will remain, an issue related to one's relationship to God. The Christian has the greatest of confidences, because the Christian has the Lord. I think this is the essential meaning of point in Hebrews 13. The writer reminds us that we need not fear because we belong to God. I hear in the Bible passage the clear and distinct ringing of divine providence applied by divine wisdom and love. Nothing can touch the Christian except what passes through the hands of the Christian's all-powerful God. Nothing occurs to the Christian except what God, in His all-wise providence, determines is best for the Christian. In addition, God will never withhold from the Christian all that would be desirable, beautiful, and favorable for the Christian in this life and in eternity. Psalm 84:11 states this truth emphatically.

But, though God gives many good and perfect gifts to the Christian (James 1:17), there is something more tender, personal, and intimate that gives the Christian hope and comfort. Hebrews 13:5 says that God Himself will never desert or forsake us! There are five negatives utilized in the Greek to EMPHASIZE the fact that God will never, ever, without question or doubt, desert or forsake us. The Christian must say, "I have God; what else do I need?" "What else" indeed! If one has the Lord, then one has all. As John Wesley once wrote, "One who has no money is poor, but one who has nothing but money is poorer still."

May this confidence of heart, which is God's gift to you in Christ, be your comfort this day and in the new year. Christian friend, God will never cast you out, never throw you over, and He will never walk away from you. Though none of us know what the future will bring, we do know that God will never forsake us at any step in the journey to the glorious celestial city. Hallelujah!

Life Reflections at the End of the Year

2009-12-27T00:48:00.004-06:00

Soon 2009 will be but a memory and become a part of the mosaic of the past. It always seems strange to me when a year passes out of my present radar of experience. Where do years go? What happens to the time that was the year past? Alas, I digress from my original intent.

As I finish a year and begin a new year, I have many wonderful Christian truths that serve as an anchor for my soul and the solace of my heart. Of these, three great mountains of truth rise to bear witness to me and to comfort me in my moments of anxious distress and uncertainty.

First, there is the great veracity and liveliness of the holy Scriptures. I have never found the Scriptures lacking in any substance of value. They are absolutely true, and they are the means by which we come to know saving truth and enter into that truth in a personal way. The Scriptures teach us of the nature and decrees of God, and the Scriptures guide our feet into the paths of holiness and Christian discipleship. Many times the Scriptures have been the balm of Gilead to my hurting soul. Many times my aching and weary heart has been renewed by the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through the canyons of Scripture.

Second, the hurts and pains of the Christian's life are but a reflection of the great cosmic struggle between Satan and God. Satan would attack Christians because Christians are God's beloved people. It is very encouraging to know on which side of this struggle we are. Christians bear the mark of Christ, and they may even bear the marks of persecution for Christ. Ours may be a journey that is rife with disappointment and sorrow, but in all of life's vicissitudes we overwhelmingly conquer in and through Christ, because we belong to Christ. Christians rejoice in the Lord and in the glory of the Lord. We do so because we are His.

Third, the providence of God is my most beloved comfort of all. There is no greater help to the hurting Christian than the sovereign providence of God. The sovereignty of God is absolute, and He asserts His sovereign power to watch over His own people. Even Satan must bow before the sovereign God of heaven and earth. Even in the darkest of days, when Satan seems to do his worst, God is able with wisdom and grace to weave patterns of glory with threads that sparkle with His love. The Christian can and must trust God fully, and they will breathe the air of hope. And biblical hope never disappoints.

The power and life of the Scriptures, the loving and victorious relationship with God, and the sovereign providence of God are the three pillars upon which the weakest Christian can lean with certainty and assurance. As we face the new year, let every child of God rejoice in the knowledge that the darkness of the unknown is brightened by the promise of God for His people. Thanks be unto God!

Merry Christmas from Bethlehem's Manger

2009-12-25T11:41:00.003-06:00

Each Christmas I imagine what it was like to be in Bethlehem on that day when Jesus was born. I stand a short distance away and watch as the shepherds excitedly run to the stable and breathlessly look upon the scene before them. The undiscerning observer would have seen a humble, poor family unfortunate enough to arrive too late to get a room in Bethlehem. But to the shepherds who had received a crash course given by angels in Christology the scene was filled with glory and amazement. The shepherds, after a pause to gaze intently upon the face of the Christ child, joyfully explain what the angel had said to them not far away in a simple field outside of Bethlehem.

I wait patiently until the shepherds leave with their news of the new born Savior, then I humbly approach the stable. Timid to barge in unannounced, I wait until Joseph sees me. Then, with a knowing heart, he nods his approval, and I slowly step into the faint light of that little scene. Mary is tucking baby Jesus with a small wrapping, as she has done many times that night to make sure he is snug and warm. Then she lifts her eyes to me, and sweetly smiles. I shuffle closer to the manger, and look down into the face of the Son of God in human flesh. Suddenly every Christmas carol I ever heard bursts into song. Every Scripture verse on the incarnation I know explodes with fresh meaning and inspiration in my heart. I look at the lips of Jesus and think of how He spoke His Word into existence. I gaze upon His hands and think of the power that flung galaxies into space. I look into His eyes, and I see glory; the glory of God in the highest of heaven. And trembling with delight and awe I speak to Him. Out of my heart flows effervescent praise and joy. "Glory to God in the highest; Immanuel has come! All is well; God's redemptive plan is alive and assured. One day there will be a cross; one day there will be a resurrection, and one day the world will be filled with the knowledge of God. All because of this very night."

Soon I sense it is time to go. It is time to go back to pressure, stress, commitments and duties, dreams and challenges. It is time to go back to the job of living. But how can I ever see a sunrise or a sunset without thinking of the glory of God? How can I ever preach a sermon without thinking of the power of the Bethlehem's moment of glory? The world is still filled with problems, complications, bloodshed, sickness, and death. But hope is born in Bethlehem, and all is well. I can never be a pessimist again. Tomorrow will be a beautiful day!

Christmas Faithfulness

2009-12-23T18:15:00.003-06:00

I have preached on the incarnation of Jesus Christ for many, many years. I never tire of thinking about the miraculous, majestic, magnificent meaning of the Son of God becoming man resulting in our salvation. The rich depth and cavernous truth contained in this biblical and doctrinal truth concerning the incarnation of Christ is overwhelming and enriching. How can any thinking Christian get bored with this story and message?

One of my very favorite parts of the incarnation of Jesus Christ is how the promise of Jesus' birth, the birth of Jesus itself, and the surrounding contextual narrative of the nativity manifests gloriously the faithfulness of God. The coming of Jesus Christ to earth proves once again that God is faithful, and He can (and ought to be) trusted as the dependable and trustworthy God. God's faithfulness is found everywhere in the biblical narrative concerning the promise and birth of Christ. Some messianic and divine promises fulfilled in Christ's birth include the following: God said in Micah that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (and it was so). Matthew explains that the birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, and His name would be called "Immanuel - God with us." The Magi coming from the east fulfilled the Old Testament promise that the Gentiles would come to Christ's light. Even Simeon's experience with the Christ-child eight days after Jesus was born, was a fulfillment of the promise God made to Simeon, indicating that Simeon would not die until he saw the Christ of God. That promise was fulfilled.

As we think about the faithfulness of God in the incarnation of Christ, let us ponder the following thoughts that seem to be profoundly imbedded in this incarnational truth:

1. God is by nature faithful, thus He is absolutely and immutably faithful to every promise He makes. He cannot be unfaithful.

2. God's faithful promises center in the person and saving work of Christ.

3. God's promises are intended for His covenant people; we can depend upon God undeniably.

4. Just as God's promises were fulfilled in Christ's first coming, so God's promises will be fulfilled in the second coming of Christ.

5. Redemption itself is anchored in the faithfulness of God to save His people in Christ.

6. God's promises are fulfilled in history in the remarkable experiences of God's people.

7. As Christians journey on to the celestial city, they should look to the faithful God who promises faithfully to faithfully care for them and fulfill their deepest hopes for divine glory. Heaven itself is colored with divine faithfulness.

Christmas' Consolation

2009-12-21T21:57:00.003-06:00

Every year at Christmas I am freshly struck by the awesomeness of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. I enjoy preaching a series of Christmas sermons on the nature and meaning of the incarnation each and every year. And I never fail to find wonderfully fresh meaning from the biblical text outlining the powerful message of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

I was reading through Luke chapter 2 when I was gripped by verse 25 and a word contained therein. The passage deals with Simeon. Simeon had received a message from God that stated that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ (verse 26). In verse 25 the Scripture describes Simeon's life as one of "waiting for the consolation of Israel." What a remarkable implication is given here concerning the meaning and impact of the life and work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ! Simeon was waiting for the Messiah, by whom would come the consolation of Israel. The Greek word for "consolation" is akin to the word used for the Holy Spirit ("comforter") in John's Gospel. It includes the ideas of peace, serenity, comfort, blessedness, and favor. Later, in verses 29-30 Simeon prayed to God having seen and recognized Jesus as the Messiah, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace...for my eyes have seen your salvation." Jesus Christ is our salvation, our consolation.

Jesus Christ is called by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:1 "our hope." The world today is talking a great deal about hope. Where lies the hope of the world? What can give the world a sense of joyful expectation of futuristic blessing? The answer lies not in the life or work of a politician, national leader, or human achievement. The hope for the world resides in Jesus Christ alone. In Christ alone our sins are forgiven by virtue of His atoning work on the cross, in Christ alone we are given eternal life, in Christ alone we are rightly related to God, in Christ alone we fulfill our human purpose for which God created us, in Christ alone we will ultimately reside in and enjoy the glory of God forever and ever. Christ alone is the hope for forgiveness, eternal life, justice, and goodness in this world. What a glorious consolation!

As we celebrate the Christ child in the manger this Christmas, let us remember who He really is and what He really means. In Him, in Christ Jesus, is all the hope of mankind. Christ is our CONSOLATION.

America's Syncretistic Christianity

2009-12-18T10:36:00.006-06:00

Every biblically grounded, Scripturally informed, and theologically sound Christian pastor knows a very sad secret about American evangelical Christianity: it is eclectic! This is not a new phenomenon, and it has been a challenge for a very long time. Many life-time church going people think they remember a time when "all was well" with the church. They might regale others with anecdotal recollections about "back when I was a kid, church was great!" But the truth is that church in every generation had challenges to face and flaws to mend. One might be surprised to note that by Acts chapter 6 the first church in Jerusalem already had a major problem to fix. This birthed what we think is the ministry of the deacon.

But the problem has developed in the modern era to the point that the church is definitely in danger of losing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some might suggest that the gospel is already lost, and we don't know it.

Colleen Carroll Campbell said in a recent editorial entitled, "Christmas Wars Begin Within" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thursday, 17 December 2009) that the problem of eclecticism in American Christianity has reached critical mass. She states that in a recent survey by the Pew Foundation that 22 percent of those who call themselves Christian believe in reincarnation, 23 percent believe in astrology, 23 percent believe that spiritual energy resides in objects (i.e. trees and crystals), 17 percent believe in the power of casting of spells or curses, 17 percent believe they have been in the presence of ghosts, and 14 percent believe in the veracity of fortune tellers and psychics. These are folks who would claim to believe in Jesus, the Bible, and Christian teaching. You can't get more syncretistic than that!

We are certainly "reaping" what we have "sown" in the churches for many years. One of the biggest problems with Christianity in America for decades surprisingly has been Christian ministry of the pastors, denominations, and churches. The pragmatic theme of "bigger is better, quicker is best" has been the watch word of the American church. Raising money, manufactured conversions, and theological animosity are taking their toll. The new wave of post-modern Christian leadership is not helping, because their call is for the church to be culturally relevant. Today we are told we must change to survive. I agree, but the change we are given by post-modern Christian leadership is to back off our hangups, retool biblical doctrine, and become more culturally sensitive. One gigantic post-modern seeker-friendly church did a survey of its ministry some years ago, and it discovered that the church was not producing disciples of Jesus Christ. For a brief moment I hoped the next statement that the staff and church would make would be something like this, "We realize now that we need to go back to the sufficiency of Scripture and the teaching of the doctrines of the Christian faith as the means of growing disciples." But no, they next stated that they need to take another survey and find out what the culture wanted now. Incredible imbecility! What will the next harvest be? I shuddered to think about it.

Negative Christianity - the Latest Trend

2009-12-15T21:54:00.004-06:00

Since when did it become cool to be negative to Christians and to Christian thought? No, I am not talking about pagans; I am talking about cool, modern (post-modern!) Christians who demonstrate their loyalty to Christ by being apologists for the worldly culture and polemical enemies of traditional Christianity. There was a time when Christians gave traditional Christian thought the benefit of the doubt (too much benefit of the doubt, probably), but now the trend is to attack everything traditionally Christian in the name of openness and Christian "cool." I begin to see how the religionists who think of themselves as "with -it" will become the persecutors of those who dare to speak prophetically to the secular culture. These so called "Christian evangelists" will continue to back themselves up beyond the point of irrelevancy; no, they will be backed up to oblivion.

The Lord of Life

2009-04-12T20:05:00.003-05:00

On this Easter Sunday we Christians celebrate the day of all days, the life of all lives, the victory of all victories. On that Easter Sunday morning, before the sun rose over the eastern horizon, the Son of Light had risen from the tomb. The FACT that Jesus arose physically, materially, really, and gloriously is not to be disputed by serious students of the biblical text. But we must ask, "WHY is this glorious fact significant?"

This is significant because of the gift of life that Jesus gives to all who trust in Him as Savior and Lord. "Because I live", said Jesus, "you shall live also (John 14:19)." Yes, sweet Jesus, You live, indeed you live. I rejoice in Your victory and life. But because You live, I shall live also! I do now live. I live the life of God living in me. I live that mystical, transcendent existence that comes from experiencing and knowing that God lives in the life of humanity. What joy, peace, love, and hope abounds and supersedes the greatest trial. The light of life glows with an other worldly job because of the living Jesus.

But more, yes more, I shall never die because I am living the life of Jesus, the resurrected Lord of Life. Jesus said, "He who believes in Me will never die (John 11:26)." I will never die; how can that eternal life ever cease to live? The living Christ, living in me, will ever live within the context of the saved sinner's soul. And one day, by the promise and grace of God, my grave will open and my mortal remains will shine with ethereal glory, fashioned after the exalted Christ. And I will forever be with the Lord in His place of love, holiness, and light.

Yes, Jesus is the Lord of life, and those who know Him, receive Him, live in Him, will live forever in glory.

"Behold, the Man!"

2009-04-10T18:15:00.002-05:00

"Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' and to give Him slaps in the face. Pilate came out again and said to them, 'Behold...I find no guilt in Him.' Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, 'Behold, the Man!" (Gospel of John 19:1-5)

On this Good Friday, let us BEHOLD THE MAN!

Behold the man who is also God, full of grace and truth, expressing in life, mind, and words the heart of God the Father, about whom the angels sang on that starlit night over Bethlehem.

Behold the man who is the perfect servant of the heavenly Father doing His will and being obedient to the Father to the point of death upon the cross.

Behold the man who bears the weight of the sinner's guilt; counted as guilty before the Law and God's justice, enduring the full force of divine wrath and punishment that the sinner may go free.

Behold the man who loves His sheep so much that He gives Himself them.

Behold the man who sees the light of glory glistening over the distant horizon where time and eternity will be changed because of the cross, and as such gives Himself to the malevolent deeds of sinners for the "joy set before Him."

Behold the man who will purchase the sinner's forgiveness and justified state in His blood.

Behold the man who will rise again in glorious triumph over death.

Behold the man who will ascend to the right hand of God the Father to intercede for His darling church.

Behold the man who will come again to take His rightful place before the world and history as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Behold the man who will one day kiss His church-bride full mouth with joy and love, and take her home to His heavenly place where they will live in eternal bliss shining with divine glory.

Yes, with joy, awe, wonder, mystery, and love - BEHOLD THE MAN!

A Long Way from Berea

2009-02-12T15:53:00.002-06:00

One of the most remarkable passages of Scripture on the authority and use of the Scriptures in the life of the church is found in Acts 17:11. The place was a town named "Berea." Paul and Silas had come to Berea where they began preaching Christ at the local synagogue. Verse 11 says,

"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they (the Bereans) received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."

I have been amazed at this passage for many years. Paul and Silas are preaching Jesus to these Jewish people, and the text says three important things about what the people were and did. They were noble-minded, they received the Word of God preached by Paul and Silas, and finally they checked with the Scriptures to see if the preaching they heard was true to the authoritative Scripture. The Old Testament canon of Scripture had already been established by this time, and it was in use in the synagogues all over the empire. These people knew the Scripture, they trusted the authority of the Scripture, and they knew how to use the Scripture in checking ideas that they heard.

If the American evangelical churches are to regain the spiritual and theological punch they once had, this ministry of the Word must be restored. We must be willing, able, and ready to check out anything we read or hear with the Word of God. This presupposes the following. First, there is a body of biblical teachings that comprise the teachings of the Christian faith. These are non-negotiables that need to be taught and embraced in the church. Second, the laymen and laywomen in the church must be taught (and they must be willing to be taught) these biblical teachings. And third, the people must be willing and able to be discerning about the teachings and ideas they hear by using the Bible as their guide. This ministry of discernment is vital to the spiritual health and ministry of the church if it is to be what the Lord would have it to be. Amen!

The All-Sufficient Scriptures Insufficient?

2009-02-12T15:35:00.002-06:00

We have had a remarkable period of time in the life of American evangelicalism in the last century with respect to the relationship between evangelicalism and the Scripture. On one hand American evangelicalism has vocally and formally fought in favor of an inerrant Scripture, which needed to be done. Glorious efforts have been made in denominations and evangelical institutions to take a stand on the important truth that the holy Scriptures are inerrant. I applaud this because it is both important and needed.

But at the same time, during the same period, American evangelicalism has been drifting from the Scriptures in several critical areas. It has increasingly distanced practical gospel ministry from the Scriptures resulting in doing ministry without using the Scriptures at all. Evangelism is attempted without the use of the Scriptures, expository preaching is becoming rare, and Scripture is only infrequently read in the worship services. The leadership training ministry of the church rarely, if ever, uses the Scripture as its textbook for doctrinal teaching and leadership development. As a result the average church evangelical is increasingly illiterate in the Scriptures. And more than that, the average evangelical is ignorant of the fact that he is ignorant. And evangelicals have been growing in their use of extra-biblical resources and tools for communicating with God and serving God. Pastors learn leadership techniques from the business world, charismatics claim to have direct revelation from God, and the church sometimes uses those who claim to have died and gone to heaven only to return to give their "testimony" of what heaven is like. So, wasn't it the evangelical world which criticized Roman Catholicism for putting tradition and the church's teaching on a level plane with Scripture? Aren't we doing a similar thing when we use subjective experience as a basis for guidance in Christian ministry, living and thinking?

It is not that we can't learn from and use resources and information outside the Bible, but nothing needs to be received as authoritative that come outside the Bible. The church's doctrine and ministry, and the Christian's guidance for living, must all be rooted and anchored in the Scriptures. All that the church needs for its beliefs and guidance on Christian living and church ministry is contained in the Bible. This is what the sufficiency of Scripture means. If we are not careful, we will be found to be preaching a sufficient Bible yet treating the Bible as if it is insufficient for ministry and Christian living. A church that believes the Scriptures, rightly interpreted, will be a church grounded in the truth. Amen!

The Bane of Religious Pragmatism

2009-02-09T20:02:00.004-06:00

If I hear one more time, "That church must be doing something right, because it is growing in number", or an advertisement to pastors stating, "Come to our preacher conference where you will learn how to grow your puny, small church to a mega, bodacious size in no time at all", then I just think I will spit in the wind and enjoy the shower! It is getting crazy out there in evangelical land, and true Christians are experiencing an ever shrinking island of good, biblical preaching and ministry. And pastors who go to preacher meetings and even imply to other pastors that good, solid biblical preaching will do the work of the ministry are looked at by contemporary, hip, and "with it" preachers with the same disdain as might have been given to a leper in the first century. What is happening to us?

Well, what is happening to us is not something that just started ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. The encroaching crud has been slowly eating away at the lively marrow in the church for over a century. The twentieth century demonstrated the dangerous and destructive components that is killing the church (Although in truth nothing can kill the true church; perhaps it is best for the institutional church to experience the dead wood gathering of the Father which Jesus spoke of in John 15). At the heart of all the disconcerting factors creating this deadening effect is the problem of RELIGIOUS PRAGMATISM. Religious pragmatism is comprised of the following elements: Disbelief in the power of the Word to change lives and accomplish the work of the kingdom, the mistaken idea that God is passive expecting His covenant people to "get the job done" in ministry, the disengagement of theology from practical ministry, and the greatest and deadliest factor of all - numerical growth equals eternal success.

These deadly factors began at the end of the 19th century in evangelical America, and in the early 20th century they picked up speed with the growth of religious institutionalization. The church was augmented (now in the 21st century is being supplanted) by para-church organizations, and church identity became equal to institutional denominationalism (Denominationalism is the unique contribution of American evangelicalism to the worldwide church of Jesus Christ, and we ought to consider repenting.), and religious programs and plans substituted for Bible preaching and teaching. Everything in the church increasingly became subservient to the question of "What works?", rather than "What is true?". The underlying concern for this question ("What works?") was and remains "What works to get people in the pew, on the membership roll, and start tithing and serving in the church?" Evangelism became salesmanship, and worship became a meeting to "reach the lost" (whatever "reach" means?). This was the passionate quest of church ministry as a result of religious pragmatism. From this moment on the game was lost for the American evangelical church. Its destiny was linked with numbers and numbers are linked with attractive appeal, and this is linked to cultural acceptance. It would only be a matter of time till the culture, like some dark monster, would swallow the church and its identity and message. It has happened! It is not "going" to happen; it has happened! And the deception is so complete that many Christians do not even know it has happened, except for the nagging feeling inside of true Christians telling them that something is fundamentally wrong in their church, and they are starving for some good Bible preaching!

Now we come to the twentieth century where in most evangelical churches (Hark! I paint with a broad brush for emphasis!) where the biblical vision of the declaration aspect of the gospel is completely lost (The gospel declares the unsaved to be lost and under the condemnation of the just and holy God, and declares Christ's atonement and resurrection to be the only solution to this problem. The gospel does not survey lost people to see how the gospel can address their symptoms of lostness so that people do not feel so lonely and rejected.). It is not only a reasonable suggestion, but a high percentage probability that we have a substantial number of lost people in our churches. Good Bible preaching is now opposed on the grounds that "Well, we just don't believe that." One person recently told me that in this person's home church the idea of Jesus being the only way to God has become strongly opposed as unreasonable (This is a Southern Baptist church!).

So, what is the answer? The answer today is the answer that has always been - faithfully preach the truth of the Scriptures with accuracy, fervor, humility, consistency, love, and prayer. The Bible and its doctrines must be preached no matter what the people in the churches say about it. The truth will stand for all time; the truth will endure the scorn and the criticism of well-meaning, but misled people in the churches. It may be that one of the only answers to the present state and dilemma is for new churches to be formed; churches rooted and centered on Christ and the teaching of the Scriptures. If this is the case, then so be it. Eschatological writing in the Scriptures refers to a religious ("church"?) institution in the end of of time, but all true Christians have always known that there is a difference between Church History and Christian History. Just because a religious group has a "church" sign in the front yard doesn't mean it is a true biblical church. But the true church will prevail because it is the church of Jesus which He is building by His sovereign grace. Amen!

God's Training School

2009-02-02T21:14:00.005-06:00

For those of us who have felt the sweet charms of divine grace, there have probably been several (perhaps many) times when we have prayed this kind of prayer, "Lord, make me like Jesus!" Or perhaps we prayed, "Lord, I want to be what You want me to be!" We prayed this with heart sincerity and with full intention of being what the Lord would have us to be. But most of us (if not all of us) had no earthly idea how God would answer a prayer like that. Usually we assume God will give us a book to read, a class to take, or a degree to pursue at school. Possibly we thought God would open doors of opportunity for us to grow in our abilities in serving Him. But do we really know how God causes His children to grow spiritually into maturity?

James 1:2-4 has been a passage that has inspired and frightened me. This passage has comforted me and at times made me tremble with fear. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

I recently reviewed this passage for my own soul's edification. The command given that serves as the heart of the passage is, "Consider it all joy...when you encounter various trials." This command drives me to my knees begging God for mercy and divine grace and strength. I never respond to trials initially with joy. If I have any joy at all when tried and tested, it is because of much prayer, soul-searching, and spiritual discipline. Somehow I seem to have received an abundant ability to fuss and complain - I do that real well!!! I don't rejoice in trials very well. But this is the point of the command. If we always rejoiced in trials easily, then there would be no point to giving us this command. Thus, we are to obey God in this area by running to Jesus and our heavenly Father confessing our desperate need for help in this area.

But our obedience is not blind obedience. It is a reasoned, logical obedience. The text continues to explain why we must rejoice in trials. First, the text tells us what this trial really is ("testing of your faith"), and second, it explains what goodness trials bring to our lives when we rejoice in the Lord during times of difficulty. Trials are really a time of testing the believer's faith. This is because (according to 1 Peter 1:7) trials are God's instrument to demonstrate genuine faith in our hearts. Trials do not destroy our faith; trials reveal our faith (unless we have no faith at all). And second, these trials become, for the believer, the didactic process that develops the Christian into Christ-likeness. It is only in times of trials that "endurance" can be processed. But it is through endurance that we are made "perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing." That is a pretty good description of Christian maturity.

So, is the believer to pray for trials? Heaven's no!!! You live in a fallen world, you will have enough trials to come along as it is. God measures, forms, and shapes each trial for His specific purpose in our lives. He will allow them (and send them) in accordance with His loving purpose and grace. But I know of no way to grow spiritually other than through trials. So, let's have a time of personal reflection and contemplation when troubles and trials come our way. Let us not give in to despair or a sense of hopelessness. But rather, let us seek the Lord and His strength trusting in Him for every need and the ability to keep going for His glory. Amen!

God and a Sleepless Night

2009-01-29T20:39:00.002-06:00

I was reading Esther 6 today, and once again I was surprised and amazed at the providence of God as evidenced in this passage. God's power and timing are demonstrated in their perfections in such a way as to protect Mordecai from the evil intentions of Haman. On the very night before Haman was to ask for Mordecai's killing, the Lord caused the king to be unable to sleep (God did that). In an attempt to induce sleepiness on himself, he asked for the royal chronicles to be brought to him and to be read. I wonder how many scrolls there were in the royal library, but the very one that could save Mordecai was chosen (God did that). Just hours before Haman is to walk into the royal palace to request regal permission to destroy Mordecai, God was preparing the king to deliver Mordecai and the Jewish people (God did that). And I think it is hilarious how God even used Haman, the hater of Mordecai and the people of God, to honor Mordecai before the people. Humor is all over this! And God did it all!

Even though God's name is not found in this passage, God is all over this event. God is the unnamed mover and controller of all events, even to the point of keeping a king from sleeping and the choosing of a scroll to be read to the king.

The providential goodness of God has been such a blessing to me personally over the years. I cannot think of another biblical truth (outside of the gospel itself) that has given to me more comfort, more strength, more help, and more serenity than to know that God is sovereignly watching over me and taking care of me. In times of sickness, illness for family members (including a terminal diagnosis of my son), uncertainty about financial resources and life's direction cause times of struggle and pain. But the one truth that has brought me more calm in anxious moments is that God has chosen me for Himself, and He is watching over me to bring good and glory through my circumstances. He does not promise ease, convenience, or the fulfillment of personal preferences. But He does promise to be faithful and true to us, to His promises in Christ, and to His own nature. Nothing that is eternally damaging can happen to us; all is good seen from the perspective of eternity. My mother drilled this truth into me as I was growing up, and I have sought to pass it along to my children.

So, no matter what the day may bring, no matter the difficulty or the hardship, God is with us. And God is controlling the events that control us. Some day, some how, in some way God's glory will shine through my life and experiences. This is THE HOPE of the providence of God in human life. Thanks be unto God! Amen!

A Baby Boomer Advises Generation "Whatever"

2009-01-25T06:37:00.004-06:00

"Baby Busters", "Generation X", "Generation Millennium" - I haven't heard what the present generation designation is. I don't know, I guess I got lost along the way of designating generations, or perhaps we ran out of monikers. My ignorance may be explained by the fact that I quit reading those Church Growth publications that have articles entitled, "How to Make your Puny Little Church into Megachurch within Six Months - Guaranteed!" It seemed to me to be fallacious to "guarantee" growth (defined by numbers only) without referencing our use of Scripture and our dependence upon God. But alas, I digress...back to my point.

I would like to speak today to the "Whatever the Latest Evangelical Generation is Called" Christians, and say, "Be careful what you rebel against and to." Speaking as the official designated spokesman of the Baby Boomer evangelicals (who promised to get it right since the previous generation had messed everything up - - psst...did you know that every generation when they are in their 20's thinks the previous generation messed everything up and the "up and coming" bunch will straighten everything out; you know, sort of like "A Change we Can Believe in." Hmmm, we'll see...). The older I have gotten the more certain I am that the previous generation was not as dumb as I thought, and I was not as smart as I thought at age of 25. In fact, the older I get, the less likely I am to trust my opinions. My cultural and ministerial arguments from 30 years ago seem to have lost their fizz. Is it possible...oh no, I can't believe I'm saying this...that we did not know what we were talking about 30 years ago? As is always the case, the answer to this is - there was some good, and there was some bad. Keep everything in perspective and be humble.

The one thing that continues to gnaw at me is this important fundamental idea - young people and young adults seem have to a built in propensity for rebellion against the bunch that precedes them, but the young folks must be careful what they rebel against and what they rebel to. In the case of young evangelicals today, the enemy is not the previous generation, traditionalists, or Baby Boomers. I have heard some young evangelicals speak with such tenderness about lost people, then turn definitely angry talking about the "traditionalist, no-change, stick-in-the-mud" Christians at the local church. Every time I hear something like this I think of Jesus' command for Christians to love each other and the Apostle John's teaching in his First Epistle that true Christians love other Christians. Faithfulness and biblical ministry are not determined by reacting against other Christians. Mainstream Evangelicals for years have tragically determined their beliefs on certain things by reacting against other groups (i.e. "Roman Catholics" and "Pentecostals") rather than simply studying and believing the Bible.

I admit that the previous two generations (an opinion I hold myself, and perhaps no one else) our collective popular evangelical beliefs have been set by Strong's Concordance rather than books on Systematic Theology. If we can't find the word in Strong's, then we assume the Bible has nothing to say on the subject represented by that word. The upshot of that is that the previous evangelical community became rather somewhat unbiblical in some ways in both doctrine, Christian living, and ministry. So, here come the new evangelicals to save the day; they are going to show those old codgers how to get it right. So, they rebel, and what is the chosen battlefield of the new generation of evangelicals? "Cigar smoking, alcohol drinking, and global warming, and no more hymns in church" - HUH?! Is this the strategic and important sign of reformation of the modern evangelical church? Is this what the Reformers meant when they said the church must continue to reform? I say again to the new evangelicals - please, I beg of you, my dear, precious brothers in Christ, be careful what you rebel against and what you rebel to. You are setting a course for generations to come. Your generation will reap a harvest of whatever you sow. What harvest will come to such unwise decisions such as these? I will give a passage of Scripture and be done with this diatribe - Galatians 5 says that Christ set us free. Amen and Hallelujah!!! Yes, we must not be legalistic or bound in works theology. But Galatians 5 also says we are free to serve each other in love. Let's try to use our freedom in Christ for sacrificial love which takes others into account (see Philippians 2:1-8 for the greatest example of this). Let us seek to be wise, considerate, courteous, and caring with all, including those "stick in the mud" Baby Boomer Christians - yuck. Amen!

Pulpits, White Coats, and Mystic Entertainers

2009-01-24T17:59:00.004-06:00

Where is the power base in a community? There was a time in early American history when the pastor standing behind the pulpit was the power person in the community (this was probably not as true in the frontier areas). This was true for two reasons: first, the pastor was the most educated man in the community, and second, there was an acknowledgment by the community at large that God was sovereign and to Him they were accountable.

But that all changed with the inculcation of scientism which defined the era now known as modernity. The change began to occur in the late 19th century and certainly became full-blown in the 20th century. Essentially, science was considered by the community to be the context of truth, and scientism (scientific method based on the assumption that reality is only defined by material nature; this is in contrast to early scientists in Europe who based their scientific method on the created order) became the order of the day. Thus, the power moved from the man behind the pulpit to the man who wore the white medical coat. Studies have shown that people today trust those who wear the white medical smock. Whether or not we realize this, this is the consequence of the effects of scientism in modernity.

But now things are changing again. The advent of Eastern Religious thought garbed in western ideology (or I should say preferential philosophical desire) resulted in New Age teaching, Post-Modern religious blubbery, and radical individualism (meaning, "I make my own religion, thank you very much!"). Now, who bears the power of the community? It may be argued, in light of recent developments, that those who become popular through entertainment and media become the voices of truth to the masses. It is almost as if one assumes that one on television, or anyone in the movies, or anyone who sings songs in the pop culture, becomes suddenly an expert on everything. And these mystic entertainers tell us what to drive (God forbid that we drive SUVs), and what to eat (i.e. "We must defend the defenseless chickens from that great tyranny known as 'Kentucky Fried Chicken"), and how to save the planet (Lord knows how many times someone tries to make us feel guilty if we don't try to save the planet). These mystic entertainers have become the power-brokers for radical environmentalism and, perhaps, the instrumentation of political and social engineers.

What is a Christian to do in such situations? First, we must learn what the Christian faith is in its fullest extent. This is commonly referred to as a "worldview" in the modern era. The Christian faith says something about ultimate reality (God), the nature of material reality (creation), the nature of truth and morality, the purpose of history (God's sovereign will achieved in the incarnation of Christ applied redemptively in human history through the church and the ministry of the Holy Spirit), and the meaning of death and eternity. Every Christian can and must be ready to respond to these great questions if they want to present themselves as a logical, consistent, biblical Christian. Second, the Christian must courageously link himself to the teachings of Scripture for authority and instruction. The Berean Christians have become model Christians in this regard (see Acts 17) where they even put Paul to the test of Scripture. Finally, we must exercise integrity in living out this vision. The Christian must resist the temptation to accommodate the spirit of the age (and the pressure of media, political parties, unions, and other organizations) if one is to live an eternal life focus. As one has quaintly put, "If we marry the spirit of the age in which we live, then we will become a widow in the next." May God help us to look to the Lord in these things; He is the sovereign of heaven and earth. Amen.

The Tyranny of the Pseudo-Relevant

2009-01-22T22:12:00.005-06:00

One of the great plagues that has come upon the modern American evangelical church (and God forbid that international churches seek to emulate the Christian evangelical church on this point) is the absolute intoxication with relevancy. Relevancy is the great eleventh commandment that drives the evangelical, ministerial engine. Everything that is deemed "relevant" is unquestioningly adopted as, well...relevant. And it is invariably linked with that great text of all texts for ministry, missions, and evangelism...drum roll please..."I have become all things to all men that I might win some", which many cool and relevant Christians who want to be effective in ministry interpret to mean, "I have become relevant in all things that I might win some."

There are two BIG problems with the embedded idea of man-centered relevancy in Christian ministry: first, relevancy means nothing until we determine who defines what is relevant (and in the case of Christian ministry, God determines relevancy), and second, there is no biblical evidence (and I mean absolutely no biblical evidence) that man-centered relevancy is God's chosen means of reaching people for Christ (perhaps we need to talk about what "reaching people" really means, but that is for another blog entry).

Pseudo-relevancy in Christian ministry asks people what is relevant to them (man-centered), then it modifies its worship, Bible study, preaching, ministry, and service to accommodate this so-called relevancy. The bottom line is that the unregenerate sets the agenda for the church. Doesn't anyone see a problem with this?! Can you imagine Lot doing a survey in Sodom asking, "We are going to start a Baptist church in Sodom. What seems to be relevant to you Sodomites? We want to build a need-meeting ministry at the 'What's Happening Church'. Our motto is: 'We are a church for everyone! So, tell us your expectations of our church, Mr. Lost Sodomite." What foolishness, and yet this methodology is applied every day in the American church in the name of evangelism and "reaching people."

How much we need to hear the voice of God in Scripture calling us to a biblical ministry. A biblical ministry is declarative in nature. It declares what God has done in Christ redemptively. It declares that what God has said is true. Sinners have lost their mental and spiritual balance because of sin. They are, in fact, dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). How can sinners know what is relevant to them? Christ has sent the church with the message of God's redemption in Christ. Let us preach this message with love, with prayer, with tenderness, with gentleness, with tears of compassion, but with bold resolve. Ours must not be a ministry of the interrogative ("What would you like our church to do for you?"). No, ours is that ministry that bears the authority of being called and sent by God as ambassadors for Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

Ties and Blue Jeans

2009-01-17T20:51:00.006-06:00

There are a few advantages to being a minister for more years than I would like to recount. As I count the number of AARP invitations I have gotten in the mail, I am also reflecting on the strange and often bizarre way that church was and is done.

A long time ago in that little church on the hill outside of middle America the trendy motif was the necktie. Neckties spoke of tradition, reverence, conservative values, and (until the 70s when those awful paisley prints on ties became popular) conservative fashions. I remember hearing in "yesterday's" church, "We never did it that way before" - the seven last words of the "funding fathers" (and as long as the funding fathers of the church kept the budget balanced, no one dared challenge them). But then the 60's and the 70's washed over the little church like a tidal wave colored by hippy freedom and libertarian possibilities. The little church that had nursed itself on evangelical pragmatism intoxicated with a passion for numbers could not resist the "whatever works" mentality of the new era. Suddenly acoustical guitars were replacing the organ as the primary instrument of melodious accoutrement behind stained glass windows. In the summer, when the windows of the church were opened, the soft strains of "Cum Ba Yah" could be heard across the valley as the sanctuary choir sang sincerely and sweetly even though they had no idea what "Cum Ba Yah" meant - they traded their "Ebenezer" for latest contemporary chorus. Suddenly the evangelical landscape was dotted with Christian bookstores selling Jesus t-shirts, bumper stickers; the air waves were filled with Christian music that followed cultural trends, and preachers learned to market the gospel instead of preach the gospel. The neckties had turned into blue jeans. Now it was the blue jean era where God was cool, doctrine was out, preaching turned to sharing, and the worst thing a church could do was to not be "cutting edge." Once, if a young man entered the church with long hair, earrings, a dirty shirt, and blue jeans with holes in them, you would send him to the pastor. Now he is the pastor!

Now church is niched for age groups, life experiences, and whatever seems to be trendy and culturally fashionable. Now people in the church, wearing their blue jeans and flip-flops, drinking their lattes from Starbucks want nothing to do with neckties or their dad's way of doing church. Today is the day when anything goes in church except what has been done in church from the last generation. It is basically a form of modified teenage-like rebellion. The contemporary Christian scene has institutionalized the attitude of "I don't want to think, act, talk or be like my dad." One of the most surprising elements of this not-so-impressive trend is how angry younger aged Christians are with anything related to the previous generation. They despise patriotism to America, the moral and ethical values of their parents, and expository preaching. They want nothing to do with the established church; church planting is all the rage.

Of course, nothing is as consistent as change. The question is, "What does the coming generation rebel against? What comes from the 'Latte, blue jean, flip-flop' church?" I'm kind of scared, kind of curious, kind of ready to close up shop. Some days that little cabin on the mountain looks really, really good.

Who Needs the Bible?

2009-01-12T21:19:00.005-06:00

Unfortunately this is the day when subjective religious experience is the trendy thing. It is common to hear evangelicals use language like, "God told me", "I got a word from God", and my all time favorite, "the Lord led me to...". Our modern evangelical sensibilities seem to allow for any and all religious experiences validating them because, well...we had the experience! No one can say anything against our own testimony right? I am reminded of a man I once knew who humorously called attention to this lunacy by saying, "It must be the will of the Lord; it seems so right to me." Of course, he said this with a wry smile and a twinkle in the eye. We could never misread God, could we? Certainly if we are sincere and totally committed to Christ (and throw in a little fasting and prayer), then God will talk to us directly right?

Being a minister has its advantages, not the least of which is the junk mail I get. In recent days I keep getting junk email. Recently I got a piece of junk email designed to excite and scintillate my spiritual senses. The email promoted a meeting that I just have to attend if I want to be in God's will. The tease came in the form of seminar titles: "Direct Encounter with a Supernatural God", "Engaging the Revelatory Voice of God", and that can't miss seminar called, "The Breaker Anointing: Releasing the Prophetic Breath of God." Hey, this conference will tell me how to meet directly with God, get a revelatory word from God, and release the power of God's breath through my life. Hey, when you have all of this, who needs the Bible?

Well, that's the problem. The Bible now has become the manual for "whatever I want to find there." I teach biblical hermeneutics in the college setting, and I find students often fall into the fallacy of "The Bible means what I want it to mean." But students hold no corner on that mistake. Students must line up behind pastors, youth ministers, deacons, and Sunday school teachers who do this regularly. In fact, we have been "using" the Bible for years - we call it the priesthood of the believer (i.e. the Bible says what I think it says, and doggone it, nobody better tell me different, because I am a BAPTIST who believes in the priesthood of the believer! I'd like to have few words with whoever popularized, but prostituted, that oft maligned doctrine.) Where does the objective, propositional truth of God's Word come into play? As Baptists get together to "share what the Bible means to me" (when in fact this is often a pooling together of our ignorance), when do we stop to do healthy exegesis of the text? Doesn't the text mean what the author meant it to mean? Shouldn't we find out what the author meant by the text before we apply the text to our lives? I should think so.

Before we close this blog article I would like to lead us all in a prayer (Don't get excited, it's not the prayer of Jabez!). "Lord, deliver me from trying to get information from You concerning things you have already spoken about in Scripture. Keep me from such prideful thoughts that I can be absolutely right on everything at any one moment. Dear Lord, forgive me for thinking I am smarter than the many Christians who came before me and some of who left good confessions, creeds, and biblical resources to help me study my Bible. And Lord, teach me how to accurately and humbly study the Scriptures with good hermeneutical and exegetical techniques that I may see wondrous things from Your written revelation. Then, dear Lord, give me the wisdom to see how all of this applies to my life, and give to me the grace to seek to apply Your truth to my life. And finally, Lord, when I think the next time that I have a new revelation from You, please put cotton in my mouth to shut me up." Amen

The Importance of Balance in Biblical Interpretation

2009-01-05T20:54:00.009-06:00

I suppose there are some important things one learns after 35 years of ministry. Amazing, simply admitting that I have been in ministry for 35 years makes me feel old. Alas, I digress...One of the important observations I have made in these many years of ministry is the vital necessity of balance in biblical interpretation.

But what do I mean by balance in biblical interpretation? Balance in this context involves the mature interpretive skill of seeing two related contrasting truths that give a broader, fuller, and balanced understanding of the full biblical teaching on a subject. A good example might be the twin, but distinctive truths, that God wants Christians to trust Him for their financial survival, but He also wants Christians to work hard to earn a living. Both of these truths are in the Scriptures, and they are clearly taught there. One can find Scripture verses that obviously tell us to not be anxious about anything, including money. In fact, Jesus exhorted believers to not serve "mammon" or money in His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus repeatedly warned about the danger of greed and worldly concern about money (i.e. parable about the sower - see the soil that had thorns). But the Ten Commandments clearly affirms private ownership in its prohibition on coveting, and Paul commands that one should work hard to provide for one's family. This Pauline commandment was made in such strong terms that Paul stated if one neglected or refused to do such, then he was to be treated like an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8) (WOW!). So, who is right; Jesus or Paul? The answer is - both are right. They are giving two important contrasting (not contradicting) truths that together give a balanced biblical perspective on a vital issue. Jesus was not teaching that the believer should be lazy and not work, nor was Paul teaching that we should not trust God with our financial needs. Taken together these teachings give a full expression of biblical instruction on these issues.

Another significant example of this is the role of faith and works in salvation found in both Paul's writings and the Epistle of James. It sounds like Paul discounts works in salvation altogether, and James discounts faith as a basis for justification. But a closer observation of both authors reveals that each contributes central ideas regarding the necessity of both faith and works in their proper place in the overarching subject of salvation. So let me pull some central ideas together that need to be regarded as central to this topic of balance and biblical interpretation.

Warning: To neglect balance in biblical interpretation not only results in a misunderstanding what the Bible says about the topics involved, it sets the stage for aberrant teaching and ultimately heresy itself. Every cult I know is partially created because of unbalanced teaching. It is a requisite that we maintain balance in our understanding of Scripture.

Example: I saw an example of unbalanced Scriptural study not long ago in a marriage where the husband took the biblical idea of husbandly and fatherly authority way out of proportion. He used it to dominate over and dictate to his wife and children. His mistake was that he forgot LOVE, and it was destroying his wife and children.

Suggestions: So, how can Christians protect themselves from falling into unbalanced interpretations of biblical teaching?

1. Look for opposite and contrasting truths. Ultimate truth is so large that it is composed a many sub-truths. These sub-truths taken together form the large composite of the ultimate truth. Without a complete view of all sub-truths, one does not get the big picture of ultimate truth.

2. Be honest with yourself. Let's be honest, there are some truths we like and some with which we struggle. Those truths that seem to be contrasting with our basic personality and emotional constitution are as important as those truths that fit easily within our natural makeup. When you study the Bible, be honest with yourself and the text.

3. Listen to other Christians. We Christians need each other. Let's listen to each other as we share together the Word of God. Often we will find that others have a perspective of a passage that we missed and desperately needed. Not all Christians have discerning insight into biblical passages, but Paul taught us in 1 Corinthians that we are the Body of Christ made up of many different types of members. We need to listen to each other.

4. Be humble. Don't think at any one point in your Christian journey that you understand everything about anything. Christians are learners (disciples), and we will learn (we should learn) until the day we die on earth. And in heaven we will continue to learn for all eternity. Don't become obnoxious by stating or implying that you know it all. Keep learning!

Summary and Conclusion: My Systematic Theology professor in seminary years ago used to say he learned much about boats and water when he was growing up in Holland. He remarked one of the most important things he learned was that it really did not matter which end of the boat one fell off of, he still got wet. Let's be careful as Christians about extremism in biblical interpretation. To be faithful to the text of Scripture we must give attention to balance. Amen!

Reminders to Those who Preach

2009-01-04T07:46:00.002-06:00

In Acts 4:4, the Scripture says, "But many of those who had heard the message (word) believed..."

Peter had been preaching Jesus Christ in response to the gathering crowd. A man had been healed in the previous chapter, and many came expressing their amazement. Then Peter preached Jesus, the crucified Son of God, to the people. The Jewish priests, the temple guards, and the Sadducees came and arrested Peter and John, taking them into custody and putting them into jail. Then our text is given, "But many of those who heard the message (word) believe..."

Here we have some gentle but important reminders to those who preach the Word of God to the people.

First, preachers should preach Christ. This is what Peter did; he preached Christ. But what does it mean to preach Christ? Does preaching the crucified Christ simply mean to recount the historical crucifixion of Christ? No, the text says the people believed the message or word about Christ. Peter said several significant things about the crucified Christ. He called Jesus the "Prince of Life (3:15)", he referred to Christ's resurrection (3:15). Peter talked about the power of Jesus' authority and the faith engendered in Christ by the working of God's grace (3:16). He referred to God's foreknowledge and prophetic word (3:18), and he implied God's sovereign power to fulfill this prophecy regarding Christ (3:18). He talked about repentance and forgiveness of sin (3:19). He talked about eschatological hope and judgment (3:20-23). What a powerful sermon! Here we learn that to preach Christ means to preach the doctrine of Christ. It is sad to observe that many modern preachers feel and act like doctrine is the obstacle (even enemy) to ministry and preaching. But we must preach Christ by preaching all that Christ is and has done. It is only by such method will sinners be saved.

Second, people come to believe in Christ through the preaching of the Word of God about Christ. When preachers preach Christ to the people, the Spirit of God is pleased to move in a sovereign way for the salvation of sinners. The salvation of one sinner is evidence of the sovereign power of the Spirit of God, but when many are brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then we are seeing the sovereign work of God in great expressions of joy. But people come to the saving knowledge of Christ by virtue of the preaching of Christ.

Third, it is clear from our text that the Spirit calls people to believe in Christ in a saving fashion. Salvation is linked to believing in Jesus Christ and all He is and has done. This implies a great inner change in the mind and heart and will of the sinner. Only the Spirit of God can make such a change, but this change does occur because of the work of the Spirit through the preaching of the Word of God. People are called to believe the message about Jesus, and they will express that belief in personal trust in Him. Ministers must remember that the ministry of the Word deals more with exclamation marks rather than questions marks. The question marks of doubt and cultural sensibilities will never save the soul. The preacher must not put his finger to the wind to see which way the social wind is blowing before he speaks. He must have a "thus says the Lord" tone to his preaching. He must know the Word, and he must preach the Word authentically, earnestly, lovingly, and prayerfully.

Finally, the ministry of preaching always has two effects: some believe and some don't. This has always been true in the context of preaching the truth. Some believe, some have faith, and some don't. The minister in his preaching cannot determine who will believe and who won't. This is the doing of God in the sacred hall of the individual soul. This is the mystery of the working of God in the lives of people. The minister cannot determine who will believe, but we say with Paul, "How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:14)" Thus, we need preachers.

So, preacher, go forth in the joy of the Lord! "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Romans 10:15)" May God bless your work this day for His own glory!

"Why did you ever send me?"

2009-01-03T18:42:00.010-06:00

There is a question that Moses asks God in Exodus 5:22. Moses had been called by God for a very special purpose on the mountain in Midian. Moses had been extremely reluctant to obey the Lord for a number of reasons (all cogent). And God had demanded that Moses go, even though Moses thought someone else could have done a better job. So, Moses went back to Egypt perhaps timidly, reluctantly, and reticently. But he was going, and he was going because God, the God of His fathers, had told him to go. He was going because the God of heaven and earth sent him.

But from the moment Moses hit town everything went awry. Pharaoh did not acknowledge the Lord's authority in Egypt (after all, Pharaoh thought of himself as a god). Even the Hebrews, enslaved and struggling, didn't even believe Moses. And to top everything off, when Moses made his move in the name of the Lord ("Thus says the Lord" Exodus 5:1 - this is the prophetic formula used by the prophets of the OT to add authority to their revelatory message), instead of everything working out well, everything fell apart! Instead of making things better, Moses only seemed to make everything worse than they were before - not an auspicious beginning!

I wonder if one were to talk to Moses at this point of his journey and tell him the truth, what would Moses say? What if one were to say to Moses, "It's OK, Moses; God has everything under control. God knew about all of this ahead of time, in fact, God made it turn out like this. But God is going to use the problems of 'now' to bring about the blessings of 'tomorrow'." Perhaps Moses would have said, "Oh sure, that's easy for you to say; you don't have to face the wrath of Pharaoh and the disappointment of the Hebrews!" But God did have everything in control, and before the story ends, Pharaoh's army is defeated in the Red Sea, the Hebrews leave with parting gifts from the Egyptians, and the name of the Lord is honored where once is was unknown or despised. But Moses didn't have the benefit of reading the last chapter of the story like we do. He was living the story, and this moment of the story was a moment of disappointment and concern.

I would like to make an observation and postulate on that observation for a moment. My observation is that by virtue of a cursory study of Scripture (augmented by some empirical data based on human experience) it appears that it is the normal situation for God's servants to have problems. I think Paul, the apostle, would confess that he had many more problems after he was converted to Christ and started serving Him. What would Jeremiah say about this sitting at the bottom of a well, or what about Isaiah, who confessed "Who has believed our report? (53:1)", say about all of this? Or, what would John the Baptist, who ended up in jail for speaking out against a politician, say about this? Dietrich Bonhoeffer once offered the assessment of divine calling when he said that when Christ calls someone he bids him, "Come and die." It seems the normal and common experience of God's servants to have problems, difficulties, and hardships because of their ministries.

So, what is the servant of the Lord to do or think at such at time as this? What should be our thoughts as we face disappointment, discouragement, and even depression over our ministerial circumstances? What would we have said to Moses in his lowest moments?

1. God is still on the throne, and we can trust Him to do what is right, best, and good.

2. God will not abandon us in our hour of need; we can, and must, look to Him out of the context of our struggle.

3. We must keep doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reason, trusting in God for fruit.

4. We must never expect life to be perfect; our perfection is in heaven.

5. We must believe that God will provide for us in His way, in His time, for His glory.

6. It is acceptable to be human and weak; learn to accept yourself as a weak vessel for God's service. Jesus sympathizes with us and our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

7. Trust God to provide His strength and resources to do His will in, through, and outside of our weakness.

When we think like this, transferring the pressure of our ministries onto God, then we can work hard and smile. The results are His. Let us try to pray hard for each other as we seek to serve the Lord in every situation of life. Amen.

In the Beginning God

2009-01-02T08:47:00.005-06:00

Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God..." Now, it is very common to overlook a statement like this because it seems to carry no transcendent or practical significance. But on further, and closer, inspection one begins to see that this is the fundamental explanation for life itself. This simple, yet profound statement, gives insight and expression to the nature of meaning.

What do we know about the beginning? Why does it matter? It is obvious that no one was there to record the beginning. That is to say, there was no reporter from the local newspaper or television station to give a live account and perspective of the beginning. Because this lack of human presence in the beginning, many wrongfully conclude that the beginning is shrouded in myth and ethereal vagueness.

But this is not true at all. God was there! Are we to dismiss His testimony of the beginning as untrue, insignificant, or less valid than the perspective and expression of a limited, sinful, biased, mutable reporter? I think not!

The real questions about the beginning is not what?, but who? and why?. God is the all-knowing Knower, the all-being Essence, the all-sovereign Sovereign. He is both the ultimate Cause and the ultimate Reason for ultimate reality. He is not only the ultimate One who was there in the beginning, He is also the ultimate Purpose for the beginning. And as such He is the ultimate Point of life itself. God doesn't give explanations, He is the explanation. To know Him is to know why. If we know Him, we don't need any other "whys." It is only when we know Him that we see the nature and significance of the beginning. And only as we understand the beginning in the context of who God is that we begin to understand the now and the end as well. It is only as we understand God that we understand time and life at all.

But to understand God one must understand God in the flesh - the incarnation of the Son of God. The New Testament argues that the incarnate Christ made God known. And as such He made life and its meaning known. God in flesh is the only logical, reasonable, and biblical understanding for life. Without knowing and grasping Him in flesh do we appreciate and see the meaning of flesh. That is why time seemed to stand still on that night in Bethlehem when Christ was born. Time stood still because in Christ, time took on its true meaning and purpose.

This is why Jesus revealed Himself to John the Apostle (Revelation 1, 21, 22) as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. This is why Paul presented Jesus Christ as being preeminent (Colossians 1), and this is why Paul said that we are made complete only in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2).

In Christ there is a reason for getting out of bed in the morning; there is a reason for living. He is the reason for living. Simply put - Jesus is the Reason! And it is only as we come to know Him through illumination by sovereign grace that we come to see the meaning of the beginning, the now, the end, yea, life itself. That is why we must understand the first statement of the Bible, "In the beginning God..."

New Year Anticipations

2009-01-01T12:30:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure which I like best, the ending of something or the beginning of something. Sometimes at the end (like the end of the year) one can reflect upon accomplishments gained. However, at the end there are also regrets and sadness over sin, failure, and weakness demonstrated in the living of life each day.

But the beginning of something is fresh and new. I heard once that one can think of the beginning of the new year as a clean sheet of paper upon which one will write in the coming year. But in some ways the new year is like the old year. This year there will be blessings from God, joys (both anticipated and also surprising), challenges, struggles, temptations, trials, and even perhaps tragedy. It is interesting how life changes, yet stays the same. But no matter what happens this year, there are some key transcendent truths that will always remain the same:

1. God will be sovereignly good intervening in human history (including the particular experiences of believers) providentially with wisdom, love, power, and grace.

2. The gospel of Jesus Christ will still be true. The rich, effectual consequences of Jesus' active righteousness, death, resurrection, and mediatorial reign are all in effect continuously and ever more. Time and it's fluctuations cannot change the eternal gifts that God gives to His covenant people in and through Jesus Christ.

3. The destiny of God's people is both secure and glorious. As difficult as earthly experiences may be, nothing compares with the glory that will be shared with us by Christ in our eternal, heavenly home (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). And one day, in our flesh, we shall see our beautiful Savior in all His glory (The Beatific Vision!). And as a part of His Bride, the church, we shall each share in the joy of that glory. What a promise! What a blessing!

So, as we begin a new year, we Christians are pulled evermore forward to the glorious colors of the transcendent sunset (sunrise?) of our future in Christ. Rejoice!

End of the Year

2008-12-30T23:02:00.002-06:00

As we approach the end of a year different people respond differently. For me, the ever reflective, contemplative sort, I have a tendency to look back over the previous year with nostalgia and meaningful pondering. Some years contain gigantic personal events (weddings, births, graduations, deaths, to name a few), but every year I find myself expressing many of the same thoughts and feelings upon reflection over the previous year:

1. Gratitude for the mercy and patience of God in my life.

2. Joy because of my salvation in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

3. Renewed confidence over the strong and secure revelatory message the Lord gives in Scripture.

4. Anticipation for the new year thinking of what the Lord will do.

5. A projected delight in the coming eschatological blessing that will be mine in death in eternity.

No matter what kind of year some of us have had, we can, and should, rejoice in these five gifts that the Lord gives to His children. Happy end of the year!