Read the Bible in 2009-2010

If you've struggled to read the Bible through in a year, the two-year pace might be better. I know many people for whom this is just right--fast enough to get through without taking forever, yet slow enough to allow some reflection and distillation. It comes out to about 15 minutes a day, on average. Click here for the 2009-2010 reading plan.

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God in Action in Acts

The Acts of the Apostles also recounts the sovereign Acts of God. I think back on preaching through this gripping biblical narrative in 2008, and so many of the Lord's mighty deeds come to mind, including:

The dramatic ascension of Jesus up to heaven (1:9); moving of the Spirit, sound of wind, visions of flame, giving of speech in foreign languages (2:1-13); doing of many signs and wonders through the apostles (2:43); healing of man crippled from birth (3:7); saving of 5,000+ to form the Jerusalem church (2:41; 4:4; 6:7); striking down Ananias and Saphira (5:1-11); miraculously freeing Peter and John from prison (5:19); a vision of God in his glory given to dying Stephen (7:55); turn­ing the persecution-driven scattering of believers into Christian mission (8:4); sending the Holy Spirit with power (8:15); navigating Philip to meet the chariot of the Ethiopian and lead him to Christ, and then whisking Philip away (8:26-40); boldly “arresting” Saul on the road to Damascus, blinding him, and transforming his heart (9:1-19); healing of Aeneas (9:32-35); raising Tabitha from the dead (9:36-43); giving coordinated visions to Peter and Cornelius so they’d meet (10:1-43); bestowing of the Spirit upon Cornelius and his household to speak in tongues and give praise to Christ (10:44-48); deliverance of Peter from prison as believers prayed (12:6-11); calling the worshipping Christians at Antioch to set aside Paul and Barnabas for mission (13:1-3); blinding of Elymas the magic­ian (13:4-12); joyful believing by Gentiles who were ordained to eternal life (13:48); granting signs and wonders at Iconium (14:3); healing of a crippled man at Lystra (14:8-10); preserving Paul through stoning (14:19-20); opening a door of faith to the Gentiles (14:27); blocking ministry in Asia to redirect Paul and Silas to Macedonia (16:6-10); opening Lydia’s heart to believe (16:14); sending an earthquake to break open the Philippian prison (16:26); speaking to Paul in a vision to encourage bold witness (18:9-11); tongues and prophecy accompanying baptism of new believers (19:1-7); doing of many miracles through Paul (19:11-17); raising Eutychus from the dead (20:7-12); giving prophecy by Agabus that Paul would be arrested (21:11); the Lord’s appearance to Paul in prison to say he’d testify in Rome (23:11); uncovering the plot to murder Paul (23:16); speaking to Paul on the ship to promise that all would survive (27:22); protecting Paul from a poisonous snake bite (28:5); healing many people on Malta (28:7-10); overall, the spreading of witness (1:8) all over the Roman world and to Rome itself (28:30-31).

Our God is an awesome God! Stand in awe. Bow in wonder.

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Facebook Wisdom

For a great article on making the best and avoiding the worst of Facebook, click here.

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The Acts of God

Spending a year preaching through the Book of Acts has been stretching and enriching for me. Along the venture through dark valleys and over spectacular peaks, I’ve noticed some familiar “sights”—recurring patterns, themes, truths. Such as:

· God is sovereign. In fact, he’s so powerful and ingenious that he can even weave hardship and persecution into a beautiful tapestry of church growth and joy-filled spiritual life in the hearts of his people as they scatter to the ends of the earth. Human authorities make their plans, including hostile advances against the church and Christians, but God overrules such rulers at will (e.g., 4:27-28). This book called “The Acts of the Apostles” is, at root, the story of “The Acts of God.”

· Healthy Christians and their churches are forward-moving and outward-oriented, taking the truth and love of Christ to others. That’s the “thesis” of the book (1:8), and it’s the outcome of the story as well: the Gospel is spread all the way to Rome. Spiritual healthy believers don’t circle the wagons and retreat from the world, but instead they step forward as Jesus’ witnesses—in both word and deed. They are sojourners in the “foreign land” of today’s world, not settlers.

· Honest Christian discipleship involves bearing a cross and following Jesus through trials (14:22). Notice that Paul’s in custody and on trial all the way from chapter 21 to 28. Also, he’s repeatedly targeted by would-be killers, and he’s accused over and over even though the charges against him are hollow and contrived. But in spite of this outrage, Paul doesn’t cling to his rights or moan about how unfair it is. Instead, he seizes the opportunity to probe the hearts of adversaries and author­ities, sharing his story of new life in Christ! Paul realizes (as we should too) that trials are really opportunities in disguise.

Amazing stuff, this action-packed, apathy-wrecking, joy-inspiring Book of Acts! I trust that God is feeding your faith as you study and savor his Word (Romans 10:17).

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Expository Preaching

As your pastor, I’ve been solemnly charged to “preach the word” here at Goshen Baptist Church (2 Tim 4:2). It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of this task. 2 Timothy is Paul’s last will and testament (see 4:6-8) in which he passes the leadership baton to young Pastor Timothy, and in it he under­scores the Word of God—guarding, teaching, and proclaiming it. It’s as if he uses multiple neon high­lighters and bold italics to emphasize the point: as a pastor, you have to preach God’s truth and help people understand and embrace it; if you don’t proclaim the Word of God, all is lost. Of course, this must be done in a patient, loving manner (v 2). And, of course, God’s message won’t always be welcome—some “itching ears” will long to hear a different word (4:3).

In order to strive to be faithful before the Lord in preaching, I think it’s wise to preach “expository” messages at least most of the time. By “expository” I mean sermons that start with the text—God’s Word—and have no other aim than simply to explain God’s message and urge people to obey it. That’s why we’ve been working our way through Acts all this year. Our goal has been to sit still before the Lord and let him set the agenda for the times we gather in his presence. Acts is the story of the church’s birth and global expansion by God’s hand and through his witnesses. Our aim, again, has been simply to hear God’s message and watch him in action as he forms, leads and builds his church: we want to take in and follow all that he teaches us, the whole counsel of God.

Think of it, if you were granted an audience with a king (in fact, let’s say the King of Kings), would you cut in after being introduced and say, “Your Highness, thanks for inviting me to hear you talk, but I’m really not so inter­ested in what you think. I’d rather get a little help to process the issues on my mind—you know, things that are relevant. Could you please speak to my agenda?”? No, of course not. But still, aren’t we tempted in just this way? Don’t we itch for a message that scratches just so, one (mis)uses God’s Word to cause our lives revolve around us?

Don’t get me wrong: there’s a time for topical messages focused on the issues we face today. The God-honoring way to do this is by shining the Bible’s light on those needs. (And after Acts, we’ll have a sermon series about the questions on your mind—more on that next week.) But, stepping back, our bread and butter diet is the expository preaching of God’s life-changing, hope-giving, always-relevant Word. Please pray for me, that I would expound the Scriptures faithfully!

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The Christian and the State

The presidential election is finally upon us. This is a moment when Christians need to think hard about what it means to follow Jesus here and now, in 2008. Let me offer a few key biblical perspectives:

First things first: we’re citizens of God’s kingdom, and our ultimate allegiance is to King Jesus (Rev 19:16). He’s the “Commander-in-Chief” to whom we owe supreme devotion. “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20; Heb 9:28). Under the sovereign leader­ship of God’s Spirit, we’re enroute to “a better country, a heavenly one” (Heb 11:16). Today we live as sojourners, not settlers.

And yet, during this earthly journey it’s right to obey the law of the land (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). In fact, Christians demonstrate trust in God when they affirm his delegation of authority to the state. Still, such compliance is always conditional: if pressed by human powers to dishonor or disobey our Lord, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29; 4:19) and accept the consequences as “strangers and exiles on earth” (Heb 11:13, 35-38).

Christians should expect to face opposition or even persecution. Our daily trek involves carrying a cross (Luke 9:23); in this world “you will have tribulation” (John 16:33); the world hates Jesus’ people because they (we) “are not of this world” (John 15:19; 17:14); “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12); “Woe to you when all men speak well of you” (Luke 6:26). Not that we should despair or give up on showing Jesus’ love to neighbors (1 Pet 2:12; 1 Thess 4:12; Jas 1:27): some will be receptive to our witness! In fact…

Christ says we’re “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth” (Matt 5:13-16)—and light and salt permeate their environments for good. But we can’t be salt and light while retreating from society or hiding away in Christian ghettoes. We’re taught to love our neigh­bors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-40; Luke 10:37), and acts of neighbor love are not just for their benefit in the life to come: we must seek God’s help to spread his material and spiritual blessings here and now as well (Luke 3:11; 1 John 3:17; Matt 11:28-30; John 10:10).

So let’s join in prayer for God’s guidance, even as we vote, to love our neighbors and seek their good.

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Waiting for the Morning

We live in tumultuous times. Granted, a “Bubonic Plague” isn’t wiping out half our population; obviously, things could be worse. But the convergence of escalating campaign tensions, a “once in a century credit tsunami” (Greenspan’s expression), and the other life challenges we face can discourage and depress: this is a moment when our faith in Christ is on the stand. I urge you to find time today to let the life-giving, perspective-providing Word of God in Psalm 130 (NIV) speak to your soul [brackets indicate my comments]:

1) Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; [Let your weakness, fears and afflictions prompt you to turn to God and not just to stimulate greater self-motivation; “the depths” is a place of helplessness from which we need the Lord to lift us up. Can you admit to being there?]

2) O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. [Of course, calling for mercy means confessing sin—we’re not just down or downcast because of bad stuff “out there” coming at us, but also because of our own wayward, rebellious hearts.]

3) If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4) But with you there is forgive­ness; therefore you are feared. [Notice this absolutely crucial connection—really important: awareness of God’s mercy and forgiveness does NOT lead to an attitude on our part of taking sin lightly (“You can always confess later…”), but to an attitude of deep awe and reverence: God is “feared.”]

5) I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6) My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. [Faith involves waiting—yet waiting has no meaning if all is well, if all is easy, sunny and smiley. God builds all kinds of “waiting rooms” into our lives, and he does so for our good: waiting is just what the Great Physician has ordered for us. How do you handle life in the “waiting room”?]

7) O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. 8) He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. [Notice the adjectives describing the Lord’s love and redemption: they are “unfailing” and “full.” Notice the reach of God’s redeeming love: from “all” their sins. Amidst the tsunamis of today, with our minor crises and even some major calamities, let the strong, unshakable love of God calm your soul and undergird your faith!]

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Persecuted Church in India

The persecution of Christians in India's northern province of Orissa has been gaining momentum. A recent BBC video documents some of the suffering. Christianity Today has also been tracking this upsurge of violence against the church (e.g., click here).

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body" (Hebrews 13:3, ESV). Let's remember our brothers and sisters in prayer!
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Phor Phillies Phans

The other night I watched our Phillies finish off the Dodgers and win the National League Pennant Series. But still, to find the Phillies game I had to surf through TV channels covering the final McCain-Obama debate. The truth is, I found myself wandering back and forth between the game and the debate.

So there I am, sitting in front of the tube, oscillating between heavy and light-weight matters: McCain and Obama putting forward plans to solve the economic crisis, create jobs, strengthen America’s presence in the world and so forth on one channel, and in the meantime Cole Hamels throwing smoke at L.A. batters on another. Talk of national security, civil rights and global terrorism on the one hand, and broken bats, double plays and rally caps on the other. What’s wrong with this picture?

The problem is, this jarring clash, this deep dissonance between the profound and the mundane, didn’t really bother me at first. But the more I reflect, the more odd it seems—how we get so engaged and engrossed in things which, at the end of the day, are trivial. We have to admit it, don’t we: throwing and hitting a ball around a field may be loads of fun, but it really doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things.

So what’s the appeal—why do baseball games and other inconsequential contests grab our attention the way they do? Because deep inside, as beings made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), we have a need and passion to worship Greatness and applaud the Divine Victor who reigns over all the universe. God built eternity into our hearts (Eccl 3:11); the human soul is a homing device pointing to heaven. We’re wired to admire and exalt the One who reigns supreme.

This in-built need to praise and prevail drives a lot of sports mania. And adoring fans of Hollywood stars and pop musicians play the same tune in a different key. But beneath it all is a common drive: a God-given passion for the Lord in all his glorious, sovereign supremacy. It’s this yearning that people act out and often redirect in praise of earthly heroes.

To believers, then, I say: guard your soul! Enjoy the games, but make sure your heart of hearts stays enthralled with the risen, victorious Christ! And further, be on the lookout for how sports mania may open doors for sharing your faith: maybe you’ll have opportunites to think out loud with people about all the gushing praise from Phillies Phans, and about the One truly deserving of our joyful admiration!
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Human Rights

In light of Barack Obama's strong pro-choice position, I've been wondering how he might answer this question: What arguments persuade you that the unborn are not people?

Some Obama volunteers came to our door the other day, so I asked them this question: "Have you heard him explain why he thinks the unborn are not people?" They were rather transparent: no, this question has not been addressed.

But it needs to be addressed. Because, if abortion is to be acceptable in America, where we affirm the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people--where we insist that these are inalienable rights to which all human beings are entitled--then one would need to be persuaded that the unborn are not people.

Either that, or one would have to say some people are more equal than others.

So I wonder. I wonder what Obama would say.

By the way, you might want to read the recent article from Robert P. George of Princeton University for a searching assessment of Obama's record and stance on abortion.
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Financial Storms

Money is in the news these days—and the news is not good. That makes this a key moment to be sure we’re seeing financial matters the way God sees them. Let’s ask some questions.

Where did you get the things you have? From God (1 Cor 4:7), the giver of every good gift (Jas 1:17). He gives us life and breath and everything (Acts 17:25). The ability to make money is also from the Lord (Deut 8:18).

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). Do you embrace the fact that all you have is really God’s? Even you belong to God—you were bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20). So that car of yours—it’s God’s. And your clothes: God’s. And your bank accounts and investments (shriveled as they may be) are God’s. And your electronics and books and house and ipod and vacation home and …

So if it’s all from God and belongs to God, what’s our role? We’re stewards, caretakers. Before the return of Christ, our job is to use all we have (time, talents, treasure) to serve others in ways that please the Owner—so when he comes back he finds us faithful (Luke 12:41-48). Are you using all you have to honor Christ and spread his Gospel?

Where does giving to God’s grand global cause (otherwise known as the church) fit into the scheme of things? Think about how the Macedonians set the pace for God-exalting, truly amazing giving: they were severely impoverished and yet they gave gen­erously, freely, gladly, beyond their means (beyond?!) (2 Cor 8:1-5). The point? You don’t have to be wealthy to excel in giving (Luke 21:1-4). In fact, loss of wealth may be just the medicine we need so we can give with radical generosity despite our lack. Jesus meant it when he said it’s more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). Yes, the conventional wisdom says stockpile wealth for self (Luke 12:16-21), but God’s wisdom says work to gain to give (Eph 4:28). Be on the lookout for neighbors to bless right now amidst this economic hurricane—God may use your Christ-like love to bring your lost friends into his forever-family!

How should we feel as we watch American economic power droop and our own finances fade? Be content with food and clothing (2 Tim 6:8); be content with plenty or want (Phil 4:11); be content with what you have (Heb 13:5)? Why? Because the Lord will never leave or forsake his children. God may blow away our creature comforts, but HE will not leave us. And if we have Christ, we have enough!

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Bibliolatry?

What about this idea that Bible-based evangelical Christians are really worshipping The Good Book and thus committing “bibliolatry” (i.e., making an idol of the Bible).

In keeping with the example of the Berean Bible study superstars, we need to engage in vigorous, eager, careful exam­ination of the Scriptures (the Bereans did this “daily,” and we should do the same, Acts 17:11). Receiving and proclaiming the Word of God is the way to shut down itching ears and the false teaching they crave (2 Tim 4:1-5). Flipside: failing to preach and receive the Word faithfully is a great way to unleash unsound, dangerous messages in the church. Want to mess up the body of Christ and ransack people’s souls? Then let itching ears dictate the message; preach what is popular; avoid disturbing anyone with God’s bold truth.

So does a high respect for the Bible compel Christians to commit bibliolatry? Not at all. In fact, committing bibli­olatry is a sure sign that one has not taken the Bible seriously enough. Because if you read and meditate on and truly take in the message of the Scriptures, you’ll see clearly that a zeal for truth without a love for the One who speaks ultimate truth is utterly unacceptable. The only way a professing Christian could practice bibliolatry would be by failing to really know and follow what the Bible says—and that failure would be grave indeed.

Don’t get me wrong: the risk of bibliolatry is real, and the Enemy takes a certain devious delight by infecting church people with this twisted satisfaction. If we love study, ideas and possessing know­ledge but don’t really love Jesus; if we savor facts but don’t revel in the company of Christ … that would be deadly. But don’t throw out the baby with the bath water! We’ll still love the Bible if we love Christ, and we’ll still love the Bible if we worship God alone! Because the Bible is the “place” the Lord speaks to us—it’s his voice! How could we possibly not long to hear from the One who has forgiven and adopted and loved us? How could we fail to cherish his Word—the lamp that lights our way (Psalm 119:105)?

When People Are Big...

Did you get a chance to do a little summer reading? There’s no short­age of recommended books to take to the shore—not to mention required reading for students (our kids used a lot of those hours in the van between Pennsylvania and Minnesota to make head­way in their books for school). In recent weeks I read Ed Welch’s book, When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codepend­ency, and the Fear of Man.

Welch argues that the “fear of man” is seen every­where: in peer pressure, over-commitment, emphasizing self-esteem, being easily embarrassed, second-guessing decisions you make, lying, blaming, manipulating, feeling like martyrs, avoiding people, excessive dieting and preoccupation with body image, anger, over­achievement, jealousy, and more! The fear of man is simply part of the fabric of our human existence—we all struggle with it.

The key problem with allowing the fear of man to loom large is that it eliminates the fear of the Lord—the rightful, reverent, joyful sense of awe and admiration we ought to feel toward God. By con­trast, when we as believers learn to rivet our attention on our magnifi­cent Lord, we begin to break loose from the desperate need for human applause. Without putting it in so many words, Welch is really asking who is the Lord of your life—whom do you revere, whose approval matters to you most, who is in charge of your life?

The task God sets before us is to need people less but love them more. “Only people-lovers are not controlled by other people” (p. 41). But people are our idol of choice. Ironically, when we use people to satisfy our own desires and ambitions, it leaves us enslaved to them. But loving others in a self-forgetting way sets us free to be a blessing, and to help them, like us, look up with wonder into the face of God.

As we launch into the fall together, let’s echo Paul’s God-centered wisdom in 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 by speaking and acting in all we do not for human applause but to please God who tests our hearts. Let’s commit together to lead lives of reverence and awe toward God, seeking to magnify his glory and thus defusing the fear of man.

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

In a recent message on Acts 13:44-52, verse 48 took our church family into some deep theological waters, so I decided to follow up and clarify a few things.

First, imagine an iceberg: God and his ways are, to some extent, beyond us (so too, much of an iceberg is out of view). After all, since God is the eternal, all-wise, infin­itely glorious maker and master of all things, and since we are finite, fallible, sinful creatures, we should expect the Lord and his designs to exceed our grasp: how could it be otherwise? Still, the iceberg is no excuse for failing to study Scripture vigorously and thus love the Lord with our minds (Matt 22:37). But it’s just a fact: we don’t and won’t comprehend all God’s ways.

Acts 13:48 says about Gentiles at Antioch, “and all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (NIV). All the standard English translations render the verse much the same (some say “ordained” or “destined”). I noted that the Greek verb behind “were appointed” is passive—that means the subject is acted upon by another. So those “appointed for eternal life” were recipi­ents of the impact of that deed; God’s action, not theirs, is in view.

Also, I noted that the Greek verb is in the perfect tense (that means it conveys past action that has present effects). In 13:48, then, the appoint­ing precedes the believing. Thus we can’t construe the act of appointing / ordaining by God as something done after the fact in response to human initiative. The text weighs against this view. The Lord is pictured as the initiator.

Widening our Bible study lens a bit, we recall how Christ’s adver­saries “… did what your [God’s] power and will had decided beforehand should happen” (4:28). And looking ahead, in 16:14 we’ll see how “The Lord opened her [Lydia’s] heart to respond to Paul's message.” Our sermons in Ephesians put a spotlight on 1:4-5, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”

At the same time, as I mentioned last Sunday, Acts 13 and the rest of the Bible treat human will and choice seriously. God’s initiative in salvation does not undermine human responsibility. In Acts 13:46 Paul confronts obstinate listeners—they were judging themselves unworthy of eternal life (note: Paul does not say they were simply non-elect and so their choices don’t matter). Or looking ahead, in 14:1-2, Paul and Barnabas speak “effectively” in Iconium (their witness matters), and many believe. Others refuse to believe, and the text does not say this is because they’re just robots programmed to reject Christ. Unbelievers are accountable for refusing the Gospel. Stepping back, Paul pours his heart and soul into mission, knowing that it matters that people hear and respond to the Gospel (cf. Acts 11:14). In other words, he does not take God’s initiative in salvation as a reason to stay home and put his feet up.

Here are a few other Bible passages that speak to these issues:

Human choice and will, necessity of a personal response to God…
· Deut 30:19 (now choose life, so that you and your children may live)
· Josh 24:15 (choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve)
· Matt 11:28 (come to me … and I will give you rest)
· Mark 1:15 (repent and believe the good news)
· Acts 2:38 (repent and be baptized, every one of you)
· Acts 16:31 (believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved)
· Rom 10:9 (if you confess and believe, you will be saved)
· And so, too, countless other commands of Scripture

Divine initiative and intervention to save, human inability…
· John 1:13 (new birth not based on human will but God’s working)
· John 6:44, 65 (no one comes to Jesus unless drawn by the Father)
· John 10:26 (you don’t believe because you’re not of my sheep)
· Rom 8:29-30 (God predestined those whom he foreknew)
· Rom 9:16 (what ultimately matters is God’s mercy, not human will)
· 2 Cor 4:4-6 (unbelievers are blind to the light of the gospel)
· Eph 2:1-10 (vv 1, 5 dead in sin; v 8 salvation thru faith a gift)
· 2 Tim 2:25 (God may grant that non-believers repent)

How do these two groups of texts fit together? There is mystery here. But that is no reason to dismiss either of these major biblical themes.

What do we do with the Bible’s portrayal of divine saving intervention? Embrace it—the Bible teaches it. And more, celebrate the fact that God is able to break into rebellious souls and breathe life into spiritually dead hearts: this gives us hope in outreach and boldness for prayer.
And what do we do with the biblical doctrine of human will and choice? Embrace it—the Bible teaches it. And more, trumpet the call to turn to God and obey his Word, and encourage each other to be faithful to the Lord in this life’s venture, choosing wisely, stepping out in faith, as we follow Christ!

Remember, my job, as a pastor, is to preach and teach in a way that conveys “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), not dodging the tough issues. We must look these texts and topics in the eye, even if they’re controversial.

Maybe all this is confusing or unsettling for you. Or maybe it’s just uncharted territory in your experience. Believers through the centuries have wrestled tenaciously with these texts and themes—it’s not easy, that’s for sure. But be assured that the Lord will guide us as we attend carefully and humbly to the study of his Word. And be assured that our Lord, who is all-wise and perfectly holy and completely good, sees how all truth coheres: he can be trusted with these things.

Itching Ears

As the shadow of his martyrdom looms ahead, Paul the Apostle warns young Pastor Timothy: “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Itching ears...

In a recent meeting with a study group, we read 2 Timothy 4:1-8 and asked, “What do our ears itch to hear?” We had a wide-ranging and sobering discussion that helped reveal our deep vulnerability to messages that “scratch where we itch.” Our ears long for:

FLATTERY. We want people to make much of us. Our ego yearns to be fed and pampered. Pride makes us susceptible to self-exalting, human-centered messages. We want to feel special and heroic and beautiful and important… And yet, this itch results in ignoring or forgetting about God—very dangerous!

ENTERTAINMENT. We long to be wowed, amazed, impressed; we want that “ooh-and-aah” and the emotional impact from top talent and great performers. There is a certain vicarious “high” we get from being in the audience of great entertainers. The problem is that many facets of the Bible’s message are not entertaining. Do we filter those out?

SILENCE ON SIN. We want to dodge the blunt confrontations of Scripture that shed light on our wickedness and rebellion against the Lord. Our devious hearts long to hear messages that make our sin seem small and our righteousness appear large. Warm-fuzzies scratch where we itch, but penetrating spiritual surgery with the ruthless-yet-redeeming Word of God’s love scares us.

GOSSIP. We want to hear how others have messed up—how foolish or careless or nasty or hypocritical or ignorant or geeky or ugly or incompetent those around us are. Them—not us (of course). Gossip’s twisted satisfaction takes joy in other’s flaws and failures—we get a warped ego boost from the feeling of superiority gossip generates.

Churches need to be on guard. The pressure on pastors to deliver messages that "scratch where people itch" is strong! Lay leaders need to stand with their pastors to call for and support faithful, balanced, honest biblical teaching and preaching. And we must all have the courage to deliver the truth without doctoring it or maneuvering it to please human listeners.

For this cause we need the Lord's help! Join me in praying that our desire in the church would be for God’s Word (4:2), and that this longing would overpower the itch for sinful messages. Pray as well that we’d embrace the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and not just favorite verses. Pray for “ears to hear” God’s truth!

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is an exciting yet very difficult topic. Difficult because the word “king­dom” has all kinds of distracting con­no­tations for us. First, we tend to think in spatial terms when we hear the word—a kingdom is a place, a territory. Second, the vast majority of today’s kings and queens are relatively impotent. By contrast, the New Testament envisions "kingdom" as dynamic, active kingship; it means the reign of God, the Lord in saving action. And further, the Bible’s conception of kingship involves serious authority (unlike that of figurehead royalty in many modern monarchies): if the king commands it, it is done. Period.

Yet it’s exciting, even exhilarating, when we realize God’s kingship is dynamic and powerful. When Jesus announces in Mark 1:15, “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news,” it means he’s taking over and we’re invited to join in his bold, life-changing, victorious cause! Caesar can haul out all the spears and chariots he wants to, but the King of Kings is launching a greater, deeper, bigger revolution to transform people’s lives from the inside out. As they say in Narnia, “Aslan is on the move.”

But remember, Jesus also teaches us to pray, “Thy kingdom come” (Matt 6:10). Even though God’s reign is dawning, the fullness of his royal power is restrained until the Last Day. God’s reign is “now but not yet”; the end of times has been inaugurated in Jesus’ first coming, but it will only be consummated with his second coming.

It’s like we live between D-Day and VE-Day: the decisive blow has been dealt to the Enemy and the outcome of the war is now clear (in WWII it became clear after D-Day that the Allies would win; in spiritual terms, the death and resurrec­tion of Christ confirmed ultimate victory). But battles rage on, and in this age the Enemy fights us fiercely—all the more so as he realizes, with fury, that his doom is sure.

So let’s join together, fighting with weapons of love, resting in our solid hope, and seeking the fullness of God’s reign by going about his business for our times to make disciples among all peoples (see Matt 24:14; 28:18-20; 2 Peter 3:8-9), in the joy and for the glory of the Lord!

Lukewarm

Revelation 3:14-22 presents a chilling account of a church languishing in smug self-satisfaction, a congregation that finds its security in material resources rather than in the Maker of all things, and a church oblivious to its own spiritual poverty. As the text was read, I was struck with sadness at this decline into comfortable, status quo spirituality—how pathetic. And yet I had to admit that this safe-nice-easy-comfy, man-centered “faith” has its insidious appeal to my sinful heart: I saw myself in the mirror of God’s Word. How about you?

Jesus rebukes the Laodicea congregation for its lack of conviction, commitment, and spiritual passion. They’re lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—and this makes the Lord want to spit them out of his mouth (3:16). Such a jarring declaration needs to get our attention: if we allow earthly comforts and material security to have our hearts, the Lord will be repulsed by us. How dreadful!

And yet, grace prevails: Christ still knocks at the door of compla­cent, compromised churches. He could say, “Fine, you want to cozy up with your portfolio, you want to demand that I show my goodness by making your life comfy and cushy, you want to sing the praises of prosperity—fine. Go ahead. Away with you!!” But he doesn’t banish us from his presence—that’s the wonder of grace! He still knocks. Will we open the door of our confused souls and let Christ in? Will we humble ourselves, recognize our spiritual nakedness (3:17), and receive the Lord’s rebuke? Remember, Jesus says, “Those whom I love I reprove” (3:19).

Scattered Church

Right now I'm preaching through the Book of Acts, and I've been noticing again and again the radical-yet-humble discipleship of my brothers and sisters in Christ from the early church.

A couple weeks ago, when preaching on Stephen, I was startled at how he prayed WHILE being stoned (7:59). Not that I hadn’t seen that fact before, but I guess it just dawned on me in new ways--that is, what caliber of faith it takes to pray while you’re dodging rocks (or did he dodge?). And to pray for those who're throwing the rocks and aiming at your head—“don’t hold this sin against them.”

And then this week, in the beginning of Acts 8, I was taken aback at how the believers in Jerusalem handled it when they got run out of town in the backlash after the murder of Stephen—and these were new believers, so one might expect that they wouldn't be ready for such a harsh, brutal test of faith. But the text says they went into Judea and Samaria and “everywhere” NOT telling how God had let them down but “preaching the word.” This too isn't new to me, but it struck me afresh: imagine some family with their belongings in a cart, maybe a few animals, rolling into Bethel or Sychar looking for lodging, and spreading to strangers the news of God’s great love and the wonder of having Christ as their peace (etc.). Maybe they were challenged by a skeptic, “If your God is so great, how come he let you lose your home?” But the implication of the text is that these young Christians found the benefits of peace and hope in Christ far greater than the comforts of a secure lifestyle back in Jerusalem.

These kinds of examples of real-life Christianity are both exciting and sobering at the same time. Makes me look in the mirror and ask how I respond when my faith is under pressure.

God-Centered Prayer

The exhilarating prayer in Acts 4:24-30 reveals a biblical pattern we need to see and embrace: attention is focused on God and not on our needs. As a result, it includes much more than petitions. The prayer begins with praise and wonder at God’s creation and reign over all things before calling out for divine aid.

This is not because life was a breeze and the church felt no urgent need for God’s help. In fact, the believers had just come under fire from the temple authorities (4:18, 21), and Peter and John had been arrested and put on trial (4:3, 7): the high priest and Jewish council, who enforced the law, had just cracked down on the church: “Stop speak­ing out about Jesus, or else!” they threatened.

So it’s in spite of ominous developments that the early church goes to prayer in a self-forgetting, God-focused, God-exalting way; it's not because all is rosy. So too Nehemiah 1:4-11: the walls of Jerusalem are in shambles, but praise and confession lead the way before Nehemiah requests aid. And in 1 Chronicles 29:10-19—this time requests are preceded by extended praise and recollection of God’s past provision. Similarly in Isaiah 37:16-20, where Hezekiah cries out in praise to the Sovereign One before making his desperate plea for deliverance. So too in Daniel 9:3-19, with praise, confession and giving credit to God for forgiveness leading the way. Plus the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be thy name” comes before “Give us this day…”

Why build a prayer life that goes beyond mere requests? Because God is honored and our faith is bolstered when we look at the Lord and not in the mirror. By contrast, when prayer is nothing more than requests, self grows large and God appears small in the eyes of your soul. And that, of course, is spiritually catastrophic.

Yes, there’s a time for “foxhole” prayer—simply to cry out, “Help me, help us!” But our day-in-day-out pattern should reflect the balanced, biblical design. This goes for your personal life of prayer and for our corporate practice. Let's join together in the glorious, humbling, joy-bringing venture of God-centered prayer!

The City That Never Sleeps

A few weeks ago Cheryl and I visited New York City for the first time in many years. The sights, sounds and smells, along with the teeming throng of humanity flooding the streets of Manhattan, registered in my brain, “Warning: sensory overload!” Here are a few things I noticed:

Since my last visit to NYC, billboard-mania has spread like a virus from Times Square proper to a huge swathe of Midtown. The ad companies are competing fiercely to produce the biggest, brightest, flashiest signs on the planet—all, of course, to stimulate commer­cial activity (i.e., to get at your pocketbook). The bustle of tourist busses and taxicabs under the neon lights made me think of John Bunyan’s “Vanity Fair” in Pilgrim’s Progress. And yet, I had to admit that, despite all my cynicism, this shrine to commerce and fashion and stardom tugged at my heart. And I could imagine how people end up living for fleeting, God-neglecting, yet oddly appealing rewards of wealth, pleasure and fame.

We also steered away from the glitzy storefronts and “huddled masses” for a long walk in Central Park (one goal of which was to identify sites from certain scenes in the movie, “Enchanted”). This was a highlight—except for the blisters my feet acquired. It felt like an oasis fenced off from the pressures of the world by the wall of tall buildings on all sides. A huge patch of green on a concrete island, it struck me how Central Park is an image of the church: the fellowship of God’s people who love and encourage each other form a “place” of refreshment and a focal point of striking, counter-cultural love and unity here in our fractured, frenzied world (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23).

Of course, we wanted to visit Ground Zero. A tour of St. Paul’s Chapel (across Church Street from the WTC site) was sobering—the pictures of 9/11 chaos, badges of countless rescue workers from all over the world, photos of loved ones lost that day… The mood in that sanctuary was very different from Times Square. Suddenly all the great prizes of consumerism were irrelevant, and all the perks of fame and fortune vanished: lives were lost on 9/11—lives of Wall Street executives and minimum wage workers, the old and the young, men, women and children, people a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds. In an odd way, the Lord used Ground Zero to help me get the big picture in perspective: we’re “just passing through” this life (Hebrews 11:13-16), and what matters most is knowing Christ and making him known!

Awakening

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

God “is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25).

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins… But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5).

Meaningful, lasting change in human lives comes about as a result of God’s action. Our job is to trust and obey, looking to the Lord for the impact of his great soul-saving, life-sanctifying work.

Waves of such glorious, gracious movings of the Spirit have come many times in history. Acts gives a grand example of this. Jesus sends the Spirit to launch the disciples into the world as witnesses (1:8), triggering a great spiritual awakening with miracles and the conversion of thousands (2:1-4, 41), and leading to a profoundly new, deep, and unified community life for the newborn church (2:42-47). Opposing forces arise to try and impede the Spirit-filled, loving, truth-telling church, but in the end they only accomplish what God intends to do through them (4:27-28)!

Here’s the big question for my church and your church: are we ready and eager for the hand of God to move powerfully among us? Are we joining in urgent prayer to plead for revival—spiritual awakening—that brings growth in holiness and conversion of the lost? Or do we prefer the status quo?

"Consider the Flowers"

This week I paid a visit to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The word of the day was, “Wow.” There was the rainbow patchwork of tulips and daffodils of every hue in the Idea Garden. And a sea of snap­dragons, pansies, yet more tulips, and all manner of exotic species along the Flower Garden Walk. And magnolia trees and apple blossoms and, and… And then there was the Conservatory.

Oh my, the display of God’s creative ingenuity in the plants and flowers from all over the world that we see in the Conservatory! Most stunning to me, this time, was the Orchid House. The aroma and colors and shapes of the incredible variety of orchids—words do not suffice. In fact, I ran into a complete stranger when I first entered the Orchid House, and we both just said, “Wow.” (I've posted a few photos from Longwood.)

Three things strike me in all of this. First, it’s so true that God “speaks” through crea­tion. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps 19:1); the skies are a canvas for “macro-beauty.” But “micro-beauty” in a flower’s intricate folds also speaks for the Lord—it’s all part of God’s display of his power and creative genius in “the things that have been made” (Rom 1:20). Stars, mountains, butterflies, clouds, flowers—all creation points to its Creator, our glorious, loving God! And remember, deep down, your neighbor knows this—it’s imprinted on every human heart.

Second, praise cannot be contained. When you’re truly moved, awed, amazed (etc.), your heart sends signals to your mouth to speak up. And you speak up because you want to; there’s a joy inside that must get out, and as it’s expressed, that joy itself is enlarged. Praise naturally expands, both within us and beyond us.

Third, even though the flowers are all dressed up in breathtaking beauty, Jesus asks us, “Won’t God, all the more, clothe you?” (Matt 6:30). The magnolia petals made a pink blanket beneath the tree, yet in no time they’ll disappear—here today, gone tomorrow. But you were designed for eternity, and to rest in the loving, strong arms of the Father even now. Be at peace in his love!

Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the hinge on which history turns. It’s the pivotal event of all time.

From heaven’s perspective, Christ’s move­ment from “death on a cross” to his being “exalted to the highest place” (Philippians 2:8-9) is precisely the resurrection: in it the Son of God was catapulted from lowest humiliation to high­est honor. Makes me imagine that perhaps, in the same way the angels cheer each time someone comes to faith in Christ (Luke 15:7, 10), so too all the angelic hosts bowed in riveted wonder and shouted with explosive praise at the sight of God’s grand victory that first Easter Sunday!

From the human vantage point, it’s also clear that the resurrection is the main event of history and the ground of Christian life and hope. 1 Corinthians 15 emphasizes the historical certainty of the Jesus’ bodily resurrection. Among other things, Paul points out how the risen Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at once (15:6—Acts 1:3 says these appearances took place over a period of forty days). So it didn’t happen “in a corner” (Acts 26:26).

Paul goes on to stake the validity of Christian faith on the fact of Jesus’ resur­rec­tion: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor 15:17-20—“fallen asleep” is a euphemism for “died”).

So Jesus’ resurrection is everything; without it, Christianity implodes and Christians are nothing but pitiful. Of course, Paul can’t stop there: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” And what’s more, that event is the “first-fruits,” the early ear of grain, giving proof that a huge resurrection-harvest is sure to come: his resurrection gives solid hope that we, who trust in Christ for eternal life, are not still in our sins but are forgiven and adopted into God’s forever family! Have you embraced Jesus and do you have the hope of resurrection?

Review of "Blue Like Jazz"

I was slow getting around to reading Donald Miller’s wildly popular book, Blue Like Jazz, which was published in 2003. But I’m glad I finally got to it. There’s a lot to like in this meandering memoir from an earnest, honest, humble young Christ-follower.

Miller is a great story teller, and since the book is more or less a string of stories about formative events in his adventure from childhood to young adulthood, it’s a great read—the kind of book you get lost in, that you can’t put down. And as we follow Donald Miller through various life-stages, he introduces us to wonderfully colorful characters.

And the characters in his narrative are not idealized—no air-brush touch-up for them, no dodging their eccentricities or weaknesses. The same is true, and abundantly so, with Miller’s portrayal of himself: he’s not afraid to bring out the odd or undesirable or broken or warped aspects of who he is; openness and humility run rampant in these pages.

This humility is disarming. Honest readers can relate to many of the insecure thoughts and fear-driven actions transparently set forth in Blue Like Jazz. If you imagine reading an authoritative treatise by a highly respected expert in some field of study who sets out his or her own insights and achievements as definitive knowledge, then you can imagine a work that is utterly different from this one. Miller presents himself as a stumbling, mixed up, ordinary guy who slowly and at times even reluctantly falls into wisdom and grace. That humble style helps the reader—particularly the anti-traditional and anti-authoritarian reader caught up in the value system of postmodernism—to enter Miller’s world and learn from him.

And to be sure, there’s much he wants to teach (don’t mistake his bumbling manner for the lack of an agenda). One attitude he vigorously opposes is the notion that Christians ought to have all their stuff together and thus shouldn’t to be struggling with various unhealthy or sinful attitudes, practices, habits, etc. By witnessing Miller’s various foibles and fumbles, one is freed up to confess his or her own sins—I saw myself in the mirror of his stories many times: insecure me, judgmental me, self-absorbed me… That’s the core problem the book confronts: ME; self-absorbed living.

As I reflect further on the “message” Miller conveys, however, I have some concerns. For one, there’s an unnecessary and false dichotomy between heart and mind. Traditional Christianity is presented as being about facts and data and head-knowledge, whereas the breakthrough into a vibrant faith for Donald Miller is focused on the heart. This is portrayed in ways that slide into an unhealthy either/or: the traditional church is about the mind, but the liberating Jesus meets you through the heart.

So you end up with head versus heart, light versus heat. Of course, it’s never stated so bluntly (that would violate Miller’s humble-yet-penetrating style), but in the end, heart wins and head loses; passion wins and reason loses; love wins and truth loses. One could wish that Miller would take to heart the vital insights of Christian spiritual writers who have seen the beautiful union of head and heart—for example, Jonathan Edwards, who expressed so well the interplay of “heat” and “light” within Christian spirituality.

In keeping with his leaning away from fact-centered religion, Miller suggests that belief in Jesus is not rational; the desire to make sense of God is mistaken. “He will make no more sense to me than I will make to an ant” (p. 54). Of course, there is a measure of wisdom here. And yet, Miller doesn’t grapple with the fact that God can make good sense to us even though we cannot comprehend God exhaustively.

Miller’s inclination to be provocative becomes a weakness—this approach gets predictable and even wearying. How cool is it that he has a beer or smokes or uses “cuss words”? Now I don’t care to make a big deal of these practices, and I sure don’t want to fall into the externalism and legalism that drive so much “Christian” opposition to these practices. And I can appreciate his resistance to forms of church life in which people are loved only if they measure up, only if they meet certain conditions: point well taken. But the endless jabbing at tradition gets tiring, and it’s just not helpful.

Along somewhat similar lines, Miller begins the book by telling how, when he was young, his father left home—abandoned the family. For this reason, he had a hard time with the concept of God as “Father.” I can understand and appreciate the point so far. But then he goes on to say, “Today I wonder why it is God refers to Himself as ‘Father’ at all” (p. 4). Today? It’s one thing to say your experience made it hard to resonate with the fatherhood of God. It’s another to suggest that God and the Bible more or less blew it by bringing in the father metaphor, and to neglect to probe this language for its positive, God-intended value. This is a case in point of being provocative (is it just for effect?) and pushing an idea too hard—pushing it into exaggeration and thus creating rather than solving problems.

So, as it turns out, I don’t offer a very enthusiastic recommendation for Blue Like Jazz. The book is interesting and even fascinating; at times it’s also aggravating and begs to be thrown across the room. In that Miller makes you think and prompts readers to search their hearts, the book has real value. In addition, Christian leaders may well want to read Blue Like Jazz because it illustrates how the traditional church is seen from one believer’s postmodern angle. But, in the end, the book’s imbalances, exaggerations, and provocative barbs overshadow its positive features.

There Has To Be More Than This

Super Bowl XLII is next week, and, having come from the Mid­west, I have to admit I’m still in shock that the NY Giants came onto Green Bay’s frigid arctic tundra last Sunday and beat the Packers. So it’s Patriots vs. Giants, Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning. Should be a great game!

Tom Brady is in the midst of a ten-year, 60-million-dollar contract to win it all for New England. And he’s good at what he does. In fact, he quarterbacks the only NFL team ever to win 18 games in a season, surpassing the 17-0 Dolphins of 1972. Quite a success story. And yet, consider these comments from a recent 60 Minutes interview with Tom Brady:

His all-American image took a hit last year, when actress Bridget Moynihan, his longtime girlfriend, announced she was preg­nant with Brady’s son shortly after the couple broke up. Brady supports the child but is now dating a Brazilian supermodel.

He asks, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can't be what it’s all cracked up to be.”

What's the answer? “I wish I knew. I wish I knew,” says Brady. “I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.”

All of us armchair quarterbacks, and anyone who wants to make it big—get rich and famous—would do well to listen to Brady’s remarkably frank admission how he got to the top, became the best of the best, and in the end found it unsatisfying. Why is that? Because he was made for a kind of joy and thrill so much more grand than any athletic success or bank balance can bring. He was, and you were also, made for the incalculable soul-satisfaction of praising, thanking, and trusting in the Lord God, celebrating his forgiving love poured out in Christ. Pray that Tom Brady finds the One he’s searching for!

The Luong Children

News surfaced the other day that the body of two-year-old Hannah Luong had been recovered in Louisiana 120 miles downstream from the Alabama bridge where she was thrown to her death on January 8. The bodies of her siblings, Ryan, Lindsey and Danny, had already been found washed ashore in Alabama and Mississippi—they had died in the same dreadful, unfathomable way: their father had flung them into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway as an act of revenge against his wife.

So the bodies have been found, and this sad episode can now drift off into oblivion as other breaking news stories take center stage. I figured, then, it was time to toss the copies of articles about the Luong children I had printed, but when I went to the recycle bin I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t throw away the memory of these four small children; it just seemed wrong to erase their lives from my attention. So I kept these sad reports of young lives and stunning madness.

A human life is a human life—by which I mean each person is a creation of the Living God, fashioned by the divine hand and formed in the very image of the Lord (Ps 139:13; Gen 1:27). Even if the pace of emerging news is fast and furious, and even if the Luong children are now but a distant memory from the front page, their lives remain in front of us. In Dostoyevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment, the reader is confronted with the weighty truth that a human life is a thing of substance and meaning and eternal significance, and it cannot just be snuffed out and obliterated. People made in God’s image are larger than this life, larger than death.

The tragic demise of the four Luong children can help us look up from crazy-busy lives and consider the pain and chaos in so many lives around us. No doubt, for every high-profile news story of unspeakable crimes, there are scores of children sobbing into their pillow at night, scores of husbands and wives not talking to each other, scores of addicts with lifestyles spinning out of control. These less newsworthy stories of quiet desperation are a fact of life, and if the sorrowful Luong saga can help awaken us to the existence of broken homes and domestic pain all around us, there can be a benefit in that.

As a follower of Christ, I can gain by allowing grievous events to really sink into my thick head and dull heart; I can let them stimulate me to pray for my neighbors and reach out in love, in Christ’s love, to show that someone cares. Who knows when our simple acts of concern for people on our pathway will break through, by the touch of God, and prevent a life made by and loved by the Lord from turning down a dark and hopeless path? Ask the Lord to take evil, even this brazen and heinous sin, and turn it for good in the larger work of his kingdom (Gen 50:20).