The Tiger Woods Drama

Of all the adjectives used to describe the Tiger Woods mess, maybe the most apt is simply “sad.” Sad all around—for Tiger and Elin and their children, for their families and friends and his fans. For everyone.

But notice what the media isn’t saying. They’re not claiming it really doesn’t matter if married men fool around. They’re not saying Tiger’s reputation has to do entirely with his golf skills while his “personal life” is no one else’s business. They’re not suggesting we’ll all still cheer at his fist-pumping victories and buy Nike and Buick (etc.) just the same.

In fact, today’s media is oozing with morality: we as a people know—deep down we know this—that those who cheat on their spouses commit a grave offense. It’s not a question open for debate; no one’s out there arguing Tiger should really just feel free to set up a harem. The subtext of this whole frenzy is our world’s blaring cry that marriage matters, fidelity to your wife matters; wedding vows are profound and breaking them is dead wrong. Period.

How do people know this? Because God built us to respect his design for marriage: “What God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matt 19:6). He’s wired people to know that the marriage covenant is sacred. If you’re married, you and your beloved both said “I do.” But it wasn’t the two of you who formed the union, nor was it the minister who officiated. “What GOD has joined together…” At a deep level, people know this.

So on this gray day of dismay and disillusionment in which a “hero” has fallen (more accurately: when we’ve found out a hero had fallen), don’t miss the cloud’s silver lining: God’s image within us shines through!

Allow me to caution followers of Christ about how to respond to this debacle. 1) Don’t hate Tiger for his perverse hypocrisy—hate isn’t Jesus’ way (Matt 5:43-44). 2) Don’t congratulate yourself because you’ve done better (read Matt 5:27-30 and Luke 18:9-14). 3) Don’t say “Boys will be boys” and shrug it all off (but then again, above we’ve noted that we just can’t bring ourselves to do this). 4) Don’t say you can’t believe he was so stupid (Satan is very devious and he deftly lures otherwise intelligent people into sin and its misery; resisting sin isn’t just about brains).

Instead: 1) PRAY for Tiger and his family—to meet Christ, find mercy, and get a life! 2) Realize your vulnerability (“There but for the grace of God go I”; and see 1 John 1:8; James 4:7-8). 3) Make sure you’ve got Christian support and consistent accountability to help you say no to Satan’s seductive lies. 4) "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (Eph 6:11).

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God's Work for His People

Isaiah 64:4 teaches us that God “works for those who wait for him.” The wrong way to understand this phrase is to envision God as our employee. We have accepted his application to come serve our cause and advance our purposes. He is our subordinate who scurries around and answers to us. We assess his performance and review his effec­tiveness in the role of worker: does he measure up, do we keep him on the payroll? We determine whether he deserves praise and reward for his on-the-job achievements.

The right way to interpret this expression is to realize that God is the one who has infinite power, skill and wisdom, and he is prepared to apply his efforts for our good. We lack the necessary strength and discernment to run our own lives (or others’ lives), or even to survive in the end. All we are capable of doing, in com­parison to the grand competence of God, is to “wait” for him—to give up our efforts, throw up our hands, recognize our weakness, and cast our lives upon his all-sufficient, gracious care.

So God works for us not as an employee we order around, but as our Great Physician: he examines our souls, diagnoses the terminal disease of pervasive sin, and prescribes treatment through the gift of cleansing of our sin stains (Isa 1:18) and justification by taking our guilt upon himself (2 Cor 5:21). In fact, the omniscient Doctor acts with such brilliant ingenuity that he orchestrates all of life’s circumstances for the good of his people (Rom 8:28—of course, he does this in his time and in his way).

Back to Isaiah 64:4. Who has ever heard of such a God—one “who works for those who wait for him”? It’s unprecedented. The gods of Isaiah’s peers and of many worshippers today (i.e., “gods” like wealth or beauty or power, or any other notions of deity that contradict Scripture) expect people to work for them; devotees are to serve and strive to get gain from their gods. But the true God demands that we NOT work, and instead wait for him: rest, trust, depend. Humble faith honors our all-sufficient Lord. We don’t approach him with gifts in hand to help his cause: we come with empty hands. “Waiting” is his gift to you this Christmas.

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God's Amazing Creation!

The fall colors have reminded me afresh this year of God's wonderfully wild imagination (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). What a lavish exhibition of creativity! Take these translucent Red Oak leaves for example (click photo for larger image)...

"Going to church"

When people imagine “going to church,” many think of gathering with others as observers. They see musicians and teachers, witness a presentation, hear a sermon or reading or song—they observe and receive. When these things take place, people are mostly passive, and they fall into an audience mindset—that is, they become spectators.

This tendency runs deep in our contemporary American psyche: we’re very “at home” being spectators. And further, we expect to be well entertained, bolting quickly if our wishes aren’t met. With TV, we switch channels in a flash if we lose interest. With the internet, we surf hastily from one link to another. With movies and music books and the news, same thing: if it doesn’t “hit the spot,” away with it! Even conscientious believers who desperately want to resist the entertainment mindset when it comes to church life find its lure to be powerful and its presence pervasive—and insidious.

Allow me to propose an entirely different vision of what it means to be the church: God’s people are a team. We’re like a football team on which every player makes a key contribution. Each member has a unique role that’s essential in the pursuit of victory. A sure win can be blown by one distracted kicker or one careless cornerback. As active participants rather than passive spectators, all players make vital contributions. By contrast, a player who just wants to sit back, drink Gatorade, and watch the game is a player soon sent to the locker room. Here’s the point: the people of any given local church are a team, and the “players” come together as active participant worshippers - greeters - counselors - teachers - helpers (etc.).

The “team” mindset is right because it’s like the body analogy: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Cor 12:27). Think anatomy: who ever heard of a heart that just observes? Others body parts would object, “Get pumping or we’re done for!” Who ever imagined lungs that just sit back and watch the show? It would be catastrophic. So too, in the body of Christ we all need to work together. For the honor of Christ our Head, and for the thriving of his church fellowship, the active outworking of each believer’s gifts through prayerful caring and sharing is essential.

To be continued.

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The church is...

Lately I've been reflecting with my church family about what it really means to be the church. This seems to be necessary--and urgent--because we're so prone to take our cues for Christian community from the surrounding culture. We look at organizations, institutions, clubs, interest groups, etc., and we assume the church must fit in somehow. But the similarities are on the surface; at a deep level there are profound differences. Ultimately, the church is stunningly unique. Let's get a closer look.

A reporter asked people on the street what came to mind when they heard the word “church.” Answers included: prayer, irrelevant, meetings, religion, politics, good people, Jesus, cross, idols, quiet, buildings, boring, sing­ing hymns, sermons, values that don’t apply anymore, religion is responsible for conflict in the world, steeple, time consuming, for old people, rules.

There’s a fascinating mixture of truth and error in these replies. Frankly, there’s a lot of confusion in society and even among those of us who are “church goers” about what it really means to be the church of Jesus Christ. And much is at stake in how we see and portray the church in our day. Unless we’re vigilant, we will get swept up in distorted ideas along with their wrong-headed expectations. And if that happens, it’ll mean great harm to the body and to neighbors we want to love and serve.

Many people use sharp words to describe the church because they’ve had the proverbial “bad experience”: the church is “full of hypocrites,” or judgmental, or it “tries to force religion down people’s throats.” Again, despite the inflammatory exaggeration, there’s a grain of truth in such charges: some churches and some believers have been flagrantly two-faced or shrill or domineering. What’s more, all churches and all believers have, to some extent, been guilty of such faults. That’s because the church is a fellow­ship of sinners: every local congregation is made up 100% of imperfect Christians. In light of this, it’s not surprising there are those “bad experiences”—haven’t we all had a bad experience? And caused a bad experience?

The crucial thing about following Jesus together is NOT becoming perfect (that’ll have to wait for heaven), but responding to our imperfections with humility and grace. That’s the way that the Gospel can shine forth through a broken people, a fellowship of sinners—in how we forgive, how we embrace one another despite annoying traits and past disappointments, and how we love one another “warts and all.” “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

To be continued.

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Vision and Vista

So much talk in the church about "vision" has to do with practical plans and measurable goals that we can lose sight of this crucial underlying question: just what is it we lay our eyes on as we look forward? Vision as an exercise of faith-driven imagination is vital in the lives of God's people, but just what is it that authentic faith in Christ envisions? What is the object of our attention and energy and passion when Christian vision is operating?

Even though we might list many wonderful tangible outcomes which we trust the Lord to bring about (I'm thinking of everything from mended relationships to ministry funding to new ventures launched to people getting saved), the main vista the Bible calls us to envision--the ultimate object of our heart's and mind's attention--is the Lord God himself. We need to see God! And in fact, to go further, if the soul is not drawn to and moved by "gazing upon the Lord," all other tangible outcomes of vision setting will be hollow. The vertical must be alive and well, or the horizontal will lack life and eventually fizzle.

Hear the Word of God summoning his people to look up into his glorious face:

“I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy” (Ps 123:1-2).

“Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” (Isa 40:9).

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:1-2).

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Ps 27:4).

“My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare” (Ps 25:15).

“But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge…” (Ps 141:8).

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18).

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every­thing that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1-2).

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always” (Ps 105:4).

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In good times and hard times

In trying times, as in the best of times, the Lord beckons us to rely on him in every way—that is, to walk by faith. After all, he pro­vides the bounty and health and laughter we enjoy on the pleasant days, but he also brings us through the dark valleys to help us grow deep in trust and humility. What do we have that isn’t from God and isn’t maneuvered by God for our good (1 Cor 4:7; Rom 8:28)? The Lord is a loving Father who seeks what’s best for his children (Matt 7:11; Heb 12:3-11).

So when the hard times hit (is it economic tribulation, relationship demise, health decline, or something else?), be ready to cling to Christ. And likewise, when prosperous times strike, be ready to rely on the Lord and don’t let comfort become your god.

Psalm 62, from a time when David faced intense adversity, can help us in this venture of courageous faith:

• Don’t let trials distort your picture of God. The Lord remains our “rock” and “fortress” and “refuge” (vv 2, 6, 7, 8).
• Don’t lose sight of the fact that the Lord alone is the source of our ultimate deliverance and rest (v 2, 5-7).
• Determine (praying for God’s help) to “trust in Him at all times” (v 8) and not just on sunny days. Expect to face hard­ship and plan now to keep holding on to the Father’s hand.
• Don’t fall for the temptation to rely on your money or skills or work ethic or any other earthly benefit: “though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them” (v 10). Be alert here: with any degree of wealth comes an insidious lure to rely on that prosperity and take credit for it.
• Don’t lose track of the exquisite balance of love and strength within the character of God (vv 11-12). So when circum­stances are grueling, remember that the Father still loves you and still is able to weave all things together for good.

My soul finds rest in God alone;

My salvation comes from him (Psalm 62:1).

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Taking stock at summer's end

As we venture into September, here are some of this past summer’s headlines: health care reform, Ted Kennedy, Taliban, Farrah Fawcett, Afghanistan elections, suicide bombings, Swine Flu, Cash for Clunkers, District 9, cool-then-steamy weather, President Obama, Pedro Martinez, Michael Vick, Michael Jackson, release of Lockerbie bomber, American Idol, unemploy­ment, California bankrupt, Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Tour de France, Lyme Disease, Gaddafi, Susan Boyle, Tiger Woods, Transformers, Caster Semenya, Roger Federer, L. A. wildfires, Harry Potter…

My guess is that for many of us these things have been on our minds, grabbing our attention. And amidst the flurry of all such things current-immediate-relevant-newsworthy, I’d also guess that many of us have been seeking to keep God’s Word and our hope in Christ vividly before us. But it’s a battle. The battle is to keep from thinking that all those flashy headlines really matter in the end, and to guard and feed our affections for Jesus Christ.

The Enemy works hard to undermine your faith in at least two ways: by frontal assault to destroy belief in the Lord, or by a round-about attack that makes stars and trends and sports and fashion and self-image and all kinds of fleeting things appear so meaningful that Christ seems kind of like a distant shadow, like something beige. If you pour your heart’s passion into temporal pleasures (i.e., ones that don’t center on God or last eternally), you’ll ruin any appetite for ultimate joy in the Lord.

Here at the end of the summer 2009, what is it you long for? What’s your passion? What moves you? Despite all the “stuff” clamoring for your attention, I urge you to turn your mind and heart to Christ, to spend time (alone, and with loved ones) focusing on the wonder of the Lord through his Word, and to fan the flames of our sure hope in the future return of Jesus. After all, remember that he’s coming back precisely for those who eagerly await his appearing! “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb 9:28). Look to Christ!

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10 Questions

I appreciate Donald Whitney’s book, Ten Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. The chapter titles can serve as vital, probing questions to be asked of any Christ-follower (individually) or any fellowship of believers (collectively): it's a way of taking your spiritual temperature.

1. Do You Thirst for God?
2. Are You Governed Increasingly by God’s Word?
3. Are You More Loving?
4. Are You More Sensitive to God’s Presence?
5. Do You Have a Growing Concern for the Spiritual and Temporal Needs of Others?
6. Do You Delight in the Bride of Christ?
7. Are the Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life Increasingly Important to You?
8. Do You Still Grieve Over Sin?
9. Are You a Quicker Forgiver?
10. Do You Yearn for Heaven and to Be With Jesus?

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Inerrancy through the ages

Don Carson gives a 5-minute explanation of the fact that the "inerrancy" of the Bible has been affirmed by believers through all the seasons of church history--it's not some innovation of the 20th century or a marginal belief that can be brushed aside.

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What is church?

Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck have written an important book, Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. See their promo video on YouTube. They finish by saying, "Jesus loves the church. We think you should too."

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Yearning

C. S. Lewis said,

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

(quoted in John Piper, The Dangerous Duty of Delight, p. 8).

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Soul Food

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, ESV).

“More to be desired are they [i.e., God’s words] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

The Word of God is a priceless gift we have in our hands: do you cherish it? Do you go to the Scriptures for soul food? Do you study and meditate, do you listen to the Lord and respond in prayer? Is the Bible sweet to you—is it treasure? There is more to the Christian life than joyfully diligent Bible study, but never less!

Satan is always at work tempting us to bypass God’s Word:

• "There’s no time for serious Bible study in my schedule"
• "I’m no scholar—it’s too hard to understand"
• "The Bible doesn’t inspire me—it’s not relevant to my life"

Satan has a lot of lies, those are just a few. And people fall for them! I hope you don’t. You make time for food, right? Skipping the Bible leads to spiritual starvation. The daily news is relevant, right? How much more pertinent to your life and eternal joy is the news of God’s greatness and grace?

The bottom line is that authentic Christianity involves trusting in Christ—we’re saved by faith (Eph 2:8-10). How is faith gener­ated and sustained? “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Reading and wrestling with the Bible is how we grow in faith; as we spend time with Jesus Christ via the pages of Scripture, the Lord arouses faith / trust / devotion in our hearts. By contrast, failing to dig deep in God’s Word and study it carefully destroys faith.

Let’s be candid: Does the Bible receive your undivided, eager attention on a regular basis, and are you involved in groups or classes that help you dig deep into the treasure of Scripture? Or are you walking away from Christ? It’s one or the other.

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Multi-Site Churches and the Future...

Jonathan Leeman offers thought-provoking reflections about where the multi-campus church trajectory may lead: click here.

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Summer Struggles

Now that we’re into the thick of summer, I encourage you to be on the lookout for certain temptations that come with the season.

For one, there’s the unspoken but pervasive pressure to let your priority on church involvement slide due to summer’s special attrac­tions: away at the shore, on vacation, gone camping, off to see relatives, going to a game, etc. Of course, it’s good to get a break—we all need it. And it’s good to keep up with loved ones living far away. But a reasonable summer break can quickly morph into a vanishing act in which your church family hardly gets a glimpse of you. Don’t shrug off the church this season; the body needs you and you need the body all year round!

Another trap along the trail has to do with summer apparel. Are you prepared to glorify the Lord by dressing with modesty and discretion? Modesty may not always be the top fashion, but if you mean business about following Jesus, then there will be more important things than conforming to trends. People who want to grow deeper in trust toward Christ find it a great relief when those around them don’t make their bodies “exhibit A.” So ask God to search your heart (Ps 139:23-24): deep down, are you trying to catch other people’s attention through your summer style? And a related question (especially for guys): are you prepared to honor the Lord this summer in the way you use your eyes—and do you realize that “just looking” isn’t just looking (Matt 5:28)? Fix the eyes of your heart on Jesus (Heb 12:2) for true satisfaction!

A third summer threat is the tidal wave that can wipe out your devotional life. Predictable schedules in other seasons encourage consistency of spiritual practices (e.g., Bible reading, prayer, fasting, meditation): we’re creatures of habit, and that has its advantages. But summer rolls in and regular patterns are thrown to the wind as we dive into so much “enrichment.” I hope you have a very refreshing summer. But don’t lose your bearings: first things first. Plan ahead and build protected “space” into your schedule (including time for the family together) so your spiritual life can flourish. You can’t afford to put spiritual life on hold for a season!

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Fame and Death

Both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett departed from this life on Thursday, June 25. Both were superstars in their own ways, and both of their stormy lives have been receiving major media attention the last few days. I’ve noticed a couple ironies amidst the whirr of all this coverage.

First of all, it’s obvious that famous people get the limelight not only in life but also death, whereas the other 99+% of humanity comes and goes from this world in relative obscurity. The media didn’t pick up on the parting of Mary Binnig, Joe Dent, or Henry Wright (other than to print their death notices in the obituary section of the Philadelphia Inquirer on 6/26/09), nor did it make much of the hundreds who’ve died in Somalia in the recent months’ unrest or of fatalities from cholera in Zimbabwe. Fame grabs our attention, pushing the unknown aside—we’re not interested in them. And yet, all people, deep down, are equally made in the image of God (Gen 1:27). All people alike are formed by God (Ps 139:13-15) with the capacity to know him and revel in his radiance forever. Jesus specialized in loving the unlovely, the outcast (e.g., Luke 5:27-32; 7:36-50; 15:1-2).

Dostoyevsky’s famous novel, Crime and Punishment, tells the chilling tale of an experiment in murder. Raskolnikov brutally kills two women—people he sees as “no account” figures, “useless” lives. But he cannot escape the reality that a life is a life and that human existence has meaning and dignity quite apart from one’s stature in society. The image of God in every person cannot be shrugged off. Eventually he can’t keep from confessing to his crimes, so heavy on his heart is the destruction of these “nobodies.”

Secondly, the way our popular culture processes death involves a couple irrational and contradictory notions. On the one hand, it’s assumed that anybody’s loved one who dies is now “up there looking down on us.” This was Jermaine Jackson’s assump­tion when he announced his bro­ther’s death. Sad stories on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” are similar—lost loved ones are always “with us” and “watch­ing us,” etc. On the other hand, in ordinary days it’s almost never taken seriously that there is a life to come that’s real and important and grand, and that this present existence is but a prelude to eternal exper­ience either in the presence of God (basking in the wonder of his glory) or in the absence of God (suffering the just punishment of unforgiven sin). It’s as if the life to come can be entirely ignored while we’re healthy and strong, and then conveniently brought out in the moment of grief— though always, of course, assuming a positive outcome.

We need to help each other avoid these errors by doing two things: keep the reality of heaven and hell in view at all times (don’t let these looming eternal facts slip off your mind’s radar screen), and take Jesus seriously that, apart from trusting in him (John 3:16; 14:6; etc.), people follow their hearts down the road to destruction (Matt 7:13-14). In other words: live now in light of eternity, and live now in a way that accepts and acts upon the sobering reality of hell.

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Look Up!

We’re all painfully aware that the mood of our day is downcast. We’ve been shaken by the collapse of trusted financial institutions and Fortune 500 corpor­ations. Slip-sliding global markets have sent us scurrying home to stuff the few dollars we have left into the mattress. And job security is a thing of the past. This propels us into a panic and guard-the-fort mode—and followers of Christ are not immune to this temptation.

And that’s exactly why we need the Lord’s gracious help to look up—look up from our dismal doubts and worst case scenarios, and look into his radiant face. Here’s the bottom line: in hard times, God is NOT honored when we sink into fear, circle the wagons, and ignore his powerful presence. Look up: “Lift up your eyes!”

“I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven” (Ps 123:1). “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing” (Isa 40:26). “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” (Isa 40:9).

So times are tough—that’s true, humanly speaking. And you need help? So do I. We all need help to avoid falling into the swamp of self-preservation; we all need help to look up and rivet our heart’s attention on the all-sufficient, all-satisfying Lord: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:1-2). “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Ps 27:4).

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Making Sense of "Church"

What is the church? Just a group of people with a common interest (like a book club or bowling team or community service agency)? The Bible’s answer is emphatic: NO. As the body of Christ, the church is a living, supernatural spiritual organism—and there is nothing else like it in the entire universe. The church is a colony of heaven; it’s a fellowship of travelers on their way home. The church is the very fullness of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), exhibit “A” of God’s wisdom to angels and demons (3:10-11), the theater of his glory (3:20-21), and the beloved, radiant bride of Christ (5:25-27).

Such a stunning, lofty vision of God’s church, however, often doesn’t make it all the way from words we acknowledge to truth that soars in our hearts. Instead, we find ourselves vulnerable to a thousand pressures to devalue and “horizontalize” the church, and so we lose sight of the mind-boggling reality of the body of Christ (it’s as though a veil falls over our eyes…) and we shape our lifestyles that make the church “just one more thing to do.” Please pray with me for deliverance from this God-dishonoring, joy-draining practice!

When we stand in awe of what the Lord has done and is doing in his church, we’ll find ourselves joyfully giving the body life and mission of GBC a strong priority. I appreciate Paul Tripp’s recent comments on what hinders the cultivat­ing of community in the American church. Here are some excerpts (from a blog post at the Desiring God site):

“…we’ve bought an unbiblical definition of the good life of success. Our kids have to be skilled at three sports and play four musical instru­ments, and our house has to be lavish by whatever standard. And all of that stuff is eating time, eating energy, eating money. And it doesn't promote community.” … “I’ve talked to a lot of families who literally think it’s a victory to have 3 or 4 meals all together with one another in a week, because they’re so busy. Well, if in that family unit they’re not experiencing community, there’s no hope of them experiencing it outside of that family unit.” … “We have families that will show up at our church on Sunday morning with the boys dressed in their little league outfits, and I know what's going to happen. They're going to leave the service early. Now what a value message to that little boy! Do I think little league is bad? I don't think it’s bad at all. I think it's great. But they’re telling him what's important as they do that.” … “You can’t fit God’s dream (if I can use that language) for his church inside the American dream and have it work. It’s a radically different lifestyle. It just won’t squeeze into the available spaces of time and energy that’s left over.”

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Picturing Heaven

How do you envision the life to come? Revelation 21-22 paints a picture of the glorious new heavens and new earth: the ultimate wedding celebration (21:2, 9); no more tears or grief or pain (21:4); we drink at the fountain of life (21:6); the New Jerusalem is radiant, massive, gleaming—and in that world there’s no night: the glory of God is its light (21:23-25).

As the Apostle John scrambles for images and metaphors to help us imagine what he saw in the definitive revelation of what’s to come (1:11, 19), it begins to dawn on us—if we’ll just be quiet and sit still and take it in—that the future world for all who eagerly await Jesus’ return (Heb 9:28) will be awesome beyond belief!

Romans 8:18 makes a similar point but from a different angle: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth com paring with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Today’s trials, even Paul’s manifold, gut-wrenching afflictions (see 2 Cor 11:23-29), are minimal-miniscule-inconsequential when compared to the glories of heaven. This is not to minimize the real pain of suffering—not at all. Rather, it’s to underscore how mind-boggling and category-demolishing are the wonders of the life to come.

Let this sink in. Think of our world’s most grave tribulations—as in Hebrews 11:35-38 (torture, scourging, stoning, being sawn in two). Think of AIDS and cholera and earthquakes and suicide bombings and serial murders… Let the sorrow and horror of these things wash over you like a great wave: yes, they’re wretched beyond words. But then remember that the degree of heaven’s splendor makes the degree of misery in such suffering seem like nothing. Do the math: if being sawn in two scores -10 on a scale of 1 to 10, heaven scores +1,000,000. That’s why Paul can call his mountain of trials a “slight momentary affliction” (2 Cor 4:17).

Are you facing pain, are your loved ones suffering? Let today’s adversity catapult your imagination God-ward—let it help you envision the joy awaiting all who love Jesus. Because today’s misery is not even worth comparing to the glories of heaven!

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