The Light of the World

Jesus said, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever be­lieves in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).  Think what this means.

It means, for one thing, that the world is a dark place.  Of course, many will object:  “How can you say we live in darkness?  We have antibiotics, smart phones, great restaurants, plasma TVs, pizza delivery, Facebook, and Lasik surgery, not to mention vast stores of knowledge through the world’s great libraries and online sources.”


But the manifestations of darkness today are widespread and deeply disturbing—like human trafficking, endemic corruption in developing countries, hoarding of wealth by many of the privileged, sectarian violence, global terrorism, greed-driven markets and businesses, exploitation of children, money laundering, treating sex like entertainment, breach of trust through family breakdown, rampant loneliness in crowded urban centers, predatory lending, disloyalty in the workplace, etc., just to name a few.  Darkness.


Join me in asking the Lord to help all of us see and celebrate the True Light this Christmas and not be caught up in all the dissatisfying glitter.


Jesus, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9).  Jesus himself says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). 


Christmas, of course, is drenched in light.  We think of shining stars and radiant angelic choirs bursting over the night sky.  But the brightest light of all shone not on the manger but from it.  The classic worship carols pick this up:  Baby Jesus is the “everlasting Light” beaming into Bethlehem’s dark streets.  “God with man is now residing; Yonder shines the infant Light.”  “Light of light descend­eth” from heaven’s noon-day glory.  We see the “Son of God, love’s pure Light.”  “Radiant beams” come from Jesus’ “holy face.”  Christ is “God of God, Light of Light.”  


And so, let's join the “Herald Angels” in praise this Christmas Day:  “Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!”  

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The Wonder of Fetal Development

Take a look at this 9-min. video and stand in awe of our Maker!

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A Wasted Life?

Check out this video featuring a challenge from John Piper and music from Lecrae:

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Penn State Scandal

The Pennsylvania State University Board of Directors took bold action yesterday, firing it's legendary football coach, Joe Paterno. Reactions are all over the place today, and there may be more firings and fallout from the whole sad saga.

I appreciate Al Mohler's challenge to Christian leaders: bottom line, any knowledge of or suspicion of abuse must be reported to law enforcement without delay.

It was not enough that Paterno, after hearing of a former assistant coach's abusive contact with a child, followed university protocol and notified the athletic director about the matter. He is gone from Penn State today because he did not also notify police.

Here's a link to Mohler's article.

See also my letter on this story to the church where I serve: click here.

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Micro-Creation

Stunning "photo-micrography" images at the Boston Globe's big picture page: click here. Look at the details of these wildly diverse minuscule creatures! The picture here is of a fly's eyes. Small world.

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The heavens declare the glory of God!

A stunning glance at God's creative handiwork:

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

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Christian friendships

St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life (trans. John K. Ryan; Image Books, 1972), p. 183:

"As to sins, we must neither occasion them nor tolerate them in our friends. It is either a weak or a sinful friendship that watches our friend perish without helping him, that sees him die of an abscess and does not dare to save his life by opening it with the lance of correction. Genuine, living friendship cannot continue in the midst of sin."

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Lost

AsiaLink has put together an excellent video to help believers in Christ understand the nature and urgency of His mission:

Lost from AsiaLink HistoryMaker on Vimeo.

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"The Gospel of..."

The word “gospel” gets used in many ways: gospel music, “gospel truth,” the four gospels, gospel message, gospel invitation, full gospel, old-time gospel. Such expressions may evoke certain feelings and moods, but a clear meaning can be hard to pin down; the term gets fuzzy.

“Gospel” translates a common Greek word in the New Testament meaning “good news.” "Good" may seem like an understatement: think of the headlines of a newspaper “extra” when WWII ended (you know, “Extra, extra, read all about it!”): “PEACE” - “War in Europe Ends” - “Japan Surrenders.”

So what news story does the Bible celebrate with big, chunky head­lines? One approach to this question is to track down the NT occurrences of phrase “gospel of.” Gospel of what? Or of whom?

Seven times it’s “the gospel of God” (based on the ESV). The headlines feature the Lord, not you or me or this fleeting life. God is the source and subject of great news.

Three times it’s “the gospel of the kingdom”—declaring God’s life-transforming reign spreading through the world.

And ten times we have “the gospel of Christ” (or “the Son” or “the Lord Jesus”), focusing on what God achieved through Jesus Christ’s life-death-resurrection. God’s reign commences and moves toward consummation through Jesus’ cross and crown!

Then, providing greater clarity, we have (once each) “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24, an announcement of amnesty for rebel sinners), “the gospel of your salvation” (Eph 1:13, forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life for all who truly trust in Jesus), and “the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15, not just the cessation of hostilities but the bestowal of ultimate joy and rest in the magnificent presence of Christ).

I’ll mention one other expression, “the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4). The good news is not about you—about how special you are to God or how much you’re worth. It’s all about the radiance of Jesus Christ—the Blazing Brightness before which we look up, stand in awe and revel in the joy of praise to the One who is all-glorious and infinitely worthy of all passionate devotion!

The gospel, then, isn’t just about coming to faith in Christ in the first place, but also about living in light of the best news of all time!

Speaking of the gospel, make sure to check out the info and resources at t4g.org and thegospelcoaltion.org.

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Generational Divide

Matthew Shaffer's recent article, "Ages Apart," is a must-read essay on the trends and forces in Western society that drive a damaging wedge between the generations. The article is not written from a Christian perspective, but it has profound implications for the life of the church and the challenges of pastoral leadership.

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David Sitton visiting our church

I’m delighted that David Sitton is going to be our guest preacher this Sunday at Goshen Baptist Church.

The Lord has grabbed hold of this man's life in powerful ways. If you want to learn about God's work in and through David, read his book, Reckless Abandon. Or visit toeverytribe.org and listen to some messages and read a few articles—it’s exhilarating.

One wonderful place to spend time at toeverytribe.org is in the list of “Mission Quotes.” It’s full of Bible-inspired guidance, passion, joy, warning, encouragement, and FAITH. Chew on these words…

• I know enough about Satan to realize that he will have all his weapons ready for determined opposition. He would be a missionary simpleton who expected plain sailing in any work of God. ~James O. Fraser, 1886-1938, China.
• It is remarkable that God began this work among the Indians at a time when I had the least hope. ~David Brainerd, 1718-1747, Missionary to North American Indians.
• Every step in the progress of missions is directly traceable to prayer. ~A. T. Pierson, Pastor and Author.
• I don’t think we are in any danger, and if we are, we might as well die suddenly in God’s work as by some long drawn-out illness at home. ~Eleanor Chestnut, died in China in 1905.
• I will lay my bones by the Ganges (River) that India will know there is someone who cares. ~Alexander Duff, 1806-1878, India.
• If you are ever inclined to pray for a missionary, do it at once, wherever you are. Perhaps he may be in great peril at that moment. ~Amy Carmichael, 1867-1951, India.
• Don’t wonder whether you have a call to go. Have you had a distinct call from Christ to stay at home? ~George Wilson.
• There is no need for faith where there is no consciousness of an element of risk. ~Elisabeth Elliot.
• I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it in a land filled with dark­ness than in a land flooded with lights. ~Ion Keith-Falconer.
• Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell. I want to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell. ~C.T. Studd.
• If God has fit you to be a missionary, I would not have you shrivel down to be a king. ~Charles H. Spurgeon.
• He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. ~Jim Elliot.
• Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God. ~William Carey.
• The church that does not evangelize will fossilize. ~Oswald J. Smith.

[ originally posted at www.forthejourney.blogspot.com ]

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Challenging Richard Dawkins

Leading figures in “The New Atheism” movement include Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and especially Richard Dawkins. What makes this atheism “new” is its aggressive approach lambasting religion, and its ramped-up, provocative and attention-getting rhetoric (e.g., saying things like “religion poisons everything”). The best-known book coming from this circle of authors is, no doubt, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (2006).

In 2006 David Robertson, pastor of St. Peter’s Free Church, Dundee, Scotland, began posting comments about The God Delusion at the Dawkins website, going chapter by chapter and issuing numerous trench­ant critiques. In the end, Robertson compiled his posts in book form: The Dawkins Letters (2007). I want to note a few of Robertson’s key ideas, especially ways he challenges Dawkins and the New Atheism.

• -Dawkins’s naïve vision of peace on earth through atheism does not account for Stalin, Mao, Hitler and Pol Pot: “The 20th century can truly be called the Failed Atheist Century” (p. 20).
• -“It takes a great deal of faith to be an atheist” (26).
• -Addressing Dawkins: “I am becoming more and more convinced that your position is primarily a philosophical and religious posi­tion, rather than one you are driven to by science” (33).
• -“It is your attack on a distorted and perverted ver­sion of Christian teaching about God which provides you with the most entertaining smokescreen for your lack of substantial argument on whether God exists in the first place or not” (48; see also 59).
• -A key objection of Dawkins against theism is: “Who designed the designer?” Robertson retorts, “‘Who made God?’ is a ques­tion I would expect from a six-year-old” (66). The Dawkins view is that, since all things evolve from more simple to more complex forms, and since any designer of the universe would have to be incredibly complex, God cannot exist (67). But this is to knock down a straw man: no Christian argues that the God of the uni­verse is somehow the product of evolutionary processes.
• -Robertson concedes, of course, that “some aspects of religion and some religious people have caused a great deal of harm in the world…” (79-80). But to lump all religions together with the sweeping verdict that they’re harmful and evil (like a “virus”) is to fail to look closely and make reasonable distinctions. “Take the question of Christianity and Islam. It suits you to lump them both together (including the extremists)” (85).
• -To Dawkins: “You define faith as believing something without evidence—a definition which is something you have just made up in your own head and has nothing to do with Christianity” (85).
• -Dawkins needs to learn basic principles of reading the Bible—like understanding a passage within its context, and distinguishing between what’s descriptive and prescriptive (103).
• -While Dawkins wants to portray Hitler as a Christian (after all, Hitler grew up Catholic, and Catholic and Lutheran churches were signifi­cant forces in German society), Hitler’s own writings and prac­tices locate him decidedly outside of the Christian faith (110-12).
• -Robertson takes Dawkins to task for the “extraordinary state­ment that ‘horrible as sexual abuse no doubt was, the damage was arguably less than the long-term psychological damage inflicted by bringing the child up Catholic in the first place’” (114—cf. p. 356 in The God Delusion). Such a view would justify the shocking conclusion that raising children in the Christian faith is inherently abusive, and that stance, in turn, would justify the state removing children from such homes (115). This is how reckless and chilling the Dawkins trajectory can be.
• -Robertson concludes with a lengthy bibliography and comments on all kinds of key players and writings in the atheism debate.

Let me also recommend Alister McGrath’s writings and lectures in response to Dawkins and other new atheists, including his book, The Dawkins Delusion (2010), and especially his June 27, 2011, lecture given at Regent College in Vancouver, “Why God Won’t Go Away: Reflections on the ‘New Atheism’” (download at regentaudio.com for free). Another thoughtful Christian who interacts with Dawkins and company is Oxford math professor John Lennox (his debates with various atheists are on YouTube—and see johnlennox.org).

[ originally posted at www.forthejourney.blogspot.com ]

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Alzheimer's and Divorce

How sad and disturbing to learn that Pat Robertson has spoken out justifying the divorcing one's spouse who is afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease (for video, click here)--after all, he contends, the person isn't "there" any more; Alzheimer's has brought a kind of death.

And what an encouraging and positively biblical example, to the contrary, we see in J. Robertson McQuilkin, who resigned his position as President of Columbia Bible College and Seminary in order to care for his wife, Muriel, who was afflicted with Alzheimer's, for the rest of her days (click here to listen). It is a testimony of devotion, and of fidelity to the vows of marriage before God "until death do us part."

Various Christian leaders have firmly critiqued Pat Robertson's remarks, e.g., Russell Moore (click here), and Justin Taylor (click here).

[ originally posted at www.forthejourney.blogspot.com ]

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Alister McGrath on the New Atheism

Regent College is offering Alister McGrath's recent lecture, "Why God Won't Go Away: Reflections on the 'New Atheism,'" as a free audio download at regentaudio.com (click here). This is a thoughtful, discerning and penetrating assessment and critique of the New Atheism movement--well worth the time to listen and consider! McGrath, a former atheist and a highly accomplished scholar with academic doctorates in both the natural sciences and theology (click here or here for info about him), helps one sift through the various claims and lines of argument that are advanced by authors such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

[ originally posted at www.forthejourney.blogspot.com ]

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John R. W. Stott, 1921-2011

Tributes to the late John R. W. Stott are appearing quickly following his death yesterday (see, e.g., here, and here and here, to name a few; see also the NY Times). It seems many people have tremendously appreciated this gifted, clear-headed, and courageous evangelical pastor.

If there's one thing that has characterized Stott's preaching and teaching, it's CLARITY. Not only was he an outstanding communicator who could make himself understood, but (most importantly) he had a gift for helping students of Scripture recognize the structure and argument and compelling case of countless biblical texts. And yet, his clarity was matched with URGENCY--when you heard him speak, you knew that the Lord and his Word meant everything to this Christ-exalting leader.

I first heard him speak at Urbana '79 where he lectured from Romans 5-8 and helped all of us restless college students stop and pay close attention to God's brilliant Word.

In the 1980s his powerful, penetrating message on leadership (printed as the final chapter in Issues Facing Christians Today) was like a gracious explosion in my life--especially the section on "vision" (unfortunately, I can't dig up the audio of this lecture!).

Stott's commentaries on The Sermon on the Mount and Paul's Letter to the Ephesians are among his many excellent writings that have helped me think carefully about God's coherent and beautiful written revelation.

His passion for mission resulted, among other things, in his service as the primary author of The Willowbank Report of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, a pivotal essay on the gospel and culture. His heart for God's world also led him to establish a scholarship program for majority world Christian leaders enabling them to pursue academic training in preparation to teach and lead the church in many places around the globe. Visit the Langham Partnership website and John Stott Ministries for info on the works he founded. Note that several audios of his messages can be accessed at his church, All Souls Church, in London (and see also the MP3 library at Monergism). Amazon lists 109 books for "John R. W. Stott."

I thank the Lord for how he's used John Stott to challenge and encourage me in the study of the Scriptures!

[originally posted at www.forthejourney.blogspot.com]

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A Precious Promise!

Hebrews 13:5 gives believers priceless comfort: God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” In other words, no circumstance in all the world (use your imagination) can separate Jesus’ loved ones from him. The Greek in 13:5 piles up negatives—five of them—to say with fierce certainty: the Lord NEVER abandons his children.

So too, our Good Shepherd offers similar promises of his invincible care in John 10:27-29: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Of course, Hebrews 13 also shows that sometimes God’s people do end up in prison (v 3). And 10:32-34 speaks of believers having their homes plundered and facing intense persecution. So this letter is not naïve; there’s no promise of sheer smooth sailing. If you’re inter­ested in Jesus in order to get a comfortable ride through this rugged world, think again: that’s not the Jesus of the Bible.

God promises to be with us, not to make life easy. “… neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

When Hebrews 13:6 declares “I will not be afraid,” a poignant ques­tion follows: “What can man do to me?” And, of course, people can do a lot of terrible things to us—steal from, malign, hurt, even kill us. That’s pre­cisely what Hebrews 13:3 and Romans 8:38-39 acknowledge. But fear not, that’s all they can do: all they can do is kill you.

What people CANNOT do to you is infinitely more important: Satan and his demons and anti-Christian enemies around us cannot touch our Heavenly Father’s love for us and our secure standing as his justi­fied, redeemed, adopted, chosen, forgiven children! In Christ your inheritance is secure (it’s “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:4; see also John 16:33; 1 John 4:4).

So then, with thanks for these priceless promises, make sure: 1) your hope in Jesus ultimately is centered on the eternal consolations of the life to come and not on being spared trouble today, and 2) your faith is ready to face and stand up under pressure.

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God's Loving Discipline

God’s Word from Hebrews 12 speaks of the Heavenly Father’s discipline. Ah, that word “discipline”—it has such vivid connotations! I wonder what you feel when you hear it?

It’s vital to understand the term the way God means it in his Word. If you equate discipline with punishment, it’s espe­cially crucial to stop, study and see what’s going on in Hebrews 12. Look at the term in context: “The Lord disciplines those he loves” (v 6); “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons” (v 7); “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (v 10).

So it’s obvious that divine discipline is not destructive or some act of meanness or sheer cruelty or any such thing. Nor should we imagine that the Father’s discipline is “punishment” for our sins—since his just and holy wrath against the sins of his people zeroed in entirely on the cross: Christ takes our guilt on his shoulders, and the wrath of God is poured out upon him for it (see 9:28).

If we were to suppose that even the tiniest shred of divine punishment was coming our way in our adversities, we’d be saying that the cross was insufficient—inade­quate to bear the full weight of our guilt. We are not saved by the death of Christ plus by “paying our dues” through affliction! No, the hardships believers face are not punishment in that sense at all.

God’s discipline is positive and constructive; it’s a strategy of love and a means to help his children progress in holiness; it’s a training regimen to help us run fast and far in the race of faith (12:1).

A reticence to accept our various trials as divine discipline may be rooted in pride: “I’m in pretty good shape spiritually; I don’t need some radical surgery to cut away sin tumors; God is out of line to come at me with the scalpel!” Is there a root of such pride in your heart? Wouldn’t it be better to bow before the Lord and thank him for his discipline, assuming that there are many and deep sin faults in our lives that need his loving correction?

The poignant lyrics of the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation” (John Rippon, 1787), can help put things in perspective:

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Trust the Father today: his design is to do you good!

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"Therefore" and "Let us"

The Letter to the Hebrews cycles back and forth between recalling God’s great saving acts and warning us not to break faith (all is lost for those who don't practice persevering trust in Christ—note “if” in 3:14).

In light of the glorious saving initiative of the Lord, and in keeping with his firm warnings not to jump ship, Hebrews has an array of instructions to true believers indicated by “we must” and “let us.” Such as:

• Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it (2:1, ESV).
• Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it (4:1).
• Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession (4:14).
• Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (4:16).
• Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repent­ance from dead works and of faith toward God,… (6:1).
• Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,… (10:19-22).
• Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (10:23).
• Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endur­ance the race that is set before us,… (12:1).
• Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God accept­able worship, with reverence and awe,… (12:28).
• Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured (13:13).
• Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God,… (13:15).

Notice the prominence of “since” and “therefore” and “then” along with these commands. Such connecting words are vitally important! Christian, do what you’re told to do out of glad dependence on, and humble gratitude for, what God has done first! Put your faith to work (real faith yearns for this), BUT remember to do so with a constant awareness that our acceptance by God as well as any shred of right action to express our faith are always rooted in the grace of his prior saving, sanctifying initiative.

There's a universe of difference between the biblical commands (based as they are on the "therefore" of God's saving intervention) and any other kind of ethic: apart from God's grace, the demands of religion degenerate into a lifeless moralism.

We receive all God’s gifts in empty hands—let them be hands of thankful faith. And let the joy of this grace catapult us into glad obedience!

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God's Work and Our Weakness

I’ve found both of the following resources to be of great help for processing the struggles of this life under the sovereign oversight of God. What’s more, both stories help believers see how it really is true that God’s grace is sufficient for us and his power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Joni Eareckson Tada's book, "A Place of Healing," is available this month for free from https://christianaudio.com/. You can download and listen at your computer or from your MP3 player. Joni herself reads the book. (Obtaining this audio book requires registering and establishing an account.)

John Knight is interviewed regarding his spiritual pilgrimage in the aftermath of the birth of his son, Paul, who was born blind and with various other serious health issues. If you want to see (or just listen to) this interview, go to http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/interviews/john-piper-interviews-john-knight-part-1?lang=en. Note that at the bottom of the video there are links to parts 2 and 3 of the interview. John Knight also blogs at http://theworksofgod.com/.

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Summer Spirituality

Click here for a great reminder to challenge and encourage all who follow Jesus Christ as we approach that annual escapade called "summer."

See also my earlier post on "Summer struggles."

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"It is finished!"

The resurrection is God’s exclamation point that at the end of his Son’s death sentence. It says, “Enough.”

On the cross, as Jesus breathed his last, he uttered, “It is finished.” So too, the resurrection was the Heavenly Father looking upon his Son’s suffering to bear the guilt of sinners and saying, “It is finished.” Divine justice had been satisfied.

If Jesus were still in the grave, we might claim he’d died in our place, but we could never be sure that our guilt had been fully cleared—that the punishment had matched the crime and was sufficient to meet the right and holy demands of the All-Glorious Lord.

In fact, if Jesus were still in the grave, we’d have to conclude that his entire salvation project was a flop, because a dead Jesus is a Jesus who goes on suf­fer­ing the punishment for our sin. And until that punishment is fully meted out, our guilt is not resolved: the damning burden remains on our desperate shoulders. But…

“[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). In other words, while Jesus died as our substitute—as a sin-bearing sacrifice for us—it’s only with his resur­rection that our “justification” is fully achieved. The resurrection is pivotal!

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17): no resurrection means no rescue from the catastrophic consequences of unforgiven sin.

Further, God would be unjust to declare us “not guilty” if his Son were still in the tomb. But the Bible is emphatic to say God certainly is both just and the justifier of all who have faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26).

Easter is God’s remedy for our sin and its guilt. By nature our hearts and habits are spring-loaded to honor ourselves; we’re prone to make much of “me” and then connive ways to enlist God in the service of our own self-exaltation. The mercy of Easter is that the Lord didn’t just leave us to wallow in our shame. Instead, he sent a Savior to pay sin’s penalty for us—for all who place their trust in Jesus.

So the big question on Easter is about faith: are you trusting Jesus to clear your guilt, rule your heart, and love you forever? If you’re still worshipping the god of self, I urge you: run to the Risen Lord today!

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Disaster in Japan

For images from Japan, see the Boston Globe’s “Big Picture” galleries.

Here are a couple of very good options for contributing to disaster relief and the spread of Christ's love in Japan:

- Through SEND International

- Through Samaritan’s Purse

I appreciate the Prayer for Japan that John Piper recently posted:

Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. We cover our faces and kiss your omnipotent hand. We fall helpless to the floor in prayer and feel how fragile the very ground is beneath our knees.

O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment—in the twinkling of an eye—we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.

And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.

Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.

Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.

May every heart-breaking loss—millions upon millions of losses—be healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures' pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.

In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.

Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.

And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.

O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.

In Jesus’ merciful name, Amen.

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Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

Lady Gaga has taken a bold stride into the “nature-nurture” debate with her new hit single, “Born This Way.” The song debuted at the Grammys last month where she was carried on stage in a giant egg and then hatched herself to make a statement: born this way.

The song’s agenda isn't subtle: “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered … don't be a drag, just be a queen.” After all, “God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track baby, I was born this way.” Elton John has declared that the song may be “the new gay anthem” (ew.com).

And yet, a few questions come to mind. First, what are the boundaries of the “born this way” rationale? If you go down the road that says, “This is just the way I am,” where else might it take you? What kinds of views or actions might Lady Gaga herself consider unacceptable even if her best friend insisted, “I was born this way”? “But Gaga, my dear, I was born with a natural, ‘God-given’ desire to swindle you out of millions! Surely you can support me in this—that’s what friends are for!”

Secondly, it seems she’s dodging a couple key issues. One is the interplay of nature and nurture in the complex story of our development. For Lady Gaga, it’s nature—end of discussion. But human civilization hasn’t been debating this delicate distinction since time immemorial for no reason. Is it likely that all the intricate theological, sociological and psychological reflections of centuries were suddenly resolved at the 2011 Grammys?

Another evaded point is this: even if from birth we’re prone to act or think or feel in certain ways, that doesn’t necessarily mean those ways are good for us or others. Frankly, mature adulthood (for the Christian or anyone else) involves restraining various natural impulses: cruel words held back for the sake of friendship; sloth denied in order to keep earning a living; saying no to impulse buying; and so on.

As for God’s guidance on the subject of sexual activity, here are a few key points (of course, I realize that these claims only carry weight for those who respect the authority of Scripture, so I don’t expect Lady Gaga or Elton John to be won over—apart from the heart-changing intervention of the Lord, toward which we should pray!):

• Romans 1:26-27 indicates that homo­sexual activity is contrary to God’s will. Other biblical texts could be noted as well, both Old and New Testament (e.g., 1 Corinthians 6:9). It’s not a topic on which the Bible is silent.
• “One flesh” intimacy is reserved for husband and wife in marriage (Mark 10:6-9). Outside of marriage, God’s good will for people is sexual abstinence. Embracing singleness in Christ is a beautiful expression of trust in his wisdom and love (1 Corinthians 7:7, 32-35).
• Gay neighbors are like all our other neighbors in this sense: they need Christ, and they need to see the love of Christ in our kind and truthful way of relating to them.
• Check out ChristopherYuan.com for the story of a changed heart and deliverance from the gay lifestyle.
• Dr. Robert Gagnon (Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Seminary) provides extensive, serious engagement with these issues from a biblical foundation (robgagnon.net).

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Reflections from Billy Graham

The January 2011 issue of Christianity Today included an interview with Billy Graham. He's now 92 and in frail health but still very alert, and he reflects on some weighty things.

When asked what he'd do differently, Graham said he'd study more and preach less. This reminds me of what I heard him say at Urbana '79 (I believe it was in a Q&A session), that if he were starting out in ministry he'd take more time for training and preparation. In the thick of on-the-go ministry, Billy Graham had gained a new appreciation for the value of thorough biblical and theological education. And he wanted restless college students to take that as a challenge.

Back to the CT piece. Another thing he'd do differently is steer clear of politics. He admits that, at times, he crossed that line. He's not suggesting, however, that he would not reach out to leaders in public office--people in high places are sometimes very isolated and need someone to talk to.

And on the topic of aging? Accept it and be content in it--growing old is part of God's plan for your life. Be thankful for each new day, even if you face great hardship in old age.

Graham says more about aging: "As we grow older we should focus not only on the present, but more and more on Heaven. This world, with all of its pains and sorrows and burdens, isn't our final home." I really appreciate this word of wisdom, and yet two concerns come to mind: 1) I don't hear many conversations among believers about heaven--it just doesn't seem to be on people's minds (this is partly my fault, of course); and 2) it's not just in old age that believers should be thinking about heaven--at least, as I see the matter. If we take the biblical pictures and promises of the life to come seriously, the glorious looming reality of "coming home" and reaching our "better country" and (most of all) reveling in the radiant and unveiled presence of the Lord would seem to be so awesome and wonderful that it would preoccupy believers all through this life, not just in the "senior years."

It's vintage Graham when it comes to making evangelism a priority: "But the most important issue we face today is the same the church has faced in every century: Will we reach our world for Christ? In other words, will we give priority to Christ's command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Or will we turn increasingly inward, caught up in our own internal affairs or controversies, or simply becoming more and more comfortable with the status quo? Will we become inner-directed or outer-directed? The central issues of our time aren't economic or political or social, important as these are. The central issues of our time are moral and spiritual in nature, and our calling is to declare Christ's forgiveness and hope and transforming power to a world that does not know him or follow him. May we never forget this."

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