For The Journey

Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

2012-01-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

Thirty-nine years ago this week the Supreme Court, in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, swept away virtually all state laws restricting abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Since that time, there have been some fifty million little ones who've lost their lives here in the USA.

The scale of abortion woes is even greater in some other parts of the world, due in no small part to the particularly heinous practice of sex-selection abortion. Consider the 200 million missing girls.

Note the free download offered by Desiring God, Exposing the Dark Work of Abortion.
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Read the Bible in 2012

2012-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've found, from my own mixed experience, that if I don't plan to read the Bible, I'm basically planning not to read the Bible. So I put together a Two-Year Plan for 2012-2013. The two-year pace is very do-able. I've set it up so you read one chapter each day on the weekends, and two a day during the week. If you start in and stick to it for 30 days, you'll build a habit that lasts.

I appreciate John Piper's words of wisdom about the need to plan--to prepare in advance so that we're ready to face spiritual challenges that will come. Planning to be in God's Word is right at the heart of this.

The Light of the World

2011-12-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

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

It means, for one thing, that theworld is a dark place. Of course, manywill object: “How can you say we live indarkness? We have antibiotics, smartphones, great restaurants, plasma TVs, pizza delivery, Facebook, and Lasiksurgery, not to mention vast stores of knowledge through the world’s greatlibraries and online sources.”

But the manifestations of darkness today are widespread and deeplydisturbing—like human trafficking, endemic corruption in developing countries,hoarding of wealth by many of the privileged, sectarian violence, globalterrorism, greed-driven markets and businesses, exploitation of children, moneylaundering, treating sex like entertainment, breach of trust through familybreakdown, 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 ussee and celebrate the True Light this Christmas and not be caught up in all thedissatisfying glitter.

Jesus, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into theworld” (John 1:9). Jesus himselfsays, “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 inlight. We think of shining stars andradiant angelic choirs bursting over the night sky. But the brightest light of all shone not onthe manger but from it. The classic worship carols pick this up: Baby Jesus is the “everlasting Light” beaminginto Bethlehem’sdark streets. “God with man is nowresiding; Yonder shines the infant Light.” “Light of light descendeth” from heaven’s noon-day glory. We see the “Son of God, love’s pureLight.” “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!”

The Wonder of Fetal Development

2011-12-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

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

A Wasted Life?

2011-11-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

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

Penn State Scandal

2011-11-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

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.

Micro-Creation

2011-10-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

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.

The heavens declare the glory of God!

2011-10-16T20:32:00.001-07:00

A stunning glance at God's creative handiwork:

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Christian friendships

2011-10-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

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."

Lost

2011-10-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

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.

"The Gospel of..."

2011-10-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Generational Divide

2011-10-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

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.

David Sitton visiting our church

2011-09-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

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 ]

Challenging Richard Dawkins

2011-09-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

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 ]

Alzheimer's and Divorce

2011-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

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 ]

Alister McGrath on the New Atheism

2011-09-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

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 ]

John R. W. Stott, 1921-2011

2011-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

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]

A Precious Promise!

2011-07-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

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.

God's Loving Discipline

2011-07-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

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!

"Therefore" and "Let us"

2011-06-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

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!

God's Work and Our Weakness

2011-06-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

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/.

Summer Spirituality

2011-05-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

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."

"It is finished!"

2011-04-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

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!

Disaster in Japan

2011-03-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

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.

Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

2011-03-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

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).

Reflections from Billy Graham

2011-01-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

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."

Channel Surfing

2011-01-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

I remember ages ago when, to change the TV channel, you had to actually get up and go turn the knob. That’s right, get off the couch and walk all the way over to “the tube” to check the choices—all four of them: CBS, NBC, ABC, and Public Television. No FOX, CNN, ESPN; no plethora of cable selections. And no remote control for surfing through the options.

The remote is powerful: so many choices to make—and with such little effort. Enough options to keep one from ever really paying attention to anything! With the greatest of ease we zoom past this game, that reality show, this ad, that sit-com, this infomercial, that forecast, and on and on, world without end. Our culture expects to be able to choose between limitless options with minimal effort.

And that hurts churches. When you gather with your church family, please leave your remote control mindset at home! I realize this is more easily said than done. Our preference reflexes kick in a thousand times a day—and at lightning speed: Car ad? Switch it. Traffic report? Switch it. Country music? Switch it (sorry country fans). Empire carpet commercial? Switch it fast. And so, when it comes to church, we quickly switch off any awkward conversations or stern messages or non-preferred songs or less-than-fashionable neighbors in the pew, etc.

But God’s vision of church—of his people’s sweet shared life in worship, nurture and outreach—is profoundly insensitive to our preference reflexes and comfort zones. Church life is not intended to meet one’s every whim and wish; in fact, many of our wishes need to be dragged into the light and destroyed. Church is a fellowship of Christ-followers that loves you enough not to let you have your way, not to let you live in an endless, suffocating pursuit of your own likes and tastes.

Church is for the weak (2 Cor 12:7-10) and sick (Luke 5:31-32)—can you admit that that’s you? It’s about dying to sin together (Luke 9:23-24; Rom 8:13) and putting others first instead of me (Phil 2:3-4). And the truth is, following the self-forgetting Son of God is actually the path to true joy.

So brace yourself to say NO to those impatient channel-switching reflexes, and open your heart to life within the beautiful counter-culture of Jesus, the church!

Preaching through Hebrews

2011-01-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

This Sunday I’m beginning a sermon series on HEBREWS, “Christ Supreme.” The idea is to move through the letter from beginning to end, carefully weighing each statement and closely tracing the line of thought, and setting out practical applications of God’s gripping truth along the way.

The Letter to the Hebrews is amazing. But one could say more: it’s complex, rich, demanding, deep, imposing, daunting … and simply breathtaking. Hebrews is like a rugged mountain peak, so the heights must be scaled with great care—and intense anticipation! Grappling with Hebrews is like standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon: it makes your legs ache with that sense of reverent wonder. The majesty of Christ is staggering! I'm praying for the Lord's all-important help in the preparation and proclamation side of things, and that he'd awaken (and re-awaken) Christ-exalting faith in the hearts of his gathered people.

By God’s help, immersion in Hebrews will rivet our eyes on Jesus Christ. At the heart of this letter is the argument and passion that Christ reigns supreme. The glory of God revealed in his Son is a treasure of matchless worth. And so, above all else, cling to Christ—or come to Christ, if you don’t yet trust him!

Hebrews is brutally realistic about the world’s appeals to turn back from the Lord and find our security in lesser “gods,” even though they can never truly satisfy our thirsty souls. But Satan will try to anesthetize you with the delirium of disinterest in Jesus and the vain hope of worldly security and the lazy attitude that quickly labels Hebrews “too difficult”: be warned.

This letter brings a no-nonsense message, confronting hypocrisy and pointing the way of authentic faith. Numerous warnings against sin and spiritual immaturity grab the reader’s attention: don’t turn back from Christ—you’ll lose everything!

Hebrews helps us understand the relationship between the testaments. How is the Old Testament valid for today’s Christian, and in what sense is it superseded by a new way of relating to God: how new is the New Covenant? Getting this right is immensely important if we intend to treat the whole Bible with respect as God’s relevant word for our day and every day.

Sound kind of heady? It is—and “hearty” too. It’s no secret that God’s Word makes demands on your mind; healthy faith calls for careful study. And among the biblical books, it may be that Hebrews leads the way in this regard! We live in a profoundly impatient culture that shuns thoughtful reflection and rushes on to action: do, do, do. What about you? Too busy to study? All that “academic” stuff not your cup of tea? I guess you’re saying you only have time for baby-bottle spirituality.

Finally, Hebrews prepares believers for the real trials and temptations that we hit along the discipleship path. Following Jesus is a joy; no other life can meet your heart’s deep longings. But following Jesus can also be hard. Perseverance is a necessary dimension of authentic faith in Christ, and in order to stand firm, God’s people need to be pulled and pushed (i.e., encouraged and warned) to cling to Christ all the way to glory. Hebrews is God’s gift to his church to do just that.

(For Goshen Baptist Church sermon audios, click here.)

The Host of Heaven

2010-12-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

Andreas turned his head as the door shot open, and in burst his friend, Seth, panting and out of breath. “I flew home as fast as I could,” he said. “The whole place is stirring with amazement, everyone dashing about. Did you hear the news?”

Andreas answered, “What news?”

“What news? Ah, that’s just it: what news! We should have expected it, I suppose, but the King has caught us off guard again—this time with the most shocking plan. You won’t believe it.”

“Try me,” insisted Andreas.

Seth paused, caught his breath, and began to relay the report announced by the Herald Angels from all their posts in the heavenly realms: His Majesty, the Great Lord of all, the very Son of God—King of creation, Eternal Word, Ruler over all principalities and powers, Master of the universe, Commander of all kings and princes and prime ministers and presidents on earth, the Eternal “I Am” … HE has announced that he will LEAVE HIS THRONE. It’s unbelievable.”

“Leave his throne?! Don’t be ridiculous. God is God, and the Son is at his right hand evermore and evermore—Amen. Seth, have you been dreaming?”

“Well, I’m as shocked as you are,” he replied, “but I assure you it’s no dream. Who would dream up something like THIS? All the angel leagues are in a stir, and if you look into the faces of the company chiefs you can tell they’re serious—it’s for real.”

But Andreas replied, “What’s for real—what will the Great One do? Leave his throne and withdraw his light from all the heights of heaven? Impossible.”

“Let me go on,” Seth insisted. “There’s more—all about the creatures made in the Creator’s likeness. It seems the image-bearers have reached an appointed time. They have failed repeatedly to submit to His Majesty and rest in his reign, and so finally he has said that it is time. Time to deal with the rebels, time to settle accounts with those humans.”

“Sounds ominous,” Andreas said. “Do you think he’ll wipe them out. Like when our ancestors rebelled; God did not spare them but sent them to the gloomy dungeons to await final judgment” (2 Peter 2:4).

“That’s just the problem—or the irony of it all. The tone of the announcement is not doom and gloom. The Master Plan is full of hope—somehow… I don’t know how…”

Andreas pressed his friend, “Seth, do you think this has something to do with the Great Concealment? You know, the mystery that is always kept behind closed doors for all of us angels. I think it’s the only secret that stands in God’s Heaven. Do you remember how eons ago, when the grand Archangel Gabriel inquired about the Master’s future plans, and he was denied? Angels have always longed to look into the mysterious, ingenious plot of Almighty, but this one episode is concealed (1 Peter 1:12). Something about ‘condescension,’ I think.”

Seth paused to ponder. It was quiet for a few minutes as the two considered what weighty events were unfolding before them there in the corridors of heaven. Then they were interrupted as a diving squad of the Seraphim blared trumpets just outside their quarters. Seth and Andreas scurried to the ledge.

There before them, streaming from the windows and doors of all the mansions of heaven were myriads of myriads, and countless scores of angels in regal flight, all in full dress and perfect formation, all clearly more serious AND excited than they had ever been before. It was a display to take your breath away—so much so that Andreas and Seth almost forgot to do what destiny demanded: to join the streaming companies winging through the corridors of heaven, and to enter into the eternal song of praise: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” They sang out like never before. And as they flew, they glanced about with wonder and curiosity. What was going to happen?

A moment later word came to all the commanders across the vast expanse of heaven, and instantly each of them called their followers to silent attention. Andreas and Seth joined the countless host of heaven lining the sides of the vast interior atrium. Above them hovering in perfect attention was the Guardian Corps, the legion of angelic forces who sustain God’s people day and night. Across the great open space and up about a dozen levels were the Cherubim, who never rest and always look upon the Master. Above the Cherubim stood the Twenty-Four Elders, and to their left were the mysterious four living creatures. On yet another level there were the saints in white robes—the martyrs, bowed in adoration. They were surrounded by the choral brigade and those who blew the trumpets. Further up and further in, near the center of the dome of heaven, were suspended before the Almighty the numberless band of infants, all in perfect praise. And out in the midst of the open expanse was a display like never before from the Seraphim, the mighty six-winged creatures who flew back and forth before the staring faces of millions of angels of every description, and as they had always done the Seraphim called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isa 6:3).

And then they stopped. All at once, as if with no direction, and there was perfect silence again. It was at this moment, as Andreas and Seth and a million others looked up, that the unimaginable took place. The King of kings and Sovereign Son of God, arose, stepped away from his throne, and began to lower himself before the ranks of heaven, moving downward, down past the infants, down beside the martyrs, down before the Cherubim, down in front of the Elders and the Guardians and all the countless array of angels. Down the Son went, down to the very floor of heaven, down to a door that had been locked and sealed since the beginning of time. And there the Son of God stood, below all the host of heaven, his throne now completely out of view.

It was then, while every eye was riveted on him and every ear attentive, that the Son began to speak. Andreas and Seth craned their necks to look and listen. And what they heard was this:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Son goes as light into darkness… I am the light of the world… I am the light that goes into a dark world… The Son goes to seek and to save the lost… I go into the world not to condemn but to save… Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends… The Son goes not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many…”

Seth and Andreas gasped. Heaven’s corridors shuddered.

The Lord continued, “The Son goes into the world to save sinners. This is love, that the Father sends his Son to atone for the sins of his people.” Then he paused, and shouted, “And the Word became flesh.”

At that, Jesus took the key—a key that had been kept by the Father from all eternity—and with it he opened the only passage to the world. Unlatching the door and lifting it to the side, the Son of God stood at the precipice of humiliation. Then he looked up and saw the Father’s face beaming with approval. He glanced to every side, around and above, and as he did the host of heaven broke out in thundering applause. Finally he looked down. And he leapt. And there was Christmas.

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly minded,

For with blessing in His hand,

Christ our God to earth descendeth,

Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,

As of old on earth He stood,

Lord of lords, in human vesture,

In the body and the blood;

He will give to all the faithful

His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven

Spreads its vanguard on the way,

As the Light of light descendeth

From the realms of endless day,

That the powers of hell may vanish

As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,

Cherubim with sleepless eye,

Veil their faces to the presence,

As with ceaseless voice they cry:

Alleluia, Alleluia

Alleluia, Lord Most High!

(Liturgy of St. James, 4th cent.; Trans. by Gerard Moultrie, 1864; Public Domain)

Plan to read the Bible

2010-12-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've always found that if I don't have a plan to follow, my Bible reading practice wanders and fizzles and falls apart. You too?

Some years back I came up with a two-year schedule for reading God's Word cover to cover. A two-year pace seems (to me) to work really well: slow enough to allow you to breathe and reflect a bit as you go, but fast enough to get through the Bible without taking "forever."

The way it works you read a chapter a day on the weekends, and two chapters each weekday. I've laid it out so there's some movement back and forth between the Old and New Testaments along the way. We've posted the reading plan for 2011-2012 at our church's website--click here if you're interested.

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

Ever Forming, Never Formed

2010-11-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

For many years I've been working on a book about spiritual formation and the ongoing battle with sin. A book about how the Bible calls us to be holy but also states that we remain sinners. A book about being content in Christ yet not complacent with sin. And a book about this paradox of authentic Christian growth: the more you advance in faith and spiritual maturity, the more conscious you become of the odious presence of sin in your life. The book is called Spiritual Formation: Ever Forming, Never Formed, and it releases on Nov. 10.

I'll be grateful to receive feedback on this work that readers may wish to offer (peterknelson@gmail.com)!

"God Is the Gospel"

2010-09-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been reading John Piper’s book, God Is the Gospel. He raises some incredibly important issues about the essence of the gospel and the core reality of salvation. For example:

“… even though the gospel purchased and promises many good gifts, from the most spiritual to the most material, yet God himself is the ultimate good promised in the gospel” (145).

Redemption, forgiveness, imputation, sanctification, liberation, healing, heaven—“none of these is good news except for one reason: they bring us to God for our everlasting enjoyment of him. If we believe all these things have happened to us, but do not embrace them for the sake of getting to God, they have not happened to us” (47).

“The critical question … is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?” (15).

“The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring his infinite beauty” (147).

Behold your God! (Isaiah 40:9). This “is the most gracious command and best gift of the gospel” (56).

“There is no gospel where the glory of God in Christ is not shown. And there is no salvation through the gospel where the glory of God in Christ is not seen” (97). See 2 Corinthians 4:4-6.

“There is no sure evidence that we have a new heart just because we want to escape hell” (121). Wanting to avoid hell isn’t wrong, but the evidence we’ve been changed is that we want to escape hell and enter heaven in order to revel in God’s glorious presence (121).

The impact of reading this book has been to stimulate me to lift up my eyes, look away from myself, and gaze upon our magnificent Lord and gracious Savior!

Imprecatory Psalms

2010-08-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

In Psalm 69:22-28 David cries out to God in a prayer of “imprecation.” That means cursing or condemning: his appeal is that destruction would be brought upon those who are God’s and his enemies. “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous” (69:28 ESV).

What do we do with such fierce verses? Are there people who, as enemies of God, should be the target of such prayers today? Here are three key Christian responses to the imprecatory Psalms:

Recognize that you deserve God’s righteous wrath. You and I are only spared justice and welcomed into God’s friendship by sheer mercy. We’ve sinned and snubbed God’s honor—regardless of whether our sins are glaring or more socially acceptable. Take no comfort in the idea that you’re “not that bad.” Fair compensation for our sin would be spiritual and eternal death (Rom 6:23).

Follow the biblical line of thought to that destination where the longing for justice points. That is, listen to your heart as it cries out for enemies of God and of his people to get what they deserve, and then see how he deals with that injustice. How does the Scripture story unfold so as to provide resolution for the guilty sinners? Answer: the cross. We’re “justified” (i.e., declared not guilty) through the death of Christ in our place (e.g., 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 3:24; 5:8). And this justification, this pardon for violations of God’s just and holy standards, is realized in any given person’s life not on the basis of deserving but as a gift, a gift to all who believe in Jesus—who entrust their lives forever into his care.

Then redirect your righteous rage against God’s enemies who insult and abuse and even murder Christians, and release it at the cross. That is, transfer your soul fury into prayer that injustices committed will be dealt with—fully and finally—in the way God has established in his New Covenant, the final chapter in his grand plot of conflict resolution. Refuse to cultivate hatred for enemies, but instead obey Jesus: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28 ESV). In fact, if we harbor hate in our hearts, we’re saying that the cross was not sufficient to satisfy a just God! Don’t go there. Be content with his good plan for meting out justice in this world, and pray for the Lord’s life-changing hand to bring more and more sinners into his justifying grace.

Letters from Jesus

2010-08-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

The letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev. 2-3) contain brief, urgent words of the risen Jesus sent from heaven via the Holy Spirit to John the Apostle, the recipient of that grand vision we call “Revelation.” John’s job was to take down the message and get it to the churches.

Now in case you think Jesus’ words to a particular church (e.g., at Thyatira, Smyrna, or Sardis) were meant for them alone, look closely at how each of the letters ends: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” That’s plural “churches”: each church was supposed to see what Jesus said to the others; we’re expected to be reading (or hearing) each other’s mail this way!

Let me touch on a few words of Christ’s fierce love for his church (and don’t forget 3:19, “those whom I love I rebuke and discipline”):

The believers at Ephesus are steady, patient, and discerning, and they have the good sense to reject false teachers (2:2). “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love” (2:4). Are you firm on God’s truth while your zeal for his honor fades?

Smyrna faces persecution and poverty, yet ultimately they’re “rich” (2:9). Smug Laodicea, however, sees itself as wealthy and self-sufficient, while in the deepest sense they’re spiritually destitute (3:17). This contrast makes one think: is it treasure in heaven or on earth that excites you?

Smyrna is about to face yet more suffering, but Christ lovingly assures them that they don’t need to fear: even if they end up in prison or are put to death, it all leads to receiving a crown of life—eternal joy beyond the reach of death (2:10-11). Does the threat of danger strike terror in your heart, or do you rest in the rock solid assurance that God works ALL things for your good?

Sardis does good deeds and they appear to be “alive” as a church. But Jesus isn’t fooled by appearances; in fact, these “believers” are dead (3:1). So is Christ’s letter to them a coroner’s report: no hope for Sardis? No. He urges them to repent: there’s still time; they can still give up their play-acting, come to Jesus, and live!

Truth is at stake in several cases: false apostles threaten (2:2); the “teaching of Balaam” (2:14) and the “teaching of the Nicolaitans” (2:15) are adopted by some, for which they must repent (2:16); a “Jezebel” figure is tolerated and her teaching is followed, so Jesus warns that this must stop (2:20); others who reject her teaching are commended (2:24); those who falsely claim Jewish identity are rebuked (2:9; 3:9); believers who “have kept my word and have not denied my name” are blessed by Jesus (3:8). Truth matters! Don’t let anyone tell you “doctrine” isn’t important and actions are what count—that’s an unnecessary and foolish either-or.

Christ watches how these believers live—their “works” are fully known to him, no secrets (2:2, 5, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). Of course, we’re not saved by deeds, but our actions provide a window onto our hearts. So again, don’t fall for a silly either-or (e.g., like thinking actions don’t matter but beliefs do). What are our deeds saying (or not saying) here at GBC: is our faith obvious in how we live?

Let’s come back to that prosperous congregation: Laodicea (3:14-22) has fallen into lukewarm religion—neither hot nor cold, neither for Jesus nor against him. They have a mild faith—mediocre, middle-of-the-road, tame, safe, beige, boring. When coming face to face with Majesty, one thing the sane cannot do is yawn: who yawns while riding the Maid of the Mist up beneath Niagara Falls? But Laodicea yawns. Why? They feel self-satisfied; wealth deludes them into thinking they “need nothing” (3:17). Jesus confronts this insanity: truth is, they’re “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” He says this not to condemn, but lovingly to confront sin and beckon these spiritually destitute souls to repent and receive life. What is the temperature of your faith today?

Reflections on "Crazy Love"

2010-07-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Francis Chan’s recent book, Crazy Love (2008), has been among Amazon.com’s 100 best sellers for the last 255 days—currently it ranks #69, and #1 for books on “Christian Living.” I’d been wanting to read it, and on vacation this summer I had the opportunity to do so.

Just to be clear, in this case “crazy” has entirely positive connotations. Radical devotion to Jesus and detachment from fleeting earthly treasures may look foolish to unbelievers, but Chan helps us see how it’s really anything else that’s crazy if you know and love Jesus. In fact, it’s insane to love things and yawn at Almighty God.

The book begins with a few chapters to help readers “see” God—to correct our small, shallow, and desperately inaccurate view of the Lord. Countless problems in countless stagnant, small-minded, conflict-ridden, love-starved churches are rooted in a failure to truly see God: horizontal troubles follow from vertical failings. “The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God” (22). The theater of nature provides a special stage on which God displays his splendor: the heavens declare the glory of God. Chan goes to great lengths to help us step back and wonder at the awesome reality of the Lord God!

The key contrast in the book is between “lukewarm” and “obsessed” Christians. Lukewarm religious people make God puke—he wants to spit them out (see Rev 3:15-17). Chapter 4 profiles the lukewarm. The message is chilling, and indicting—and I must admit that I feel sin’s pull toward many of the ugly manifestations of the bland, nominal religion Chan attacks. But note, his frontal assault on the American church stems not from meanness but broken-hearted love for the church, the beloved bride of Christ.

Chan contends that “Lukewarm Christian” is an oxymoron—that is, there’s no such thing (83-84). Lukewarm church-goers, like the Laodiceans, aren’t Christians. “We will not see them in heaven” (84). Authentic followers of Jesus are moved, aroused and drawn to live out their faith in zealous (i.e., “hot”) ways. And so, those who profess to be Chrsitians should examine themselves (2 Cor 13:5); don’t assume you’re “good soil” (Mark 4:20) unless you’re fruitful in cherishing and spreading Jesus’ love. “I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns” (67).

In bold contrast with the lukewarm, Chan points to the “obsessed” (ch. 8). Genuine believers are not just “nice,” decent, law-abiding folk, friendly and polite. There’s more, so much more, to true faith (130). Like loving enemies, and forgiving those who commit even heinous crimes against us. Christians are risk takers, bold to step out in faith and witness. Chan laments how the American church is so often safety-centered. “We’ve elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God’s best is…” (133), and his best for us is not always earthly comfort.

Authentic Christians are “obsessed with Jesus,” and that means they: give freely, love those who hate them, live lives that connect with the poor, admit their pride, seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known, think about heaven frequently, have a passionate love for God that overshadows every other thing and being, don’t put on an act for others or God, have a 24/7 spiritual life, and take joy in serving people (it isn’t a burden to them). Secular people may call such obsessed Christians “fanatics,” but the radical, unconventional love of Jesus that exudes from them will reach the hearts of many critics. Chapter 9 then gives several mini biographies of Christians, many of them relatively obscure, who’ve lived “obsessed with Jesus” lives (terrific stories!—though I have questions about some of those named).

This is a great book, and I hope you read it! But it does require some discernment—some (shall we say) “unpacking.” I think in particular of how Chan tends to err in the direction of oversimplification. Like the many times readers are exhorted to “surrender totally,” be “obsessed,” give up everything, it’s all or nothing, no half-heartedness, trust God completely, be faithful in every aspect of life, hold nothing back…

Of course, this call to devotion is biblical and right and necessary, and we need to be confronted in our religious play-acting and self-protection. But Chan does not do enough to help us see how all these great biblical ideals are reached—even by the most mature of believers—only progressively and only in part this side of heaven. He does not do enough to help Christian readers process the present and future realities of ongoing sin. This is not to excuse willful sin, but to grapple with the Bible’s pervasive theme that we remain far from perfect all our days, all the way to glory (e.g., Matt 6:12; Phil 3:12; Jas 3:2; 5:16; 1 John 1:8-10). To be sure, Chan admits that Christians do sin and indicates that the aim in this life is movement toward Christ and not perfection (87-88). But the fierce “in your face” message of the book—as good and necessary as it is—becomes weakened by the shortage of attention to the way we experience all the great, biblical ideals that are set forth only in part this side of glory.

With that word of clarification, I recommend the book. The strong points far outweigh this weakness. Chan’s word is a breath of fresh air and a kick in the pants all at once. Don’t miss it!

Love for God's Word

2010-06-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

In this world in which so many voices would tell us the Bible is just another religious book, just another ancient work of literature, just a compilation of human aspirations and cherished legends and so on, it’s vital to pause and get our bearings: to renew our respect for and devotion to God’s inspired and fully truthful Word.

And yet, some may find it odd to talk of “devotion” to a book. In fact, there are those both in and outside of the church who charge Bible lovers with “bibliolatry” (i.e., practicing idolatry with the Bible as our object of worship). What do we make of this?

Consider Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Notice how waiting for the Lord and hoping in his Word are tied together: in fact, relying on God and depending on the Bible are profoundly intertwined. There’s no necessary conflict between trusting God and trusting his message to the world. In fact, not to cherish the Word and devote ourselves to it would be a serious problem. And further, how could we possibly not love to hear from the One who has forgiven and adopted and loved us? So let me urge you to think carefully and not fall for any simplistic separation between God and God’s message. Loving the Scriptures is natural and good and right for all God’s children.

Still, concern over bibliolatry is legitimate—it can be a real problem. When is love for the Bible wrong?

First and foremost, when it’s not inspired by a love for the God who speaks in the Bible.

Zeal for Scripture also goes awry when it’s not paired with sincere readiness to embrace and apply what is taught. If we just love the intellectual stimulation of Bible study and theological bantering, but we don’t really (deep down) intend to live out what God says, we’ve put ourselves on the throne and effectively rejected God as Lord!

Identifying that Special Someone

2010-05-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

In the last post, I talked about how important it is, when preparing for marriage, to BE the right one rather than just to find the right person. Here, then, is a follow-up question: what should you be looking for in a potential spouse? How do you know that he or she really is “the one”?

Look for someone, and definitely wait for someone, who shares your faith in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14). Marriage is hard enough even when you both desire to follow the Lord and obey his Word. Not being on the same page spiritually leads to all kinds of confusion and trouble with: time allocation, spending, values, leisure, parenting…

Look for someone helpful—who’s learned (or is learning) to serve and support and bless others. When you see him with his family, does he help out around the house? Does she expect to be waited upon?

Marry a hard worker. A man who doesn’t provide for his family is out of line (1 Tim 5:8). A godly woman works with eager hands (Prov 31:13).

Look for someone with good friends. Having healthy friendships means a person knows how to give and take, listen and share, offer and receive correction, and be a steady support—good “practice” for marriage.

Marry someone whose character you respect. Attraction is not enough.

Look for humility—someone eager to learn and willing to apologize (Phil 2:3). Watch out for the refrain, “That’s just the way I am.”

Look for someone who has positive relationships with his/her parents.

Marry someone who’s a careful, patient thinker. For example, someone who can see the grain of truth in a viewpoint they reject, or who avoids sweeping generalizations that toss the baby out with the bath water.

Look for a maturing Christian who’s committed to a church body and is actively serving, learning, caring, and spreading Christ’s love.

Don’t marry someone you hope will change later: they won’t change. And marriage will only accentuate what bothered you before the wedding.

Marry a stable person, steady under pressure. Is he all roller coaster, highs and lows? Do you never know what mood she’ll be in? Then slow down—the stability for marriage isn’t there yet.

And by all means, be patient about this decision: better to be single and wish you were married than married and wish you were single.

BEING the Right Person

2010-05-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

In the life-stage of transitioning into adulthood, the relationships we long for are found not so much by looking but by being.

Do you want good friendships? Then make it your aim, first and foremost, not to search out good friends but BE a good friend. Do you want to meet Mr. or Miss Right? Then make it your aim, first and foremost, not to seek out that special someone but to BE that special someone.

Let me focus on marriage in particular. The mindset of being the man or woman God wants you to be today is a stance of faith. It means trusting the Lord to work on you, help you grow in spiritual depth and personal maturity, and lead you into greater holiness.

You say “holiness” isn’t on your marriage preparation checklist? That’s all the more reason you need to focus on being the right person more than finding your special someone. Ephesians 5:21-33 reveals a breathtaking design for Christian marriage in which husbands and wives die to themselves and live to love one another, and that requires spiritual depth and maturity. It’s a beautiful vision of married life, but that beauty never flowers and its joy is never known by immature, self-seeking spouses.

Being “the right one” is a goal that doesn’t impose a timetable on God. But the “gotta find someone” attitude is time-driven: it doesn’t consider that now may not be best and God may want you to wait. Maybe the Lord has a lot of refining to do in Mr./Miss Right’s life before it’s time for you two to meet—meeting today might be a disaster. Similarly, are you willing to look in the mirror and admit that that God has a lot of work to do?

Just to clarify, I’m not saying you should be utterly passive and never open your eyes to the people around you. My point is simply this: see today as God’s gift in which he aims to refine you and humble you and shape your soul in Christ-loving and Christ-like ways. Don’t assume you’re ready for marriage and it’s God’s job now to bring that special someone along. Assume, instead, that all delays are orchestrated by the Lord for good purposes (Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28), and that at the center of those purposes is sanctification—your growth in godliness. Your marriage will be SO much stronger and more joyful and satisfying if you trust God with time.

Resurrection as Keystone

2010-04-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

You simply can’t overstate the bedrock importance in Christianity of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Put it this way: the resurrection is the keystone at the center of God’s grand arch spanning from history to eternity, bridging over the chasm of sin and death; without it, the whole structure of salvation comes tumbling down.

This, of course, means the resurrection—Christ’s historical, physical return from death to life—is not one of those peripheral points or secondary issues on which believers may feel free to differ. No, it’s pivotal and essential. I base this on Paul’s clear and relentless line of argumentation in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19. IF Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead...

- Faith in Christ is useless and futile;
- Preaching of Christ and spreading the Gospel are in vain;
- Believers are false witnesses—we’re liars (i.e., about Jesus being raised and about our future beyond this life);
- Believers are still in their sins—i.e., not forgiven, guilty of violating God’s justice and holiness, enemies of God;
- Christians who’ve died are hopelessly lost forever;
- We’re a pitiful lot—more pitiful than any other people on earth.

So the resurrection of Jesus is right at the heart of Christian belief—deny it or dismiss it or reduce it to some notion of “living on in our memory” and, very simply, it you’re no longer dealing with New Testament Christianity.

As you reflect on the importance of Christ’s resurrection, I hope it strikes you as glorious and breathtaking! Giving mental assent to Bible truths is crucial, but crucial as well is “getting it” deep down in your soul. The resurrection is no mere fact: it’s God’s magnificent stroke of victory in battle against sin, Satan and death (does your heart leap up and cheer?). And it’s the ray of hope for all who trust Jesus for true eternal life!

So stand in awe: Christ is risen—he is risen indeed!

"Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted"

2010-04-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a weighty and wonderfully truth-filled hymn about the momentous events of Good Friday. It was written by Thomas Kelly in 1804 as he reflected on Isaiah 53:4: "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted" (ESV). We will use this song in our Good Friday worship this evening:

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!
’Tis the long expected prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
’Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.

Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See Who bears the awful load!
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost.
Christ the Rock of our salvation,
Christ the Name of which we boast.
Lamb of God for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

[Listen to Fernando Ortega sing this song.]

Prayer Is Hard

2010-03-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Prayer is difficult! Sound strange to say that? How hard is it just to talk to God—to tell him your concerns? You don’t have to yell or speak some fancy language or have lots of merit points to talk to God: just pray, talk (out loud, silently—or even “talk” with your posture, with your eyes, from the heart). Prayer is simple.

Okay, true enough. But acquiring and preserving the inclination to pray is hard. The longing and readiness to make time to be still before the Lord are easily destroyed. Why is this? There are several reasons.

First, Satan never opposes Christ-followers more than when we pray. After all, we’re no threat to his evil schemes on our own—that would be laughable, we’re like a fly to his bulldozer. But when we call out to the Almighty, Satan cringes. So if you mean to pray, be assured that Satan will come against you fully armed! Prayer is hard because prayer is war.

Second, prayer is hard because we’re proud. We want to be applauded as bright, successful achievers who can say, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” But prayer is that place where you fall flat on your face and see with painful clarity that your work is not what counts: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor 4:7).

Third, prayer is hard because we’re pragmatic. This outlook asks, “What works?”: we act, plan, organize; we live to check off the “to do” list. Pragmatists love visible, tangible, temporal effects—like numbers, dollars, bricks and mortar. But this fixation on human action and earthly results pushes soul-probing prayer down the list of priorities to a place where it shrivels up.

Fourth, distraction also ruins prayer—multi-tasking, busy-ness, frenzied lifestyles, the inability to quiet down and sit still. Our culture values maximum juggling of activities (email – work – text – shop – errands – study – clean – write – call…). Juggling is “in,” and yet how much can you really concentrate on each ball that’s in the air? But God says “Be still” (Ps 46:10). Jesus says, “Come and rest” (Mt 11:28-30). Are we willing to go against the current of a busy culture?

Fifth, we also find it hard to pray, of course, if we’re harboring sin in our hearts. Any time known sin is allowed to linger or (worse yet) is nurtured in our twisted hearts, we effectively put a lid on our own prayers. For example, God commands husbands to treat their wives with loving consideration “in order that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7): sin torpedoes prayer. Failing to fight sin is an attitude—whether we admit this or not—that says we don’t take God seriously and we don’t really care to speak with him in prayer.

So, watch out for these spiritual land mines—they’re deadly!

But having said that, take heart: God invites and commands us to pray (Matt 7:7; 1 Thess 4:17), and he’ll help us. Remember, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Draw near to him, and he’ll draw near to you (Jas 4:8). The Lord is at work among his people “to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13). And he’s able to do far more than we ask or imagine for the sake of our spiritual progress and his greater glory (Eph 3:20-21)!

How is your faith?

2010-02-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

“How is your faith?” That’s THE pressing question on Paul’s mind as he waits to get word about his dear Christian friends in Thessalonica. Acts records his first visit there (17:1-10)—a short stay in which Paul taught from the Scriptures and summoned the people to entrust their lives to Jesus, the crucified and risen Messiah. Several people were persuaded (both Jews and Gentiles, 17:4) and embraced Christ in faith, and thus was born the church at Thessalonica.

But trouble struck this young body of believers quickly: within weeks of arriving, Paul was forced to leave town. He then proclaimed the Gospel in the next town (Berea), only to be tracked down there by his aggressive Thessalonian opponents. So he sailed 200-plus miles south to Athens, leaving the infant Thessalonian church behind. These were new believers and they were facing intense pressure from the Gospel’s enemies. Paul knew they could be in great spiritual danger.

Eventually he sent Timothy back to check up on them (1 Thess 3:2). Notice that when he did this, the aim was NOT to find out if the persecution has lightened up and the believers were safe and comfortable. No, the key concern was the status of their faith: were they still trusting and resting in the Lord Jesus Christ? Look at 3:1-10: Paul sent Timothy “to strengthen and encourage you in your faith” (3:2); “I sent Timothy to find out about your faith” (3:5); thankfully, Timothy “has brought good news about your faith and love” (3:6); “Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith” (3:7); “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith” (3:10).

This is the issue that matters. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you have a great family or wonderful friends or athletic ability or skill to succeed as a doctor or politician or nuclear scientist. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re popular or beautiful or strong or smart, or if your church has big numbers and attractive programs: heart-reliance on Christ is what matters.

Are you trusting Jesus today for saving grace and the sure hope of eternal life? Are you relying on him for reconciliation with the Father and adoption into his forever family? What do you “need” to be content in this universe? Is it enough to know Jesus and rest in his sovereign care? Will you still depend on him and look to him for peace that passes understanding and true meaning in life even when enemies of the Gospel mock and exclude and threaten and assault you? Paul eventually got good news: the faith of the Thessalonians was alive and strong! “How is your faith?”

DeYoung reviews McLaren's new book

2010-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:00

I'm sure we'll hear more about Brian McLaren's recent book (A New Kind of Christianity) in due course, as reactions to his views and writings abound. The recent review of McLaren's book by Kevin DeYoung (click here) raises pointed and profound questions. It's worth reading carefully.

God's Love and Human Suffering

2010-02-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

In a recent sermon on God’s compassion (Jan. 31, on Luke 15:11-32), I noted that there was an elephant in the room: “How can we speak of a loving God in the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake?” This question arises in many honest hearts—I’m guessing we’ve all struggled with it. It’s also a question that has lunged into popular attention in surges in the past (e.g., after the 2004 Tsunami, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, etc.).

Just to be clear, we’re not asking about suffering that results from sin, such as trafficking, terror, or murder. Natural disasters don’t stem from God-defying impulses in the human heart. (And yet, even with sin-based suffering, questions about God’s permission and intentions arise—but that’s another discussion.)

Can we reconcile the love of God with harrowing affliction due to earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods—and let’s add diseases like small pox and cancer? Please see my posts, Haiti Earthquake and In the Wake of Disaster, for some introductory thoughts to provide a biblical framework even as we voice sincere questions.

In his article, “A Fault Is Not a Sin,” atheist Christopher Hitchens says it’s idiotic to blame anything other than geology for the Haitian quake. But of course, what else can he say from where he stands: if God is excluded from one’s vision of reality, all is material and temporal, and we live and move in a meaningless abyss. End of conversation.

On the other hand, if one means to consider seriously the interpretation of reality presented in the Bible, one has to reckon with a God who’s able to intervene within his created order and, for example, prevent natural disasters. God isn’t helpless; he’s no mere bystander looking on as nature takes a chaotic course. The Lord is active within creation and history.

In Christ God demonstrated his power over nature (e.g., calming storms, walking on water, multiplying food, raising the dead). The Bible teaches that God is powerful—all-powerful—and that his might is exercised within the sphere of this-world, this-life experience. He parted the sea (Exod 14), toppled the walls of Jericho (Josh 6), protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Dan 3), and so on. And of course, the grand miracle of all time was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. With God, all things are possible (Matt 19:26; Luke 1:37). “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen 18:14; cf. Jer 32:17). So we won’t solve our problem by denying the power of God: he is able to do anything and everything that he chooses to do: the Lord does whatever he pleases (Ps 115:3).

The Bible also insists that God is a God of love: He is love (1 John 4:8), and in all things he works for the good of his people (Rom 8:28). God loves “the world” and in Christ he reaches out with open arms of compassion (John 3:16). In the cross God demonstrates breathtaking love for undeserving sinners (Rom 5:8): there is no greater love than Christ’s (John 15:13).

The keys to comprehending God’s love, however, are two: 1) He does not promise and is not obliged to show his love by giving humans pleasant or even tolerable earthly circumstances. In fact, the Lord has all eternity in which to enact and express his love toward his people. Suffering here and now is no sign of the absence of God’s love.

2) There’s more to God’s character than love—he is love, yes; but he’s also just and holy, and in his white hot moral purity he abhors sin. Both love and holiness are true: sin must be punished (holiness), yet God makes a way for Another to take our guilt upon his shoulders (love).

Let’s step back: a huge turn in the plot of God’s story takes place in Genesis 3: sin enters an otherwise perfect world. With sin came interpersonal strife, physical toil and bodily death (3:16-19), and all humanity was plunged into calamity along with Adam and Eve. And more: notice how the curse brought serious damage upon creation itself (thorns and thistles, 3:18). So in some sense, nature itself was twisted and damaged by sin. In Romans 8 Paul describes how creation itself now “groans,” awaiting the final reversal of sin’s destructive effects (8:22). Nature’s convulsions fall in this category: they signal the terrible destructive effect of sin in the realm of God’s creation.

Let me clarify: I’m not saying we can identify each instance of suffering due to natural disasters as a direct punishment deserved by the specific person(s) who undergo such suffering. John 9:1-3 proves otherwise: there’s no simple blame-line to link all suffering back to a person’s sins. So too in Luke 13:4-5: when the tower at Siloam fell (due to an earthquake?) and killed eighteen people, was it because they were worse sinners than other people? Jesus says NO. And yet, he urges onlookers to repent: let the sudden snuffing out of others’ lives move you to turn from sin and trust in Christ and thus be ready to meet your Maker.

It’s also true that our loving God often weaves searing hardship into the fabric of our ultimate good (e.g., Heb 12:5-11; 2 Cor 1:3-11; Gen 50:20). Paul pleaded for relief from a “thorn in the flesh,” but in time he realized his healing wouldn’t be for the best (2 Cor 12:7-10). Still, living with an affliction isn’t the same as being struck dead. The suddenness in which death can strike is used by God to warn us not to be presumptuous about the future or assume all will be well (Jas 4:13-17; Luke 13:1-5). The door of opportunity to repent and be saved is not held open forever (2 Pet 3:8-9).

But what about the children, even babies, tragically killed in Haiti? How does God love them? If being allowed to live at least an average earthly lifespan is the measure of God’s love, then love fails. But isn’t God free to show his love in the age to come, beyond this fleeting, temporal existence? The Bible doesn’t say a great deal about the eternal state of those who die in infancy, but a solid biblical case is made that they enter into glory with Christ. See, for example, messages and studies on this topic by Charles Spurgeon, Al Mohler, Sam Storms, and Desiring God Ministries.

In the end, then, I urge you to look around at this troubled world, imitate the Savior's heart of compassion for the lost (Matt 9:36), look up to the Master of All Things and echo Genesis 18:25, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

In the Wake of Disaster

2010-01-14T10:32:00.001-08:00

The world is reeling in the aftermath of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. The Wall Street Journal is comparing it with the 2004 Christmas tsunami that had a six-digit death toll. These are sobering days.

Many people may be wondering how to make sense of such grievous misery. How would God have us look at this? How are we to understand a world in which such seemingly random, dreadfully severe suffering strikes as it does? Let me offer a few ideas:

1. “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10). Resist the impulse to accuse God of wrong, and instead cover your mouth. “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away” (Job 1:21). Does the pot have a right to find fault with the Potter (Rom 9:20)? The Lord does not answer to us: we answer to Him.

2. “The Lord reigns” (Pss 96:10; 99:1; 115:3), even now—as always.

3. God does not always disclose his purposes to us. Some questions remain unanswered in this life. The Lord has all eternity to put things right, and he does what he does in his own good time.

4. Seek answers in God’s Word. Don’t let the panic of the moment propel you away from the only Source of Truth that can provide a solid footing in this world’s swamp of sorrow. Read Job 1-2 and 38-41; Luke 13:1-9; John 9:1-5; Prov 1:7; Luke 8:25; Pss 104:32; 147:15-18; Amos 3:6; Isaiah 45:7. Among other things, the Word teaches that even when Satan is instrumental in human suffering, God is not caught off-guard or held hostage by the Enemy: affliction is permitted purposefully, and one purpose is to humble hearts and drive us to our knees in repentance (Luke 13:3). Disasters are a wake up call to a world snoozing in the dreamland of earthly pleasures: life is short, insecure, and dangerous; seize the moment (while it lasts) and run to Christ for mercy and eternal life.

5. Weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15). Love your neighbors (Luke 10:25-37), including those in Haiti. As one step to take, consider donating to Food for the Hungry.

Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-14T08:30:00.001-08:00

I just re-read several articles John Piper has written on how to think about natural disasters and resulting human suffering. Very helpful. Very sobering. The Word of God has much to say to help us get our bearings amidst life's quaking.

Read the Bible in Two Years

2010-01-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

I just began again with a two-year Bible reading plan. I don't know about you, but I really benefit from the structure of a plan/schedule for regular Bible reading. Otherwise I end up wandering and fizzling out. Here's a two-year schedule I developed: click here.
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The Tiger Woods Drama

2009-12-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

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).

God's Work for His People

2009-12-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

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.

God's Amazing Creation!

2009-11-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

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"

2009-11-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

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.

The church is...

2009-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

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.

Vision and Vista

2009-09-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

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).

In good times and hard times

2009-09-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

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).

Taking stock at summer's end

2009-09-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

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!

10 Questions

2009-08-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

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.

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

Inerrancy through the ages

2009-08-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

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.

What is church?

2009-07-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

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."

Yearning

2009-07-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

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).

Soul Food

2009-07-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

“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.

Multi-Site Churches and the Future...

2009-07-06T15:21:00.001-07:00

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

Summer Struggles

2009-07-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

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!

Fame and Death

2009-06-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

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.