Phor Phillies Phans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So I wonder. I wonder what Obama would say.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bibliolatry?

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

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

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

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

When People Are Big...

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

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

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

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

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

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Itching Ears

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

Itching ears...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Kingdom of God

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

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

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

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

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

Lukewarm

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

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

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

Scattered Church

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

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

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

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

God-Centered Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

The City That Never Sleeps

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

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

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

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

Awakening

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Consider the Flowers"

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

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

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

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

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

Resurrection

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

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

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

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

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

Review of "Blue Like Jazz"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There Has To Be More Than This

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Luong Children

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

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

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

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

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

Suddenly Christmas

My daughter Emily and I were in the car the other day listening to Christmas music on 101.1 FM when, what to my wondering ears should appear, but John Denver singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Of course, it didn’t take long until they played Bing Crosby’s, "White Christmas" (and yes, it seems it is only a dream). And then there was Burl Ives, Amy Grant, Natalie Cole, Elvis Presley--which pop singers haven’t done a Christmas album?

So there’s the music of the season. Plus the lights, cookies, parties, decorating, shopping, Christmas cards, seasonal movies and TV pro­grams (my favorite is "A Charlie Brown Christmas"): this must be the most tradition-laden event in the year (at least, it is for our family).

A risk in reenacting such cherished traditions is that we’d lose sight of the big picture; God’s designs for the first Christmas can get buried under piles of wrapping paper as we open gifts around the tree. To push back the steamroller of pleasant customs and recover the God-exalting core of Christmas, we need to pay attention to the details of Scripture.

Let’s take the shepherds, for example (Luke 2:8-20). In fact, the story of shepherds "abiding in the fields" can itself degenerate into a holiday ritual of soothing words and nothing more. But if we prayerfully re-read this account with our eyes and minds wide open, we’ll see some striking details. Like "suddenly" in 2:13: "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" It isn’t enough to know that first one angel spoke and then many others appeared as well. We must realize that the appearance of the "host" was sudden and unexpected--they burst onto the scene.

What does this imply? That there was energy and zeal and anticipation in heaven to announce the breathtaking Incarnation. God’s great plan had been riveted on this event since eternity past, and now its time had come! So picture the array of angelic singers (and the text suggests a massive company--at least thousands...) all lined up and ready to go; imagine them, as it were, right behind the curtain, all set, on pitch, wait­ing for the cue to explode into visibility. Waiting, still waiting, no not yet, not now, wait, wait, any second, hang on: NOW! Glory to God in the highest!

May your Christmas also bring sudden bursts of praise to Jesus Christ, the Newborn King!

On Temptation

Several things struck me in a recent study of 1 Corinthians 10:1-14. I’ll highlight two of them here.

For one, the sins Paul lists (idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God, and grumbling) don’t seem to fit in the same category. Grumbling in particular looks out of place next to an “enormous” offense like idolatry. But perhaps seeing things this way reveals how I (we?) have adopted the world’s and not the Bible’s values. Grumbling, at root, is a way of heaping scorn on the power, wisdom, and love of God—it’s a gesture of “unfaith” and rebellion. Speaking words of defiance against the God who made us and reigns over all things is spiritual high treason. So if you’re in the habit of finding fault, don’t say “That’s just the way I am.” Call on the Lord to forgive you and change your heart!

Secondly, let me offer some steps to take to resist sexual temptation:

· First, agree with the Bible that sexual sin is wrong. This is a big step in a culture that has turned sexual stimulation into a form of casual recreation.

· Admit that you are tempted (pretending to be unaffected, to be “above” such things, only makes matters worse; it cuts you off from those who can encourage you when temptation hits).

· Have a few close Christian friends who will meddle in your personal life and ask you if you’re honoring God with your eyes and your sexuality (and do the same for them).

· Stay away from known danger. Be honest with yourself—you know the places and situations where temptations are especially strong. Run from these hazards (10:14).

· Be especially stringent with yourself when you’re alone. Don’t fall for the lie that “no one is watching.” The Lord sees!

"One Another"

Having close spiritual friendships isn’t just a nice idea: it’s essential for followers of Jesus. We need to give and receive God-focused, faith-building encouragement to avoid being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness and to persevere with Christ to the end (Heb 3:12-14). That's a serious need--not like "I need a new tie," but like "I need food and water." Are you in a small fellowship of faithful Christian friends who love and challenge each other on a deep level, so that you can survive and thrive in your faith?

The Bible calls us to a deep, mature body life in which we bless “one another” in many ways:

Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
Be subject to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
Forgive one another (Colossians 3:13)
Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Confront one another (Colossians 3:16)
Stir one another up (Hebrews 10:24)
Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Honor one another (Romans 12:10)
Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Love one another (Romans 13:8)

Remember, “one another” means reciprocal care—giving and receiving support. And for that believers need small groups!

Summertime Christianity

During summer, a number of temptations come at followers of Christ with added force. I’ll name three.

For one, there’s the unspoken appeal to lower your priority on the body life of the church and mutual encouragement due to summer’s special attractions: away at the shore / the lake / the cabin / the farm, on vacation, gone camping, off to see relatives, etc. Now, of course, it’s good to get a break—we all need it. And it’s good to reconnect with loved ones who live far away. But a reasonable summer break can quickly slide into a vanishing act in which your brothers and sisters in your church family hardly get a glimpse of you. Don’t snub the body of Christ to keep pace with the summer rat-race!

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 be exactly in fashion, but there are more important things than dressing in the latest skimpy style. Godly people find it a great relief when those around them don’t make their bodies “exhibit A.” Think about how you can encourage others by how you dress. Think about how you can help fellow believers who are struggling to be faithful to Christ with their eyes.

A third pot-hole along the summer road is the disarray that can overrun your devotional life. A fruit of more predictable scheduling in other seasons of the year is the regularity we can find for the spiritual disciplines (e.g., Bible reading, prayer, fasting, meditation)—we’re creatures of habit, and that has its advantages. So, be deliberate, build protected “space” into your summer schedule so that your spiritual life can flourish!

Love of Money

Nigerian pastor Michael Okonkwo says God provides for his children to be wealthy here on earth: “When I say wealthy, I mean very, very rich…. Break loose! It is not a sin to desire to be wealthy” (Christianity Today, July 2007, p. 23). Of course, there’s no shortage of prosperity preachers in the USA who say the same thing.

When people are telling Christians that longing to be rich is acceptable and good, it’s time to open the Bible.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NIV): “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

So the Word of God is clear: wanting to get rich is dangerous. It brings you into “temptation” (e.g., the temptation to find joy and security in earthly things), and you fall into a “trap” (e.g., the trap of self-serving materialism from which you can’t escape). What’s more, the longing for wealth ignites other harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Ponder the term “plunge.” Picture a water slide with a steep drop—it feels like a free fall. Then imagine what it would take to stop mid-plunge and turn around! And think about the outcomes, “ruin” and “destruction”—not vague or subtle terms! Setting your heart on wealth leads to “all kinds of evil,” including wandering away from the faith—from authentic faith in Jesus Christ.

MUCH is at stake when it comes to your heart. Deep down, is your longing to gain earthly riches? I plead with you to ignore the prosperity preachers, set your heart on Christ, and be content (6:8)!

VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS

A very dark cloud has come over the American college community this week. We all saw coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings, watching in dismay and horror. Thirty-two lives ended, just like that: Ross • Christopher • Brian • Ryan • Austin • Jocelyne • Daniel • Kevin • Matthew • Caitlin • Jeremy • Rachael • Emily • Jarrett • Matthew • Henry • Liviu • G.V. • Partahi • Lauren • Daniel • Juan • Minal • Erin • Michael • Julia • Mary • Reema • Waleed • Leslie • Maxine • Nicole.

There is much to PRAY about in the wake of this disaster. Pray for comfort for grieving relatives and friends of the victims. Pray that devastated survivors will run to and not away from God in this hour of great vulnerability. Pray that this shocking reminder of life’s fragility will help many “invincible” people to grapple with the fact of death and come to Christ for eternal life.

Amidst the tumult of emotions and questions, no doubt we all wonder about God’s purposes: what was God up to that morning at VT? Where is God when tragedy strikes—especially when it hits those who are innocent? How can we make sense of this madness?

There are ways of answering such questions that only make things worse. Like supposing God wasn’t able to prevent the suffering (the biblical message about God’s omnipotence is clear; see, e.g., Ps 115:3; Jer 32:17; Dan 4:35; Eph 3:20; etc.). Or imagining that God doesn’t really care enough to meet our needs (see John 3:16; Rom 5:8; 8:38-39). Better to pause, take a breath, and recognize that in some ways God and his designs are beyond us. (When you think about it, how could it be any other way? How could God be God and still somehow fit into our human-sized imaginations and limitations? It is perfectly reasonable that the God of the universe is way too vast to be captured in our fallible human reasoning.)

Let me recommend a resource that I’ve found helpful when pondering these large questions. John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, wrote an article after Columbine and then updated it after 9/11 in which he offers twenty-one suggestions for ministering to grieving survivors in the aftermath of tragedy.

God bless you as you seek his face and as you pray for his sovereign ingenuity to overturn evil for good!

GOSSIP AND THE CHURCH

Gossip involves talking behind someone’s back and saying things you wouldn’t say if he or she were present. Talking about rather than to others is like walking on a frozen pond on a warm day in March--dangerous!

Why do people gossip? Because they--we--desire attention and power. Believers who gossip exhibit spiritual immaturity; it shows we’re not satisfied with acceptance by Christ and not ready to entrust our lives to his strong, loving hands. What’s more, when we willingly listen to gossip, it corrodes our conscience and we take on part of the guilt for spreading hurtful talk.

What does gossip do to the church? Like a carbon monoxide leak, it brings deadly consequences. Listen to Proverbs: A gossip betrays a confidence (11:13; 20:19). Gossip separates close friends (16:28). Gossip fans the flames of a quarrel so they won’t die down (26:20). When we tolerate gossip, we’re giving approval to betrayal within the body. By contrast, love for our neighbors means stopping them mid-sentence to say, "I won’t listen to this, and I believe you should speak directly with the person you’re talking about."

Gossip is poison to community. Post a guard at your mouth (Eph 4:29) to prevent the escape of all unnecessary words about people who aren’t present. The only words to let flow freely are complements. Before saying anything else about anyone, ask yourself if the curious listener needs to know what you know. When in doubt, be quiet.

If you have things you truly need to say that concern others (e.g., words of warning, correction, rebuke), deliver them directly to the people involved (Matt 18:15) and not to others--not even to close friends or your spouse. Avoid inflammatory words and exaggeration. And remember to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).

FORD, BROWN, & SADDAM

A few days ago I saw news headlines about the deaths of Gerald Ford, James Brown, and Saddam Hussein on the same page. An interesting threesome, aren’t they?

Gerald Ford, born in Nebraska, raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eagle Scout, center on University of Michigan football team, law school, in navy during WWII, married and father of four, elected to congress, eventually Vice President and President of the US, dies at age 93.

James Brown, born during the Depression in South Carolina, jailed for armed robbery, later drawn to gospel music, then rhythm and blues, becomes the “godfather of soul,” given lifetime achievement Grammy award, yet never learns to read music, dies of heart failure.

Saddam Hussein, born in Iraq, abused by stepfather, raised by uncle, leaves law school to join revolutionary Baath Party, BP takes power in 1963 coup, he becomes government “strongman,” clutches at land and oil in Iran-Iraq war, lashes out at Kurds, invades Kuwait, deposed in 2003, hanged in 2006 for crimes against humanity.

These men led profoundly different lives, yet they had this in common: their days were numbered. Death can’t be evaded, not by power or fame or wealth or anything. Death is a great equalizer; the small and the great are suddenly the same. And the only question will be whether or not Someone has paid the penalty for your defiance of Almighty God. Do you know and trust in Jesus Christ so that you’re ready for death (John 3:16)? Have you received his gift of resurrection life (11:25)?

CHRISTIANS AND CLIMATE

The "Evangelical Climate Initiative" is an important and urgent statement about how Christian discipleship relates to care of the planet. Followers of Christ in the Western world have often not considered how climate change affects the poor and vulnerable more than it does others, but the ECI helps us see this clearly. What's more, I found the stated reasons for the necessity of an active response by Christians to climate change to be both persuasive and compelling:

• "Christians must care about climate change because we love God the Creator and Jesus our Lord, through whom and for whom the creation was made. This is God's world, and any damage that we do to God's world is an offense against God Himself (Gen. 1; Ps. 24; Col. 1:16).
  
• Christians must care about climate change because we are called to love our neighbors, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, and to protect and care for the least of these as though each was Jesus Christ himself (Mt. 22:34-40; Mt. 7:12; Mt. 25:31-46).
  
• Christians, noting the fact that most of the climate change problem is human induced, are reminded that when God made humanity he commissioned us to exercise stewardship over the earth and its creatures. Climate change is the latest evidence of our failure to exercise proper stewardship, and constitutes a critical opportunity for us to do better (Gen. 1:26-28)."

The Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College recently hosted a lecture series on "Global Climate Change: A Faithful Response," in which Dr. Duane Litfin, President of Wheaton College and a signer of the ECI, was a participant. Wheaton's CACE also offers a brief review of the documentary film, "An Inconvenient Truth."

May the Lord grant us wisdom and courage to face these enormous challenges!

BART CAMPOLO ON HELL

BART CAMPOLO AND THE DOCTRINE OF HELL

By Dr. Peter K. Nelson
Senior Pastor, Goshen Baptist Church
West Chester, Pennsylvania

In his article, “The Limits of God’s Grace” (Journal of Student Ministries, Nov.-Dec., 2006), Bart Campolo challenges the classic biblical doctrine of hell, favoring instead a notion of universal salvation. This is a noteworthy essay, not only because of its strong claims but because it is being presented in a publication that has had a significant influence within evangelical ministry circles. Numerous responses to this work are circulating on the internet. I want to comment on several lines of Campolo’s reasoning and various aspects of the case he makes.

SALVATION AND WORKS

If the logic implicitly followed in the article is made explicit, it boils down to a theology of works. The sorrowful story of a nine-year-old girl who is horribly abused and later rejects the Lord for allowing this tragedy is the backdrop for a merit-based view of relating to God. The implication is that, if you suffer enough, if you endure enough pain and abuse in this life, then it is unthinkable that things could turn out badly for you in the end. In other words, the person who faces a sufficient amount of unjust suffering deserves the eternal favor of God. In fact, it is determined that God would be guilty of acting in a way that is out of line and unconscionable if he were to condemn anyone who had faced such an extent of suffering.

There are two problems here. First, how much suffering is enough to exempt a person from the wrath of God? How deeply painful and traumatizing must the abuse be in order to qualify a person absolutely to escape final condemnation? Surely Campolo would not imagine that someone, say, spanked too hard one time as a child would be, for that reason, necessarily bound for heaven. On the other hand, he is vigorous in the effort to portray as innocent victims those who suffer serious abuse, and for such victims any denial of final bliss would be unthinkable. The lack of an objective measure of the seriousness of one’s suffering is a major flaw of reasoning.

Second, and more importantly, in the Bible it is quite clear that no one is saved on the basis of his or her deserving, but only through the all-sufficient merit of Christ. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9, NIV). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4-5a). “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:15-16a). Scores of additional texts could be cited. It would be hard to overstate the importance of this bedrock biblical theme, which was emphasized by the Reformers and has been upheld by orthodox believers through the ages.

DOCTRINE OF GOD

In addition, Campolo frames the whole discussion so as to magnify the love of God and mask various other divine attributes. There simply is no grappling with the holiness of God, or with divine justice, or with the righteous wrath of the Lord. Rather than presenting a balanced and comprehensively biblical doctrine of God and then building an informed understanding of eternal destinies on that founda­tion, it is assumed throughout that love exhaustively represents the character of God.

The boldness with which Campolo asserts his view is stunning: “I simply am not interested in any God but a completely good, entirely loving, and perfectly forgiving One who is powerful enough to utterly triumph over evil. Such a God may not exist, but I will die seeking such a God, and I will pledge my allegiance to no other possibility because, quite frankly, anything less is not worthy of my worship.” We must bear in mind, however, that church history is littered with misguided movements and tragic distortions of the gospel that have resulted from half-truths and the neglect of the full array of divine attributes.

The end product of this approach to God, of course, is belief in universal salvation, a complete redemption and absolute healing “for all of us.” Campolo states that he is not afraid God will damn people if they do not accept Jesus, nor is he in doubt about the hope of universal redemption. In fact, Campolo goes further and depicts negatively those who do not share this hope, although he does not begin to interact with the reasons for which classical Christian belief has always rejected universalism.

BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

It seems that Campolo forms his convictions regarding eternal destiny in a way that neglects biblical authority. With reference to his claim that God is absolutely and entirely loving, he states, “This is my first article of faith. I required no Bible to determine it, and—honestly—I will either interpret away or ignore altogether any Bible verse that suggests otherwise.” He goes on, “I came to trust the Bible again, of course, but only because it so clearly bears witness to the God of love I had already chosen to believe in.” What is absent here is the humble disposition of letting God set the agenda for our thinking and practice; there simply is no readiness to seek out and submit to “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Campolo provides a clear, if disturbing, example of fashioning firm beliefs without genuinely seeking to ground them in the witness of Scripture.

CANON WITHIN A CANON

Campolo favors the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels over against other sections of the New Testament because the life, death and resurrection of Christ seem to be “the best expression of the ultimate truth of God,” namely grace. But this is putting the cart before the horse: how does one responsibly identify the best expression of the ultimate truth of God but by first reading the Bible—the whole Word of God—and then seeking to discern its overarching message about one topic or another (e.g., eternal states)?

Further, when Campolo summarizes the task of following Jesus in the Gospels as feeding the poor and freeing the oppressed, he does not adequately represent the biblical balance of word and deed in discipleship (see, e.g., Luke 4:18-19; 9:2; Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). A study of Mark’s Gospel, for example, shows Jesus and his followers casting out demons and healing the sick as well as proclaiming God’s Word (e.g., 1:14-15, 21, 34, 38; 2:2, 13; 3:14-15; 4:1; 6:12-13); there is a balance of attention to body and soul, to physical and spiritual needs. Framing Jesus’ ministry in terms of social action, however, takes away from this healthy and balanced attention to the whole range of human needs.

RESPONSE TO TRUTH

Campolo puts himself forward in this article in such a way that that minimizes and makes light of truth and of the importance of distinctions between right and wrong. “John Calvin—or Jerry Falwell for that matter—may well be right after all, but if they are I would rather cling to my glorious hope than accept their bitter truth just to save my own skin.” Without going into the various problems created by lumping Calvin and Falwell together in this way, it must at least be noted that this disregard for truth is as far-reaching as it is bold. The impression given is that the beliefs of various other people with whom Campolo disagrees are foolish to say the least, and perhaps even reprehensible. A parallel impression is that Campolo presumes to have the right to dismiss historic doctrines and the revealed truth of Scripture that undergird orthodox theology, thus allowing him to put forward his own distinctive set of ideas.

Furthermore, there is a flippancy about the horrors of hell in this article. To say, under any terms, that you would prefer hell over the prospect of having to accept the views of people you disagree with is grossly to minimize the seriousness of the biblical fact of God’s wrath. Readers are not helped when truth is made subordinate to this kind of brazen disregard of profound and sobering eternal realities.

At one point Campolo contends, “If those things [i.e., claims about the eternal suffering of those who do not accept Christ, and notions of divine sovereignty encompassing human tragedy] are true, then God might as well send me to hell.” The soul gasps when reading this assertion. By contrast, a fitting, God-honoring response at this point might have been, “If those things are true, then I pray that the Lord would graciously and powerfully work in my life to help me accept and submit without reservation to his ways and designs, because I want nothing more in all the universe than to honor God and embrace the Lord’s saving work, through which he offers me deliverance from final judgment.”

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

In “The Limits of God’s Grace,” Campolo fiercely dismisses what is portrayed as a stiff, unfeeling theology, and aggressively commends instead an avant-garde and fresh perspective on God and life. The fact is, however, that there is nothing new or fresh about these ideas. What they amount to, ultimately, is a return to various errors and imbalances that have harmed the church and misrepresented the Word of God at various times in the past (e.g., universalism, the social gospel movement, adopting a canon within the canon, dismissing divine sovereignty, neglecting major aspects of God’s character).

Perhaps the one thing that is fresh and cutting edge in this article is the staggering boldness, the brazen “in your face” approach with which Campolo dismisses biblical authority and assumes the right to determine for himself just what kind of a God there is and must be. He declares that no other conception produces a God worthy of his worship. In the end, Campolo maintains that he will not respond to God in any way other than the way he deems best, and that he will not consider any other view of the Bible, of theology, or of God. There is a vehemence about this essay, a tenacity which, sadly, is deployed in support of seriously misguided hermeneutical and theological claims.

THE END OF GENESIS

Genesis begins with the familiar account of creation. God makes lights, skies, waters, land, animals. The pinnacle of creation involves fashioning humans in God’s own image. When most people think of the first book of the Bible, they think of the creation story.

But do you know how Genesis ends? Chapters 37-50 tell of Joseph’s tumultuous life (favorite son, hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, framed, imprisoned, yet preserved by God and eventually raised to a high office under Pharaoh). Many years after betraying him, his devious brothers beg for mercy. Should Joseph give them what they deserve? He decides to forgive, and then says, “As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, for the saving of many lives” (50:20).

This is not just about finding good in natural calamities (e.g., sickness, disasters), but recognizing God’s good hand at work even beneath the brutal, hateful acts of human sinners. While God is not the author of sin, in his sovereign ingenuity he weaves “all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Yes, all things.

Do you dare to trust the Lord today in a radical way, like Joseph? To trust him with cancer? To trust him with job loss? To trust him with bankruptcy? I know this is hard—it certainly doesn’t come naturally. But by God’s help we can learn to rest in the midst of the storm, knowing that God has not lost control and is weaving strands of pain and suffering into a good future.

PRAYER AND RESULTS

Ephesians 1:15-23 challenges us to practice "mature prayer.” Let’s pursue that idea.

My point is that, as Paul prayed for a high-impact work of God among the Ephesians—an exhibition of immeasurably great divine power (1:19)—he did so as an apostle in chains (6:20). He desired grand transformation for them while enduring miserable affliction himself. His ambitious prayers did not yield relief for his own wrenching trials.

A simplistic reading of the Bible’s prayer promises can be dangerous. “Ask and it will be given to you…” (Matt 7:7). “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13; cf. Mark 11:24; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15; etc.). Are these blanket promises? No.

Prayer is not a switch: flip the switch, get what you want (remember 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). The Lord intends us to live with affliction, at least on some level; he doesn’t promise trouble-free living. There’s a cross to bear (Luke 9:23; cf. Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 3:12). We’re to follow in the steps of the suffering Christ (1 Peter 2:21).

Keeping these texts in balance, in tension, takes a measure of spiritual maturity. It would be easy to fall into triumphalism (ask and it’s yours!) or defeatism (sorrow is my lot in life!). Spiritual maturity avoids both errors. Think of Heb­rews 13:3 and 5 (almost back to back): God will never leave us, yet some of us end up in prison for our faith!

Think of it this way: when you pray and ask the Lord for anything at all, he’ll either give you what you ask for or something better. And he’ll define “better” and act for your good in his time! Mature prayer is at peace with this.

PRAYER CONVERSATION

I’m sure you’ve had the experience of getting caught in a one-sided conversation: your friend goes on and on talking about everything under the sun, from the inane to the profound, including traffic jams, low barometric pressure, rising gas prices, arthroscopic surgery, and mortgage interest rates. You wonder how this person can say so much and still breathe. One thing is sure, when you’re on the receiving end of a one-sided “conversa­tion,” you realize that your thoughts don’t matter.

Sadly, our prayer lives get this way too. We come to God with a wish list and go on and on about all the things we want. In the end it’s all a monologue. We take center stage and rattle on about our needs, our feelings, our wishes, our worries, our fears, our demands. It’s all about us. Will we let God get a word in edgewise, and do we care what he has to say?

A more humble approach is to let the Lord go first. Turn to the Scriptures, the “Word of God,” and allow the Lord speak his good words of comfort, consolation, challenge, and rebuke to your soul: be open to all he has to say! Then let the truth to sink in (don’t hurry) and see how the Lord prompts you to pray in response. You may be surprised at the new requests you make.

This way prayer becomes a conversation: God speaks to us through the Word, and we reply with praise, confes­sion, thanks, and petition. Does your prayer life include two-way communication?

SOUL PRAYER

The most striking thing about Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19 is his focus on the soul: all his requests have to do with the health and growth of the inner being, the “heart,” and none of them center on bodily needs. Although in chains (6:20), Paul’s petitions escape the mundane and transport him into lofty realms of spiritual transformation.

The most sobering thing about Paul’s prayer is how different it is from my typical pattern. My tendency has been to ask the Lord for material blessings of all kinds (health, safety, income, nice weather, etc.). In Ephesians 3 these matters just don’t occur to Paul. Not that it’s wrong to pray for bodily needs and creature comforts—it’s right (e.g., James 5:16, pray for healing). But there’s so much more to an authentic, abundant life for a child of God on this earth: so much more.

The most incredible thing about Paul’s prayer is how high he sets his sights. In other words, the appeal is not merely for a soul tune-up but a total overhaul. In 3:18 the plea is that God would enable us to truly grasp the vast proportions of Christ’s love; in 3:19 Paul’s cry is that believers would “be filled with all the fullness of God.” What more can one ask in prayer for Christians than that God would fill them to the brim with his very presence?

So, is your prayer life soaring with Paul’s lofty heart-cry in 3:14-19, or is it stuck in foggy lowlands?

KNOWING GOD'S WILL

Ephesians 5:17 talks about knowing God’s will. The big picture (Eph 1:9-11) is that the Lord wills to bring all things under the reign of Christ, and toward that end he is forming an international fellowship of formerly-hostile but now-reconciled people into one new body, the church (2:11-22). In more personal terms, God’s will for your life is to walk in holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

But some questions remain unanswered: Should you go to Penn State or Taylor University or enlist or get a job? Should you pop the question? Should you make a career change? Should you study linguistics and join Wycliffe and translate the Bible for an unreached people group?

Although I can’t answer these questions for you, God makes his will known, in his time, when we are:

1. in the Word (the Lord never “speaks” to his people in ways that contradict what he has already revealed in the Scriptures)
   
2. in conversation with him through prayer
   
3. truly open to all possibilities
   
4. patient (trust God to make waiting therapeutic)
   
5. humbly receptive counsel from mature Christians, including leaders in your church
   
6. aware of your spiritual gifts
   
7. stepping out in faith to serve the Lord (you can’t steer a parked car).

.

WHEN YOU PRAY

Jesus has strong words for us about prayer in Matthew 6:5-8 and 14-15 (verses surrounding the Lord’s Prayer):

• “When you pray…” Not if, but when. Is prayer an “if” for you, an option? A good idea that you get to sometimes—like flossing your teeth? Or is it really your soul’s lifeblood?
• Don’t pray like a hypocrite. Our motives get mixed—and mixed up—easily. When you pray in the company of others, is there something deep down that seizes the opportunity and twists or tilts things ever so slightly to make you look good?
• Don’t pray “in bulk.” Buying in bulk can mean getting a better deal, but praying long prayers has no advantage. Don’t blabber on and on. Be concise and direct. Be silent at times.
• Forgiving other people is a prerequisite for authentic prayer. God has so designed the human experience that we cannot receive his forgiveness in prayer if we will not forgive those who’ve offended us. Not that we earn God’s favor by forgiving others—you’d have to undo the gospel of grace to see it that way. What it does mean is that truly forgiven hearts are the kind of hearts that extend grace to others; truly forgiven people cannot go on and on holding a grudge. But it also means that authentic believers need God’s warnings—the threat of divine wrath, like the ravine below a cliff-side trail, helps keep us close to Christ.

CARROT, STICK, AND MISSIONS

Does “missions” excite you? I’m guessing that your answer depends tremendously on whether God’s global cause has been brought to you with a carrot or a stick.

It’s true that Jesus tells us to go to all the people groups on earth and make disciples (Matt 28:19-20)—it’s a command, and our job as a church is to obey. This is our duty. But there’s more to the story. In fact, if missions is merely a duty for us, we will not honor the Lord who reveals his heart for the world in the Scriptures.

Beckoning the nations to join in the praise of Christ is God’s glorious cause for which time itself still goes on (Matt 24:14; 2 Pet 3:8-9). And the summons to the peoples of the world is to come the Lord and “rejoice”—let the nations be glad (Ps 67:4; 96:11; 97:1; 98:4; 100:1). We invite the lost to meet the One who made them and loves them, and to bow before this King in joyful, thankful, hopeful worship! This is no mere duty.

The big picture of God’s direction for humanity is this: “Blessed be God’s glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen!” (Ps 72:19). “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Ps 108:5; cf. Num 14:21; Isa 11:9). “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14). It is a beautiful and thrilling opportunity we have to join the Lord in his spectacular global mission—to share his love, to help people find and praise the One their hearts, deep down, long to adore! That is no mere duty.

WHY FOUR GOSPELS?

Why is it we have four Gospels in the Bible? Why not just one complete account? And what are we to make of the differences between Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?

Richard Burridge (in Four Gospels, One Jesus? pp. 1-4) gives a helpful analogy. Imagine a tour of Sir Winston Churchill’s country home in Kent in south­east England. In the first room you notice a picture of the great states­man in conference with Roosevelt; the mood is sober, as the fate of the world rests on their shoulders. Around the corner you come to a painting done by Churchill himself showing the happy family at tea-time, undisturbed by the cares of the world. Along a corridor you notice a photo of the man at war—he rides in a camouflaged car and gives the “V” for victory salute to his loyal troops. The mood is upbeat and inspiring. Finally, you see a serene Churchill “on holiday” in 1946, relaxing in a basket chair overlooking Lac Léman in Switzerland.

“Four pictures—each with its own story evoking its own atmosphere and provoking its own response in the viewer—yet all are of one and the same man” (p. 2). Same with the Gospels. God so orchestrated his communication to the world that we’d see his Son from many angles and thus come to know him better than we would with just a single composite picture. Thank God for the differing perspectives and emphases of the Gospels, for they take us deep into fullness and wonder of the one and only Jesus Christ!

FEAR AND FAITH

How much is your life driven by fear? Fear of rejection, failure, pain, loss, or even death? Fear of losing control, fear of stepping out into the unknown, fear of being alone? Fear of not being cool?

I feel the pull of these temptations. But think how crazy it is for me, or you, to live in anxiety. If you trust Christ for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life, then God has for you a hope-filled, anti-worry life now:

If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31)? He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear (Ps 27:1)? Don’t be anxious about anything, instead pray about everything (Phil 4:6). Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). Etc.!

Of course, freedom from fear doesn’t mean life is easy. It means even the hardest things cannot steal our peace and hope in Christ. Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), and he predicts believers will be persecuted (John 15:20). But even so, our hope is secure and our future with Jesus is bright (John 10:29)!

So think how crazy it is to live in fear. And, what’s more, how it dishonors the Lord, who is always with us and will never forsake us (Heb 13:5). Worry is practical atheism (think about that)! Cast all your fears on the Lord, for he cares about you (1 Pet 5:7). In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me (Ps 56:4)?

REAL FAITH

Mary and Martha live with the dissonance of honest discipleship: they love and trust Jesus, but yet they also can’t resist scolding him: the Master needs to get his act together.

Grief is heavy in the air—Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus has died, the relatives wail, the tears flow. It’s too much to bear. When the sisters learn that Jesus is finally coming to see them, a surviving shred of faith tumbles out in cries that Jesus could have healed Lazarus (John 11:21, 32)—they think this way about no one else who visits their home. It is an expression of faith, it comes from the heart, and it's true.

But they are wrong to assume that Jesus would have healed their brother if only he had not been so far away or had come sooner (4:46-54; 11:6). Yes, they believe in Jesus, but only to a point. They believe Jesus as long as he makes things go the way they like. Sudden suffering jars these genuine disciples into saying that, in effect, their Lord’s purposes are being hindered—that circumstances have overwhelmed Jesus and he’s blown it. How wrong they are. Jesus’ late arrival to see the family of Lazarus was purposeful and good (11:4, 45).

Mary and Martha illustrate a meaningful yet flawed devotion to Jesus. In this way they speak to me, to you. Our discipleship is riddled with fumbling and false assumptions, with attempts to withhold from Jesus his title of “Lord.” Still, the Master loves these imperfect sisters. Although he corrects them and implicitly rebukes them for their fair-weather faith (11:23, 25-26), he still very much loves them, feels for them (11:35), and lifts them out of their fear meltdown. We too, who are honest enough to see our own reflection in mixed up Martha and Mary, can rest in the arms of a wise and loving Lord—one who truly works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28)!

PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY

Prosperity or adversity? Which to you prefer?

Jeremiah Burroughs spoke boldly to his 17th century audience about God’s work in the midst of our prosperity and adversity, though his claims seem strange to many in the early 21st century: prosperity is deadly dangerous, and adversity brings great gain. I’ll let him say it as he did in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (Puritan Paperbacks edition):

One taught in the school of Christ learns “… that God by his eternal counsels has set this as his course and way, to bring up his people in this world in an afflicted condition” (p. 115). It is folly not to expect adversity (191, cf. 1 Peter 4:12). “The great design God has in afflicting you, is to break and humble your heart…” (181), and to prompt his people to fall back in faith upon God’s covenant (80). The receptive soul affirms, “I would not have been without this affliction for anything in the world,…” for without it I would have fallen into sin (101). Without afflictions professing Christians quickly find their security in earthly comforts (123, 129), yet in Christ there is strength to support us under all our afflictions. Faith in Christ “is the great grace that is to be acted under afflictions” (63). “There is no work which God has made—the sun, moon, stars and all the world—in which so much of the glory of God appears as in a man who lives quietly in the midst of adversity” (122-23).

The flip-side of advantageous affliction is the danger of wealth. Prosperity is a immense burden for which one needs great strength (103); it is a heavy cross to bear. “Honey, we know, invites bees and wasps to it, and the sweet of prosperity invites the Devil and temptation” (104). While the humble sleep, the cares of the wealthy keep them awake (106). “The Lord conveys the plague of his curse through prosperity, as much as through any thing in the world, and therefore when the soul comes to understand this, this makes it quiet and content” (110). Even though wealth allows the godly the joy of blessing others (98), the way of prosperity is dangerous—like a narrow mountain path along the brink of disaster.

It would be hard to overstate how strange and even offensive these claims are to our comfort-seeking, greed-affirming culture. But Jesus never called us to walk the road of popular opinion. The way of the cross may have no appeal to those who love the world, but it is only through the cross that we find true life and lasting joy (Luke 9:23-24).

COMING HOME

Home. People long to come home. Of course, the adventuresome types also enjoy exploring uncharted territories—it’s exciting to see new sights and sample new cultures. But even the pioneers among us have a need to find their way home.

Home was on our minds as we stuffed our stuff in boxes and then set out for Pennsylvania this week. The process of packing and uprooting reminded us of our need for home (not to mention our propensity to become all too attached to this life’s many “necessary” things).

The deep truth behind all this is that the Lord made us with a built-in homing device—he put “eternity in our hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And the present age is a pre-homecoming venture God has designed for us in which to learn to trust in him and spread his love.

Hebrews 11:13-16 reminds us that we are exiles and aliens on the earth—we don’t really belong here. Instead, believers seek a homeland, “a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (v 16).

Join me in praying that the enticements of this fleeting age would not captivate our hearts, but that deep down we would long to enter the fullness of joy in the perfect presence of Christ: to be truly home!

IMPRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY

For access to my article by this title, see Christianity Today (Sept. 2005, pp. 80-82). It is also available online.

THE LOVE OF MONEY

On May 10, 2000, the lead news story on WBEZ (Chicago public radio) at 7:00 a.m. was: two winning tickets for the record $366 million lottery jackpot had been sold. On May 12 the top head­line story on CNN.com was that Larry Ross of Michigan had won $181 million in the lottery—there he was in the picture, smiling and holding the check. That was the news; it wasn’t supposed to be a cute human interest feature, it was headline news.

I could huff and moan about irrespon­sible public officials who “tax” bad habits by running a lottery, or complain about short-sighted voters who think gambling will yield a net gain for state coffers, but I have a simpler point: you can tell what we value by the things considered newsworthy. Today’s lottery-mania speaks volumes about the vision, values and dreams of our neighbors (and ourselves?): nothing is more important—and more newsworthy—than the prospect of getting REALLY rich (even if the odds are eighty million to one).

Of course, knowing Jesus has a “payoff” of infinite, eternal joy. But that joy only comes to those who love Christ now, follow him now, confess their pride and greed to him now, and find true security in him now. “Lord, spare us from falling in love with riches. Help us always to see our wealth as your property to be used to advance your church and bless the poor. And help us to love our neighbors who love money so much—in the hope that they might find the true riches of your grace! Amen.”

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

An ad on TV for a hair replacement product makes this closing pitch: “Whatever your age, invest in your image.” Not a subtle appeal!

Now before I take aim and fire at this demonic message, I’ll admit that there’s a measure of simple realism in it: almost all of us pay at least a little attention to our image; we brush (or otherwise organize) our hair, use deodorant, and follow some notion of style when choosing clothes. Who can object to that?

But it’s profoundly different to be caught up in “image,” to feel that your identity and self-worth are somehow on the line when it comes to looking good. Andre Agassi says (for Canon cameras), “Image is everything,” but the humble Christian cries out, “NO.” Substance is MUCH more important than image!

In fact, a preoccupation with image is opposition to God: “The Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the out­ward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Outward beauty is but deception if the heart is not pure and right before God (Matthew 23:27-28). This earthly body we long to keep looking young is but a fading flower (Psalm 103:15-16); it’s just a “tent” for our very short stay in this life (2 Corinthians 5:1).

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!” Am I caught up in externals? Are you preoccupied with your image, with how others look? Do you “measure” the people around you by outward appearance or inner beauty? Remember that the Lord looks upon the heart.

HOW SATAN RUINS PRAYER

C. S. Lewis offers some round-about wisdom in his book, The Screwtape Letters. Allow me to extend the devious counsel of the senior demon to his apprentice about how to ruin a Christian’s prayers:
· Get him to pray from selfish motives (James 4:3).
· Make him doubt that God is willing and able to grant his request (James 1:5-8; Mark 11:24).
· Get a man to treat his wife disrespectfully or harshly—that will block his prayers in no time (1 Peter 3:7).
· Sell him the idea that God never refuses the prayer of “faith,” and just watch him flounder when he doesn’t get his way (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
· Send him into prayer feeling pretty good about himself and looking down others (Luke 18:9-14).
· Urge him to bury that unconfessed sin—to pretend it will just go away (James 5:16).
· Help him dwell on how much others have wronged him, and then withhold forgiveness (Matt 6:12, 14-15).
· Tell him he’s the master of his destiny and answers to no one. That’ll lead to rebellion soon enough, and then God will leave him alone (2 Sam 21:14; Ps 66:18).
· Persuade him to give up quickly if he doesn’t get results—that way he’ll never see God’s blessing (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8).