Listen to the implications of Christmas in this prophecy from Micah 5:2,4-
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days...
He shall stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth.
And He shall be their peace.
The King born in Bethlehem will shelter His flock under the majestic refuge of the name of God. And we will be forever secure, temporally and eternally safe in His hands, because He shall be great to the ends of the earth. Think on that for a moment, and be staggered by the connections made right here in the verse. Christ's global greatness is the day-to-day rock-solid foundation for our assurance, peace, comfort, and security. Because He is ascended at the right hand of God, with "all authority in heaven and on earth" given to Him, we can be confident that we are secure. The One who was born for us and lived for us and died for us and rose for us is now reigning for us and interceding for us and guaranteeing our security and entrance to glory by His own blood-bought peace with God.
Hear the apostle Paul's own inspired implications of this Christmas prophecy, echoing Micah's words: "But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace." (Eph. 2:13)
This Christmas, stand in awe once again at the mercy and majesty of our God. And count yourselves secure, immovable on this glorious foundation: "now He shall be great to the ends of the earth."
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thinking Lightly
I've been slowly getting back into translating Romans from Greek to English, and recently my work in Romans 2 jumped out at me. Here is my literal translation of Romans 2:4-
"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, being ignorant that the kindness of God leads you into repentance?"
Do you "think lightly" of God's kindness and forbearance and patience? Is it a small thing to you, something that rests lightly on your mind and heart? The truth of God's new-every-morning mercies in Christ is the most massive, weighty reality in the universe, a reality which should be daily, hourly crushing the sin out of our souls, taking our breath away, and bowing our hearts down before the throne of grace.
Yet too often in the church and in my experience, God's grace has been a small, light thing. Too often I reckon "the riches of His kindness" to be more like a $5 bill and less like the inexhaustible, precious treasure that it really is. Too many mornings, the patience of God is a small thing to me. I rise with my alarm clock and go about my day, not stopping to realize in wonder and awe that God again caused the sun to rise this morning on millions of people-- myself included-- who deserved to die in their sleep and yet have another day of divine forbearance and mercy in front of them. Think of it! The sun rose this morning-- a testament to God's love for His enemies. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45) And the same love for His enemies that the sunrise proclaimed this morning was also demonstrated, in an even more magnificently glorious way, on the cross. "While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Romans 5:10). Every morning, we should be staggered by the sunrise!
O, that the weight of God's kindness and forbearance and patience would fall with sin-shattering, joy-maximizing implications on His people! By His massive mercy, may we today find His kindness to be wealth beyond compare, His forbearance to be an unending fountain of hope, and His patience to be a firm foundation of peace.
"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, being ignorant that the kindness of God leads you into repentance?"
Do you "think lightly" of God's kindness and forbearance and patience? Is it a small thing to you, something that rests lightly on your mind and heart? The truth of God's new-every-morning mercies in Christ is the most massive, weighty reality in the universe, a reality which should be daily, hourly crushing the sin out of our souls, taking our breath away, and bowing our hearts down before the throne of grace.
Yet too often in the church and in my experience, God's grace has been a small, light thing. Too often I reckon "the riches of His kindness" to be more like a $5 bill and less like the inexhaustible, precious treasure that it really is. Too many mornings, the patience of God is a small thing to me. I rise with my alarm clock and go about my day, not stopping to realize in wonder and awe that God again caused the sun to rise this morning on millions of people-- myself included-- who deserved to die in their sleep and yet have another day of divine forbearance and mercy in front of them. Think of it! The sun rose this morning-- a testament to God's love for His enemies. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45) And the same love for His enemies that the sunrise proclaimed this morning was also demonstrated, in an even more magnificently glorious way, on the cross. "While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Romans 5:10). Every morning, we should be staggered by the sunrise!
O, that the weight of God's kindness and forbearance and patience would fall with sin-shattering, joy-maximizing implications on His people! By His massive mercy, may we today find His kindness to be wealth beyond compare, His forbearance to be an unending fountain of hope, and His patience to be a firm foundation of peace.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Past, Present, and Future
O the sweetness of these words: "To Him who loves us"- loves us! That He would ever look with even a mere moment of love upon a sinner such as I is earth-shattering. But that He loves me with a present tense, ongoing, ever-present passion is unfathomably staggering. Who am I, that the God who "inhabits eternity" (Is. 57:15) would break into time to pursue me with a present tense love?
And in order to make my experience of His present tense reality eternally sure, He has grounded it in the objective past tense: "and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom." God demonstrates (present tense) His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died (past tense) for us. O, the marvelous assurance that this truth brings! The foundation of His love is not my present-- my weak, wavering, sin-stained present; the immovable Rock of His affection is His own past-- His unchanging, faithful, eternally accomplished past!
Therefore my heart's deepest longing and desire is this: that every future tense of my life would be suffused with His praise, and an ever-increasing conformity to His precious likeness: "To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!"
"To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." ~Revelation 1:5-6
And in order to make my experience of His present tense reality eternally sure, He has grounded it in the objective past tense: "and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom." God demonstrates (present tense) His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died (past tense) for us. O, the marvelous assurance that this truth brings! The foundation of His love is not my present-- my weak, wavering, sin-stained present; the immovable Rock of His affection is His own past-- His unchanging, faithful, eternally accomplished past!
Therefore my heart's deepest longing and desire is this: that every future tense of my life would be suffused with His praise, and an ever-increasing conformity to His precious likeness: "To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!"
"To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." ~Revelation 1:5-6
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Elijah vs. Jesus
My wife and I are teaching children's Sunday School today, and in the course of planning, I got to thinking. Elijah was one of the greatest Old Testament prophets and miracle workers. At his word, the heavens withheld their rain for 3 1/2 years. He provided a miraculous supply of bread and oil for a widow and raised her son to life, called down fire from heaven, and became one of only two people in history to never die when he was taken away by chariots of fire.
And yet this great prophet and miracle worker does not even hold a candle to Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, whom Jesus said fulfilled the promise of the second coming of Elijah's spirit and power, said of Jesus, "He who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." Clearly someone greater than Elijah was here.
Here are five reasons why Jesus is greater than Elijah:
1) Elijah's faith wavered. Jesus remained faithful.
Despite all that he had seen God do, when Elijah's life was threatened by Jezebel, "he was afraid and he arose and ran for his life." (1 Kings 19:3) Jesus, on the other hand, never wavered in His commitment to Calvary and His Father's will, and thus the author of Hebrews writes, "Christ is faithful over God's house as a son." (Hebrews 3:6)
2) Elijah had to pray to God to affect the weather. Jesus simply said, "Be still," and the storm stopped.
Most of Elijah's miracles actually involve him praying and asking God to act. James says that "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain." (James 5:17) But Jesus didn't ask for anybody's permission; He simply said, "Be still," and the storm ceased. Thus He proved that He is the God of Psalm 89:9-- "Who is mighty as You are, O Lord? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them."
3) Elijah raised a widow's son from the dead. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Elijah is one of the few people in the Bible through whom God raised the dead. But even though the miracle was spectacular, it is obvious from the account in 1 Kings that it was God who raised the dead, not Elijah. Elijah pleaded with God, and God answered his prayer. Jesus, on the other hand, declared about Himself saying, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," (John 11:25), and then backed up this claim by commanding life into the decaying corpse of Lazarus with a simple, "Come forth."
4) Elijah was taken to heaven with fire. Jesus will come from heaven with fire.
Elijah was taken up into heaven by "chariots of fire and horses of fire." (2 Kings 2:11) Lest we be too enamored by this spectacle, though, 2 Thessalonians tells us of a greater heavenly fire: a coming day "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God... when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed." The glory of Jesus' heavenly fire will brilliantly outshine Elijah's, as much as the sun outshines a flickering match.
5) Elijah never died. Jesus conquered death.
Elijah is one of only two people in the Bible, along with Enoch, to never taste death. Yet the honor that Jesus has and will receive is infinitely greater, for Jesus is now "crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9) And Jesus did not just taste death for everyone; "He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death." Elijah the sinner never died, thanks to Jesus tasting death for Him, and now Jesus has definitively conquered Satan and eliminated the power of death for all time for all who trust in Him.
Elijah is surely worthy of much honor among the great saints of the faith. But Jesus is surely worthy of much more. He is a greater miracle worker, greater life-giver, greater sin-conquerer, greater grave-overcomer, greater Savior.
And yet this great prophet and miracle worker does not even hold a candle to Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, whom Jesus said fulfilled the promise of the second coming of Elijah's spirit and power, said of Jesus, "He who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." Clearly someone greater than Elijah was here.
Here are five reasons why Jesus is greater than Elijah:
1) Elijah's faith wavered. Jesus remained faithful.
Despite all that he had seen God do, when Elijah's life was threatened by Jezebel, "he was afraid and he arose and ran for his life." (1 Kings 19:3) Jesus, on the other hand, never wavered in His commitment to Calvary and His Father's will, and thus the author of Hebrews writes, "Christ is faithful over God's house as a son." (Hebrews 3:6)
2) Elijah had to pray to God to affect the weather. Jesus simply said, "Be still," and the storm stopped.
Most of Elijah's miracles actually involve him praying and asking God to act. James says that "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain." (James 5:17) But Jesus didn't ask for anybody's permission; He simply said, "Be still," and the storm ceased. Thus He proved that He is the God of Psalm 89:9-- "Who is mighty as You are, O Lord? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them."
3) Elijah raised a widow's son from the dead. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Elijah is one of the few people in the Bible through whom God raised the dead. But even though the miracle was spectacular, it is obvious from the account in 1 Kings that it was God who raised the dead, not Elijah. Elijah pleaded with God, and God answered his prayer. Jesus, on the other hand, declared about Himself saying, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," (John 11:25), and then backed up this claim by commanding life into the decaying corpse of Lazarus with a simple, "Come forth."
4) Elijah was taken to heaven with fire. Jesus will come from heaven with fire.
Elijah was taken up into heaven by "chariots of fire and horses of fire." (2 Kings 2:11) Lest we be too enamored by this spectacle, though, 2 Thessalonians tells us of a greater heavenly fire: a coming day "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God... when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed." The glory of Jesus' heavenly fire will brilliantly outshine Elijah's, as much as the sun outshines a flickering match.
5) Elijah never died. Jesus conquered death.
Elijah is one of only two people in the Bible, along with Enoch, to never taste death. Yet the honor that Jesus has and will receive is infinitely greater, for Jesus is now "crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9) And Jesus did not just taste death for everyone; "He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death." Elijah the sinner never died, thanks to Jesus tasting death for Him, and now Jesus has definitively conquered Satan and eliminated the power of death for all time for all who trust in Him.
Elijah is surely worthy of much honor among the great saints of the faith. But Jesus is surely worthy of much more. He is a greater miracle worker, greater life-giver, greater sin-conquerer, greater grave-overcomer, greater Savior.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Twitter is something I've been thinking about for a long time. I swore up and down that I would never ever ever be on Twitter. It seems to me to be one of the most self-serving, inane forms of communication in existence. I've always been a believer in Neil Postman's idea of "the medium is the message." Twitter is a communication medium that lends itself to triviality. Therefore, I am wary of it.
But at the same time, I have seen people redeeming Twitter to be a tool of the Gospel. I've marveled at how God can take even the most inane mediums and turn them into something that can glorify Himself. And so, with some trepidation, I have opened a Twitter account. This blog post is my justification of that.
Twitterers like John Piper and The Gospel Coalition have shown me that short does not have to equal trivial. In fact, I believe that there is a potential for great profundity if glorious truth can be packaged into something as small as, say 140 characters. One reason I am using Twitter is that I want to develop a skill in communicating the truth of God's word in an efficient, profound, poetic (read: short) way that honors God for the treasure He is and preserves the weightiness of His Word. I believe that Twitter can help me grow as a preacher and expositor of God's Word.
Twitter is also going to become a tool of my daily devotional times. My goal is, every day, to come away from God's Word with a statement of glorious, gospel truth that can fit in a Tweet.
Thirdly, I hope that by joining those who are seeking to redeem this medium, I can add my voice to the chorus of praise that even now is occurring on Twitter. God desires to be glorified in all things, and I want to see His name and renown spread through this new medium that He, in His sovereignty, has granted to us.
My Twitter address is www.twitter.com/theophilus318. Follow me as I follow Christ!
But at the same time, I have seen people redeeming Twitter to be a tool of the Gospel. I've marveled at how God can take even the most inane mediums and turn them into something that can glorify Himself. And so, with some trepidation, I have opened a Twitter account. This blog post is my justification of that.
Twitterers like John Piper and The Gospel Coalition have shown me that short does not have to equal trivial. In fact, I believe that there is a potential for great profundity if glorious truth can be packaged into something as small as, say 140 characters. One reason I am using Twitter is that I want to develop a skill in communicating the truth of God's word in an efficient, profound, poetic (read: short) way that honors God for the treasure He is and preserves the weightiness of His Word. I believe that Twitter can help me grow as a preacher and expositor of God's Word.
Twitter is also going to become a tool of my daily devotional times. My goal is, every day, to come away from God's Word with a statement of glorious, gospel truth that can fit in a Tweet.
Thirdly, I hope that by joining those who are seeking to redeem this medium, I can add my voice to the chorus of praise that even now is occurring on Twitter. God desires to be glorified in all things, and I want to see His name and renown spread through this new medium that He, in His sovereignty, has granted to us.
My Twitter address is www.twitter.com/theophilus318. Follow me as I follow Christ!
Back to Blogging
It's been almost 3 months since I've blogged on here, and in the meantime, a lot has happened. I got married on July 25th (hurray!), I started a very challenging job at the end of August, and I have been struggling to keep all my commitments and priorities straight in the face of an entirely new season of life.
Marriage is, second to salvation, the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. My wife is a servant and a blessing, more than I deserve. I thank God daily for her. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD." ~Proverbs 18:22
But I've also discovered that what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7 is true. "The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided." How painfully true this is! My most desperate prayer has become, "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name!"
The constraints of serving a wife, working a full-time job, teaching Sunday school, attending new members' class, and (soon) beginning to be a part of a leadership group at my church, all have left the Daily Verse Online in limbo. I'm still not sure where God wants me to go with this. He has blessed me with that ministry, and the opportunity to serve the Word of God to thousands each day, for nearly 7 years. I don't know yet if He's calling me to other things, or if He's putting the DVO on hold for a season, or if it is my own selfishness that is keeping me from that ministry. Until He shows me where to go, the site will remain up but no Daily Verses will be sent. To those of you who miss receiving daily verses: I'm sorry. I'm thinking of you, and when God lifts the curtain, you'll know.
But I want to come back to blogging. I need an outlet for musings on the Word that doesn't have the same demands as the DVO. I hope those of you who read this will be blessed by this blog as I strive to please God by honoring and cherishing His Word here.
Marriage is, second to salvation, the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. My wife is a servant and a blessing, more than I deserve. I thank God daily for her. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD." ~Proverbs 18:22
But I've also discovered that what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7 is true. "The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided." How painfully true this is! My most desperate prayer has become, "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name!"
The constraints of serving a wife, working a full-time job, teaching Sunday school, attending new members' class, and (soon) beginning to be a part of a leadership group at my church, all have left the Daily Verse Online in limbo. I'm still not sure where God wants me to go with this. He has blessed me with that ministry, and the opportunity to serve the Word of God to thousands each day, for nearly 7 years. I don't know yet if He's calling me to other things, or if He's putting the DVO on hold for a season, or if it is my own selfishness that is keeping me from that ministry. Until He shows me where to go, the site will remain up but no Daily Verses will be sent. To those of you who miss receiving daily verses: I'm sorry. I'm thinking of you, and when God lifts the curtain, you'll know.
But I want to come back to blogging. I need an outlet for musings on the Word that doesn't have the same demands as the DVO. I hope those of you who read this will be blessed by this blog as I strive to please God by honoring and cherishing His Word here.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wedding
I'm getting married in 41 hours. Oh my gosh. I want to write a profound post on the topic, but right now I'm so frazzle-brained I can hardly think straight. I'm getting married in 2 days. 2 days!
After that, a week in Hawaii.
Then it's back to work, back to the Daily Verse Online, back to blogging... but now I'll have a wife. Sweet.
Pray for me!
After that, a week in Hawaii.
Then it's back to work, back to the Daily Verse Online, back to blogging... but now I'll have a wife. Sweet.
Pray for me!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Justice
I've been thinking lately about a question I hear posed a lot: how can God punish our finite sins with an infinite punishment (hell)? How is that fair? Here is an analogy that I have used, that even kids can understand.
If your big brother says to you, "Go and do this for me," and you say, "No! I want to do what I want to do," you'll probably get punched or yelled at. But that's it... because he's just your big brother, and disobeying him isn't that big of a deal.
If your parents say to you, "Go and do this for me," and you say, "No! I want to do what I want to do," you'll probably get sent to your room, or spanked. The punishment is greater, because it's important to obey your parents.
If there was a king, and he called you and said to you, "Go and do this for me," and you said, "No! I want to do what I want to do," what do you think would happen then? You would probably get thrown in the dungeon or beheaded, because it's the KING, and you must never disobey the King!
So what do you think should happen to us when the omnipotent, glorious, eternal Sovereign God, King, and Judge of the entire universe, who is infinitely holy and pure and beautiful, who created us for himself, says to us, "Go and do this for me," and we say, "No! I want to do what I want to do!" Surely, infinite woe must be the portion of any soul who would dare to insult the King of the universe to His face.
The severity of the transgression increases with the glory of the One transgressed against. As J.I. Packer wrote, "There can be no small sins against a great God."
Praise God that we have an atonement great enough to cover the height of our iniquity!
If your big brother says to you, "Go and do this for me," and you say, "No! I want to do what I want to do," you'll probably get punched or yelled at. But that's it... because he's just your big brother, and disobeying him isn't that big of a deal.
If your parents say to you, "Go and do this for me," and you say, "No! I want to do what I want to do," you'll probably get sent to your room, or spanked. The punishment is greater, because it's important to obey your parents.
If there was a king, and he called you and said to you, "Go and do this for me," and you said, "No! I want to do what I want to do," what do you think would happen then? You would probably get thrown in the dungeon or beheaded, because it's the KING, and you must never disobey the King!
So what do you think should happen to us when the omnipotent, glorious, eternal Sovereign God, King, and Judge of the entire universe, who is infinitely holy and pure and beautiful, who created us for himself, says to us, "Go and do this for me," and we say, "No! I want to do what I want to do!" Surely, infinite woe must be the portion of any soul who would dare to insult the King of the universe to His face.
The severity of the transgression increases with the glory of the One transgressed against. As J.I. Packer wrote, "There can be no small sins against a great God."
Praise God that we have an atonement great enough to cover the height of our iniquity!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Fatherhood
"We fathers need to step up, to realize that our job does not end at conception, that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one." ~Barack Obama
I strongly disagree with our President on many critical issues, but I rejoice at his statements like this one. Thank you, President Obama, for your vocal commitment to supporting fatherhood. Christians: statements like this from our elected leaders deserve your applaud and support and thankful prayers.
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. ~Romans 13:7
I strongly disagree with our President on many critical issues, but I rejoice at his statements like this one. Thank you, President Obama, for your vocal commitment to supporting fatherhood. Christians: statements like this from our elected leaders deserve your applaud and support and thankful prayers.
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. ~Romans 13:7
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
God Didn't Call Us To Be 'Comfy'
WORLD Magazine has a great article about following Jesus in America called, "God Didn't Call Us To Be Comfy." Here's an excerpt:
"Comfy Christianity is epidemic in America. We encounter a store that won't say Merry Christmas and we think we are persecuted. God help us. We send checks instead of serving. But according to most doing research, we don't even do that very well."
This is a timely, insightful, and convicting article. I commend it to you.
Read it here.
"Comfy Christianity is epidemic in America. We encounter a store that won't say Merry Christmas and we think we are persecuted. God help us. We send checks instead of serving. But according to most doing research, we don't even do that very well."
This is a timely, insightful, and convicting article. I commend it to you.
Read it here.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Lyrical Theology
A great work of God has been brought to my attention over the last couple weeks, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight what God is doing, so that He may rightly receive glory for His grace.
God is doing something big in the inner cities of America, and the evidence of this revival is the complete sea change in Christian rap over the last couple years. Artists like Lecrae, Shai Linne, Trip Lee, Flame, and others are translating deep theology and rich biblical truth into brilliantly produced music that is easily on par with their secular counterparts. As Lecrae explained in an interview with Mark Driscoll last year, hip hop plays a greater part in inner city culture than music does in the wider American culture. Rappers aren't just cultural commentators-- they are the culture definers; hip hop doesn't just describe culture-- it creates culture. The tragedy is that secular rap is probably the darkest genre of music out there today, full of drugs and sex and lies and violence and materialism.
Into this culture-forming crucible, however, the gospel is breaking in. Last year, Shai Linne produced a spectacular album focusing on the atonement. Lecrae's most recent album is a call to rebel against a secular and material culture by taking up the rallying cry of Christian hedonism.
In a very real way, what is happening in the inner cities is a new generation of hymn-writing. Two and three hundred years ago, out of the spiritual power of the first and second Great Awakenings, came a flood of theology set to contemporary music-- hymns like Amazing Grace, And Can It Be, Crown Him With Many Crowns, Be Still My Soul, and others-- that are still with us today. Today's Christian hip hop artists describe what they are doing as "lyrical theology"-- essentially translating biblical truth into lyrical, musical, rhythmical form.
While I don't think that rap is going to replace hymns or congregational worship, what is happening is still staggeringly wonderful. Cities are always the birthplace of culture; as the cities go, so does the culture. To see God moving in such powerful ways in such hard places is a testament to the amazing power of His grace.
God is doing something big in the inner cities of America, and the evidence of this revival is the complete sea change in Christian rap over the last couple years. Artists like Lecrae, Shai Linne, Trip Lee, Flame, and others are translating deep theology and rich biblical truth into brilliantly produced music that is easily on par with their secular counterparts. As Lecrae explained in an interview with Mark Driscoll last year, hip hop plays a greater part in inner city culture than music does in the wider American culture. Rappers aren't just cultural commentators-- they are the culture definers; hip hop doesn't just describe culture-- it creates culture. The tragedy is that secular rap is probably the darkest genre of music out there today, full of drugs and sex and lies and violence and materialism.
Into this culture-forming crucible, however, the gospel is breaking in. Last year, Shai Linne produced a spectacular album focusing on the atonement. Lecrae's most recent album is a call to rebel against a secular and material culture by taking up the rallying cry of Christian hedonism.
In a very real way, what is happening in the inner cities is a new generation of hymn-writing. Two and three hundred years ago, out of the spiritual power of the first and second Great Awakenings, came a flood of theology set to contemporary music-- hymns like Amazing Grace, And Can It Be, Crown Him With Many Crowns, Be Still My Soul, and others-- that are still with us today. Today's Christian hip hop artists describe what they are doing as "lyrical theology"-- essentially translating biblical truth into lyrical, musical, rhythmical form.
While I don't think that rap is going to replace hymns or congregational worship, what is happening is still staggeringly wonderful. Cities are always the birthplace of culture; as the cities go, so does the culture. To see God moving in such powerful ways in such hard places is a testament to the amazing power of His grace.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Weak
It's been said that religion is a crutch for weak people. But the more I learn about God and about myself, the more I realize that statement isn't even beginning to scratch the surface of reality.
I'm not an emotional cripple. I'm an emotional and spiritual quadriplegic. I don't need a crutch; I need a Savior who will say to me, "Take up your mat and walk."
I'm not an emotional cripple. I'm an emotional and spiritual quadriplegic. I don't need a crutch; I need a Savior who will say to me, "Take up your mat and walk."
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Holy Spirit
"Every time we say, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit,' we mean that we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it." ~J.B. Philips
I'm so glad we have the Holy Spirit. My personality is in great need of renovation.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Done!
I just finished my last college final today. Graduation is on Saturday, but for all intent and purpose, I'm done with college! It's a strange mixture of excitement, sadness, eagerness, and fear. Excitement that I'm finally done with academics (for the time being), sadness that I'm leaving behind lots of good friends, eagerness to move on to the next stage of life (marriage!), and fear about jobs and stuff like that.
This is the place where fear and faith collides. Pray for me.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
An Innocent Ministry
Today was my last day serving as Assistant to the Pastor at Center Presbyterian Church, a position that I've been blessed to minister in for the last two years. In addition to my role as Assistant to the Pastor, I've also been helping to lead the middle- and high-school youth group there for three years. My time working with the youth group has been a stretching experience for me, as I've struggled to help them make connections between the staggering glory of the Gospel and the everyday challenges of adolescence, and to see their desperate need for the saving grace of God.
Since I started working with the youth group, my vision for youth ministry has been encapsulated in Acts 20:18-26. In this passage, Paul addresses the leaders of the Ephesian church where he has ministered and preached for three years. Here are selections from the passage in question:
"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears... how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance towards God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ... Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."
My deep desire for the past three years has been to be able to read this passage to the kids today and, because of the way I have lived and taught them, to be taken seriously. I want to be able to say earnestly and truthfully to them and to God, "I am innocent of the blood of all of you. You know that what I've been talking about for the last three years is a life-and-death matter, and I have proclaimed the gospel to you over and over again. I have not shrunk from declaring to you the whole counsel of God; therefore, dear young people, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of your blood. What you do with this is between you and God, but you have heard the truth from me. I am innocent of your blood."
The Old Testament background on which Paul is drawing in making his claim to the Ephesian church is Ezekiel 3:17-19. In this passage, God commissions Ezekiel to preach a message of repentance to Israel.
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul."
I tremble when I read that passage. Every minister and pastor and preacher and teacher of God's Word should tremble at that passage. If we do not fulfill God's call to warn a wicked generation of the just consequences of their rebellion, they will die for their sins, but their blood will be laid at our feet. I think of this text every time I am preparing a sermon and every time I'm working on a youth group message. By desperate reliance on the Holy Spirit, I want to lead an innocent ministry, innocent of their blood, not shrinking from declaring the whole counsel of God which is able to save their souls.
Is your ministry innocent of blood? I pray, by God's power, that it would be.
Since I started working with the youth group, my vision for youth ministry has been encapsulated in Acts 20:18-26. In this passage, Paul addresses the leaders of the Ephesian church where he has ministered and preached for three years. Here are selections from the passage in question:
"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears... how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance towards God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ... Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."
My deep desire for the past three years has been to be able to read this passage to the kids today and, because of the way I have lived and taught them, to be taken seriously. I want to be able to say earnestly and truthfully to them and to God, "I am innocent of the blood of all of you. You know that what I've been talking about for the last three years is a life-and-death matter, and I have proclaimed the gospel to you over and over again. I have not shrunk from declaring to you the whole counsel of God; therefore, dear young people, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of your blood. What you do with this is between you and God, but you have heard the truth from me. I am innocent of your blood."
The Old Testament background on which Paul is drawing in making his claim to the Ephesian church is Ezekiel 3:17-19. In this passage, God commissions Ezekiel to preach a message of repentance to Israel.
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul."
I tremble when I read that passage. Every minister and pastor and preacher and teacher of God's Word should tremble at that passage. If we do not fulfill God's call to warn a wicked generation of the just consequences of their rebellion, they will die for their sins, but their blood will be laid at our feet. I think of this text every time I am preparing a sermon and every time I'm working on a youth group message. By desperate reliance on the Holy Spirit, I want to lead an innocent ministry, innocent of their blood, not shrinking from declaring the whole counsel of God which is able to save their souls.
Is your ministry innocent of blood? I pray, by God's power, that it would be.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Alleluia, Sing To Jesus
We sang "Alleluia, Sing To Jesus" in chapel yesterday, and the third verse was exactly what I needed to hear:
Alleluia! Bread of angels, Thou on earth, our food, our stay
Alleluia! Here the sinful flee to Thee from day to day
Intercessor, Friend of sinners, earth's Redeemer, plead for me
Where the songs of all the sinless sweep across the crystal sea
Alleluia! Bread of angels, Thou on earth, our food, our stay
Alleluia! Here the sinful flee to Thee from day to day
Intercessor, Friend of sinners, earth's Redeemer, plead for me
Where the songs of all the sinless sweep across the crystal sea
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
He is a Rewarder
I'm translating the book of Hebrews for my 3rd year Greek class, and I started chapter 11-- the "hall of faith"-- today. Verse 6 blew me out of the water.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for it is necessary for the one who comes to God to believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder to the ones who seek Him. ~Hebrews 11:6, my translation
The ESV translates the last phrase, "and that He rewards those who seek Him." The meaning is the same, but a more literal translation brings out this staggering wonder: "rewarder" is a noun. A noun! God doesn't just reward; He IS a rewarder. He is defined as one who rewards. In the same way that 1 John's statement that "God is love" rings more powerfully than the simple "God loves," a literal translation of Hebrews 11:6 highlights the amazing truth that God is characterized by rewarding.
Those of us who are seeking God are not just seeking somebody who happens to reward people; we are caught up in the hedonistic pursuit of the Great Rewarder.
Wow.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for it is necessary for the one who comes to God to believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder to the ones who seek Him. ~Hebrews 11:6, my translation
The ESV translates the last phrase, "and that He rewards those who seek Him." The meaning is the same, but a more literal translation brings out this staggering wonder: "rewarder" is a noun. A noun! God doesn't just reward; He IS a rewarder. He is defined as one who rewards. In the same way that 1 John's statement that "God is love" rings more powerfully than the simple "God loves," a literal translation of Hebrews 11:6 highlights the amazing truth that God is characterized by rewarding.
Those of us who are seeking God are not just seeking somebody who happens to reward people; we are caught up in the hedonistic pursuit of the Great Rewarder.
Wow.
Monday, May 4, 2009
True Romance
I'm getting married in about 2 1/2 months, and so naturally I've been thinking a lot about love and commitment and faithfulness. Yesterday I was talking to a friend about love and marriage, and about how many girls on this campus are looking for a storybook romance, when the real thing is a little different. After 4 1/2 years in a relationship, I have realized this:
True romance looks a lot less like Prince Charming and happily ever after, and a lot more like a bloodied cross.
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. ~Ephesians 5:25
In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ~1 John 4:10-11
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." ~John 15:12-13
Keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:8
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." ~Mark 8:34
True romance looks a lot less like Prince Charming and happily ever after, and a lot more like a bloodied cross.
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. ~Ephesians 5:25
In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ~1 John 4:10-11
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." ~John 15:12-13
Keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ~1 Peter 4:8
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." ~Mark 8:34
Friday, May 1, 2009
Breathtaking and Breathgiving
My thought for the day:
Lord, May every breath You give me be taken away by the sight of your unparalleled mercy.
Lord, May every breath You give me be taken away by the sight of your unparalleled mercy.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Of First Importance
I will be preaching again, for the last time, at Center Presbyterian Church this Sunday. My text will be 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, asking one basic question: "Why is Paul reminding Christians of the gospel? Don't they already know it?" The title of the sermon will be, "Of First Importance: Remembering the Most Important Thing."
Whenever I have the opportunity to preach on Sunday morning, I am keenly aware of my shortcomings, but never more so when I am preaching directly on the gospel. Please pray for me, that the beauty and glory and truth of the message of salvation would be put clearly on display by the frail words I bring to the congregation this Sunday.
Whenever I have the opportunity to preach on Sunday morning, I am keenly aware of my shortcomings, but never more so when I am preaching directly on the gospel. Please pray for me, that the beauty and glory and truth of the message of salvation would be put clearly on display by the frail words I bring to the congregation this Sunday.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Singing alleluia with our lives
One of the songs we sang on Easter sunday was the hymn, "Now Let the Vault of Heaven Resound." It's a great hymn to the tune of "All Creatures of our God and King." The third verse in particular has stuck with me all week:
O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
That we conquer through Your triumph
Grant grace sufficient for life's day
That by our lives we ever say,
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
Friday, April 17, 2009
Propitiation, and Big Words that Matter
I'm generally not a fan of big theology words. As someone with a heart for pastoral ministry, I yearn to make theology accessible and applicable and wonderful and glorious to the average person in the pew, and that often means ditching some overly high-falutin' doctrine words in favor of, frankly, fewer syllables.
But I hold a few exceptions to that general rule. There are a couple words whose weight of glory so outweighs the weight of their syllables that they are worth teaching and explaining and treasuring. The two words that most quickly come to mind in that category are "justification" and "propitiation." Both are Bible words, not theologian words. They are hard to pronounce, but are absolutely central to the all-satisfying glory of the Gospel.
Propitiation means "a sacrifice to satisfy wrath." Two of the main texts for this word are Romans 3:25 and 1 John 2:2--
"...Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith."
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
There is an eternity of weighty, glorious meaning in this word, for all our redemption and salvation is wrapped up in its mystery. My exhortation to you is: become a student of this word! Spend your time and your mental energies in unpacking and exploring and applying all that this word holds for your soul. It will be time and energy well spent as you come to know more of the heart of our great Savior, Jesus Christ.
But I hold a few exceptions to that general rule. There are a couple words whose weight of glory so outweighs the weight of their syllables that they are worth teaching and explaining and treasuring. The two words that most quickly come to mind in that category are "justification" and "propitiation." Both are Bible words, not theologian words. They are hard to pronounce, but are absolutely central to the all-satisfying glory of the Gospel.
Propitiation means "a sacrifice to satisfy wrath." Two of the main texts for this word are Romans 3:25 and 1 John 2:2--
"...Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith."
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."
There is an eternity of weighty, glorious meaning in this word, for all our redemption and salvation is wrapped up in its mystery. My exhortation to you is: become a student of this word! Spend your time and your mental energies in unpacking and exploring and applying all that this word holds for your soul. It will be time and energy well spent as you come to know more of the heart of our great Savior, Jesus Christ.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
It's okay to pray for joy
Is it okay to pray for joy, or is that a selfish prayer? Asking for God to make you happy, even happy in Him, seems sort of "off" somehow. Though I freely label myself as a "Christian hedonist," it's still something I feel funny praying for sometimes. But the Holy Spirit gave me a clear answer today when I was reading Psalm 85-86. Here are 3 examples from the Psalms of praying for joy, all of them with God-centered motivation.
Psalm 51:12-- "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You."
Apparently there is a direct connection between deeply feeling the joy of knowing God's great salvation, and being a good evangelist. Here, David's prayer for joy is directly connected to his desire that God's salvation would be felt more deeply by him and extended to others.
Psalm 85:6-7,9-- "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation... Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land."
The main connection to draw here is between "Your people rejoice in You" and "that glory may dwell in our land." The glory of God is put on brightest display when His people rejoice, delight in, and treasure Him above all else. Therefore, our desire for joy is (or should be) deeply caught up in our desire for God to be glorified, because those desires are biblically synonymous.
Psalm 86:4-5-- "Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You."
This has got to be one of the most overtly hedonistic prayers in the Bible. "Gladden the soul of Your servant," the Psalmist prays. In other words: "Make me happy, God!" And the foundation for His prayer: the character of God. God is good, forgiving, and loving-- and this is the ground for both the Psalmist's request and His expectation. Because God is all of these things, there is hope and reason for joy, even in the darkest of times.
And finally, not needing any explanation, are the precious words of our Savior from John 16: "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
Psalm 51:12-- "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You."
Apparently there is a direct connection between deeply feeling the joy of knowing God's great salvation, and being a good evangelist. Here, David's prayer for joy is directly connected to his desire that God's salvation would be felt more deeply by him and extended to others.
Psalm 85:6-7,9-- "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation... Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land."
The main connection to draw here is between "Your people rejoice in You" and "that glory may dwell in our land." The glory of God is put on brightest display when His people rejoice, delight in, and treasure Him above all else. Therefore, our desire for joy is (or should be) deeply caught up in our desire for God to be glorified, because those desires are biblically synonymous.
Psalm 86:4-5-- "Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You."
This has got to be one of the most overtly hedonistic prayers in the Bible. "Gladden the soul of Your servant," the Psalmist prays. In other words: "Make me happy, God!" And the foundation for His prayer: the character of God. God is good, forgiving, and loving-- and this is the ground for both the Psalmist's request and His expectation. Because God is all of these things, there is hope and reason for joy, even in the darkest of times.
And finally, not needing any explanation, are the precious words of our Savior from John 16: "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
He lives to plead for me above
I've been translating the book of Hebrews from the Greek this semester, and this week I'm on chapter 7. Verse 25 in particular is especially powerful during this Easter season, reminding me of why the resurrection is such good news:
Therefore He is also able to save completely the ones who come near to God through Him, because He always lives to plead for them. ~Hebrews 7:25 (my translation)
The good news of Easter is three-fold: because of the resurrection, we who trust in Christ are "saved completely," can draw near to God, and can know that Jesus always stands before the Father pleading on our behalf. We have an ever-living Advocate and Savior in the courtroom of heaven.
Hebrews 7-10 unpacks all of this, and ends with the application of what this Easter gospel should mean in our lives every day: "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain... let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith." Amen!
Therefore He is also able to save completely the ones who come near to God through Him, because He always lives to plead for them. ~Hebrews 7:25 (my translation)
The good news of Easter is three-fold: because of the resurrection, we who trust in Christ are "saved completely," can draw near to God, and can know that Jesus always stands before the Father pleading on our behalf. We have an ever-living Advocate and Savior in the courtroom of heaven.
Hebrews 7-10 unpacks all of this, and ends with the application of what this Easter gospel should mean in our lives every day: "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain... let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith." Amen!
One of my favorite Easter hymns is "I Know that My Redeemer Lives." The third verse in particular stood out to me today, in light of Hebrews 7:25--
He lives to bless me with His love
He lives to plead for me above
He lives my hungry soul to feed
He lives to help in time of need
Sunday, April 12, 2009
He Is Risen!
A new hymn I had never heard before, from the new LCMS hymnbook:
All the earth with joy is sounding:
Christ has risen from the dead!
He, the greater Jonah, bounding
From the grave, His three-day bed.
Wins the prize:
Death's demise--
Songs of triumph fill the skies
Christ, the devil's might unwinding,
Leaves behind His borrowed tomb.
Stronger He, the strong man binding,
Takes, disarms his house of doom;
In the rout
Casting out
Pow'rs of darkness, sin, and doubt
Jesus, author of salvation,
Shared in our humanity;
Crowned with radiant exaltation,
Now He shares His victory!
From His face
Shines the grace
Meant for this, our fallen race
Praise the Lord, His reign commences,
Reign of life and liberty-
Paschal Lamb, for our offenses,
Slain and raised to set us free!
Evermore
Bow before
Christ, the Lord of Life adore!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
All the earth with joy is sounding:
Christ has risen from the dead!
He, the greater Jonah, bounding
From the grave, His three-day bed.
Wins the prize:
Death's demise--
Songs of triumph fill the skies
Christ, the devil's might unwinding,
Leaves behind His borrowed tomb.
Stronger He, the strong man binding,
Takes, disarms his house of doom;
In the rout
Casting out
Pow'rs of darkness, sin, and doubt
Jesus, author of salvation,
Shared in our humanity;
Crowned with radiant exaltation,
Now He shares His victory!
From His face
Shines the grace
Meant for this, our fallen race
Praise the Lord, His reign commences,
Reign of life and liberty-
Paschal Lamb, for our offenses,
Slain and raised to set us free!
Evermore
Bow before
Christ, the Lord of Life adore!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
From the Valley of Vision:
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell's worst that I might attain heaven's best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might forever live.
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell's worst that I might attain heaven's best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might forever live.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Gospel in Mark
I've just started the book of Mark in my Through-the-Bible reading plan, and I've noticed something. In the first chapter of Mark, the word "gospel" has appeared 3 times-- in verses 1, 14, and 15. I didn't remember seeing that word too much in Matthew, so I did a word search to find out. Sure enough, the word "gospel" appears 4 times in Matthew, 1 time in Luke, 0 times in John... but 8 times in Mark. Considering that Mark is much shorter than the three other accounts of Jesus' life, that's surprising. Just to get an idea of the big difference here, if we divide the number of times the word "gospel" is used by the number of chapters in each of those 4 books, we get these fractions:
The word "gospel" is found in:
4/28 (14%) of Matthew's chapters,
1/24 (4%) of Luke's chapters,
0/21 (0%) of John's chapters,
but a whopping 8/16 (50%) of Mark's chapters!
To put this in even more perspective, in the whole New Testament only Romans, 2 Corinthians, and Galatians use the word "gospel" more times than Mark. Now, this doesn't mean that there's no good news in Matthew, Luke, and John, or that the saving message of redemption somehow isn't found there as much... but there does appear to be a special focus on the gospel in Mark. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but it's something I'm going to be thinking about and looking for while I'm reading Mark these next two months.
Does anyone have any insight?
The word "gospel" is found in:
4/28 (14%) of Matthew's chapters,
1/24 (4%) of Luke's chapters,
0/21 (0%) of John's chapters,
but a whopping 8/16 (50%) of Mark's chapters!
To put this in even more perspective, in the whole New Testament only Romans, 2 Corinthians, and Galatians use the word "gospel" more times than Mark. Now, this doesn't mean that there's no good news in Matthew, Luke, and John, or that the saving message of redemption somehow isn't found there as much... but there does appear to be a special focus on the gospel in Mark. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but it's something I'm going to be thinking about and looking for while I'm reading Mark these next two months.
Does anyone have any insight?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Satisfied
This is a free verse poem I wrote yesterday, meditating on Isaiah 51:17 and 22. It was a really intense two hours for me as I struggled for words to describe the cross and the wrath of God, and all that those things mean. The poem is titled, "Satisfied."
~~~~~~
~~~~~~
Stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD
the cup of His wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
the bowl, the cup of staggering.
~Isaiah 51:17
~~~~~~
Stand up, people
Get on your feet
Move on, assemble:
Your Maker addresses you.
Your King has summoned you.
God Most High speaks.
From the hand of the LORD,
from the hand that opens to satisfy
the desires of every living thing--
from the hand that guides, fashions,
makes, creates--
from the hand of the LORD--
a cup.
But not a cup of blessing.
It’s a deserved cup,
an earned cup,
a cup we’ve worked for
and asked for.
And we haven’t deserved,
we haven’t earned,
we haven’t worked for,
we haven’t asked for
a cup of blessing.
This isn’t a wishy washy God who holds the cup,
this is no friendly God, “me-and-Jesus” God, safe God.
This is not a tame lion.
But oh, He is good.
Good beyond reckoning, beyond comprehension.
Absolutely, fully, completely, ever and always
good.
And that’s bad news.
Because I am bad.
Rotten to the core, corrupt in my
inmost thoughts and outmost deeds.
Shot through with lust and lies and vicious
pernicious mischievous strangling hold of sin.
And this is a deserved cup.
A cup of wrath.
Furious, lightning bolt anger,
white hot and ice cold
melting my heart and freezing my blood.
This is not displeasure, or bad mood,
or disappointment.
This is despair-of-your-life, run-to-the-hills, call-for-rocks-to-crush-your-skull,
nightmarish, vengeful, retributive,
blacklisting, hunting, holy hate--
a thousand million billion lifetimes of
concentrated apoplectic rage fermented
down to the dregs of well-deserved death.
This is my cup.
A cup of staggering
strangling
haunting
hellish sadness.
O my God, I cannot bear
to take this cup that I have bought
with a costly lifetime
of purposefully
willfully
skillfully
stealthily
boastfully
recklessly
misplaced love.
One drop of this potion
will send me staggering to an infinite death.
And in this cup I see a bottomless ocean of red,
each drop screaming for my blood.
O my God,
if You permit Justice’s sword to fall
upon my guilty guilty guilty head
I am undone
undone
undone.
Is there another way?
Remove this cup from me!
~~~~~~
Thus says your Lord, the LORD,
your God who pleads the cause of His people:
“Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;
the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more.”
~Isaiah 51:22
~~~~~
Stand up sinner
Get on your feet
For your Maker, your Creator,
your Savior answers you.
From the hand of the LORD--
the hand strong enough to save,
to meet and arm-wrestle
and overcome justice and meet holiness’ demands--
from the hand of the LORD--
a cup.
It is my cup.
Taken from my hands,
and given to Another.
And this other hasn’t deserved
hasn’t earned,
hasn’t worked for,
hasn’t asked for
my cup.
And yet He takes it and in this moment we see:
This is not a wishy washy God who holds the cup.
He is not a tame lion.
But oh, He is good.
Good beyond reckoning, beyond all comprehension,
absolutely, fully, completely, ever and always
good.
And suddenly, spectacularly, surprisingly,
that’s good news.
Because He has my cup.
It is a cup of wrath, and watch, suddenly:
it tips, it hovers, He cries,
it spills, He drinks.
Furious lightning bolt anger nailing Him to a tree
until His heart bursts and blood flows like water.
Horrible, wretched, screaming, bloody agony
as the dregs of my death boil over,
a violent, gruesome, mangling grace.
“Is there another way?”
Stony silence.
“Remove this cup from me!”
Heaven closes its gate,
bars the door,
shuts the window.
And the prayer that from my lips
evoked the thunderous, resounding, earth-splitting
Amen of atonement--
on His lips, rejected.
“Why have You forsaken me?”
Forsaken Him?
Forsaken Him?
Forsaken Him?
O my God-- You’ve forsaken Him?
But it’s my cup, not His--
my nightmare, my curse, my gore,
my horrible, wretched, screaming, bloody agony
on His lips
as He drinks my cup.
You’ve forsaken Him--
why in the world Him,
when You should have forsaken me?
And yet there He is
staggering under the weight
of doom
of malady
of grief
of death
of despair
of mourning, sickness, crying, pain,
rebellion, treason, murder, treachery,
of a cross.
See Him stagger under the cross!
O holiness--
terrible, frightening, demanding holiness
that blinds my eyes and burns my heart
and would require THIS as payment.
This is not a wishy washy God.
This is a God who would rather scream
under the mountainous, crushing, humiliating weight
of His own astronomical standard
than let one white lie
one lustful glance
one greedy thought
one moment of less-than-perfect love
go unpunished, unanswered, undrunk.
And so He punishes
He answers
He drinks it
Himself.
Trembling, terrified, broken,
I come to the cross,
to the cup--
my cup, my cross--
and behold, it is empty.
Down to the dregs, every last drop
of rancid, calamitous,
raging rebuke
has been swallowed, consumed, drunk, finished,
satisfied.
Satisfied.
Satisfied.
Justice, holiness, wrath and love--
oh sweet and tearful,
bitter and joyful,
mysterious, wondrous, glorious,
impossible, immutable, unchangeable,
availing, pleading, saving love--
satisfied.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Revival
Collin Hansen, author of "Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey With the New Calvinists", describes on the very last page of the book what he sees happening in American churches. It's really encouraging, especially from the perspective of one of those "new Calvinists." I love what I see God doing across the country in my generation. Here's how Collin Hansen sees it:
"Hunger for God's Word. Passion for evangelism. Zeal for holiness. That's not a revival of Calvinism. That's a revival."
Friday, March 13, 2009
O God the Holy Spirit
This is a new hymn written by David Ward from over at ReformedPraise.org (which is a GREAT site, I highly recommend it!). It's based on the prayer, "The Spirit's Work" from The Valley of Vision. It's a wonderful song that celebrates the Spirit's work in giving us peace, assurance in the cross, and a soul-satisfying vision of Christ. Click here to go over to Reformed Praise and listen to the song or download the mp3, chord chart, or lead sheet.
O God the Holy Spirit
Eternal One of Three
My comforter and teacher,
Be merciful to me.
You hovered over chaos
The land and sea to part;
So manifest Your power
To calm my restless heart.
O God the Holy Spirit
Direct me to the cross
Where I can see the suffering
My waywardness has cost
In Jesus' death please show me
The power of my sin
And by His life convince me
This battle He will win
O God the Holy Spirit
Put Jesus on display:
Remind me how my Savior
Took all my guilt away.
My sins were all forgiven
And satisfaction made;
Atonement was completed,
My captive soul was saved.
O God the Holy Spirit
Come deepen and impart
These saving, loving lessons
Upon my desperate heart
That I might loathe my evil
And flee from Satan's snares
Then run to my Redeemer
And cast on Him my cares
O God the Holy Spirit
Eternal One of Three
My comforter and teacher,
Be merciful to me.
You hovered over chaos
The land and sea to part;
So manifest Your power
To calm my restless heart.
O God the Holy Spirit
Direct me to the cross
Where I can see the suffering
My waywardness has cost
In Jesus' death please show me
The power of my sin
And by His life convince me
This battle He will win
O God the Holy Spirit
Put Jesus on display:
Remind me how my Savior
Took all my guilt away.
My sins were all forgiven
And satisfaction made;
Atonement was completed,
My captive soul was saved.
O God the Holy Spirit
Come deepen and impart
These saving, loving lessons
Upon my desperate heart
That I might loathe my evil
And flee from Satan's snares
Then run to my Redeemer
And cast on Him my cares
Thursday, March 5, 2009
My Own Valley of Trouble
I'm still pondering the implications of the connections between the Valley of Achor in Joshua 7 and the Valley of Achor in Hosea 2 (see my previous post, "The Valley of Trouble."). I'm so grateful for seeing this glorious hope this morning. My friend Julie had simply made a remark about the sobering punishment for sin in Joshua 7, and the Holy Spirit connected it like a lightning bolt to Hosea 2 in my heart, and I've been awash in the revelation of mercy ever since.
I've been in "the valley of trouble" the last couple weeks. It's largely been an internal struggle, probably hidden from everyone except those closest to me, but it has been very hard. I'm still dealing with the fallout of my senior seminar class on the New Perspective on Paul from last semester, and feverishly working and praying to reestablish the precious truth of justification that somehow got dislodged in my heart. On top of that, as the job market has continued to deteriorate and my job prospects for next year have remained bleak, I've been struggling with doubt and fear and worry about the future. That's a very unusual struggle for me (not because of any particular godliness, but just because I'm generally a laid back dude), and it demonstrates the depth of the weakness that I'm dealing with in my heart. Those two two trials cascading through my life culminated last night with a heart-wrenching argument with my fiancee. So to put it mildly, I was really hurting this morning.
And that's why this connection has been so sweet to see. I'm right smack dab in the middle of my own valley of trouble, much of it brought about by my own sin (just like Achan), and there was not a whole lot of hope to be seen this morning. But the Holy Spirit came blasting into the darkness with this revelation this morning: God transforms the valley of trouble into the door of hope. It was precious, much needed encouragement.
And then, a few minutes after God revealed from His Word that He remakes the valley of trouble into the door of hope, He revealed that in my life. An email came from the Christian school that I had applied to work at but hadn't heard from in over a month-- saying that positions were open and that they wanted to set up an interview. Right in the middle of the Student Union, I sat at my table and cried. God had just opened a door of hope in my valley of trouble. I'm so thankful for His grace.
I've been in "the valley of trouble" the last couple weeks. It's largely been an internal struggle, probably hidden from everyone except those closest to me, but it has been very hard. I'm still dealing with the fallout of my senior seminar class on the New Perspective on Paul from last semester, and feverishly working and praying to reestablish the precious truth of justification that somehow got dislodged in my heart. On top of that, as the job market has continued to deteriorate and my job prospects for next year have remained bleak, I've been struggling with doubt and fear and worry about the future. That's a very unusual struggle for me (not because of any particular godliness, but just because I'm generally a laid back dude), and it demonstrates the depth of the weakness that I'm dealing with in my heart. Those two two trials cascading through my life culminated last night with a heart-wrenching argument with my fiancee. So to put it mildly, I was really hurting this morning.
And that's why this connection has been so sweet to see. I'm right smack dab in the middle of my own valley of trouble, much of it brought about by my own sin (just like Achan), and there was not a whole lot of hope to be seen this morning. But the Holy Spirit came blasting into the darkness with this revelation this morning: God transforms the valley of trouble into the door of hope. It was precious, much needed encouragement.
And then, a few minutes after God revealed from His Word that He remakes the valley of trouble into the door of hope, He revealed that in my life. An email came from the Christian school that I had applied to work at but hadn't heard from in over a month-- saying that positions were open and that they wanted to set up an interview. Right in the middle of the Student Union, I sat at my table and cried. God had just opened a door of hope in my valley of trouble. I'm so thankful for His grace.
The Valley of Trouble
In Joshua 7, the story of Achan is a cautionary tale about the consequences of sin. Even though God commanded the Israelites to destroy every single thing in Jericho, Achan stole some of the silver and gold. God punished the Israelites by giving them defeat at the hand of their enemies, and when it was found out that Achan was to blame, the consequences for him were even more severe:
"And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor... and all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones... Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor."
"Achor" means trouble. They named the valley that because, as verse 25 says, Achan had brought trouble on them, and now God brought trouble back to Achan. At first glance this seems like a very sobering story, and in many ways it is. But God is not done with the Valley of Achor. Hosea 2 describes God's ultimate plan for the valley of trouble:
"Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards,
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope."
Isn't it just like God, to take the place where sin brought defeat and judgment and destruction, and turn that very place into a door of hope? God is always turning the valley of trouble into a door of hope. He did it with Achor, bringing hope out of trouble. And we see it most clearly at the cross, where evil was subverted and destroyed and made to serve the infinitely good purpose of bringing many sons to glory. John Piper writes, "At the all-important pivot of human history, the worst sin ever committed served to show the greatest glory of Christ and obtain the sin-conquering gift of God's grace. God did not just overcome evil at the cross. He made evil serve the overcoming of evil. He made evil commit suicide in doing its worst evil." This is the ultimate message of the Valley of Achor.
And I know that in my life, God frequently makes the valley the place of greatest fruitfulness. Often, I think, He brings us into the valley of trouble for the express purpose of demonstrating that He is the One who brings hope from trouble and mercy from sin.
"And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor... and all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones... Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor."
"Achor" means trouble. They named the valley that because, as verse 25 says, Achan had brought trouble on them, and now God brought trouble back to Achan. At first glance this seems like a very sobering story, and in many ways it is. But God is not done with the Valley of Achor. Hosea 2 describes God's ultimate plan for the valley of trouble:
"Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards,
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope."
Isn't it just like God, to take the place where sin brought defeat and judgment and destruction, and turn that very place into a door of hope? God is always turning the valley of trouble into a door of hope. He did it with Achor, bringing hope out of trouble. And we see it most clearly at the cross, where evil was subverted and destroyed and made to serve the infinitely good purpose of bringing many sons to glory. John Piper writes, "At the all-important pivot of human history, the worst sin ever committed served to show the greatest glory of Christ and obtain the sin-conquering gift of God's grace. God did not just overcome evil at the cross. He made evil serve the overcoming of evil. He made evil commit suicide in doing its worst evil." This is the ultimate message of the Valley of Achor.
And I know that in my life, God frequently makes the valley the place of greatest fruitfulness. Often, I think, He brings us into the valley of trouble for the express purpose of demonstrating that He is the One who brings hope from trouble and mercy from sin.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
A Wedding Update
Sarah and I now have a nifty little wedding website for our friends and family. I'm pretty excited about it.
Check it out:
www.theknot.com/ourwedding/sarahgoedeke&brendanbeale
Check it out:
www.theknot.com/ourwedding/sarahgoedeke&brendanbeale
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saved For Himself
I'm in Numbers on my Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year journey, and a peculiar verse in chapter 3 struck me today.
Numbers 3:13-- "On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my won all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the LORD."
Here is what the ESV Study Bible has to say about this verse: "In the last plague, every firstborn male Egyptian and every firstborn of their cattle died, but the firstborn Israelite boys and cattle were spared. So after this, all Israelite firstborn boys and cattle were dedicated to God."
The significance of this verse hit me between the eyes. What God is saying is this: "I spared them and saved them; therefore, they are now mine." God doesn't save us so that we can continue living for ourselves; He saves us for Himself. This is the purpose of the cross. Titus 2 says that Christ "gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possessions who are zealous for good works."
That is why He saved the Israelites, and it's why He saved us: He saved us for Himself.
Numbers 3:13-- "On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my won all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the LORD."
Here is what the ESV Study Bible has to say about this verse: "In the last plague, every firstborn male Egyptian and every firstborn of their cattle died, but the firstborn Israelite boys and cattle were spared. So after this, all Israelite firstborn boys and cattle were dedicated to God."
The significance of this verse hit me between the eyes. What God is saying is this: "I spared them and saved them; therefore, they are now mine." God doesn't save us so that we can continue living for ourselves; He saves us for Himself. This is the purpose of the cross. Titus 2 says that Christ "gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possessions who are zealous for good works."
That is why He saved the Israelites, and it's why He saved us: He saved us for Himself.
Friday, February 27, 2009
A Whopper of a Promise
2 Corinthians 9:8- "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work."
Wow, that's quite a promise. All grace to have all sufficiency in all things at all times for every good work. It really covers all the bases, doesn't it?
Wow, that's quite a promise. All grace to have all sufficiency in all things at all times for every good work. It really covers all the bases, doesn't it?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Declared Righteous
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ~Romans 3:28
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ~James 2:24
These two verses have always frustrated me. Yes, I knew that simple answer-- "Oh, James isn't talking about justification the same way Paul is," but that never really satisfied me because no one ever really tried to back up that claim; they just said it like that settled it. But it never really settled it for me-- until now.
The perfect analogy hit me yesterday while I was driving and wrestling with the whole question of justification (yeah, theologizing in the car, don't make fun...). To justify means "to declare righteous," but if you think about it, there are multiple ways that someone can be declared righteous. For example:
Imagine that you're on trial for robbing a bank. The lawyers and witnesses have all had their say, and now the judge will decide whether or not you are guilty. The judge finally bangs the gavel. "Not guilty," he says. You've just been declared righteous.
Now imagine that the press has been following this case closely. The next morning, the front page headline reads in big letters, "NOT GUILTY." The newspaper just declared you righteous. But their declaration is very different than the judge's. The judge actually changes your status-- from prisoner to free man, from condemned to innocent, from guilty to not guilty. All that the paper does is publish these results, and declare what has already taken place. The paper could print whatever it wanted, whether or not it lined up with reality (how true that is!)-- but that wouldn't change your status before the judge. But the paper's job is to report accurately what has taken place, and proclaim to the world, "This man is not guilty!"
That's exactly the two different ways that Paul and James are talking about justification. Romans 1-3 is full of legal terms-- guilt, redemption, innocent, accountable, just, etc. It is obvious that Paul is using the word justification in its legal sense-- the judge of all the universe declaring sinners "not guilty." But in James, the context is very different. There, you have phrases like, "I will show you my faith by my works," and talk about demonstrating actual love for your neighbor not just in word but in deed. It's clear that James is talking about justification in the newspaper sense-- publishing the results of the trial.
So what do you get when you put Romans and James together? To keep using the current analogy, let's say that the judge declares me not guilty in the bank robbery case. The proper way to celebrate that verdict is not to then go out and rob a bank saying, "Yay, I'm innocent!" The message of Paul and James, taken together, is this: "God has declared you righteous; why is your life not declaring that too?"
Deeper Still
I've been thinking a lot since yesterday about the role of a pastor/preacher, and I think I've come up with a helpful analogy.
My role as a preacher (and really, I think, this applies to any godly person who is seeking to know Christ more), in relation to a congregation, and even to my friends and family, is to act as a scuba diver. Most of the people in the congregation, when it comes to knowing God, are content to "sit on the beach" as it were, searching the endless horizon and watching the beautiful sunsets. And to some extent, that's okay; the beach is a stunning place to be.
But as a scuba diver, I've been brought by the Holy Spirit beneath the waves, to the incredible coral reef that lies just out of sight of the beach. I am to be staggered and awed by the character and works of God revealed in Scripture just as a diver would be when seeing the vivid colors and patterns and life of the reef. My duty and privilege is to daily swim back to the ones I love and say, "You've got to come and see this! It's more beautiful than you can imagine down here. You think this is beautiful up here? You've got no idea! Please, come deeper still!"
I myself, as a scuba diver, have been greatly influenced by a few who have gone before me and dared to forge ahead into the deep unknown. People like Calvin, Spurgeon, Edwards, Piper... men of God who have moved beyond the beauties of the reef and discovered sunken treasures far below. While I explore the beauties of the reef, they bring gold up to me, saying, "You've got to come and see this! You think it's beautiful up here-- you have no idea! There are riches beyond your wildest dreams just a little lower. Please, come deeper still!"
And so I press lower, drawn by the promise of infinite riches further down into the heart of God. I'm on a quest for treasure-- not a hunt for wisdom or knowledge or brownie points with God. I've been captivated by beauty in the shallows, and I have heard tell of wonders that will take your breath away if you are willing to swim to them.
And oh, how sweet will heaven be, when we will no longer have need for the earthly trappings of air tanks and masks, but will be able to swim freely in the endless ocean of the heart of God! In that place, just like the beach paled in comparison to the reef, which paled in comparison to the sunken treasure, so too every earthly glimpse of glory will be consumed and forgotten in the depths to which God will take His people. The oceans of this world grow darker and colder the deeper you go, but there, each step deeper brings more light and warmth and glory. Metaphors cease and words fail in the presence of such splendor.
Oh how I long to get there! Come deeper still with me!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Responding to Bad News
Today, my fiancee Sarah got word that her grandmother was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer, and has been given just a few months to live. She had been having trouble swallowing and eating, and had a few tests done-- and got back the alarming and unexpected results. It has been a rough month for Sarah's family, as well as a time of uncertainty for my family. Her dad is going through chemo for colon cancer, and her other grandmother is struggling with declining health and mental faculties. My dad will be getting back MRI results tomorrow after undergoing tests to figure out the cause of some muscle issues.
In light of all of that, how am I supposed to respond to bad news when it inevitably comes? And it is inevitable-- Jesus promised as much: "In this world you will have trouble." Yet even so, He also said that He has overcome the world-- so how should that influence our response to tragedy and bad or unexpected news? I'm absolutely by no means an expert on suffering-- compared to even the normal tragedies of life, I have led an incredibly sheltered existence-- but I want to know what Scripture has to say on the subject, so that I will be prepared with an anchor deeply rooted in truth when the storms come. So here are my thoughts, from Scripture, on a biblical response to bad news:
1) Don't be afraid of bad news, because God is worth trusting in ~Psalm 112:6-7
For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
Oh, that I would live this out-- to never fear bad news, because God is a trustworthy and firm foundation! His sovereignty is my assurance, His mercy is my plea, His love is my hope.
2) Grieve with Gospel-centered, hopeful grief ~1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.
I want the Gospel to be driven so deeply into my heart that when tragedy or heartache comes, my natural response is Gospel-centered hope. That's going to take some more significant construction work by the Holy Spirit.
3) Cling to the absolute sovereignty of God ~Deuteronomy 32:39
See now that I, even I, am He,
and there is no god beside Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
In the midst of blinding pain, the greatest hope I can imagine is that even in the midst of that, there is no one who can deliver me out of the hand of my sovereign God who is directing my pain for His glory and my good.
4) Comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received ~2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
The comfort that God extends to us in the Gospel is not meant to stay with us; God uses our sufferings to make us conduits of grace to others in similar trials.
In light of all of that, how am I supposed to respond to bad news when it inevitably comes? And it is inevitable-- Jesus promised as much: "In this world you will have trouble." Yet even so, He also said that He has overcome the world-- so how should that influence our response to tragedy and bad or unexpected news? I'm absolutely by no means an expert on suffering-- compared to even the normal tragedies of life, I have led an incredibly sheltered existence-- but I want to know what Scripture has to say on the subject, so that I will be prepared with an anchor deeply rooted in truth when the storms come. So here are my thoughts, from Scripture, on a biblical response to bad news:
1) Don't be afraid of bad news, because God is worth trusting in ~Psalm 112:6-7
For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
Oh, that I would live this out-- to never fear bad news, because God is a trustworthy and firm foundation! His sovereignty is my assurance, His mercy is my plea, His love is my hope.
2) Grieve with Gospel-centered, hopeful grief ~1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.
I want the Gospel to be driven so deeply into my heart that when tragedy or heartache comes, my natural response is Gospel-centered hope. That's going to take some more significant construction work by the Holy Spirit.
3) Cling to the absolute sovereignty of God ~Deuteronomy 32:39
See now that I, even I, am He,
and there is no god beside Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
In the midst of blinding pain, the greatest hope I can imagine is that even in the midst of that, there is no one who can deliver me out of the hand of my sovereign God who is directing my pain for His glory and my good.
4) Comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received ~2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
The comfort that God extends to us in the Gospel is not meant to stay with us; God uses our sufferings to make us conduits of grace to others in similar trials.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
As Watchmen For The Morning
This is a poem I wrote this morning, while meditating on Psalm 30 and Psalm 130. It may or not become a song at some point-- I haven't figured that out yet.
Psalm 30:5-- "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."
Psalm 130:6-- "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."
More than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for joy to come
More than watchmen for the morning
Though weeping tarry long
Out of the depths, the miry pit
My soul waits for my God
In His unfailing word I hope
And wait for joy to come
More than watchmen for the morning
I will wait for steadfast love
With God is plentiful redemption
So I will wait for joy to come
His promise is my power
His grace, my only plea
So armed with faith's assurance
I know joy will come to me
My sackcloth turned to gladness
My mourning into song
As watchmen for the morning
I rejoice to see the dawn
He has marked me with forgiveness
Forgotten my iniquity
My soul will sing Your praises
For joy has come to me
As the watchmen for the morning
I will see the final day
The dawning of Your glory
When every tear is wiped away
The Lamb will be the glory
And Christ will be our light
For joy comes on that morning,
The end of weeping's night
Soul, arm yourself with power
To believe God's word is true
Though night is long, 'tis nearly o'er
And joy will come to you.
Monday, February 16, 2009
A Prayer From This Christian Hedonist
Lord,
I grieve my hardness of heart,
the coldness of my love,
the brevity of my joy.
You have planted so much in my heart, and yet harvested so little.
And yet I know from Your Word that You are a God
who is gracious to the point of extravagance,
faithful to the point of death and beyond,
loving with an omnipotent, conquering love that has drawn and bound me to Yourself.
And so I come with reckless boldness to the throne of grace,
with empty hands pleading the blood of the Lamb.
And Lord,
I ask for more.
From You who gives grace upon grace, I ask for more mercy.
From You who are Love itself, I ask for a more tender heart.
From You who are a consuming fire, I ask for more holiness.
I want to know the love that surpasses knowledge. I want all the fullness of God.
I want a greater faith
and greater wisdom
and greater assurance
and greater joy
and greater passion
and greater love.
I ask for these things with a holy greed that I believe honors You.
For I want to serve You more,
bless You more,
glorify You more,
magnify You more,
give more people more reasons for more thankfulness and more praise.
If You leave me in my hardened, empty condition,
I will have nothing for Your people
and nothing for Your glory.
I want, I need Your fullness.
I have nothing with which to overflow;
Send Your Spirit to cause rivers of living waters to flow in me.
Quench my thirst,
satisfy my heart with Your steadfast love,
and send me out in the strength of the Fountain
for a life of joyful service.
I pray this in the name of the Mediator,
clothed in the righteousness of the Mediator,
in the strength of the Mediator,
for the glory of the Mediator,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Another Book
Today in my Through-the-Bible reading, I was in Exodus 32, which recounts the story of the golden calf. While Moses was up on the mountain talking to God, the Israelites got 'bored,' and had Aaron make a golden idol for them. God was furious, and if not for Moses' intercession, He would have wiped them all out. But even though He spared their lives, God still held their sin against them. "But the LORD said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.'"
As soon as I read that, my mind jumped to Revelation 20, where we see God's book again: "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done." This is a terrifying scene. I know my heart, and I know that if I had been at Mt. Sinai, I probably would have been going right along with the idol worship. Because I was once an idolater too, and even now, I am a saint who struggles with idolatry. I know that if God kept a record of my sins, I could never stand.
But the scene in Revelation doesn't end there. It continues: "Then another book was opened, which is the book of life." Praise God, there is another book! I will not be judged according to what I have done, because my name is in the book of life. When I read that this morning, I was humbled and broken and awed. Truly, it could only be amazing grace that would save a wretch like me and cover over my endless offenses in those other books. My sins are stacked so high, ingrained so deeply in my soul, written so clearly in those books, that it took the death of the Son of God in my place to blot them out. So instead of my name being blotted out of the book of life (which is what I deserve), I get my sins blotted out instead.
Praise God, there is another book!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Through-the-Bible Thoughts
Every day that I have the privilege to be in God's Word is a blessing beyond description, but what I take away from the Word is different each day. Some days are full of rich, deep, beautiful truth, and other days are more about the discipline of dryness-- pursuing God because of who He is, not because of what He gives me. Today, though, was a particularly fruitful day with my Through-the-Bible reading. Here is some of what the Holy Spirit was teaching me and reminding me of:
Psalm 34:2- "My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad."
This is a description of "humble boasting"-- a deliberate bragging that points away from oneself. It's the same thing that God commanded in Jeremiah 9-- "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the might man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth." Or like what Paul said in Galatians 6-- "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." What we are to boast about really has nothing to do with us; it's about openly celebrating the character of God and the omnipotent mercy that has been shown to sinners like us. I want to become, in this sense, a more boastful person.
Acts 20:24- "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
Oh, how I want this passion! I don't want to waste my life by considering it valuable, but I want to say with Paul that the most valuable truth that I must commit myself to is "the gospel of the grace of God." Sometimes I think I've touched that passion, and other times I realize that I have not even scratched the surface of what it means to be so self-forgetful and consumed with the cause of Christ. I'm not there, but oh how I want to be there!
Acts 20:26-27- "I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."
This is what Paul said to the elders of the Ephesian church after spending three years with them. God has been continually reminding me of this verse, and of the passage in Ezekiel 3 which Paul is referencing, in relation to my own three-year ministry at Center Presbyterian Church. I'll be leaving when I graduate in May, and when I go, will I be able to say this? I have been given the task to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, to declare the whole counsel of God in Bible study and youth group; will I complete my task? The stakes are dangerously high; if I shrink from teaching difficult or unpopular truth and thus leave them in their sin, God will hold me accountable for their souls. This is a frightening and sobering prospect, and it drives me to be blood-earnest with them, especially with the youth group kids. When I leave, I want to be able to say with all seriousness that the kids understand, "I am innocent of the blood of all of you." Will those words make sense in my ministry? I pray they will.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Founder of Life, Faith, and Salvation
I'm doing independent study third year Greek, which has been a lot of fun so far. Last semester we translated 1 Peter and James, and this semester we're tackling Hebrews (which is really hard!) Today we translated chapter 2, and verse 10 got me thinking and doing word studies.
Verse 10: "For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering."
The word "founder" is translated from the Greek "archegos." It's a rare word, which only appears 4 times in the New Testament. Here are the other three occurrences, with "archegos" in bold:
"You killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead." ~Acts 3:15
"God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." ~Acts 5:31
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross..." ~Hebrews 12:2
The word "archegos" means a leader, pioneer, source, initiator, or founder. The only times it is used in the New Testament, it is used to describe Jesus Christ. He is described as the Author of life, faith, and salvation.
Jesus is the Author of Life
"You killed the Author of Life," Peter accused the Jewish leaders. A remarkable,seemingly contradictory statement-- you killed the One who invented life. Yet this is the mystery of the Gospel. John 1 says that "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." In Colossians 3, Paul writes, "When Christ who is your life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory." The Author of Life becomes our life. 1 John 5 gives us the precious promise that, "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life." Whoever has the Son has life, because Jesus IS Life; He is the Author, the Source of Life. St. John Chrysostom wrote, "The life that He has does not come from another; the author of life has to be Him who has life in Himself." In Him all things live and move and have their being. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is the source of everything that exists, and, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:30, He is also the source of our spiritual life.
Jesus is the Author of Faith
"Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith." In the same way that our life is wrapped up in Christ, so too our spiritual life-- our faith-- flows from Him. He is the vine, and we are the branches. He is the Author of our faith because He is the giver of faith. He "grants repentance," gives faith as a gift, says "Let there be light" in darkened hearts, and invades dead souls with the conquering, life-giving, omnipotent love of Yahweh. And after giving us new life, He becomes the example of perfect faithfulness that we seek to imitate.
Jesus is the Author of Salvation
"The author of their salvation perfect through suffering..." Jesus is the Author of Salvation because He is the conqueror of sin, the victor over the grave, and the purchaser of the Spirit. He is the One who sovereignly elects, calls, saves, justifies, and sanctifies us. "Those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified."
The Iniquity of our Holy Things
I'm smack in the middle of Exodus in my Through-the-Bible reading, and today I was reading about the garments of the priests in Exodus 28. Exodus can be a challenging book, but I know from Hebrews that the whole sacrificial system and priesthood pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice and priesthood of Christ. So I've been on the lookout for connections. Here's one that jumped out at me:
It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. ~Exodus 28:38
God is so holy, and the people so fundamentally corrupted, that even their holy gifts were stained with guilt that needed to be borne and atoned for. What a humbling reminder this is! We must remember, in our service to God, that even our holy things need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. John Owen writes,
"Believers obey Christ as the one by whom our obedience is accepted by God. Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God's presence. Therefore they look to Christ as the one who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Sinner's Hiding Place
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered...
You are a hiding place for me;
You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with shouts of deliverance.
~Psalm 32:1,7
How precious is the Gospel! The knowledge of God's costly grace, freely given to us, is blessing and joy and comfort beyond measure. Blessed is the one whose sin has been covered-- but covered by what, and by whom? Verse 7 gives the answer-- we are covered by God Himself, who becomes for us a hiding place from the ravages of sin and wrath. The hymn "Hiding Place" grasps this sweet truth:
You know the vileness of my heart
So prone to act the rebel's part
And when You veil Your lovely face
How can I find a hiding place?
Lord Jesus, shine and then I can
Feel sweetness in salvation's plan
And as a sinner plead for grace
To Christ, the sinner's hiding place
"Christ, the sinner's hiding place." What a precious, precious phrase!
God knows, and I know in glimpses, the deep vileness of my heart. I know who I am and what I deserve, and I am grateful that God daily reminds me of this in His Word. And even more, I am so thankful that as a sinner I can plead for grace to Christ, the sinner's hiding place.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling
Today in my Through-the-Bible reading I was in Exodus 17, when Israel defeats the Amalekites. As long as Moses kept his staff raised, the Israelites prevailed, but when he grew tired and lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. So Aaron and Hur held up his hands, and Israel won the battle. I was moved by the humility of Aaron-- all he was doing was holding up the great prophet's hands. It reminded me of the hymn, "Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling:"
Hark, the voice of Jesus calling,
"Who will go and work today?
Fields are ripe and harvests waiting,
Who will bear the sheaves away?"
Long and loud the Master calls us,
Rich rewards He offers free;
Who will answer, gladly saying,
"Here am I, send me, send me"?
If you cannot cross the ocean
And the distant lands explore,
You can find the lost around you,
You can help them at your door.
If you cannot give your thousands,
You can give the widow's mite;
What you truly give for Jesus
Will be precious in His sight.
If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked
With the judgment's dread alarms,
You can lead the little children
To the Savior's waiting arms.
If you cannot be the watchman
Standing high on Zion's wall,
Pointing out the path to heaven,
Offering life and peace to all,
With your prayers and with your bounties
You can do what God demands;
You can be like faithful Aaron,
Holding up the prophet's hands.
Let none hear you idly saying,
"There is nothing I can do."
While the souls of men are dying
And the Master calls for you.
Take the task He gives you gladly;
Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calls you,
"Here am I, send me, send me."
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