A man of one book

This is a great quote from John Wesley:

"I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God and returning to God; just hovering over the great gulf, till a few moments hence I am no more seen. I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing, the way to heaven--how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach me the way: for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the Book of God! I have it. Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be a man of one book."

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!

We Wish to See Jesus

Next week, I am starting my last Bible study at Center Presbyterian Church.  It has been a joy and incredible privilege for me to lead the adult Bible study there for the past year and a half.  We have done studies on Philippians, Hebrews, and Colossians, and this spring we will be looking at the "I am" statements of Jesus in the book of John.  I am really, really excited about this semester, because I see this study as the culmination of everything I have been teaching the last year and a half.  Below is my introduction to our study in John:

"Life in a fallen world is a tightrope dichotomy between searing pain and seductive pleasure.  In a world full of sudden tragedy, seemingly random violence, natural disasters, cancer, illness, heartache, and tearful goodbyes, where is a rock of refuge to which we can go?  And conversely, in a materialistic culture littered with the spiritual landmines of blinding prosperity, numbing comfort, earthly treasures, and broken cisterns, where is a transcendent and satisfying reality to which we can commit ourselves?

What we are looking for is Ultimate Reality, a person and a truth and a life that transcends the problem of pain and pleasure, eclipsing both in all-consuming glory.  The Ultimate Reality that we are looking for is the person of Jesus Christ.  Colossians tells us that He is "the image of the invisible God," that "all things were created through Him and for Him," and that "in all things He has the supremacy."  Hebrews speaks of this supreme Christ when we hear that "He is the radiance of the glory of God and exact imprint of His nature, upholding the universe by the word of His power."  Philippians tells us the implications of Christ's all-satisfying supremacy: "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."  Here, then, is the end of all things: suffering and satisfaction, gain and loss, united in the glorious Son.  To know Him will cost everything, yet knowing Him is infinite gain.

How then can we know this Glorious One?  How can we "know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge?" (Ephesians 3:19)  Hosea invites us into this eternal pursuit, saying, "Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord."  We want to say with the Greeks in John 12, "We wish to see Jesus!"  But how?"

The first lesson is all about my answer to that last question: God has given us His Word so that we can see Jesus in it and be supremely satisfied in seeing Him forever.

Valley of Vision prayer

In my devotions today, I read a Valley of Vision prayer titled "A Minister's Bible."  But it's certainly not just for ministers.  This is my prayer, and my hope is that this would be your prayer too.

O God of truth,

I thank Thee for the holy Scriptures,

their precepts, promises, directions, light.

In them may I learn more of Christ,

be enabled to retain His truth

and have grace to follow it.

Help me to lift up the gates of my soul

that He may come in

and show me Himself when I search

the Scriptures,

for I have no lines to fathom its depths,

no wings to soar to its heights.

By His aid may I be enabled to explore

all its truths,

love them with all my heart,

embrace them with all my power,

engraft them into my life.

Bless to my soul all grains of truth garnered

from Thy Word;

may they take deep root,

be refreshed by heavenly dew,

be ripened by heavenly rays,

be harvested to my joy and Thy praise.

Help me to gain profit by what I read,

as a treasure beyond all treasure,

a fountain which can replenish my dry heart,

its waters flowing through me as a perennial river

on-drawn by Thy Holy Spirit.

Enable me to distill from its pages faithful prayer

that grasps the arm of Thy omnipotence,

achieves wonders, obtains blessings,

and draws down streams of mercy.

From it show me how my words have often been

unfaithful to Thee,

injurious to my fellow-men,

empty of grace, full of folly,

dishonoring to my calling.

Then write Thy own words upon my heart

and inscribe them on my lips;

So shall all glory be to Thee

in my reading of Thy Word!

11 Reasons to Love the Bible in 2009

There is perhaps nothing as valuable in the life of a believer as a steady diet of God's Word.  Throughout Scripture, God holds out indescribably wonderful promises to woo us to His Word-- promises of life and power and salvation and holiness and joy.  Below are 11 reasons to love the Bible in 2009.  I pray that they will inspire you to say with the Psalmist, "I love Your commandments above gold, above fine gold."

Holiness: Psalm 119:11- "I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

Enabling Ministry: 2 Timothy 3:16-17- "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Guidance: Psalm 119:105- "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Understanding and Wisdom: Psalm 119:130- "The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple."

Spiritual Nourishment: Deuteronomy 8:3- "He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Comfort: Psalm 119:50- "This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise gives me life."

Joy: John 15:11- "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Faith: Romans 10:17- "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Salvation: James 1:21- "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Knowing God: 1 Samuel 3:21- "The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His word."

Seeing Jesus: Luke 24:27- "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

With those promises in mind, I am eagerly looking forward to mining the riches of the word of God this coming year.

Making it to the Cross

I came across an excellent blog post today entitled "Making It To The Cross," about how important it is to get a glimpse of the cross every time you open your Bible.

Here's the opening paragraph, to get you hooked:

"Today, whether you read a few chapters in Leviticus or Luke, Ezekiel or Ephesians, Proverbs or Philippians, you must make it to the cross.  If you don't make it to the cross, if you don't see the connection between a chapter in Proverbs and what Jesus accomplished on the cross, you'll miss the whole point of your regular Bible reading.  The whole point of reading through your Bible on a regular basis is to begin to see and celebrate that the whole Bible is about the cross-- about the gospel, about the good news of what Jesus has done for you."

Read the whole article here, and remember to make it to the cross.

Something More Sure

On Sunday morning as I was having devotions and coming to God to prepare my heart to preach, I was reading in my Through the Bible reading plan in 2 Peter 1.  I was given a great encouragement by how Peter describes his faith.

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven."

In other words, Peter said, "We didn't make this stuff up; we saw Jesus on the mount of transfiguration; we saw His glory and we heard the voice from heaven."  But that makes what he says next so astounding:

"And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, which you will do well to pay attention to."

He says, "We saw the glory with our own eyes, we heard the voice from heaven with our own ears, but the Word of God is even more sure than that!"

Wow.  That was such an encouragement to me on Sunday, as I was preparing to preach a pretty heavy-duty sermon about sin.  I needed to hear that the Word of God is more sure than even a voice from heaven.  And it was also a huge encouragement to me and Sarah, as we have been struggling with a lot of post-college plans and trying to figure out when to get married and how we're going to make money, etc etc.  So often when you're waiting on God's timing, you wish He would just write His answer in the sky.  But 2 Peter reminds us that He doesn't need to; He has given us His Word, which is even more sure than a voice from heaven.

Your words were found, and I ate them

Today's Through-The-Bible reading brought me to Jeremiah 15:16-

Your words were found, and I ate them

     and your words became to me a joy

     and the delight of my heart,

for I am called by your name,

     O LORD, God of hosts.

What an amazing verse, especially when you look at it in context.  After delivering all his prophecies of disaster and destruction, Jeremiah is deeply discouraged and pleads to God for help.  But in the midst of his discouragement, Jeremiah remembers how precious God's Word still is to him.  It's sort of like David, praying out of his discouragement in Psalm 42, "Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."  Though the God's Word to Jeremiah is alienating him from his family and his people, yet they are still a joy to his heart.

May this verse be true of me every day.  I want God's Word to be my joy and delight; I want to hunger and thirst after God and His righteous Word.  But my heart doesn't naturally love what is most lovely, and my fallen tongue doesn't naturally "taste and see the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8, 1 Peter 2:3).  I need the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth, to do this work in me every day.  I must pray with the Psalmist, "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!"  "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."  I need God to sovereignly, omnipotently bend my stubborn heart to His testimonies, and I need His Spirit to say "Let there be light" to my darkened eyes every morning so that I can see the wondrous things in the Bible.  And I have His promise that He will do this: Jeremiah delighted in the Word of God because he was called by God's name.  So am I!  And so I have the same Spirit and calling that Jeremiah did that enabled him to enjoy God.

This Morning's Scripture

For my Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year plan, I was reading this morning from Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, John, and James.  Something in each one hit me really hard as I was reading (praise God for the Holy Spirit who delights to do that sort of thing).  Here are my thoughts:

Behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn;

they take no pleasure in it.

Therefore I am full of the wrath of the LORD

~Jeremiah 6:10-11

Wow.  I pray that this will never, ever be said of me.  "The word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it."  If that's what the people of Israel were doing wrong, here's what is right: TAKE PLEASURE in the word of the Lord.  To not take pleasure in it, to not delight in it, is scorn.  It is treating it as less precious than it is.  And look at the consequences: the wrath of the LORD-- God takes our affections for the Bible very seriously.  Lord, forgive me for all the times I have not taken pleasure in Your word, and by Your Spirit implant Your holy joy in me.

Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness... Apart from [God] who can have any enjoyment?  For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy.  ~Ecclesiastes 2:13,26

Praise God for this one!  There is more gain in wisdom than in folly, and there is more gain in light than in dark!  Not to quote John Piper or anything, but this is classic "Christian hedonism."  You want gain, right?  Then seek wisdom, and walk in the light!  And to those who please God, He gives this great gain in abundance.  Oh the goodness of God, that He works in us what is pleasing to Him (Heb. 13:21-22) and then fills His people with immeasurable good things!

For this purpose I cam baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel. ~John 1:31

When you stop to look at it, you quickly realize that the whole Bible is intensely, radically Christ-centered, and the testimony of John the Baptist is no exception.  The whole point of his baptism, the whole point of his entire ministry, the whole point of his life and his message of repentance and all the years of locusts and honey, was this: that Jesus would be revealed.  May that be the purpose of my life and ministry as well.

Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. ~James 1:21

This sort of reminded me of the passage from Jeremiah, in how seriously it takes the Bible.  Specifically, I thought of this in terms of my youth group's Bible study that I help to lead, and I was burdened anew for their hearts to be opened to the Word of God.  I want them to see that this study we are doing is so much more than a self-help lesson, or something to do Sunday afternoons-- it is life and death.  Eternal life and eternal death hang in the balance of how they will respond to God's Word.  Will they take pleasure in it, delight in it, receive it with meekness... or will they not?  Oh Lord, open their hearts and mine to Your Word, that we may receive it with meekness and joy!

Through the Bible in a Year

I don't know about you, but I've tried several different times to do one of those "read through the Bible in a year" plans, but I've never been able to stick with it.  For a while, one of those plans was actually included in each day's Daily Verse.  But let's be honest... when you have to read 7 chapters of Numbers in one day, it gets rough.

I've started a new plan, though, that I think is actually going to help me do this once and for all.  It's one of the reading plans from Discipleship Journal, and it's got a lot of things going for it that make it better than any other plan I've come across.  For starters, instead of reading all from one place (which is okay in Psalms but, as I said, gets really hard in places like Numbers and Chronicles), it divides the readings into 4 sections- one from the Old Testament law and prophets, one from the Old Testament wisdom literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, etc), one from the Gospels, and one from the Epistles.  The reading from the OT law and prophets is usually 2-3 chapters (that includes the Numbers stuff), but the other three sections are relatively short-- usually one Psalm, about ten verses from one of the Gospels, and about ten verses from one of the Epistles.  I'm really enjoying that balanced approach, because I get to see the unity of the Scriptures more clearly, and it's keeping me from getting bogged down in one spot.

Another nice thing is that, to prevent you from falling behind, it only has 25 days of reading a month, which gives me days to catch up on when I oversleep my alarm, or days to go back and meditate more on certain passages.  And also, it gives you four different bookmarks to print out, put in your Bible, and check off each day, which helps keep me accountable.

All of that said, the bigger question is, why?  Why am I reading through the whole Bible?  Who wants to read Numbers anyway?  Well, 2 Timothy 3:16 says that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable."  Profitable.  As in, there's great gain to be had here-- even in Numbers.  So I want to pursue my joy in the Word of God.  Also, although I've read almost all of the Bible at one point or another, I'm so much more familiar with the Epistles than the rest of God's Word.  I've recently been very humbled listening to various sermons and hearing pastors drawing on their deep knowledge and love of the whole Bible, quoting "obscure" verses that still carry the transforming, joy-producing power of the Spirit.  I want to preach like that.  I want to know God like that.  So I'm reading all the way through the Bible.

If you want to join me (I think I'll start including this in the Daily Verse come January) and many others who are also on this plan, go to www.hopeingod.org/biblereadingplan.aspx to find out more.