Coram Deo...

My New Master

2011-03-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

a meditation on Romans 4 - 6 (Feb., 2011)

I’m amazed at Your mercy, enthralled by Your grace.
You’ve loved me and drawn me to gaze on Your face.
Condemned by Your righteous and holy decree,
Your Son took my place and now I am free.
With Jesus’ blood covering my guilt and my shame,
My heart is now stirred and with passion enflamed.
I’ll live for Your glory and name and renown
Until Jesus my Savior with worship is crowned.

My master, once cruel, a taskmaster grim,
Reminded me always of my guilt within.
Enslaved by my sin, I was hopeless and lost,
My death and destruction, the infinite cost.
But blind eyes were opened, You caused me to see
That Jesus in love came, my Ransom to be.
Now clothed in Your righteousness, walking in love,
I gladly surrender to Your will above.

Your mercy and kindness, no merit could earn;
Your glory, the standard of righteousness spurned.
In Jesus alone is forgiveness assured,
My standing in glory forever secured.
When guilt or despair seem to flood o’er my soul,
When even my victories others extol,
When Satan my past puts before me to see,
Then “Jesus, my Righteousness” shall be my plea.

I’m amazed at Your mercy, enthralled by Your grace.
You’ve loved me and drawn me to gaze on Your face.
Though wretched and vile, Your love set me free
To magnify Jesus, the whole world to see.
With Jesus my Life and my Joy and My All,
My once heart-of-stone is now heeding Your call.
I’ll live for Your glory and name and renown
Until Jesus with honor and worship is crowned.

A Christmas Prayer

2010-12-07T14:49:00.000-05:00

We so enjoy this season, Lord. We thrill at the sights and sounds of Christmas. We love the glitter, the tinsel and the lights. But Father, the lights can, if we're not careful, blind us to the One True Light of Christmas. And as much as we love the Christmas carols and holiday songs, we confess that they are too capable of drowning out your gentle call to us to faithfully come and worship. And Father, we love the decorations and the wreaths and the Christmas trees... But oh how easily they can obscure that other tree of Christmas - the one that stands in the shadows of the manger - the tree of Calvary.

So God, would you persistently point us this Christmas to the manger - and then on to the Cross to recognize Your consummate gift of love. Help us look to the Babe of Bethlehem as the Light of the World; let us see Him born and laid in a humble manger, yet destined to die and be laid in a borrowed tomb – the One born King was "enthroned" on a cross! All because of His great love for us! And Lord, let us do more than just sing songs that tell the story; let us come and joyfully, triumphantly worship.

"I praise You 24/7!!!" - Oh really?!

2010-11-30T12:40:00.001-05:00

Reading the first line you might be encouraged. "I praise You 24/7!!!!..." So Tweeted Steve Johnson, the Buffalo Bills wide receiver who dropped what would have been the game winning touchdown pass in overtime of last Sunday's game against the Steelers. He was wide open in the end zone and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did what he needed to do and laid the ball right into his hands.

Now I don't know if Johnson claims to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, but one might have read that and thought he would continue along the lines of, "...And I continue to praise You. My identity and security do not come from my profession as a football player. I dropped the ball and let my teammates down, but You never drop me..." That would have been awesome. But instead, here's the full edition of Johnson's Tweet:

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO...,"

I'm taking the time to briefly blog about this because it bears on at least two very important issues. First and foremost, it has to do with taking responsibility for our actions. May we all learn from this negative example to not pass the blame for our failures - both our sinful actions, but also our honest mistakes & shortcomings - onto someone else, least of all God! Whether it's sinful behavior that is exposed or failing to fulfill a responsibility that affects others on our team (at work or play), may we be quick to admit, "It's on my shoulders alone."

The second of the obvious issues this raises is how we see God and the reason why we follow Him. Do we really believe the cliche, overused and yet true, "God is good all the time"? Or is God only good when He's good... to me? And then, do I follow Him because He's good to me? ...because of His (material) blessings He bestows? Or do I follow Him because He is God, worthy of my praise, adoration, and obedience, regardless of what I may (or may not) receive from His hand?

Steve Johnson begins saying he praises God "24/7," and yet by his comments reveals that he knows nothing of the nature of true praise. Justifying himself by his own righteousness and then castigating God is in fact blasphemy. A far cry from praise.

There's so much more that I want to say about this, but I don't have time. I need to take responsibility for my work and get to it!

Soli Deo gloria!

Broken Crystal

2010-11-17T23:34:00.001-05:00

It may be the statement from Robert Schuller that comes the closest to the truth: "No church has a money problem; churches only have idea problems." (From his 1986 book, "Your Church Has a Fantastic Future".) And in the wake of the Crystal Cathedral's filing for bankruptcy last month (with well over $50 million in debt to its creditors!), it may also be his most ironic statement, let alone prophetic.

Any good start that he may have had (he was ordained in the Reformed Church in America), was quickly torpedoed, indicated with this comment from his autobiography in 2001, "My Journey": I realized that every sermon I preached (whether formally from the pulpit, or casually at the coffee shop) should be designed, not to 'teach' or 'convert' people, but rather to encourage them, to give them a lift. I decided to adopt the spirit, style, strategy, and substance of a 'therapist' in the pulpit.

There's an old gag about preaching that actually contains a lot of truth, which, if Schuller had taken to heart may have steered him in a better, more God-honoring direction. The joke is that the role of the preacher is "to afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted." As it is, it seems to me that Schuller's own words condemn him, as they seem to very much echo Paul's warning to Timothy: For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (1 Tim. 4:3)

I agree whole-heartedly with Al Mohler on this issue who assesses the situation this way: The most significant problem at the Crystal Cathedral is not financial, but theological. The issue is not money, but this ministry's message. The "gospel of success" is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, therapy is no substitute for theology, and "Possibility Thinking" is not the message of the Bible. (See http://twe.ly/uHl)

We can only pray that the leadership of the Crystal Cathedral will repent of its errors, and correct its "idea problems." God may yet redeem the situation for His greater glory.

My Singular Passion

2010-04-27T10:07:00.001-04:00

While I know that one's heart is deceitful, even to the point that we cannot even be fully confident of our own motives (Jeremiah 17:9), I believe I can honestly say that in my sanest moments my following paraphrase of Paul's passion reflects my own passionate pursuit...

All my past accomplishments, present credentials, future ambitions - all the things I once thought were so important and significant in my life are as nothing to me when compared to the far-surpassing, greater value of knowing Jesus Christ. In fact, I will even abandon them altogether if they keep me in any way from embracing Christ and being embraced by Him. Whether I experience His resurrection power, or become a partner with Him in His suffering, I want to know Him!

This will be my constant pursuit. I have not yet arrived, and I will at times stumble, but my gaze is set on my glorious Savior. I am determined to press forward through any obstacle and renounce any distracting pleasure, reaching out to Christ who first took the initiative to reach out to me with His love mercy and grace. I will extol the supremacy of His power, the sufficiency of His presence, and the satisfaction of His Person alone. I have a singular pursuit. My vision is clear. I've burned my bridges. There's no turning back. This is what I was made for and I will continue to run the race God has set before me until I cross the finish line and enter His glorious presence and hear His welcome. Until then, I will make much of Jesus, for His glory is my delight. (Personal paraphrase of Philippians 3:7-16)

And now, dear reader, I urge you with Paul's next words in verse 17, "...join in following my example". (See also 1 Cor. 11:1.)

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" - Amazing video!

2010-04-18T05:40:00.006-04:00

The Endowment for Human Development, rooted in promoting the science of health from prenatal development through all of life, and not a pro-life organization, has inadvertently provided the pro-life cause tremendous support with its research and phenomenal imagery.

Take a look at just one of the many, many samples! (Then check out their web site at www.ehd.org)...

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.ehd.org/widget.php?movie=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;bg=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;click=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;title=2"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Play Movie&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

T4G Quotables

2010-04-17T10:31:00.001-04:00

I attended the T4G ("Together for the Gospel") conference in Louisville, KY this week. It was, as I anticipated, truly exceptional. I encourage you to check out the T4G resource page to listen to or watch the messages, all FREE. (Audio is available for download.) Go to: http://www.t4g.org/resources/

One of the things I've decided is that for any future conferences I deem of enough value to expend the time, energy, and money to attend, I want to (if possible) plan into the time and travel an extra day to linger on in order to reflect, pray, assimilate, and plan some concrete action steps based on what God taught me. It is just so hard to do any of that when you immediately leave and then return to hit the ground running in ministry again.

So anyway, having said that, I wanted to quickly get some key points and quotes down here... both for some of my own review and reflection and to also share with any who may happen by my blog.

Please note that the following are not necessarily quotes (yet). They are close, but taken from my notes I took on the fly. Perhaps I'll come back and edit this blog after I review the messages again and get more accurate quotes. So bear all this in mind as you reflect on the following "[near] quotables" from T4G 2010...

Mark Dever - Message: "The Church is the Gospel Made Visible"

You can "lose the Gospel" by failing to proclaim it in its purity; but you can also lose it (for your community) by failing to have it lived out and manifest in the congregation.
Our lives are to make clear what God is like.
Our culture treats casualness as the epitome of intimacy.
When exercised appropriately, authority creates a thirst in others.
What kind of Gospel is your church making visible?

Al Mohler - Message: "How Does It Happen? Trajectories Toward An Adjusted Gospel"

The Cross is beautiful but it isn't pretty.
We'd rather think of ourselves as "sick" than "evil".

Thabiti Anyabwile - Message: "Fine-sounding Arguments - How Wrongly 'Engaging the Culture' Adjusts the Gospel

Some strategies can sound so right, but in reality be wrong and lead to mission-drift and adjust the Gospel.
(Definitely NOT a quote...) We need to make the culture in the church the alternative to the culture at large.
The church is multi-ethnic, but it is not multi-cultural; it is mono-cultural! (Chew on that one for a while. You'll have to hear/see the message to get the context and support for that comment! ~ Thabiti, by the way, is a black man!)

John MacArthur - Message: "The Theology of Sleep" (In my opinion, a very poorly titled message, though I understand what he meant. It really had nothing to do with sleep!)

...the Good News is not miracles, free food, (etc.)... It is the Cross!
Usefulness in evangelism is directly proportional to the seed sown and leads to eternal reward.

C. J. Mahaney - Message: "Expository Faithfulness"

Others may be able to witness better to the Gospel, but no one can witness to a better Gospel!

Josh Harris - Message: "Dug Down Deep: Helping Others Build Their Lives on Christ-centered Doctrine"

Jesus loves to save religious hypocrites.
"Truth" and "devotion to Jesus" are not two separate things!
The issue is not whether you know doctrine; it's whether you are doing it!

A Quote to Chew On

2010-01-06T11:48:00.000-05:00

(No, I'm not trying to "catch up" from almost 3 weeks of not posting!)

How would you complete the statement, "The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is..."? There are probably many good ways one could complete that statement, and it could be fun to sit around a table and banter some possibilities around. But here's how David Wells puts it, in God in the Wasteland... (Tell me what you think!)

"The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, His grace too ordinary, His judgment is too benign, His gospel too easy, and His Christ too common."

"Purpose" = "Plan"

2010-01-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

Clearly, over the last few weeks I've been out of sync with my goal of blogging once a week. My apologies. But here's to trying to get back into gear...

Very rarely, if ever, do I remember my dreams. And last night was no exception. (That's not what you expected me to say, right? You thought I'd say something more like, "But last night I dreamed..." But bear with me...)

Last night, however, I did wake up in the middle of the night, roused out of my dream (and I do remember that I had been dreaming, though I don't remember about what; weird, I know) by... something; I don't really know what woke me, which is also very unusual as I am a very sound sleeper. (Just ask my wife!) What was very clearly on my mind, however, was... a thought. An idea. An idea that somehow I knew was directly related in some way to the dream. It seemed fairly significant to me at the time, and I almost got up to write myself a note on my phone so I could think more about it in the morning, but I brushed the thought off in favor of going back to sleep. (In other words, I was too lazy!) I thought to myself, If it was really a worthwhile thought, I'll remember it in the morning, then silently prayed, Lord, help me remember, all the while knowing that it was highly unlikely, as this kind of thing has happened a couple times before, and I've almost always racked my brain - unsuccessfully! - in the morning trying to remember.

Well, by now you're probably realizing that this time I did indeed remember, or else I wouldn't have taken the time to write this account of something that I didn't remember! So let me finally get to the point after this far-too-lengthy introduction!

Two words were successively on my mind last night in that brief moment of consciousness. The first word was purpose, and the second very quickly on its heels was plan. And then my mind very quickly inserted an "equals" sign in between. Purpose = Plan. If there is a purpose, there must be a plan. Purpose requires plans.

Those who know me well may be chuckling right now, for "planner" is not usually a word people think of associating with me. By nature I am a visioner, a dreamer, I see the big picture and how the parts are supposed to fit to make the whole. I have struggled most of my life with taking initiative and being intentional Though I believe I am better than I used to be, I still have a long way to go. So now perhaps you see why this little early morning equation seemed significant to me.

Let me finally get to the nuts and bolts of this post... I have a purpose. You have a purpose. And I'm not talking about a subjective purpose... to be happy, to make money, to provide for my family, to make a difference, to raise good kids, to save enough money to retire, etc. I'm talking about our objective purpose. Our raison d'etre - our reason for being. That is, why God has created us. It's true, we could identify multiple purposes which should drive our lives. I still uphold the five purposes of Worship, Community, Maturity, Service, and Mission as a very helpful way of articulating them, but really there is only one at the very core of them all. That one is God's own purpose, what He is most determined to do, and the very reason you and I are here: "As surely as I live," declares the Lord, "all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Num. 14:21; see also Isa. 43:7). Paul's words to the Corinthians articulates our purpose well: Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31); or again, You have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:20); or to the Romans, Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Rom. 12:1).

So what's your plan? God is a planning God. His purpose is being worked out according to His plan. Jesus came to do the work of His Father (to be read, to carry out His Father's plan). He planned creation, and He planned our redemption, and He has planned the culmination of all of human history to accomplish His desired ends, His purpose and plan. What's your plan?

Here's part of mine, to learn to better align myself with God's purpose. I have written out three questions that I plan to ask myself every day as soon as I get out of bed. These will be entered into my phone for me to read, perhaps even before I leave the side of my bed in the morning. But more importantly, I will come up with some concrete answers to these questions over the course of the morning before 9 a.m. (This is not meant to be a theoretical or simply devotional exercise!) They may be modified over the course of the next few weeks, but here are my questions. (Notice the common element in each is the word, "today"!) Feel free to adopt or adapt them for yourself!

What will I do today that will intentionally express the infinite worth of God?
How will my choices today reflect that I prefer God over any other thing? (I suppose this one really is just another way of phrasing question #1.)
What plans will I take action on today in order to accomplish God's purposes? (Both for me, and for the world through me.)

A Great Definition of Worship

2009-12-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

"The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." (Shorter Westminster Catechism)

As one who believes that worship of God through His Son Jesus Christ is "the chief end of man," the subject of worship is of great interest to me. So I've read some very interesting definitions of worship over the years... and have tried to come up with some of my own. But I read this definition of worship the other day that is perhaps the best I've ever come across. It demonstrates just how comprehensive the true worship of the true God is. It comes from a former archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple (1881-1944). Note that it encompasses our conscience, our mind, our imagination, our heart, and our will. Here it is, as I've formatted it for more effective meditation. I trust it both blesses, but also challenges you, as it has me...

"To worship is...

to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God,
to feed the mind with the truth of God,
to purge the imagination by the beauty of God,
to open the heart to the love of God,
to devote the will to the purpose of God"*

*William Temple, The Hope of a New World, p. 30; cited by James Montgomery Boice in Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace? (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001), p. 175.

The Preparations of Advent (Both of Them!)

2009-12-10T14:45:00.001-05:00

“Despair is most often the offspring of ill-preparedness.” (American novelist and poet, Don Williams, Jr.)

As the season for preparing for the celebration of our Savior’s birth, Advent is a time of remembering how the world waited – and prepared – and despaired for the Savior to come. John’s testimony that “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (Jn. 1:11) demonstrates just how unprepared the world really was.

But what about Mary? Like any expectant mother today, the time between the conception and birth of her baby were probably the longest nine months of her life. No doubt there is much more preparation necessary today. There are new clothes to buy, the crib and nursery to set up, the car seat to install, books and toys to purchase, birthing and/or new parent classes to take… So it’s interesting to consider how Mary prepared herself.

The first thing she did was go on a personal retreat for three months where she would be mentored and ministered to by her relatives, Elizabeth and Zechariah, who themselves had miraculously conceived a baby who would be the forerunner to Mary’s own, the Messiah.

Certainly there must have been dozens of questions and times of deep anxiety. But slowly as Mary steadfastly trusted God, meditated on His promises, and saw God at work (there was the revelation to Joseph to convince him of the truth, for example) her heart was filled with ever-increasing joy, and trust, and confidence.

Advent is also a time of looking forward to Jesus’ second coming, of waiting – and preparing – and never despairing. What the angels told the disciples on the Mount of Olives so long ago they say to us today: This same Jesus will come back! As Christians, we’re supposed to long for Christ’s return. And when the world’s injustice, pain, and senselessness bear down on us, we do so long for that day. God’s grace and patience in His “delay” are giving us time to prepare… to get our minds and hearts on track so that when He comes, there shall be nothing to regret.

The anxiety and the questions that accompany the months of pregnancy are forgotten when the new parents hold their long awaited child. They disappear as the parents first meet the person to whom they have already committed their heart and soul (and for the mother, her body!). When the Lord comes again, the long-anticipated, prepared-for day will no longer be someday, but today. Like the newborn baby who even before his birth is known and loved though not yet seen, we will likewise finally see our Lord face to face. Come, Lord Jesus, come! May we be found prepared, even if You come tonight!

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." (1 Peter 1:8, NIV)

Note: Portions of this blog post borrowed, adapted, and expanded from “Anticipation and Preparation” by Elizabeth Honeycutt, p. m36 in the Advent meditation, “Preparation” from the new “Mosaic Bible” (published by Tyndale; meditations © 2009, Credo Communications, LLC)

Things God Never Says

2009-12-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (A.W. Tozer)

"The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father." (C.H. Spurgeon, in his first sermon at 20 years old)

As I was "thinking about God" the other day, meditating on Romans 11:33-36, it entered my mind that there are some things that God never says. Here's my list...

"Wow!" ~ As the most beautiful, most amazing, most glorious thing in all the universe, there is nothing outside of Himself that would prompt this expression of wonder and awe.
"Oops!" ~ The omnipotent God, pure and perfect, and perfectly capable in all things never makes mistakes. (The discussion of what the Bible means when it says that "God repented..." will have to be for another time.)
"Really?!" ~ The omniscient God is never surprised or confused or unsure.
"Help!" ~ Again, the omnipotent, sovereign, self-sufficient, self-sustaining God does not need anyone or anything. He lacks nothing outside Himself.
"I'm tired." ~ Omnipotence also means that He is inexhaustible. He never slumbers or sleeps.
"I'm lonely." ~ The triune Godhead eternally delights in Himself.
"I'm bored." ~ Jesus said, "The Father is always working..." He is always on mission, working to accomplish His sovereign purposes in the world, working human history out to His desired end.

He is worthy of our worship!

Let Me Introduce You... shai linne

2009-11-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm not really a big fan of rap music, BUT...

I was introduced to Christian rapper Shai Linne this morning, and knew right away that I wanted to point others to this talented and theologically deep artist. If you like rap (and even if you don't!) you should check him out. Here are a couple links to sample his craft:

Shai Linne: "Issues"

Shai Linne: "My Portion"

Oh, and I just stumbled on his blog. Worth taking a look here: Shai Linne's blog, "Lyrical Theology"

And one more link. Mark Dever (a pastor of a great church in Washington D.C.) interviews him and another pastor (who is also a rapper) here: Mark Dever interviews Shai Linne (72 minutes, but definitely worth the listen).

Let me know what you think!

Reformation Quiz Answers

2009-11-13T10:46:00.002-05:00

So how'd you do? Here are the answers...

1. Picture of Martin Luther posting his "95 Theses" on the door of the church at Wittenberg (Germany) on October 31, 1517.

2. Picture of "Luther's Rose" (also known as the "Luther Seal"). Luther personally oversaw its development. The black cross in the center, as the cross of Christ, which produced death, and by which we are likewise to be mortified, is the very center of our faith. By faith in the crucified Christ, we find new life as Christ renews our heart. These stand in the middle of a white rose, symbolizing the joy, comfort and peace that Christ alone can give. Behind it all is a sky-blue field, representing the heavenly future that awaits us in Christ, is presently grasped as our confident hope. Around it all is a ring of gold, for our blessedness in heaven will last forever (as the ring with no end), and the truths it encompasses are to be prized more than silver or gold.

3. Picture of Martin Luther.

4. Picture of John Calvin (1509-1564), French theologian, and reformer of the church in Geneva.

5. The "5 solas" collectively are one of the 2 main foundations of the Reformation. The 5 pillars of that foundation are sola gratia (by grace alone), sola fide (through faith alone), solus Christus (in Christ alone), sola Scriptura, (Scripture alone as our final authority), soli Deo gloria (for the glory of God alone).

6. "TULIP" represents the other foundation of the Reformation, referred to as "the doctrines of grace". Those who followed Calvin tried to synthesize his teachings related to the gospel in this way: Total depravity (the corruption/sinfulness of man means that he contributes nothing to his salvation), Unconditional election (God's choosing a people to draw to Himself based solely upon His own good pleasure and sovereign choice), Limited atonement (the blood of Christ is efficacious for the elect only), Irresistible grace (those whom God seeks to draw to Himself will indeed come), Perseverance of the saints (the elect of God will persevere in faith to the end).

7. At the turn of the 15th/16th century, indulgences were sold by the Roman church and were offered as a means of shortening one's time in purgatory, and/or absolving one of penance that would otherwise be necessary. This abuse was particularly what prompted Luther's rage and the posting of his theses at Wittenberg.

8. Calvin is most closely associated with the city of Geneva.

9. Calvin's most comprehensive body of theological writings is called The Institutes of the Christian Religion.

10. As mentioned, Luther posted his 95 theses in Wittenberg, Germany.

Bonus: "The Morning Star of the Reformation"... Over 100 years before the Reformation, John Wycliffe (died, Dec. 31, 1384) was raising various objections to the teachings of the church and papal authority. He is especially known for his mission to translate the Scriptures into the vernacular of the people. Thirty years after his death, his books were ordered to be burned and his body exhumed. His remains were burned and the ashes strewn in the River Swift.

Reformation Quiz

2009-11-06T12:47:00.003-05:00

How's your knowledge of the Protestant Reformation? Answer the following as best and most comprehensively as you can. With the first four pictures, identify as much of the who, what, when, and where as you can. (I'll post answers next week.)

5. What are the "5 solas"?

6. What does "TULIP" stand for?

7. What are "indulgences" and why/how are they significant to the Reformation?

8. With what city is John Calvin most closely associated?

9. What is the name of Calvin's most comprehensive body of theological writings?

10. In what city was the church where Luther posted his "95 Theses..."?

Bonus: Who is most commonly referred to as "the Morning Star of the Reformation"?

Let Me Introduce You...

2009-11-05T20:45:00.000-05:00

I'm expecting, hoping, tentatively planning (how's that for a milquetoast commitment!) on blogging tomorrow, since I haven't yet this week.

In the meantime, let me introduce you to a blog I discovered today. I don't know yet if I will be subscribing to his blog to follow periodically, but his post today is well-worth the read. No, let me put that even more strongly... I URGE you to read this, believing you will be blessed, inspired, and challenged as I was, as "Internet Monk" (a.k.a., Michael Spencer) writes poignantly and profoundly of living Gospel-centered lives, finding our satisfaction in Christ, as preparation for the uncertainty of our tomorrows. His post is called, "There's Always A Day Before".

On Suffering

2009-10-26T11:27:00.000-04:00

Suffering, pain, adversity, and hardship. These things are never easy to talk about and understand, let alone to experience. But the subject came up yesterday in our Sunday morning adult Bible study. After my initial attempt at a summary statement, and given a helpful corrective from an astute brother in the class, and after reading John Piper's blog this morning, I offer these brief reflections on suffering...

(Note: these are not polished or refined thoughts at all. In fact, I find new ideas coming to mind even as I write this. Also, if you have a couple more minutes, I recommend Piper's comments on his blog today. Very interesting. You can find it here.)

First, it's probably important to state from the beginning that the Root of all suffering is sin. Now lest you object too quickly and get angry with me, I am not saying that all of your suffering is because of your sin. No. I am simply observing what really should become fairly obvious to anyone who knows and believes the Scriptures. God's creation was initially "very good" and free from pain and suffering. Suffering entered the world only after Adam's sin, and as a direct result of it. Not only is the heart of man corrupt, but the apostle Paul even describes creation itself as being "subjected to futility" and in "slavery to corruption" because of sin (Rom. 8:20-21). But then of course, in the consummation of God's plan of salvation, the new heaven and the new earth will be free from all suffering and sorrow, all sin and shame. So with this first point, I am simply acknowledging that if there were no sin, there would be no suffering; but for now we live in a fallen world, subject to the "futility" and frustration brought about by Adam's sin.

It seems to me that there can be many ways of categorizing suffering. One way is to say that the Source is either providentially allowed or sovereignly directed. By "providentially allowed" I refer to the suffering that is simply the result of our living in this fallen world. Though fallen, the world is nevertheless ordered, in that we all experience what we sometimes refer to as "cause and effect." The cause may be our own sin or foolishness or carelessness, or it may be that of others, but we still have to live with the effect in either case - the natural consequences of those actions. Another effect may be having to live with the pain and suffering brought about by the cause of natural disasters, also providentially allowed. (And remember, these natural disasters themselves can also be thought of as an effect of Adam's sin, the ultimate cause.)

By "sovereignly directed" sources of our suffering, I refer to times when God purposefully and actively directs circumstances that bring hardship into our lives. This quickly surfaces another helpful way of categorizing suffering, according to God's Purpose for it. The Scriptures give us many examples of times when God directed suffering or hardship upon people in order to either judge sin or to test character or to display His glory. (The truth is, I believe we can say that God can accomplish these purposes through both providentially allowed and sovereignly directed means.) God judged Israel for their unbelief with 40 years of wandering in a harsh and very unforgiving wilderness, thereby delaying their entry into the land God had promised them. God judged David for his adultery with the death of the child that was conceived in that illicit affair. God judged Ananias and Sapphira for their deception, jealousy, and pride by their immediate deaths.

(Time prevents me from elaborating as much as I'd like here, but just a couple more examples.) Jesus was directed by the Spirit into the wilderness after His baptism to "test" (probably best to be read, "reveal" or "display") His character. Israel was led by God into a dead end, with Pharaoh in hot pursuit, in order to display His glory. Job's testing was I believe both to refine his character as well as to display God's glory (that He is worthy of worship regardless of His blessings).

Oh, one other purpose comes to mind before I close... I think God desires that in our sufferings, we learn compassion. And when we witness others who are hurting, God desires that we learn and develop His compassion to reach out to them. SO much more to say here, but I'll just suggest that you read and reflect on 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 in regard to this point.

I really must move on with my day, but please, tell me what you think of my reflections here. I'm not foolish enough to think that I've solved the problem of suffering... volumes upon volumes have been written about this subject. Just trying to get some hooks to hang my thoughts on, whether for myself or for others that I seek to serve in ministry. So while of necessity this had to be brief, and somewhat off the cuff, I'd love to hear whether you feel this is helpful.

Art that Moves

2009-10-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

"...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

I appreciate good art. Now I know that statement can be rather provocative, for it can inevitably lead to the question of what constitutes "good art" from "bad art." And of course, there's the question of what even constitutes "art" itself. But other than saying that good art moves me deeply and/or causes me to think deeply about important truths and/or to see something from a different perspective than I might be inclined to (and thereby cause me to think deeply...), these questions are beyond the scope of this blog today.

I thank my mom, in large part, for my love of good art. Not only is she a remarkable artist in her own right, but I remember growing up that there were a number of books filled with images of paintings from many of the masters. No, I didn't spend a lot of time poring over them, but I do remember looking through them from time to time and marveling at the skill of the artist. (Not to mention marveling at my mom's own handiwork!)

So what I'd like to do today is two things. First, via this YouTube video, let me introduce you to an artist of a different sort. Her medium is quite different and unfortunately is not something that can be hung in an art gallery. She "paints" with sand on a backlit sandbox. This video is the most moving of the ones I've seen of her work. It's a little long (8.5 minutes), but take some time now to watch it if you can, then I want to make a final comment...

Kseniya Simonova

When I showed this to my son, Nathan, this past weekend, he made an interesting comment. He mentioned that one thing he was most impressed with was how she is able to "see what's not there and remove the rest." In other words, she constantly knew where she was going with her work, seeing in her mind what she wanted on her "canvas" and then transforming what was there into what she knew could be there, and would be when she was done (before she went on to morph it into the next image she envisioned!).

As I reflected on Nathan's observation this morning, I had my "coram deo" moment... Isn't this what God does with us when we humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to do His work in us? The penalty of our sin was dealt with at Calvary, and now the power of our sin is broken as we fix our eyes on Jesus, confessing our sin before the Lord, growing in grace and knowledge. God removes our sin ("as far as the east is from the west" the psalmist tells us), slowly and ever-so-imperfectly (this side of heaven) revealing His image and transforming us into the character of Jesus. If you know the Scriptures well, you know this is His purpose, to conform us into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). Theologically, we refer to this as "sanctification" as God makes us "holy" (again, like Him; cf. 1 Pet. 1:16). Peter says we become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet. 1:4). This is both an act as well as a process. In a very real sense, we are "becoming what we are."

This gives me great hope. The words of Paul in Philippians that I started this blog with remind me that God sees in His mind what He wants on His "canvas" and will do His work to transform me into what He knows can and will be there when He is done. It is God's pleasure and for His glory that He does this work. And it is my greatest delight when I cooperate with Him in that work, as well as my greatest frustration and hardship when I don't!

"NATO Golf"... and Life!

2009-10-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

"But seek first [God's] kingdom and His righteousness..." (Matt. 6:33)

I read something this morning that brought a smile to my face, but also gave me something to chew on for a while. And since I figured I shouldn't be chewing alone, I thought I'd share it with you too! It comes from a golf analogy, but if you're not a golfer please read on anyway...

I do like golf, though I haven't always. I grew up hating golf, in fact. (Hmmm, is that too strong of a word?... Nah!) But I was doomed when I married into a golfing family. My father-in-law golfed as did my brother-in-law. And so, my wife, a pretty avid sports fan herself (Yes!), also appreciates the game. And now, I've come to very much enjoy both watching and playing.

Now let me make this clear, I'm not very good. I'm doing very well if I break 100. (For you non-golfers, a good score ["par"] is 72. The lower the score the better.) While I have learned to not take myself very seriously on the golf course (though I do get pretty frustrated at times), I have over the years played with some guys who feel that they should be playing more in the league of Tiger Woods than they really do, if you know what I mean. I even once played with a guy who got so disgusted with his play that he heaved a club into the air that landed almost on an adjacent green, nearly hitting some other players. Fortunately - both for him and the other guys I was playing with, I think - he at least had the sense to leave the course for the day after that.

Okay, so that's the context for the illustration that I read today. The article had to do with a man who was taught by his terminally ill father to play "NATO golf." Rather than getting all bent out of shape by your ball taking an errant bounce or when you hit a severe hook or slice (again, for you non-golfers, while you may not know what a hook or slice is, you know enough from the context that it's NOT a good thing!), or when the divot goes farther than your ball does (which has happened to me!), NATO golf is played with a very different mentality. Rather than being consumed with having to play to get the lowest score possible, NATO golf is played Not According To Outcome. You don't play consumed about your score or how well or poorly you're playing, but rather, you go out to simply enjoy the challenge of approaching each shot to do the best you can. Then if/when your shot didn't quite go as you envisioned it, you simply go find it and figure out the best you can do with the next shot. You let the score take care of itself and even if you could sod your yard with all the divots you took, you've still enjoyed the beauty of the course and the time with your friends (or meeting new ones), as you played without being consumed with the outcome of the final score.

So the life lesson becomes clear. While I know we could take this too far (God does call us to fruitfulness as well as faithfulness), how liberating it would be if we could live NATO lives! That is, rather than being so consumed with the outcomes that we desire, we first seek God and His righteousness (His person and His purposes), with the faith and confidence that regardless of the outcomes, God is doing His work in and through us.

A caveat, again, is warranted. This does not mean we can be lazy. God calls us to diligence and to fervency in the labor of our lives. But we labor with all our might with the full knowledge that the outcomes are totally dependent on the Spirit of God. This NATO approach is dealing primarily with God's desire to liberate us from the "tyranny of self."

I think as an exercise in applying this lesson, the next time I go golfing, I'm not even going to take a score card!

I Should've Known

2009-10-09T11:59:00.002-04:00

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature..." (Col. 3:5)

I should've known. After posting such a critically important exhortation that is so central to living "in Christ" yesterday, I should've known that there would soon be a test of how ready I am to die to self...

This morning, as I was preparing to get in the shower, my wife asked me to first go to our garage and take a large, heavy box out of the van, as she was going to be taking the van to help someone out today with some projects and she was going to need the space. So while she went upstairs for a few minutes, I went and gladly did my husbandly duty for my wife, as requested.

A few minutes later, as I finished my shower and came out into the kitchen, I was surprised to see my wife still there, as I thought she had been planning to leave imminently. So I said, "Oh, you're still here. I thought you were planning to leave," to which she replied, "I'm waiting for you to take care of the box in the van."

Begin test...

Now the truth of the matter is, when I finished my shower and was still in the bathroom, I had heard Sue out in the kitchen, and thought to myself, "Oh, she's still here. You know, I bet she thinks that I forgot to take care of that box..."

So how did I respond? Annoyed that she had just assumed that I hadn't followed through, I said with biting sarcasm (which comes far too naturally!) to my unsuspecting wife, "Do you want me to put it back in the van and take it out again?!" (Yeah, I know. Really stupid!)

"You already did it?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh, I didn't know..."

Now, the following was not expressed openly, but still went through my mind. "No, of course you didn't know. Once again you just assumed that I dropped the ball..."

Test failed! Maybe I'm not giving God enough credit for the self-control I did demonstrate by what I didn't say, but then again, Jesus doesn't make much of a distinction between actions/words and the heart/thoughts, does He?

So what's the point? The point is, you and I are tested every day by the countless opportunities we are given to put our earthly nature to death. They come in big and small ways, obvious and not-so-obvious. And the only way we can pass these tests is by humbling ourselves and acknowledging our need before God, denying our flesh, but then also putting on Christ! After a paragraph of what putting our flesh to death looks like, Paul then goes on to say in Colossians 3:12, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves..." And of course, what follows are essentially the characteristics of Jesus.

So yeah, test failed. And I should've known there would be one coming (as, no doubt, there will be more before this day is done). But I also should've known better. By God's grace and His enabling, I will next time.

How about you?

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Epilogue: I did, by the way, call my wife before I started this blog to apologize for my sarcastic response. This time, actually, it seems like she hadn't really thought too much about my response, for which I was grateful. She usually hates my sarcasm.

Thank you, Lord, for a godly (and forgiving!) wife!

2009-10-08T07:56:00.002-04:00

Pursue and Crucify... and the other way around

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal. 2:20, NASB)

Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above... Set your minds on things above... For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God... Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature... (Col. 3:1-3, 5)

When viewed with "eyes that will see," history reveals a God who has relentlessly and passionately pursued relationship with "a people for His own possession." This pursuing love of God ultimately lead Him to send His Son to be crucified as the demonstration of that love and in order to pay the sin debt of death in our place. Not out of a need of something that He lacked, but simply out of a desire to demonstrate His goodness and His glory, God yearns for relationship (we might also use words like "fellowship" or "communion") with a people who recognize Him for the supremely glorious Being that He is and find their greatest delight in Him, having been satisfied by His pursuing, sacrificial love.

Now hold that thought. I'll come back to it in a minute...

I had the great joy of marrying my son and daughter-in-law earlier this summer. In my closing charge to them I gave them one word to especially focus on and flesh out in their first year of marriage. The word was "pursue." First and foremost, to pursue Christ; but then also to pursue one another as they reflect in their marriage Christ's pursuing love for His church. Here's where I wish I had a "do over"... I wish I had given them two words. (Although we were already trying to look for ways to trim the time of the service down!) I wish I had thought to first give them the word, "crucify."

Here's the point, and not just for Nathan and Laura but for you and me as well... and the connection with my opening thoughts. God's perfect and passionate pursuit of us lead Him to crucifixion. But for us it's the other way around. Having responded in faith to God's mercy and grace, we must begin with crucifixion before we can pursue. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Mk. 8:34) And remember, for Jesus' hearers a cross was no attractive ornament to hang around your neck or put in your ears or something to tattoo on your arm; it was an ugly symbol of death!

Similarly, the apostle Paul tells us to "put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature" (Col. 3:5) and he declares, "I have been crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). I've been reminded again this morning that I do not have it in myself to pursue God, to pursue my wife, to pursue God's purposes for me... I must first die to self. Die to my personal passions, pursuits, and pleasures. Die to my lusts, my leisure, my very life! When I do, Christ, "who is [my] life" (Col. 3:4), is able to live His life through me (see also Gal. 2:20).

Christ pursued me to and through His own crucifixion. I must crucify my flesh in order to pursue Christ and His purposes for me and as I seek to minister to others.

2009-10-07T12:34:00.005-04:00

On Your Mark, Get Set... Blog!

Ok, so my goal here is to finally get to my first post (after setting up this blog account months ago!) before I have to leave for an appointment, probably in about a half hour. But what to write?

When I first decided to do this (as I said, months ago!) I had read a blog on the Desiring God blog site by Abraham Piper (John's son, I'm assuming?) in which he identified 6 reasons that pastors should blog. I'll condense his blog with simply his list and a couple brief comments of my own...

1. To write. Ergo, to reflect, hence to think. Writing is a great way to process thoughts you've been turning over in your mind.

2. To teach. Whether it be sermon prep material that got cut out and left on the floor, or things I'm learning in life and/or from my own devotional times with the Lord, this can be a great forum to point others to the Truth... and to ask others to reflect and think with me.

3. To recommend. This can be a great forum to suggest reading material, a movie, a ministry, a marriage- or life-skill, where to find help for a problem or addiction, an resource for your own ministry or evangelism efforts, etc.

4. To interact. As you the readers of this blog (is anyone out there?!) leave me your comments we can interact over the thoughts presented here. This in turn very may well lead to something I can/should address either here, or even in a sermon in the church I serve.

5. To develop an eye for what is meaningful. I look forward to looking at my life and surroundings with an eye toward, "Is there something in this that is worth writing about? Is there a lesson that can be learned that might be helpful to share with others?

6. To be known. No, to to be known in the sense of "Maybe someone will 'discover' me and I'll become famous." Rather, it's an opportunity for me to show another side of myself, to reveal a bit more of my heart, my likes/dislikes, etc. Like everyone else, I am a complex human being with many sides and many roles. I am a pastor, a husband, a father, a sports fan, a lover of good food, a struggler with my flesh, a friend (I hope), an enemy (perhaps, I hope not!), a home owner, a citizen of my country, member of my community... You get the idea. But most people only see a small handful of these many facets of who we are. Blogging can show, over time, many of these sides for people who care to know.

I'll add a personal #7: To develop greater self-discipline. Many who know me, know that while I'm a great visioner and see "the big picture" well, I often lack in follow-through with the details. (Yeah, remember I said I set this account up months ago!) I'm personally hoping that having a self-imposed goal of blogging at least once a week will help me improve in this area of discipline.

So the adventure begins. I'm fairly confident that most blogs will not be this long. (The best ones aren't, I believe!) I hope you'll join me, at least for the first few miles as you decide whether the journey will be worth it. But even if you don't, at least reasons #1, 5, and 7 will still personally apply!