A Quote to Chew On

(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"

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!

1. What will I do today that will intentionally express the infinite worth of God?
2. 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.)
3. 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

"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!)

“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

"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...

1. "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.
2. "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.)
3. "Really?!" ~ The omniscient God is never surprised or confused or unsure.
4. "Help!" ~ Again, the omnipotent, sovereign, self-sufficient, self-sustaining God does not need anyone or anything. He lacks nothing outside Himself.
5. "I'm tired." ~ Omnipotence also means that He is inexhaustible. He never slumbers or sleeps.
   
6. "I'm lonely." ~ The triune Godhead eternally delights in Himself.
7. "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

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

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

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...

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

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.