You Just Have to Go - Memorial Day Reflections

Nine years ago I sat down and undertook a sobering task. Taking pen and paper in hand, I wrote a letter to be read in the event that I might be killed in a place far away from home. See, I was a brand new ensign in the US Navy, and my ship was about to be deployed to support efforts in the Global War on Terror. While the dangers we were likely to face were certainly not on the same level as those who were serving in ground operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, we were all very aware of the possibility of a repeat of the terrorist attack on USS Cole a few years prior, where a number of sailors were killed and many more wounded. I wrote the letter knowing a truth that is on every military member's mind when it comes to deployment - you have to go, but you don't have to come back.

I think of this now on Memorial Day as we reflect as a nation on the sacrifice of those who did go in the service of our country, and did not come back. For so many, their country called, they answered, and the final price was their very life.

A couple years ago on Memorial Day this was cast in a different light as I was beckoned by a book I was reading to consider a different call, a different cause, a different mission, but one with the same sort of consequences. The book I was reading was The Insanity of Obedience, written by a missionary and an expert on the persecuted Christian Church named Nik Ripkin. He has conducted hundreds of interviews with believers across the world who have been persecuted and suffered much for the cause of Christ. Through his books (this one and his previous one The Insanity of God) he weaves in many of these accounts, and as I was reading on a past Memorial Day one account in particular stood out in my mind:

The house church elder explained that the Holy Spirit woke him up in the middle of the night and told him to gather together the fruits, vegetables, and meat that the house church had stored up to care for people in need. The Holy Spirit told the man to take this load of food, by horse and sled, to a pastor's family who had been left to die in a one-room hut in the frozen tundra.

The man reminded the Holy Spirit that it was thirty degrees below zero outside and that there was no way that he would survive the trip. The man reminded the Holy Spirit that the wolves would probably eat his horse and then eat him.

Then the words of the Holy Spirit rang in his ears: "You don't have to come back; you simply have to go."

This man is committed to the cause of Christ and now his Lord is asking everything of him. Many would hear this and argue that what the Holy Spirit was calling him to do was crazy - he might not even make it to the family he was sent to help! Then that family would be dead anyway and the man died unnecessarily too. But the call was simple - you don't have to come back; you simply have to go.

In reality though, this is the call on every disciple of Jesus.

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

Where does following Jesus lead? Denial of self. Even to death.

This has always been the call on those who follow Jesus. From Stephen on through Paul and the other apostles, to believers today all over the world, the call remains the same: Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow me. You don't have to come back; you simply have to go.

Now, while military service and service to the Lord Jesus Christ both beckon someone to serve and even potentially die in the line of their respective callings, there is a distinction. For those who trust and follow Christ, we have a leader who knew he had to go, but he also knew he was coming back. Not just coming back unharmed, but literally dying and coming back to life from death! And our Lord has had to go again, but we wait now, and we follow now, and we die to self now, and we even die now, with the hope that he will come back again, and this time those who have faithfully followed Him, wherever He has called us to go, will come back too to be with Him in His glory.

So Memorial Day is a time of reflective remembrance of others who have answered a call to service for their nation and gave everything in service to that call. But at the same time, that similar reflection serves too as a reminder to the believer in Jesus of the call that they too have simply to go, and of the hope that even though right now they don't have to come back, one day our Lord Himself will come back to bring back all those who answered His call to go.

A Pickup Truck and the Gospel

What does a pickup truck have to do with the Gospel?  Perhaps not much in and of itself.  But when I think of how I regard my pickup truck and the Spirit brings to mind how I think of the Gospel I experience an “ouch” moment. Allow me to explain...

But This I Call To Mind...

What did it feel like on that Saturday?

They had walked with Him for three years and witnessed God move in ways they had only heard about whenever the Law and the Prophets were read. But yet here He was, Jesus, asserting that He was God and performing great and mighty works and acts that bore every fingerprint of validation that what He was saying was true. Could this be the Messiah that they had been waiting for? The one who would bring salvation to Israel? The disciples had believed that He was and had left everything else behind to follow Him. Sure, some aspects had not been easy, but no one had thought that they would be - Israel's subjugation had come through pain and strife and surely her redemption would require pain and strife as well. But following and witnessing Jesus, what could they say? He was confident, resolute, never seemed phased by any issue, and you should have seen the way He stood up to the Pharisees and spoke of the Roman king! With Him as their leader salvation was assured!

So what happened? One day they are entering Jerusalem with people welcoming them and shouting "Hosanna! Save us! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" but less than a week later one of their own has turned traitor, the Jews have arrested Jesus, the crowds are crying out "Crucify him!" and the Romans have executed Him on a cross. What happened to the salvation of Israel? To the overthrow of all that oppressed them? Had they put their hope in a fake? Had they failed somehow? Where was God in all of this? What would they do now? Just go home as though nothing had happened? If this wasn't the fulfillment of their hope in a Messiah, in spite of all they had witnessed, was there really any hope at all that their salvation would come?

How dark that day must have been. No hope. That seemingly was crushed with every blow to Jesus' body and ultimately put down in the grave with Him.

Stop and think for a second. Imagine that you don't know the end of the story. You don't know that tomorrow is Sunday and it's going to be okay because Jesus is raised from the dead. You don't know that the very salvation that the disciples were looking for was achieved for them in the murder they thought had crushed their hope of salvation. Without Resurrection Sunday it's hard to make the case that Good Friday is truly good. These men certainly wouldn't buy it if you tried to tell them that Saturday.

I feel for the disciples, because there are times that I feel like life is perpetually stuck on Saturday. As I heard a prof put it, "The Lord Jesus Christ has gone away, and things are not okay." Turn to the news and I see nothing but brokenness and the ravages of sin in the world. Turn to the mirror and I see the person whose sin is foremost responsible for the pain I experience day by day. There are little losses day by day - frustrating circumstances, things that don't go the way I think they should, and sin seemingly always crouching at my door, ready to try to trip me up and inflict pain upon me and those with the misfortune of coming across my path. Then there are the big disappointments of life as well. Times where a real weight of the brokenness of our world,  our relationships, and my heart is felt, and it is just crushing at times.

Now I do know more than the disciples did that Sunday - they were kind and honest enough to record what happened afterwards. I understand that the brokenness I experience from day to day is the exact reason that Jesus had to die. In accordance with God's will, salvation from the clutches of sin and redemption of mankind was Jesus' purpose and He did not fail that day. Proof came three days later when God the Father raised His Son from the dead. Good Friday was good and Easter Sunday means we ultimately celebrate that there is salvation found in Him; He is our Messiah.

But I can be like the disciples unfortunately. While Friday and Saturday may have felt pretty bleak for them, Jesus had actually told them He was going to die. He told them this was coming. After His resurrection He would explain it to them again, and only then would they get it. In the same way, I have the New Testament and particularly the Revelation of John to read. We know how it is going to end. The brokenness that remains today, Saturday, will be gone when Sunday comes. Jesus has accomplished salvation through the cross, I have been saved by His grace, and one day I will experience the fullness of that salvation when He comes again in glory and victory. He will make all things right and restore all things to the way God always intended them to be.

But that hasn't happened yet. So today is Saturday, Jesus hasn't come back, and life is hard.

"My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'"

I don't know what your Saturday feels like, but I know that it is real and it hurts at times. We can't see what God is working out and nothing seems to be as it should be. But just as God was faithful to follow through and Saturday was followed by Sunday, so also we have hope that the day will come when He will "wipe away every tear and death will be no more." Call to mind His promises; find hope in His faithfulness. The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases.

Light (12/25/2008)

Below is a poem that I wrote back on Christmas Day, 2008. I wrote it at about 7am local time, 11pm Eastern time, as I was at the time just off the 3-7am watch as my deployed ship was sitting off the coast of East Africa. The idea of light and dark was something that was very prescient to me simply because I stood watches that went from light to dark, watches that were dark the whole way through, and watches that went from dark to light.

While the thought behind this is to take a look at what the shepherds out in the field might have experienced as the heavenly host announced the birth of Jesus, it also considers that there is so much more of the experiences of life that have this same sense of darkness to them, yet there is light because Jesus has come into the world. Even though this is now the day after Christmas, I hope that this offers some encouragement to you that even as the joy of Christmas becomes a memory in recent history, that you would remember that Jesus came into the world a long time ago but the effects continue to this day, all looking forward to His eventual return when there will be no more darkness anymore, but instead we won't even need the sun because the glory of God will be the light by which everything is seen.

Anyway, on to the poem...

It’s dark.

Aside from the few pinpricks of light 

Poking through the darkness of the sky 

Hardly a thing is visible as the wind whips past 

Leaving behind a subtle chill. 

This night is like any other; 

Nothing is happening and nothing is expected. 

Nothing to do but plod along,

Holding out for a daybreak that is supposedly coming, 

Hoping to not fall asleep before the break of dawn.

If this is existence, sleep may not be that bad.

Clouds come in at times

What was merely darkness becomes oppression

As the last specks of light get covered by dark forms

Night is bleakest then

Any light is sought; none is found

Tonight is not that sort of night

But tomorrow night could be.

It grows hard to muster courage

The need to face each new night and keep watch

Gets weighed against the darkness

Darkness seems to be winning

It’s light.

The blind would see this.

More than seen this light is felt.

No daybreak serves as a harbinger of its arrival

The light suddenly fills the sky 

Brighter than any celestial body

Darkness was intimidating

This is terrifying.

And the noise.

A din unlike any heard on earth.

Standing in the light is not hard

No, it is nearly impossible.

But before the fear overcomes every thread of intrepidity

The light brings with it something else

A herald of calm beckons attention

And serenity arrives to the scene

The cacophony melds into a symphony

The chaos becomes a chorus

And the realization settles in

All Is Well

Terror gives way to calm

Feelings of oppression to submission

For with the arrival of light

There is the exit of darkness

The world is bright.

It is dark again

But the darkness is not the same

Though clouds come and go

There remain faint remnants of that light

Never again to give way to totality of utter darkness

Dawn may not yet be near

But the light reminds that it will be coming.

Though darkness fills the sky

And seeks to permeate all the earth

Still that light persists

Holding no less intensity than before

Calming us.

Reassuring us.

Reminding us.

Darkness holds no more.

Love is here.

Answering Unanswered Questions (Part 1)

A friend of mine observed after a singles' retreat where a men's panel answered ladies' questions that she still felt that there were some burning questions left unanswered. These she posited to Facebook and I'm going to, with much fear and trepidation, endeavor to answer (half of) them. But first, a few points of clarification:

-There is biblical truth and there is the fallen reality we walk around in every day. To the extent that I can I will try to be as faithful to the biblical truth as it answers the posited questions, while at the same time showing as much sensitivity and regard for the realities we deal with, particularly where the two seemingly come to be at odds with each other.
-I am going to try to be frank, open, and honest about some things. I have tried to edit and phrase things in such a way so that everything is informative, encouraging, and edifying. I can't be 100% certain that I have done this simply because I don't read and process things the same way that women do. As such, please read this with grace and feel free to approach me directly (if you know me) or comment through the blog if something doesn't make sense, reads wrongly, or seems out of place.
-My representation of things should not outright be considered the representation of "the typical guy." This is not to say that I am that different from other guys, but more to recognize that each guy is different and unique and while generalizations do apply, they are not hard and fast rules.
-I have only been in one relationship and it did not end well in my opinion. Again, I do not consider my experiences to be representative, but they stand as the anecdotal evidence that I have readily available at my disposal, for better or for worse.

That said, there is one additional bias that I feel is pertinent to the discussion and shapes my view on the matter. I consider the callings for men to be godly husbands and fathers to be the two highest callings placed upon mankind after the God-man's calling to be our Savior. I do not offer this as way to elevate men, suggest that they are better or greater or have a higher value based on these callings. Absolutely not. I merely come to this conclusion based on consideration of the ordering of the family as God ordained it.
In Ephesians 5:25 Paul commands husbands to love their wives just as Christ has sacrificially loved the church. This begins a weaving of explaining Christ's love for the church with the description of the husband's love for his wife, culminating in the point that the institution of marriage serves as a presentation of the character of the union between Christ and his church. In light of this representation, how a husband loves his wife, whether sacrificially, selfishly, or not at all, either excellently, poorly, or does not at all then in a tangible way demonstrates in our day-to-day context the love that Christ has shown to his church (which lies at the heart of the gospel).
Likewise, the Triune God in his infinite wisdom, in revealing himself to mankind, chose to do so in such a way as to characterize the relationship between two of the three persons of the Trinity as that of a Father to a Son. These in fact are titles used through Scripture and are the ways that we thus traditionally describe these two persons of the Trinity along with the third - the Father and the Son, along with the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we who are believers also regard God as our Father - "Our Father who is in heaven..." God chose for himself this descriptor knowing full well the association we would make with earthly biological fathers. As we conceive what a relationship with a father is like, and thus understand what God means when he chose that we would know him as Father, the first and natural place that we look is to our earthly father and other fathers around us.
In either case it is no small thing to think of husbands as representing the love of Christ to their wives (and their children who are watching) and representing to their children (and a watching wife?) what it might mean that God is our Father. That is why I consider them the highest callings placed upon mankind and would encourage any man to likewise consider them, and for wives and mothers to consider their high calling to complement, encourage, and support their husbands in this, that our Lord may be glorified through it all.

So anyway, where was I? Oh, right, questions. Here we go...

1. Ephesians 5:22-24 and other scriptures ask women to submit to their husbands. What do men assume that to mean for women? Also, do you understand the fear attached for women to be obedient to that scripture?
There are two questions here (which I will identify as 1 and 2), each with two answers (which I will identify as "a" and "b").
1a. I am not personally aware, either from empirical or anecdotal evidence, of exactly what men think this should mean, nor have I considered it in great detail (for) myself (being not married I lack a specific context to which I can apply this biblical principle). I will venture to guess that some may see it to contain elements of obedience, though I don't think the man who cares about his wife wants it simply to be seen in light of that, as it perhaps carries too much of a sense of what a servant does than what a partner/best friend does (I'll touch on a better way of viewing it in part "b"). I think a big element of it could probably be spelled R-E-S-P-E-C-T. A wife's idea of submission will not likely be received/perceived as such if the husband feels like she is interacting with him in a way that comes across as disrespectful. While it is probably more than can be contained here to spell out what respect looks like to a man, I would commend this book to ladies who want a little insight into that.

1b. From Ephesians 5:24 the word "submit" comes from the Greek word ὑποτάσσω (hypotasso, hoop-ah-tahs-oh), which in a literal sense could mean "to order under." What is behind all of this is a matter of authority and headship - God has designated that in the marital relationship, since a two-headed creature is a monster, the one head of the "one flesh" will be the husband, and the wife is to willingly submit to, order herself under, his appointed authority. This, Paul says, applies to "all things" where in the Greek the word we translate "all" means...all (I, and I think Paul, would allow for an exception for the matter of willful, intentional sin, as the wife's highest authority still remains Christ). This should be seen, as verse 22 points out, as an element of how a wife submits to the Lord. Or to put it negatively, the woman who does not submit to her husband is not submitting to the Lord. Paul says that women should submit to their husbands "as to the Lord."This does not mean "in exactly the same way," but rather "as" refers more to the character of the submission than the content - the "how" rather than the "what." How does/should a woman submit to the Lord? Should she follow him, even when she is unsure of where the Lord is ultimately leading? Should she defer to him out of regard for his authority? Should she trust him? (Admittedly I'm a little reluctant to include this last one, as the tendency would be perhaps to take this beyond the context for which I intend. I do not mean trust, as in "do I believe what he says is true?" but rather in the sense of confidence in the context of authority. Yes, the two are related, but there are still elements of distinction) The answer to each should be "Yes." In the same character or manner as a woman would submit to the Lord so also should she submit to her husband. Please note, also, that this is not a conditional statement. The wife's submission to her husband is not conditioned upon anything on his part (nor is his love for her conditioned on anything from her; it goes both ways).

2a. In short, no. I will admit that I had not really considered the prospect of fear entering the equation, though it being thus presented I can understand its presence.

2b. I would turn the question around at the same time and ask ladies - do you understand the fear and trepidation that a man can experience under the full weight of the realization of his responsibility as the head in his marriage? Consider this, when the time comes to give an account to God of what we have done in the flesh (2Cor 5:10; cf. Rom 2:6), I, assuming that God will one day bless me with a wife and children, will have to stand before God and give an account not only for myself, but I will also have to give an account for how I led as a husband to my wife and father to my children. To me that is a fearsome thing. My wife will have to give a similar account, but for how she led our children and how she submitted to me. She will not be accountable in the same sense that I will be for the things we undertook together as I led and she submitted to my authority and followed.
But enough about me on this sub-question. Ladies, do you trust God? Do you believe that he knows that he has given this command to submit, that it calls for you to relinquish control, and that this is a scary thing for you, and potentially for your pride as well? God will not be surprised when you submit to your husband and something doesn't work out as well as both of you would have hoped. To trust God and follow him in obedience is always going to be something of a scary thing, and that goes for both women and men. I would challenge you to consider that especially at times when you are fearful of the outcome and what your submission to your husband could entail that you are honoring God by trusting him to the point that you will obey him despite your fears.

2. Are there any difference [sic] (if there are any differences) are there [sic] between a woman who has had a positive/negative relationship with her earthly father? What are they?
Yes. Consider the importance of a woman's relationship to her earthly father. For most women he is the first man in her life that she knows and is around, the one who displays how a man (rightly or wrongly) relates to a woman as he relates to her mother, who either affirms and encourages her or ignores and/or discourages her, and who overall fills the role of displaying to a woman in a tangible way how she might think of God as Father. Think about the woman who's father never affirmed her beauty or pointed her to the beauty found in Christ and who now seeks to find that affirmation in other places or other men. The woman who was never affirmed by her father and lives with a degree of insecurity that she simply cannot seem to shake. The woman who endured physical, verbal, or emotional abuse from her father and now has difficulty maintaining any sort of healthy relationship of any kind with other men. Yes, the impact on a woman that her relationship with her earthly father has is tremendous, and probably beyond the scope of what I am able/qualified to address.

Conversely, I will also offer that where a father has lovingly cared for and affirmed his daughter, seeking to be a godly example of what a man should be, how he should love (as he relates to both his daughter and her mother), and has taught her to first seek her identity in her relationship to Christ, he has set her up for a smoother hand-off from her daddy to a similarly godly husband. No earthly father is perfect, nor is any husband, but a father who seeks to set a godly example and who raises his daughter to love God will have set her up for a smoother transition from one house-hold to another.

Now, the last thing I want to do though is give a woman inclination to despair because she feels that she has not had a great relationship with her earthly father. On some level there is no woman who has had a perfect relationship with her father (nor a man with his mother). We are all broken with sin. That said, the sin we have to deal with, of any kind, can be taken to the cross of Jesus and there we find grace, forgiveness, redemption, and restoration to wholeness through God's work in us by his Holy Spirit. It isn't easy, but it is important. For the woman who has had issues with her father (or any issues with sin!) now is the time to deal with them, not when "Mr. Right" comes along. Adding another person who has their own sin to deal with to the equation will not make anything easier. (Likewise men, do not immediately write off a woman because she has had a difficult past. Where God has worked in those tough circumstances things often come out all the more beautiful and strengthened...)

3. Is flirting ungodly?
By "flirting" I am assuming that what is meant is the playful banter back and forth between men and women in a somewhat loose social convention where they are in a subtle way perhaps showing a little bit of their hand/displaying a burgeoning interest in the other and are at the same time trying to carefully feel out whether the other feels the same. I would ask - are there any intentions to mislead, lead on, or otherwise deceive the other person about one's genuine or felt interest? Is this more for one's personal gratification or enjoyment, or for the satisfaction of feeling like, as the other perhaps is responding in kind, there is a degree of affirmation or interest, while not harboring a similar attitude of interest toward the other? Is there any hint of a desire to simply be coy or to tease? In these cases there would seem to be more of a sense of using the situation and the other person for one's own gratification. As we are called to love one another we do that by serving other people, not using them. As I do not think that I am well versed on the social custom of flirting or familiar, either personally or observationally, with its use, that is about as much as I am willing to say on the matter.

4. Do men understand that lust is not a gendered sin?
Yes. However I think that this kind of falls into the category of things that we would rather not think about in general and if we are seeking to wholly honor God with our minds. As it is a topic that in a lot of ways we are not capable or qualified to address, I suspect the tendency is to acknowledge that yes, lust is something that impacts women as well as men, but beyond that we leave it alone. Unfortunately we have enough issues of our own to address with this topic...

Romans 11:25-32, An Exegetical Look

One of the privileges of seminary thus far has been the opportunity to study biblical Greek for five semesters at DTS-Houston. The course of instruction is very well laid out and takes a student with no knowledge of Greek (like was the case for me) and bring them to the point where they are interacting confidently with the highest levels of academic biblical scholarship and writing their own critical commentary of biblical passages based on exegesis of the Greek text. No small amount of credit is due to the incredibly talented and knowledgable New Testament department faculty at DTS, in particular Drs. Will Johnston and Ben Simpson at the Houston extension. Their instruction and investment in their students has and continues to pay tremendous dividends in the service of God's kingdom through the faithful study, exegesis, exposition, and declaration of God's word by their current and past students and those who have been blessed by the same. 

Personally I had no idea just how valuable this process would be for me when I started this process two years ago. It came to something of a head though one evening a couple weeks ago when I was studying Romans 11:30-32 in preparation for writing my final exegetical paper and found myself overwhelmed with the elegance of the text, the beauty of the content, and the wisdom of our great God as reflected in Paul's declaration of His truths. In celebration of the process, what God has done, and what I have learned, I submit after the break the full text of commentary I have written on Romans 11:25-32 with the hope that while it may be intimidating to someone unfamiliar with biblical Greek, nonetheless the glorious truth of God's Word would shine through and encourage the hearts of His people.

(And just by way of a quick note - any errors noted are mine and mine alone, and should bear no reflection on the excellent instruction of Drs. Johnston and Simpson, nor any other members of the DTS faculty!)

My Child, Remember...

My child,

“My grace is sufficient; my grace is sufficient; my grace is sufficient.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

“My grace is sufficient for you, my power made perfect in [your] weakness.” Therefore [you will] boast all the more gladly of [your] weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon [you] (2 Cor. 12:9). Remember that no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. [I] am faithful, and [I] will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation [I] will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13). [You] were buried with [Christ Jesus] by baptism into death, in order that, just as [He] was raised from the dead by [my glory], [you] too might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). So now present your members [to Me] as slaves of righteousness leading to [your] sanctification (Rom. 6:19). Remember, there is therefore now no condemnation for [you] in [My Son] (Rom. 8:1). [You, being now] led by [My] Spirit, are [My child]; you have received the Spirit of adoption as [a child]; [My heir] and fellow [heir] with Christ, provided you suffer with Him in order that [you] may also be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:14-15,17).

Remember that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to [you] (Rom. 8:18). It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29). [In this I put My] treasure in [a] jar of clay, [like you!] to show that the surpassing power belongs to [me] and not to [you]. So, [you] are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in [your] body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in [your] body (2 Cor. 4:7-10). Indeed, you may feel so utterly burdened beyond [your] strength that [you] despair of life itself, [feeling] that [you have] received the sentence of death, but that [is] to make [you] rely not on [yourself] but on [Me], who raises the dead (2 Cor. 1:10). Remember, do not lose heart, for this light momentary affliction is preparing for [you] an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 16,17).

I am the LORD your God (Ex. 20:2). Remember, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? [Did you] shut in the sea with doors, [or] command the morning since your days began? Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail (Job 38:4,8,12,11)? [I am] in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few (Eccl. 5:2). [Do not] think of [yourself] more highly than [you] ought to think, but think with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith that [I have] assigned (Rom. 12:3). In humility count others more significant than [yourself], having this mind which is yours in [My Son] Christ Jesus, who humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore [I have] highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every other name (Phil. 2:3,5,8-9). Remember, [I] oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. Humble yourself, therefore, under [my] mighty hand so that at the proper time [I] may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon [me], because [I] care for you (1 Pet. 5:5-7). Remember, if anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35), and whoever humbles himself like [a] child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:4).

Remember, [Jesus] is the vine; [you] are the branch. Whoever abides in [Him] and [He] in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from [Him] you can do nothing. And it is by this that [I] am glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be [My Son’s] disciple (John 15:5,8). Yes, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, but remember that it is [I] who works in you, both to will and to work for [My] good pleasure (Phil. 2:12b,13). Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, and remember that it is for freedom that Christ has set [you] free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery (Gal. 5:16,1). Give no opportunity to the devil and make no provision for the flesh, but rather put on the Lord Jesus Christ and the whole armor [I provide], that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph. 4:27, Rom. 13:14, Eph. 6:11). Lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before [you], looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of [your] faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at [My] right hand (Heb. 12:1-2). Remember, [even as I] began a good work in you, [I] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).

Above all remember, that I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).

Love,
Your Heavenly Father


(A Note of Explanation: This is a letter drafted in the fall of 2013 for the "Spiritual Formation" process at DTS, essentially a discipleship group of students that walk together through four semesters of curriculum, examining together our identity in Christ, our place in community, the ways that sin impacts our lives, and how God is shaping us for future service to Him.

In the third semester we take a look at sin in our lives, including how it comes up, common temptations and failures we face, and the truth of God that counters the lies and enticements of sin. Typically this is done in a format mirroring C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, where we write a letter as though we are guiding a lesser demon on how to tempt ourselves, and then a follow-on letter rejecting our tempter. Finding it incredibly difficult to make the shift in mindset that is displayed in TSL, instead of writing a response to my tempter I wrote as though it were God's letter to me, in the form of Scripture pulled together from across the Bible.

Over the years I have seen that in the face of adversity I very much have the temptation and tendency to despair, to listen to the lies that all is hopeless and lost and no good will come, and the best counter to that is the truth of the Word of God. Thus at the heart of the letter from God to me is the reminder that He is God, He is sufficient, there is nothing that can be faced that is bigger than Him, and He is faithful and trustworthy to the very end, therefore there is no grounds or justification for despair. This same truth in the face of any other sin also serves as a bedrock on which one can stand, knowing that compared to anything this world can offer Jesus is better.

If you are a follower of Christ, a believer in Jesus who has trusted Him for salvation, my hope is that you too would be reminded of His goodness and faithfulness, that you would remember, and that you would rest, rejoice, and stand firm in all that God is to us in and through Christ by His Spirit.)

At the Heart of the Mission

Have you ever been reading the Bible and a passage just stops you dead in your tracks? You almost have to put it down for a moment because the weight of what you have read is just that great?

A little over a month ago I was preparing to begin my one summer semester course - my fifth and final formal semester of Greek training at DTS. Drawing on everything we have learned we studied Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, examining everything he said straight from the Greek text that we have been learning to understand and interpret. But before the class began I wanted to review the letter in English just to re-acquaint myself with it.

A Fathers' Day Reflection

This weekend, with the arrival of the third Sunday in June, we celebrate Fathers' Day - an opportunity to express appreciation and admiration to the men in our lives who fathered us, both biological fathers and surrogates or other father-figures. While the range of experiences that people have had, or not had, with fathers that have been there, not been there, filled in for absent fathers or those that have passed away, the reality is that few people are truly indifferent to what is celebrated on Fathers' Day. Fathers are just that important. Present or absent, the impact of fathers is very real nonetheless.

While much could and has been said on the role of fathers I'll touch on one in particular following the break.

"Son of God" and "Jesus," A Comparative Review

With all the hype surrounding this spring's release of the feature-length motion picture Son of God, a movie-length extension of the popular TV mini-series The Bible by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, when the opportunity came in one of my classes this spring to earn extra credit through completion of a movie review this seemed like a great combination of opportunities. But since there were a lot of movie reviews out there already offering up people's impressions of the film, I decided to take a different approach and instead saw both Son of God and the 1979 classic Jesus film and from that I have done a comparative review. That said, there are a few things that this review is and isn't:

-It isn't a complete review of either film. More could be said about both that did not fit within the scope of the comparative nature of the review.

-It isn't an effort to promote or bash one or the other film. Both have positive and negative aspects to them, particularly in today's context. Ultimately what the reader will find is that I want people to get back to the actual text of the Bible itself to learn about Jesus, though I do recognize that a visual medium such as a film can be a great starting point for discussion and learning.

-It is an attempt to fairly look at several key elements in the consideration of either film - background, content, accessibility, and utility for the church. 

-It is ultimately written with that final point of consideration in mind. This is not an assessment from an entertainment perspective, but the value of these films for use by the church and believers for the glory of God and the furtherance of his kingdom.

That said, you can find the review after the break.

Relevant?

Okay, I get it.  There is an attitude out there that church/the things of God can be...boring.  Stuffy.  Out of touch with culture.  Have no bearing on day-to-day life.  Impractical.  Irrelevant.  It seems that the worst thing a church can be these days is irrelevant.  How are you going to reach the lost people of the world if you aren't relevant to them?

I would suggest that we're chasing the wrong thing.

The Good Gift-Giver

Right now I feel like I am the recipient of a great gift.  And so, like a five-year-old I want to run around and tell everybody about this gift, show it off, and proclaim to all how much I appreciate this gift.  But while an attitude of appreciation is good, if all of my delight were to be focused on the gift itself, I'd be missing a very large part of the picture...

Witnessing to the "Saved"

This may tread on dangerous ground for some people.  But at the same time I don't think its importance can be ignored.  Matthew 7 has some scary verses that are a call for all people to evaluate their hearts before God.  So here we go...

"How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers.  Everything is made to center upon the initial act of "accepting" Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls.  We have been snared in the coils of spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him." -A.W. Tozer, "Pursuit of God"

Last night I was reading through the first chapter of Tozer's "Pursuit of God" and was struck by a question: How does one witness to someone who is already "saved?"  No, the quotation marks are not a typo, and I'm dead serious.  Because I have to wonder if there are people all over the place, in and out of the church that think they are saved by the blood of Jesus, but may one day hear "Depart from me, for I never knew you."

The sort of person I'm talking about may be one who, through confusion, misinformation, or some other unfortunate set of circumstances has come to believe that they are saved even though the Holy Spirit has not actually moved to open their eyes to the glory of Christ and Him crucified, nor is He presently dwelling in their life.  Their mistaken idea about their eternal state could come from a past "praying the prayer," walking forward to "accept" Jesus, or filling out some sort of card for church membership.  It can even be the result of regular religious practice and feeling like they have "checked the box" enough times to satisfy God.  Unfortunately, in all of these cases this is not what saves a person.

But perhaps even more unfortunate is that in some ways it can actually inoculate or harden someone to the gospel, and their true need to come to a right understanding of their place before God, to look upon Him and cry out "woe is me, for I am a [wo]man of unclean lips!", and then to find redemption, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and righteousness only in the blood of Jesus, and to experience the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within and working out the daily process of sanctification.  Instead, they may think that the message of the gospel no longer really applies to them because they are already good.  It's really for unbelievers anyhow, right?  And so there is a false sense of security that actually can believe that there is no need for anything more.  And that is at the heart of my question.

But praise God!  He is good to come through with the answer in the midst of my question.  I didn't even feel like I had fully articulated the question when the Holy Spirit offers response:

Q: How do you witness to the "saved?"
A: You live and speak and breathe a holy desire and delight for God that proclaims His greatness in a way that highlights the lack there-of in other men.  Be so filled but yet so hungry that their only conclusion is that the two of you have got different versions or doses of Christianity.  Proclaim a Jesus so great that even while something may try to hold them back by telling them that what you have is only reserved for some special Christians, they still press forward exclaiming, "I don't know what you have, but I don't have it and I desperately want it!"  Lead them to Christ by first pressing in as hard as you can and inviting them to join you in the great pursuit.  Seek to dine at the Father's table and let them catch a whiff of the sweet aroma of the steak that is so much richer than their tasteless soy burger.  Bask in the warm rays of the shining Son and invite them to join you in all of His warmth and glory.

Will some still resist?  Some.  But resistance only works for so long in the face of the irresistible.  And so they may fight and hide, and resist and run, but ultimately those whom the Spirit calls will find themselves in a place with no recourse left but to throw themselves down on the altar, to throw themselves upon the mercies of God, and cry out "Abba, Father!" as a prodigal child that has found their way home.  And then how great will the celebration be when the lost sheep is recovered, when the  lost coin is found!

But how do I know it will work?  Because God used the same sort of thing through one of His daughters as He called/reached out to me years ago.

Fitting the Ocean in a Cup

How do you sum up who God is in only a few words, paragraphs, pages?  Enough silly analogies have been made already and there is no need to roll back through them here (okay, fine, one was used as the title for this), but I do seriously wonder how one might summarize God in such a way that a simple glimpse, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, might awaken in a life a desire to see and know more of the infinite Creator of the universe.

How do you describe the indescribable?  How do you tell, in a finite space, of the infinite?  Comparisons fall short when speaking of that which is incomparable.  Analogies are lacking.  Lists fall short.  Adjectives fail at description.  One could tally God's actions, but life available in which to attempt this is but a few short hours.  The whole of our existence on planet earth could be dedicated to the endeavor of knowing and understanding God and we would but only scratch the surface.

Some have seen his throne room and were terrified.  Merely his voice would freeze men with fear.  At the movement of his hand armies are put to flight or sustained in battle, city walls crumble, rain covers the earth or ceases to fall for three years, the dead are raised, the wicked are dropped dead, the deaf hear, the blind see, the mute speak, the lame walk, the sick are healed, demons are cast out, the waters are parted, the sun stands still, fire falls from the sky, animals assemble, speech is confused, languages are spoken, chains are broken, thousands are fed, water is turned to blood, frogs and locusts descend, plants grow or wither, terror seizes the hearts of men, courage seizes the hearts of men, and all that could be written would exceed the ink of my pen.

He measures the universe with the palm of his hand - the same hand in which he holds and upholds his people.  Whether stars in the sky, hairs on the head, or grains of sand at the seaside, he has a running tally of all of them.  His anger crashes louder than thunder and yet his comfort may come as a gentle whisper.  He lights up the sky and scatters the darkness.  No wickedness goes ultimately unpunished before him, nor any righteousness unrewarded.

And while his attributes and actions can be read, studied, or known, it is nothing compared to getting to actually experience his power, to witness his grace, to feel his presence and peace, to delight in his embrace, to truly come a little bit closer to actually knowing God.  Not about him, but knowing him.  That is, in itself, something beyond all comparison.

For all our emptiness, he fills us.  For all our brokenness, he repairs us.  For all our weariness, he sustains us.  For all our sins, he forgives us.  For all our weakness, he strengthens us.  For all our despairs, he reassures us.  In, within, and through all things he is all things to us in every circumstance or situation.

But seriously, how do you really describe God?

(from notes briefly jotted down yesterday)

Do Not Touch!

Ever get that admonishment from your mom at the grocery store or other shop?  I got it quite regularly (and when I didn't listen I got to walk around with my hands on my head - prisoner style).  But what was I to do?  I had nothing else to occupy my attention, and the stuff on the racks looked so interesting.  So I wanted to touch and my mom would tell me not to touch and scold or punish me when I did.

The funny thing is, I think sometimes that's how we try to handle sins in our lives.  We know we're not supposed to do certain things and so we simply try with all our might not to do them.  But ultimately we still do them just the same.  And then we get frustrated, scold ourselves (or face consequences of some fashion), resolve to not touch anymore, and move forward in that effort/resolve.  Sometimes we even "put our hands on our head," figuratively speaking, and try to impose additional rules beyond "do not touch" in order to get our touching problem under control.  But even then it may work for a little while, but what happens when those additional rules fall away?

But what if there was another way to approach it?  Looking at Paul addressing some of the same concerns with the church in Colossae I think gives us some insight into a better way of dealing with sin in our lives.

Paul is addressing issues where the church in Colossae is getting a little off track due to some less-than-godly influences that are teaching things contrary to the true gospel that they had received.  One of the issues sounds familiar: "If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-'Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch' (referring to things that all perish as they are used)-according to human precepts and teachings?" (Col. 2:20-22).  (Note: I italicize scripture to set it apart, not to add any sort of additional emphasis)

Paul continues and summarizes some of what we already said: "These have indeed the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh" (Col. 2:23).  And thus ends the chapter.  But fortunately Paul doesn't leave them hanging with "What you've been doing may sound good but is never going to work for overcoming sin."  Rather, at the beginning of chapter 3 Paul gives a different way of approaching the question of sin and then later gives the practical guidance on how that approach is actually implemented.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).

Basically, Paul says "Don't listen to those that tell give you all sorts of rules to follow in order to beat sin.  That won't work and it puts your focus on the wrong thing.  If you are in Christ you should be focused on CHRIST!"  Here he draws on the familiar comparison between the world and heaven, between earthly things and godly things, between the pulls of the flesh and the guidance of the Spirit, emphasizing that while we are in the world, we are not of the world and should approach things accordingly.

But the easy response is to say "That's all well and good, but I'm surrounded by all sorts of things that can be handled, tasted, or touched (and some of them seem appealing), and it's hard to keep my focus on 'the things that are above' (and what are those anyway?)."  And once again, fortunately Paul doesn't stop at verse three.  Verses 5-15 lay out two contrasting sets of actions - one of putting to death the things of this world (and what those things are) and putting on the things that are above (and what those things are) (Col. 3:5-15).

Immediately following that, in verse 16, Paul finally gives advice on how that all is practically implemented: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Col. 3:16).  So essentially:

-Know the word of God.  Don't just read it, let it "dwell in you richly."  Internalize it, study it, seek to understand its precepts, guidance, and instruction, and call on the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher of the word.  Knowing the Word and its testimony to the nature, character and glory of God and how it is manifested in the redeeming work of the gospel serves as pointer directing our focus back to the one who is worthy of our every thought.
-From there, be engaged in a community of other believers who are doing the same, and teach and encourage each other in the word, and seek to help each other in identifying sin that needs to be repented of (think James 5:15-16).
-If you look back in the Old Testament at the Psalms and other cases where the nation of Israel is singing, you see that much of the content of their songs is reminders of the faithfulness of God, his goodness, the consequences of sin, and the blessings of obedience.  In much the same way, music, corporate worship through song, etc. can serve as a way of individually and collectively reminding ourselves of God's goodness and faithfulness and draw our hearts to him.
-Lastly, and this follows with the idea of singing songs, etc., remaining thankful for the blessings of God has the effect of directing our attentions and affections toward him.

Is this to say that there is no room for installing filtering software on your computer, cutting up your credit cards, or avoiding certain television programming, movies or music?  Certainly not!  But the establishment of boundaries should be as support and reinforcement for turning one's thoughts and affections toward God.  And what you find is that the more you witness his goodness and glory, the more sin and "indulgences of the flesh" lose their luster anyway.  Which sure beats putting your hands on your head, right?