Going Home

It’s fourth of July and we’re going home.  The bags are packed, the kids are packed, and night is falling.  Fireworks will be missed this year.

    Or maybe not.

Cruising down the interstate, an orange moon slides in and out of dark shadows.  Hot and muggy is the soup outside, but we’re protected in our A/C aluminum can.

    Darker and darker the sky becomes.

 

After a brief history lesson on the birth of our nation, independence from a king, and tense times for the colonies, I say “Look out for fireworks.  Look for the lights. Keep your eyes peeled.”  In my rearview mirror, the whites of eyes are as big as the moon.

Going home. The lifelong journey for the redeemed, both young and old.  Hot and muggy the path may be.  Darker the sky may appear.

    But the King is coming.  Has come.  And is here.

New birth through a Savior. Independence from being my own crummy king.  And freedom to love the King.  Colonies of light who hold the Light are scattered across the land.

    Or interstate.

“Look for fireworks. Look for the lights. Keep your eyes peeled.”

A glimmer.  Then a white sparkle of lights brightens the sky behind a silhouette of trees.  My daughter gasps.  To the left, another.  Over the bridge. To the right, some more.  A green, purple, red, and orange display showers the sky.

    All along the interstate.

I grip the wheel, juggling between keeping my eyes on the road and twisting my head to find the multi-colored displays of light jumping out of the distant trees and darkened landscape.

    Then it arrives.

An interstellar burst and kaleidoscope of colors litters the face of the sky.  We pull over and watch the finale.  Glory. Hallelujah.

    All along the interstate. Going home.

Colonies of light.  Going home. Yet, holding up the Light.  No one after lighting a lamp covers it, but puts it on a stand, so that all may see.

    For all those driving along the interstate.

The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

    Glory. Hallelujah. 

 

He is risen… He is risen indeed

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:55

 

 

The Good of Good Friday

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  2 Corinthians 5:21.

The pain of crucifixion by man,

unbearable.

The pain of being forsaken by the Father,

unfathomable.

The nails that held his body,

unthinkable.

The love that held him there,

“so amazing, so divine. Demands my life, my soul, my all.”

 

One Year of Learning to Ride

On this side of the western world, it’s been one year.

One year of trying. One year of failing. One year of encouraging. One year of prodding. Sometimes gently. Sometimes a little too strong. Lord, forgive me. But it has all been worth it.

A lazy afternoon.  I’m tired on this Sunday.  It’s been a long morning.  But warmer weather is sneaking into March eager for spring, and so is my daughter as she tugs on my leg wanting to go outside.

Out we go.  But only to do one thing we’ve been doing this year.

Mastering that two-wheel bike.

We’re not much of a bike culture on this side of the western world.  Unless it’s a Harley Davidson, of course.  And I don’t ride my bike to work that often. Unless, a stroke of insanity dances across my brain.  It did one day.  So I took out my bike worn from its college days and whispered, “It’s just you and me baby.”  To the road we flew taking the route I am so familiar with each morning.  The freedom.  The thrill.  The work.  Now I’m sweating.  And complaining.  Will I get there?

But there’s no complaining from my daughter on this day. Or this side of the western world.  She wants to ride her bike.  She wants to stare down that asphalt that has taken skinned knees.  But most importantly she wants to know.  Do I have her back?

Yes I do sweetheart.

Will you catch me if I fall?

Yes.

Will you help me as I ride?

Yes.

Do you think I can do this?

Yes. And I will be running alongside of you never taking my eye off of you.

She grips the handlebars.  The white around her knuckles shows.  Relax.  She takes a deep breath.  She straps on the helmet of her salvation, protecting her skull.  Bludgeoning from the rock-hard pavement is not in the schedule today.

And not on my watch.

She’s ready.

We set out along the driveway.  I hold her shoulders. She begins to pedal.  I’m holding. Running.  She wobbles with the wheel.  My grip is firm. She’s pedaling.  I’m running. Faster.  And it happens so fast. Time stops.

I’m no longer holding. She’s riding.

I keep running.  I’m cheering her on. But she’s focused. She hasn’t taken this one year on just to share a few moments of glory on the driveway.  The road is on her sights.

I’m breathing faster. Running beside her. Holding my hands out just in case.  She turns.  The road is hers. No turning back. I cheer out loud.  Who cares about the neighbors right now.  I want the whole world to hear.

I watch her ride.  The wind whipping her hair. Her legs pumping the pedals.  And the joy that spreads to her heart as she glides into the sunset.  One year rolling by.

On this side of the western world.

But there’s another world.  I want to ride. I want to gaze into the bright Son and feel His presence, like the wind hitting my face.  But I still ask. Do you have my back?

Yes.

Will you catch me if I fall?

Yes.

Will you help me as I ride?

Yes.

Do you think I can do this?

Yes. And I will be running alongside of you never taking my eye off of you.

 

Weeds of the Soul

It’s getting pretty warm outside.  And with the warmer weather comes the bane of my yard… weeds.  However, I thought this article by Paul Tripp on tending the weeds of our own soul, especially as it relates to the people we love and serve, was quite appropriate for anyone… at any season.

 

The Elephant Room and It’s Elephant in the Room

The Elephant Room.  Some of you have been wondering about this event that has been offered through simulcast and online. Enough has been said over the web on it and the controversy that it created.  I just want to point you to some good posts on grasping why it was controversial and some wise thoughts on its implications.  Bottom line (this is my opinion), it was unwise to hold such a venue (online and to thousands) with the people that were invited (TD Jakes, a Oneness Pentecostal, who is considered outside the bounds of orthodox Christian doctrine, alongside other pastors who are within the bounds of orthodox Christian doctrine).  It further exacerbates doctrinal confusion and portrays that doctrine doesn’t matter as a pastor.  Not convinced?  Confused?  Then click and read some of the posts below that explain it much better…

–Justin Taylor breaks down what happened and offers very thorough and wise reflection…

–Thabiti Anyabwile offers a brave and passionate response why he is disappointed…

–Tim Raymond explains how the Elephant Room can be a danger to redefining the pastoral office…

–Kevin DeYoung offers seven thoughts on the event (very poignant)…

 

Reflection: It’s Not Where, But With Whom

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.”    ~Hebrews 11:8-9

As I read today from Genesis and a cross-reference passage from Hebrews (the passage quoted above), the Lord impressed this hard upon me… it should not be of our concern where we are going when God calls us to obey that gives us assurance of faith, but with whom is going with us: God himself.  By faith Abraham obeyed.  Not because he trusted he knew where he was going. It says, “he went out, not knowing where he was going.” No, he obeyed because he trusted in the one He knew who was going with him.  That’s what mattered.  Not where, but with whom is going with him.  God. His faith was in God and His character.  Oh, to trust Him more.  It’s my prayer this morning and for our church today.

 

No Grey Anatomy of the Heart

There are no “grey areas” when the Bible speaks about the heart- the central core of who you are.  It’s pretty much black or white on its description of the heart. I subscribe to Tabletalk magazine, and I thought Sinclair Ferguson wrote an excellent article titled “A Catechism on the Heart“.  Do we not as Christians want to have a heart for God?  Then read Sinclair Ferguson explain below…

Sometimes people ask authors, “Which of your books is your favorite?” The first time the question is asked, the response is likely to be “I am not sure; I have never really thought about it.” But forced to think about it, my own standard response has become, “I am not sure what my favorite book is; but my favorite title is A Heart for God.” I am rarely asked, “Why?” but (in case you ask) the title simply expresses what I want to be: a Christian with a heart for God.

Perhaps that is in part a reflection of the fact that we sit on the shoulders of the giants of the past. Think of John Calvin’s seal and motto: a heart held out in the palm of a hand and the words “I offer my heart to you, Lord, readily and sincerely.” Or consider Charles Wesley’s hymn: 

                  O for a heart to praise my God!
A heart from sin set free.

Some hymnbooks don’t include Wesley’s hymn, presumably in part because it is read as an expression of his doctrine of perfect love and entire sanctification. (He thought it possible to have his longing fulfilled in this world.) But the sentiment itself is surely biblical.

But behind the giants of church history stands the testimony of Scripture. The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Deut. 6:5). That is why, in replacing Saul as king, God “sought out a man after his own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), for “the Lord looks on the heart” (16:7). It is a truism to say that, in terms of our response to the gospel, the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. But truism or not, it is true.

What this looks like, how it is developed, in what ways it can be threatened, and how it expresses itself will be explored little by little in this new column. But at this stage, perhaps it will help us if we map out some preliminary matters in the form of a catechism on the heart:

Q.1. What is the heart?
A. The heart is the central core and drive of my life intellectually (it involves my mind), affectionately (it shapes my soul), and totally (it provides the energy for my living).

Q.2. Is my heart healthy?
A. No. By nature I have a diseased heart. From birth, my heart is deformed and antagonistic to God. The intentions of its thoughts are evil continually.

Q.3. Can my diseased heart be healed?
A. Yes. God, in His grace, can give me a new heart to love Him and to desire to serve Him.

Q.4. How does God do this?
A. God does this through the work of the Lord Jesus for me and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in me. He illumines my mind through the truth of the gospel, frees my enslaved will from its bondage to sin, cleanses my affections by His grace, and motivates me inwardly to live for Him by rewriting His law into my heart so that I begin to love what He loves. The Bible calls this being “born from above.”

Q.5. Does this mean I will never sin again?
A. No. I will continue to struggle with sin until I am glorified. God has given me a new heart, but for the moment He wants me to keep living in a fallen world. So day by day I face the pressures to sin that come from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. But God’s Word promises that over all these enemies I can be “more than a conqueror through him who loved us.”

Q.6. What four things does God counsel me to do so that my heart may be kept for Him?
A. First, I must guard my heart as if everything depended on it. This means that I should keep my heart like a sanctuary for the presence of the Lord Jesus and allow nothing and no one else to enter.

Second, I must keep my heart healthy by proper diet, growing strong on a regular diet of God’s Word — reading it for myself, meditating on its truth, but especially being fed on it in the preaching of the Word. I also will remember that my heart has eyes as well as ears. The Spirit shows me baptism as a sign that I bear God’s triune name, while the Lord’s Supper stimulates heart love for the Lord Jesus.

Third, I must take regular spiritual exercise, since my heart will be strengthened by worship when my whole being is given over to God in expressions of love for and trust in Him.

Fourth, I must give myself to prayer in which my heart holds on to the promises of God, rests in His will, and asks for His sustaining grace — and do this not only on my own but with others so that we may encourage one another to maintain a heart for God.

This — and much else — requires development, elaboration, and exposition. But it can be summed up in a single biblical sentence. Listen to your Father’s appeal: “My son, give Me your heart.”

 

Resolution #1- Understand the European Financial Crisis

I’m only teasing about the title. Slightly. But I’m sure your head goes spinning like mine does when reading any news article related to the European financial crisis dealing with the euro.  And frankly, it’s not that pressing of a topic on my list of things to understand when I have kids to drop off at the bus stop, phone calls to make, and trying to find time to tally my own financial debt created by purchasing Christmas gifts.  Plus, I’d rather enjoy the fine powdered sugar sprinkling of snow sent overnight that I see outside.

But then I perused the latest news and saw once again that Europe has been busy overnight as well. The latest from Bloomberg said that “France sold 7.96 billion euros ($10.2 billion) of debt, with 10-year borrowing costs rising in the country’s first bond auction of the year as credit-rating companies threaten to cut the nation’s AAA grade.”  Does anyone know what that means?  Please translate that, merci!

Final straw.  It was at that point of frustration that I decided to devote only 10 minutes to settling this.  So, I went to the source that is 1,000 miles wide with information and only 1 inch thick in depth with understanding: the internet.

Here are my results and hopefully it well help you in understanding the European financial crises.  The first is from New York Times, and appropriately named, “Translating the European Crisis, in Plain English“. The other, which surprisingly references the New York Times article (I must have been on to something…), is from a Christian perspective prying into the moral and ethical causes of the crises and factors that influenced it.  It’s called, “Productive for the Glory of God, Good of Neighbors“. And of course, Khan Academy, made honorable mention… But, he went beyond my 10 minutes.

In the midst of it all, praise be to God that He who is sovereign over all creation is sovereign over all nations.  May we be good stewards. Now go outside and get those shoes muddy.

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening devotional…

“For your sakes he became poor.”—2 Corinthians 8:9.

Th Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless He had imparted to us of His own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had He remained upon His throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving His salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Saviour should give to His sinning brethren of His own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of His fulness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by Him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe His people in His own garments, or He cannot admit them into His palace of glory; and He must wash them in His own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of His fellowship.
O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus “became poor” that He might lift you up into communion with Himself.

 

“Up on the housetop click, click, click…” Who was St. Nick?

The fab five family of mine have really enjoyed reading this article on “Who was St. Nicholas?”  Highlights the man, myths, and, yes, mushrooms for gifts. Yep.  Ever wonder where some of the folklore surrounding Santa Claus came from?  The North Pole, chimney’s, stockings, and Kris Kringle… Hey, I thought this guy’s name was St. Nicholas?

Then enjoy the read… and please, no mushrooms as a gift.

 

Yes, it’s Halloween and… Reformation Day!

Yes, it’s Halloween and it’s also… Reformation Day!  Last year, I dressed up as Martin Luther (head shaved like a monk and the whole shabang), but no promises this year!

If you don’t know what Reformation Day is, well then, if you’re a Christian, you better get to know your roots!  It was on this day October 31st, 1517 that is credited as the unofficial start of the reformation of the church, the recovery of the gospel, and a call back for the church to stand alone on the authority of the Scriptures, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses (or concerns) to a church door (a common practice by the way for public community announcements).

Justin Holcomb from the Resurgence has a great overview of the 95 theses and the hammer heard around the world… Read it here.

So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where he is there I shall be also!”

— Martin Luther

 

Halloween: Receive, Reject, or Redeem?

Very thorough post by the Resurgence on the origins of Halloween and good advice in helping you decide how you should respond as a Christian to this nationwide event.  Here’s a quote from the article…

Halloween has an uneasy history with the church; Christians have not always been sure what to do with a holiday of apparently pagan origins. Is Halloween unredeemable, such that any Christian participating in the holiday will necessarily compromise their faith? Is it something Christians can participate in as a cultural celebration with no religious ramifications? Or is there the opportunity for Christians to emphasize certain aspects of our own faith within the holiday?

Read the whole article here.

 

When Blogs Fall Silent…

It either means….

a) been busy

b) face-t0-face relationships won over the computer screen

c) studying the Word pulled me away

d) God’s been pursuing me

e) All of the above

 

I just circled “e”…

 

John R.W. Stott (1921-2011)

John R.W. Stott, at the age of 90, went to be home with the Lord today.  If you don’t know who he is, then you should read Justin Taylor’s brief, yet honoring, post commemorating his life.