God has in himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you.
Brooks, Thomas
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thoughts On American Christianity, Part 2
This past Sunday, the pastor of our church, Rev. Ken Pierce, gave a wonderful sermon that helped me think through and organize some of my thoughts on American Christianity. As he preached, I wrote down my thoughts about what he was saying and I am largely indebted to him for the following.
One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is the parable of the hidden treasure. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44). Human beings are kingdom builders. The question that we, as Christians, need to ask ourselves is, “Whose kingdom are we building?” Jesus commands us to be in the business of building God’s kingdom, not our own. Yet, the American culture that we have so deeply embraced is fundamentally about building our own kingdoms and rarely do we notice the difference. Why does God command us to build His kingdom rather than our own? Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler to sell all that he had and follow Jesus?
It seems to me that the answer is clear in Matthew 13 (and quite a few other places in Scripture). The kingdom of God is infinitely valuable, unstoppable, and ultimately the only source of true joy for us. As Americans, we have simply adopted the American Dream and said that you can build up your own personal kingdom here on Earth while, at the same time, building up God’s kingdom throughout the world. If this were possible, why did Jesus say that the man who found the treasure went out and joyfully sold all that he had to buy that field? Why did Jesus, similarly, tell the rich young ruler to sell all that he had to follow Jesus? Why is it necessary to give up so much to have the treasure?
Sin tells us that happiness is found in building our own kingdoms. It is so ingrained in us that we usually don’t see anything wrong at all with the American Dream. That is why we see pastors living luxurious lifestyles well above the average American family and even above the average church member (and I don’t mean just in the Health, Wealth and Prosperity movement which is so obviously sinful, but in some very conservative, reformed denominations) and we see presidents of mission agencies (mission agencies, for crying out loud!) making well over six figures while the missionaries out in the field (building God's kingdom, mind you) are struggling to stay on the field because part of their support is going to pay the salaries of the mission agency’s “executives”. Ridiculous.
I firmly believe that we are very much out of touch with real Christianity of the first century. Just look at the apostle Paul. His entire life after encountering Jesus was all about spreading a passion for the kingdom of God. He gave up his own personal kingdom of wealth, power and prestige (calling it “rubbish”) to pursue God’s kingdom, no matter the cost, and he is clearly one of the most joyful people in the Bible!
My biggest fear is that we are missing out on so much of what Christ has to offer. “There is far more in Christ than we have yet apprehended” (Dr. Raymond C. “L.L. Cool Ray” Ortlund, Jr.) American Christianity is so safe, watered down and ineffective to change the world that it would be barely recognizable to the apostle Paul if he showed up at a modern American church, I am afraid. We wonder why we don’t see God moving more in our communities and among our non-believing friends. We are far too preoccupied with our own kingdoms.
One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is the parable of the hidden treasure. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44). Human beings are kingdom builders. The question that we, as Christians, need to ask ourselves is, “Whose kingdom are we building?” Jesus commands us to be in the business of building God’s kingdom, not our own. Yet, the American culture that we have so deeply embraced is fundamentally about building our own kingdoms and rarely do we notice the difference. Why does God command us to build His kingdom rather than our own? Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler to sell all that he had and follow Jesus?
It seems to me that the answer is clear in Matthew 13 (and quite a few other places in Scripture). The kingdom of God is infinitely valuable, unstoppable, and ultimately the only source of true joy for us. As Americans, we have simply adopted the American Dream and said that you can build up your own personal kingdom here on Earth while, at the same time, building up God’s kingdom throughout the world. If this were possible, why did Jesus say that the man who found the treasure went out and joyfully sold all that he had to buy that field? Why did Jesus, similarly, tell the rich young ruler to sell all that he had to follow Jesus? Why is it necessary to give up so much to have the treasure?
Sin tells us that happiness is found in building our own kingdoms. It is so ingrained in us that we usually don’t see anything wrong at all with the American Dream. That is why we see pastors living luxurious lifestyles well above the average American family and even above the average church member (and I don’t mean just in the Health, Wealth and Prosperity movement which is so obviously sinful, but in some very conservative, reformed denominations) and we see presidents of mission agencies (mission agencies, for crying out loud!) making well over six figures while the missionaries out in the field (building God's kingdom, mind you) are struggling to stay on the field because part of their support is going to pay the salaries of the mission agency’s “executives”. Ridiculous.
I firmly believe that we are very much out of touch with real Christianity of the first century. Just look at the apostle Paul. His entire life after encountering Jesus was all about spreading a passion for the kingdom of God. He gave up his own personal kingdom of wealth, power and prestige (calling it “rubbish”) to pursue God’s kingdom, no matter the cost, and he is clearly one of the most joyful people in the Bible!
My biggest fear is that we are missing out on so much of what Christ has to offer. “There is far more in Christ than we have yet apprehended” (Dr. Raymond C. “L.L. Cool Ray” Ortlund, Jr.) American Christianity is so safe, watered down and ineffective to change the world that it would be barely recognizable to the apostle Paul if he showed up at a modern American church, I am afraid. We wonder why we don’t see God moving more in our communities and among our non-believing friends. We are far too preoccupied with our own kingdoms.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Thoughts on American Christianity, Part 1
One of the great blessings of living abroad is the gift of being outside of the American culture and being able to see it differently than from within. I lived in Spain for four months and in Mexico for a grand total of about five years. Both experiences were incredibly enlightening for me and some of my greatest spiritual growth took place in those times. In fact, I had a much harder time re-adjusting to life back in the States than I did learning a new culture. I had heard missionaries saying the same thing for years at various mission conferences, but I never quite believed them fully. I mean, how hard can it be to become re-acclimated to your own culture, especially one that has virtually anything you could want?
I think that is part of the problem. We are so used to having so many of life’s conveniences, that we spend our days trying to make sure that we, and our families, are as safe and comfortable as possible. Many of us work to make
money to purchase things that either entertain us, make us feel good about ourselves, or meet basic needs in extravagant ways (spending a great deal in regular visits to our favorite restaurants or buying houses far above the average need), among many other things. I am certainly guilty of doing or desiring to do all of these things! Having these things is the American Dream, isn’t it? And isn’t the U.S. a country founded on Christian principles? How bad can it be?
The problem that I am having is that I don’t see the American Dream anywhere in the Bible. In fact, I see something quite opposed to it, but we tend to try to make the gospel fit with our own culture rather than the other way around.
One of the reasons that we love John Piper is that he is so passionate for the spread of the gospel and decidedly un-American (but not anti-American). Some time ago, I was at a Christian fellowship group with some wonderful, Godly people, most of whom I didn’t know all that well. The group was reading through Don’t Waste Your Life by Piper and the chapter (4, maybe?) had to do with laying up treasures. I found it ironic that we were meeting in the house of a family that was clearly very wealthy. What Piper teaches in his books is very difficult for us to actually put in to practice precisely because it is so un-American. After a brief discussion in which we sort of all agreed that Piper is right and we are all convicted, the leader of the discussion said that yes, he has some very expensive things in his very nice house, but he feels thoroughy blessed to have those things and if God took them away, he wouldn’t mind at all. He then said, “Besides, God needs rich Christians. He needs rich Christians to be able to reach out to other rich people.”
Nobody questioned that conclusion at the meeting, but something certainly felt a little off to me, although I didn’t feel like speaking up at the time. I thought about it a lot afterwards and realized that we (as a Christian community, not just those at that particular meeting) have so many things backwards. I wondered, how does all of this square with Jesus’ teachings to the rich young ruler to sell what he owned and give to the poor as a prerequisite to following Jesus? Was Jesus only saying it to him or is there a principle that we are supposed to apply to our lives? And what about the apostle Paul? His life, it seems to me, was exactly the opposite of the American Dream. He gave up riches and stature and power to radically love others in Jesus’ name. The more he followed Jesus, the more he gave up his wealth and comfort and stature in his Jewish community, and the more joyful he became. Jesus was everything! And Paul, even after giving up his wealth, was still able to preach to and show the love of Christ to the wealthy and prominent of the ancient Roman world, as well as the poorest of the poor. It seems to me that precisely because he gave up his worldly possessions that he was so powerful a witness to those that had so much.
It seems to me that most of us think that we can (and should) have both, even if we don’t ever say it clearly. We don’t fall for the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel” because it is clearly evil, unbiblical and no gospel at all. But are we really all that different? It is certainly a good thing to recognize that all that we have in terms of worldly goods could be taken away by God at any time. But for most of us, that is about as far as we get. We still go on storing up treasures for ourselves here on earth and it is largely encouraged and even admired by the Christian church.
We must look at our culture and our Christian faith and see that they are largely opposed to each other. We need to spend far more time in the Word and see how far we have strayed from what Jesus and others clearly taught about wealth. We are far too comfortable with the idea that we can be pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly while at the same time we are gaining wealth far beyond what is needed. American Christianity has fallen for this lie. If we really want to change our communities and our world, then we must stop looking like our hope is in the same things that everyone else hopes in, namely wealth, comfort and ease. Once we, as the body of Christ, start joyfully sacrificing ourselves and our possessions to be able to radically show the love of Christ to the world, we will be an unstoppable, happy witness to a lost and dying world.
More thoughts on American Christianity to come…
I think that is part of the problem. We are so used to having so many of life’s conveniences, that we spend our days trying to make sure that we, and our families, are as safe and comfortable as possible. Many of us work to make
money to purchase things that either entertain us, make us feel good about ourselves, or meet basic needs in extravagant ways (spending a great deal in regular visits to our favorite restaurants or buying houses far above the average need), among many other things. I am certainly guilty of doing or desiring to do all of these things! Having these things is the American Dream, isn’t it? And isn’t the U.S. a country founded on Christian principles? How bad can it be?The problem that I am having is that I don’t see the American Dream anywhere in the Bible. In fact, I see something quite opposed to it, but we tend to try to make the gospel fit with our own culture rather than the other way around.
One of the reasons that we love John Piper is that he is so passionate for the spread of the gospel and decidedly un-American (but not anti-American). Some time ago, I was at a Christian fellowship group with some wonderful, Godly people, most of whom I didn’t know all that well. The group was reading through Don’t Waste Your Life by Piper and the chapter (4, maybe?) had to do with laying up treasures. I found it ironic that we were meeting in the house of a family that was clearly very wealthy. What Piper teaches in his books is very difficult for us to actually put in to practice precisely because it is so un-American. After a brief discussion in which we sort of all agreed that Piper is right and we are all convicted, the leader of the discussion said that yes, he has some very expensive things in his very nice house, but he feels thoroughy blessed to have those things and if God took them away, he wouldn’t mind at all. He then said, “Besides, God needs rich Christians. He needs rich Christians to be able to reach out to other rich people.”
Nobody questioned that conclusion at the meeting, but something certainly felt a little off to me, although I didn’t feel like speaking up at the time. I thought about it a lot afterwards and realized that we (as a Christian community, not just those at that particular meeting) have so many things backwards. I wondered, how does all of this square with Jesus’ teachings to the rich young ruler to sell what he owned and give to the poor as a prerequisite to following Jesus? Was Jesus only saying it to him or is there a principle that we are supposed to apply to our lives? And what about the apostle Paul? His life, it seems to me, was exactly the opposite of the American Dream. He gave up riches and stature and power to radically love others in Jesus’ name. The more he followed Jesus, the more he gave up his wealth and comfort and stature in his Jewish community, and the more joyful he became. Jesus was everything! And Paul, even after giving up his wealth, was still able to preach to and show the love of Christ to the wealthy and prominent of the ancient Roman world, as well as the poorest of the poor. It seems to me that precisely because he gave up his worldly possessions that he was so powerful a witness to those that had so much.
It seems to me that most of us think that we can (and should) have both, even if we don’t ever say it clearly. We don’t fall for the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel” because it is clearly evil, unbiblical and no gospel at all. But are we really all that different? It is certainly a good thing to recognize that all that we have in terms of worldly goods could be taken away by God at any time. But for most of us, that is about as far as we get. We still go on storing up treasures for ourselves here on earth and it is largely encouraged and even admired by the Christian church.
We must look at our culture and our Christian faith and see that they are largely opposed to each other. We need to spend far more time in the Word and see how far we have strayed from what Jesus and others clearly taught about wealth. We are far too comfortable with the idea that we can be pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly while at the same time we are gaining wealth far beyond what is needed. American Christianity has fallen for this lie. If we really want to change our communities and our world, then we must stop looking like our hope is in the same things that everyone else hopes in, namely wealth, comfort and ease. Once we, as the body of Christ, start joyfully sacrificing ourselves and our possessions to be able to radically show the love of Christ to the world, we will be an unstoppable, happy witness to a lost and dying world.
More thoughts on American Christianity to come…
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Value of Reading Bad Books
I am presently reading Kenneth C. Davis' Don't Know Much About the Bible and it is fascinating. It is also very flawed. I have read a couple other books by Davis in the Don't Know Much series and thought they were great. The first was on American History and the second on the Civil War and he has many others. Davis is a historian, but he is certainly no theologian. I have enjoyed many aspects of the book that present broad historical pictures, discuss life in ancient times and make connections that are not always obvious. Unfortunately, Davis seems to be set on attacking the infallibility of the Bible in ways that can be misleading to the casual reader. To Davis, differences in the Bible usually equal contradictions. Other times, he 
points out problems in the Bible that can be solved simply by going to the original languages if he had only taken the time. Davis also regularly refers to a divide between historical truth and faith which is to say that many things in the Bible are not historically true, but are to be believed by faith. This is not what the Bible was intended to be. It seems to me that Davis must have relied heavily on some very liberal theologians and historians who were eager to assist in the attacks on the infallibility of the Bible. I, personally, have no problem with people asking honest questions and raising doubts about the Bible. If it is true, then it should stand up to our toughest questions. However, when a historian writes "Many scholars think..." or "It is widely accepted that..." and then presents an argument that is based on the work of a relatively few liberal minds, I think it is dangerous, unconvincing and ultimately less than honest.
Because of this, I am also reading The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason
L. Archer, Jr. (May 22 , 1916 – April 27 , 2004) Dr. Archer taught for 30 years on the graduate seminary level in the field of biblical criticism. He graduated from Harvard majoring in classics which gave him training in Latin, Greek, French and German, and then in seminary he majored in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. He also studied and taught elective courses in Syriac and Akkadian and later studied Coptic and Sumerian. He also went to law school and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. This was a man who knew his stuff and knew how to think! I am so glad that he loved Jesus.
It is fascinating to read Davis and understand what the modern (somewhat liberal) scholarship position is on many biblical issues. It is even more fascinating to read somebody like Archer essentially responding to the liberals with thoughtful, reasoned explanations from an expert of the highest order. This has been such an enlightening experience for me. It would be very easy to lose faith in the infallibility of the Bible by just reading a historical analysis like Davis', but it is very reassuring to read a brilliant scholar like Archer defend inerrancy so convincingly.
I have greatly enjoyed this study of history and biblical inerrancy and highly recommend something like this to others. There is great benefit from reading books like Davis' to gain greater understanding of the context of the Bible and the cultures in which it was written. But it is even more benenficial to have Archer in the other hand to provide answers to questions that Davis raises and to defend the Bible.
points out problems in the Bible that can be solved simply by going to the original languages if he had only taken the time. Davis also regularly refers to a divide between historical truth and faith which is to say that many things in the Bible are not historically true, but are to be believed by faith. This is not what the Bible was intended to be. It seems to me that Davis must have relied heavily on some very liberal theologians and historians who were eager to assist in the attacks on the infallibility of the Bible. I, personally, have no problem with people asking honest questions and raising doubts about the Bible. If it is true, then it should stand up to our toughest questions. However, when a historian writes "Many scholars think..." or "It is widely accepted that..." and then presents an argument that is based on the work of a relatively few liberal minds, I think it is dangerous, unconvincing and ultimately less than honest.Because of this, I am also reading The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason
L. Archer, Jr. (May 22 , 1916 – April 27 , 2004) Dr. Archer taught for 30 years on the graduate seminary level in the field of biblical criticism. He graduated from Harvard majoring in classics which gave him training in Latin, Greek, French and German, and then in seminary he majored in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. He also studied and taught elective courses in Syriac and Akkadian and later studied Coptic and Sumerian. He also went to law school and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. This was a man who knew his stuff and knew how to think! I am so glad that he loved Jesus.It is fascinating to read Davis and understand what the modern (somewhat liberal) scholarship position is on many biblical issues. It is even more fascinating to read somebody like Archer essentially responding to the liberals with thoughtful, reasoned explanations from an expert of the highest order. This has been such an enlightening experience for me. It would be very easy to lose faith in the infallibility of the Bible by just reading a historical analysis like Davis', but it is very reassuring to read a brilliant scholar like Archer defend inerrancy so convincingly.
I have greatly enjoyed this study of history and biblical inerrancy and highly recommend something like this to others. There is great benefit from reading books like Davis' to gain greater understanding of the context of the Bible and the cultures in which it was written. But it is even more benenficial to have Archer in the other hand to provide answers to questions that Davis raises and to defend the Bible.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sam Storms on Following Jesus
"Following Jesus is an increasingly joyful conformity to how he thinks and a deepening delight in what he loves, together with a healthy aversion to whatever might threaten our complete satisfaction in him."
~Sam Storms of Enjoying God Ministries
I don't know how to say it any better.
~Sam Storms of Enjoying God Ministries
I don't know how to say it any better.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Piper on Experiencing and Glorifying God
"God is glorified in His people by the way we experience Him, not merely by the way we think about Him. Indeed the devil thinks more true thoughts about God in one day than a saint does in a lifetime, and God is not honored by it. The problem with the devil is not his theology, but his desires. Our chief end is to glorify God, the great Object. We do so most fully when we treasure Him, desire Him, delight in Him so supremely that we let goods and kindred go and display his love to the poor and lost."
~John Piper, When I Don't Desire God
~John Piper, When I Don't Desire God
Only in America?
I recently heard on NPR a story about red light cameras that are being used in Texas. These are the cameras installed in street lights that detect and photograph cars that run red lights at intersections. Apparently, in larger cities like Dallas and Houston, running red lights had become a fairly significant problem and quite a few accidents had occurred because of it. The cameras have been at work for about a year and their success, by all accounts, has been remarkable. That is why the city councils and mayors in those areas have just agreed with local officials to remove many of these red light cameras. Some argue that the cameras have caused more accidents due to more rear-end collisions, but studies are showing that this position is very debatable at best. The real issue is that because so many motorists are aware of the cameras and very concerned about being automatically ticketed, there are relatively very few incidents of running red lights and the system is not generating enough revenue in fines to pay for itself. As with most things involving government programs, it is all about revenue. The system works to encourage people to abide by the laws of the land and, as a result, makes the world a little safer, so let's get rid of it. The irony of the law.
Here is a link to a short summary of the issue from a news station in Houston: http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/15969702/detail.html
Here is a link to a short summary of the issue from a news station in Houston: http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/15969702/detail.html
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A New Blog
Julie and I have begun a new blog with our thoughts about what we are going through now with our unborn little girl, Magdalena Grace. I have posted the link to the right (Noah and Julie's Blog). It can be extremely therapeutic to write from the heart during difficult times. Please feel free to read from it and leave comments for us. Thanks!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
This One's for You, Baby
A couple months ago, Julie and I went to experience our first 3-D concert movie, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. Julie is a big fan of Hannah/Miley and I love seeing concerts, so we both figured it would be at least somewhat enjoyable and interesting. We weren't sure about investing $30 to go see a movie, but we knew we had no shot of ever seeing this show live and this was as close as we were going to get. 
Walking in and being handed the goofy 3-D glasses reminded me of when I used to go see movies back in the 80's (yes, I am that old so feel free to insert old people jokes here) that were 3-D. I particularly remember Jaws III. Awesome!
As the movie got started, it took a while for me to get used to the 3-D as my eyes and brain needed to adjust. After adjusting, I was amazed at the effects of the camera work and how cleverly things were shot to give a fuller effect of being at a show. The movie gave many views of the show that could not have been seen in person. At times it was a bit dizzying, but overall it was very well done.
The movie also provided a good bit of behind-the-scenes footage. I found this to be the most interesting. I was impressed to see how much work goes into putting on a show of this size. Miley works ve
ry hard to rehearse well, promote her product, and perform with a tremendous amount of energy. It also showed Miley a bit nervous about a certain move and also showed her making mistakes here and there. Thinking about this later, I came to the conclusion that all of this is probably good for a lot of teens to see. They can see that what Miley is doing as a superstar requires a tremendous amount of work. Yes, she has some talent, but she also works very hard to put on a good show. It also shows that she is much more like them than they might realize and, hopefully, they can resist the temptation to worship her too much.
ry hard to rehearse well, promote her product, and perform with a tremendous amount of energy. It also showed Miley a bit nervous about a certain move and also showed her making mistakes here and there. Thinking about this later, I came to the conclusion that all of this is probably good for a lot of teens to see. They can see that what Miley is doing as a superstar requires a tremendous amount of work. Yes, she has some talent, but she also works very hard to put on a good show. It also shows that she is much more like them than they might realize and, hopefully, they can resist the temptation to worship her too much. The funniest part of the movie was seeing clips of fathers dressed up like Miley with full make-up, wigs, and high heels and having to race each other to try to win tickets for their daughters to see the show live. It is amazing what fathers will go through for their children.
There were also some touching behind-the-scenes such as Miley teaching one of her songs to her father, Billy Ray, that she wrote for her grandfather who had passed away. We also got a short glimpse of Miley and Billy Ray practicing his hit, "Ready, Set, Don't Go", but I was disappointed that they didn't show them performing the whole song live. That is probably my favorite song of the Cyrus family (even more than "Achy Breaky Heart", if you can believe that).
I can't say that I am a big fan of Miley's music, but I did gain a bit more respect for her after seeing this show. She is a pretty good singer and will almost certainly get even better as she grows up a bit. She is also very energetic and actually puts on a pretty entertaining show, although it is clearly intended for young teens. I am impressed with her band who were very tight and did a few interesting things musically beyond what I had expected.
A part of the show included the extremely popular group called the Jon
as Brothers. To me, this was the low point of the movie. I see them and think that they are just a poor version of Hanson. Hanson writes all their own music and performs it very well. I have actually seen them in concert and came away extremely impressed. The Jonas Brothers may help write some of the songs they perform, but they aren't anywhere near as musically talented as Hanson, from what I can tell. They play the crowd and the cameras well (at least two of them were actors on Broadway) but they don't play their instruments much and when they do, it isn't particularly impressive.
as Brothers. To me, this was the low point of the movie. I see them and think that they are just a poor version of Hanson. Hanson writes all their own music and performs it very well. I have actually seen them in concert and came away extremely impressed. The Jonas Brothers may help write some of the songs they perform, but they aren't anywhere near as musically talented as Hanson, from what I can tell. They play the crowd and the cameras well (at least two of them were actors on Broadway) but they don't play their instruments much and when they do, it isn't particularly impressive. I really like the fact that Miley writes a lot of her own songs. That is, to me, a huge deal. Too many pop artists are simply fabrications of the enormous music industry who simply do as they are told and are promoted until they are famous. Miley is certainly promoted by Disney, but she had to earn her spot on the t.v. show that got her started, and a lot of her music has a lot of her own heart in it, as young and juvenile as it may seem to some of us.
Miley has also been a very good role model for kids today. She has kept her image clean for the most part (the Vanity Fair pictures were not nearly as scandalous as they were made out to be and she publicly apologized for the misperception) and seems to know where to draw lines. Her lyrics are not suggestive and it was refreshing to see her and her backup dancers do routines that were not oversexed, which is certainly against the trends of the day. So far, she has kept herself clean and classy, but we will have to see if she is shaving her head in a few years.
The concert movie was overall a delight. I did not feel that I wasted my money and I was certainly happy to be able to take my lovely wife to something that she would really enjoy. The movie wasn't long enough, but it was good while it lasted. Of course, for me, the best part of the whole movie was when the drummer hit his stick on the floor tom and made it bounce high in the air. The camera angle (in 3-D, mind you) was directly from above, and the stick coming right at me and then going back down right into his hand just in time to continue playing was amazing. If you or your (much) better half like Miley at all, I recommend the concert movie experience.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Edwards on Man's Pursuit
"Jesus knew that all mankind were in pursuit of happiness. He has directed them in the true way to it, and He tells them what they must become in order to be blessed and happy."
~Jonathan Edwards, "Blessed Are the Pure in Heart"
~Jonathan Edwards, "Blessed Are the Pure in Heart"
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thoughts on Worship and Adoration
I have been pondering what it means to worship recently and something occurred to me. I am trying to work through it myself, so I may misstep and find myself in need of correction, but I will try to put my thoughts down anyway.
It is very interesting that we are called to worship and adore God. Often in this world, these two things are somewhat distinct. It seems like it is hard to do both at the same time. For example, I love my wife. I adore her. She is wonderful and I try to honor her and lift her up (rather poorly, I am afraid), but I am not tempted to worship her. I know her too well. This means that I know her beauty, but I also know her sin. In all her beauty, she is simply a sinner saved by grace.
At the same time, I love going to concerts. I love to hear live music being performed well. There is something passionate and moving when a group of people get together and just play. My favorite group to see live is Dave Matthews Band. They are great musicians who put on a tremendous show. I am always amazed when I go see them. But there is a sadness that I feel deep in my heart when I am at one of their concerts. So many people that go to the shows appear to be in such awe of the band that it seems to border on
worship, if not being outright worship. They hang on every word spoken or sung and they scream and raise their hands in full and eager support. I have even seen signs that say, "Carter is God." Carter is a very good drummer (certainly one of the best), but he is nothing compared to God . Even as a Christian, it can be very easy to get caught up in this atmosphere of worshipping the people on the stage performing something that we enjoy so much. We are hard-wired to deeply desire to worship something greater than ourselves. For some people, sadly, Dave Matthews Band fits the bill. But it seems to me that if we really got to know the band members personally and spent a good bit of time with them, we would see them more for who they really are and would soon lose the sense of awe and wonder that we so easily have for them. We would see far more of their human side with all their faults and be far less tempted to worship them.
Only God becomes more wondrous and awe-inspiring the more personally that we get to know Him. At the same time, our adoration of Him grows even more as we worship Him and delight in Him. Only with God do awe-inspiring worship and delightful adoration continue to grow because the more we know Him, the more we want of Him and the more our enjoyment of Him grows. What a wonderful God we have! I am so thankful that He has shown Himself in all His beauty and glory that I may spend the rest of my life (and hereafter) getting to know and worship Him rather than trying to satisfy my desire to worship on Dave Matthews Band or anything else that isn't God.
It is very interesting that we are called to worship and adore God. Often in this world, these two things are somewhat distinct. It seems like it is hard to do both at the same time. For example, I love my wife. I adore her. She is wonderful and I try to honor her and lift her up (rather poorly, I am afraid), but I am not tempted to worship her. I know her too well. This means that I know her beauty, but I also know her sin. In all her beauty, she is simply a sinner saved by grace.
At the same time, I love going to concerts. I love to hear live music being performed well. There is something passionate and moving when a group of people get together and just play. My favorite group to see live is Dave Matthews Band. They are great musicians who put on a tremendous show. I am always amazed when I go see them. But there is a sadness that I feel deep in my heart when I am at one of their concerts. So many people that go to the shows appear to be in such awe of the band that it seems to border on
worship, if not being outright worship. They hang on every word spoken or sung and they scream and raise their hands in full and eager support. I have even seen signs that say, "Carter is God." Carter is a very good drummer (certainly one of the best), but he is nothing compared to God . Even as a Christian, it can be very easy to get caught up in this atmosphere of worshipping the people on the stage performing something that we enjoy so much. We are hard-wired to deeply desire to worship something greater than ourselves. For some people, sadly, Dave Matthews Band fits the bill. But it seems to me that if we really got to know the band members personally and spent a good bit of time with them, we would see them more for who they really are and would soon lose the sense of awe and wonder that we so easily have for them. We would see far more of their human side with all their faults and be far less tempted to worship them.Only God becomes more wondrous and awe-inspiring the more personally that we get to know Him. At the same time, our adoration of Him grows even more as we worship Him and delight in Him. Only with God do awe-inspiring worship and delightful adoration continue to grow because the more we know Him, the more we want of Him and the more our enjoyment of Him grows. What a wonderful God we have! I am so thankful that He has shown Himself in all His beauty and glory that I may spend the rest of my life (and hereafter) getting to know and worship Him rather than trying to satisfy my desire to worship on Dave Matthews Band or anything else that isn't God.
Southern Influence?
Clearly, my time living in the great state of Mississippi has affected me quite deeply. I have found myself speaking with a much stronger southern accent at times and I am using words that I have never used before such as "y'all's" instead of "your". But I truly felt the weight of the influence on me when the other day I started laughing to myself as I thought of this great little expression that certainly feels very southern, if not all out redneck. Please tell me if you have encountered it before because I may have made it up.
To tell somebody that you are very busy, you can say, "I feel like I'm in a butt-slappin' contest. The faster I go, the more behind I get!"
To tell somebody that you are very busy, you can say, "I feel like I'm in a butt-slappin' contest. The faster I go, the more behind I get!"
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Thoughts, Emotions and the Fight of Faith
I recently had a conversation with my good friend, Larry Hornsby, in which I was telling him about the very difficult times that Julie and I are going through in regard to our unborn little girl, Magdalena. I told him that it is very hard for us knowing that we have several more months of dealing with the fact that our little baby will most likely either be stillborn or will die shortly after being born. This has made us very emotional with a lot of ups and downs. There are times when we are overcome with grief and we start crying at unlikely times as something reminds us of what we are going through. I quoted to Larry a line in a song by U2 which says that feelings are stronger than thoughts. Larry quickly told me that that is not true. Thoughts are ultimately stronger.
I think that Larry is right, but there is also some truth to what Bono says. Emotions hit us hard and seem to be less in our control than thoughts. Many emotions carry along with them a real physical response that only adds to their strength. However, for the most part, our emotions can be greatly influenced by how and what we think. I think this is why the Bible commands emotions all over the place and also why we have such a hard time accepting that God commands us to have certain emotions. I believe that right thinking about this world and particularly about God can greatly change the way that we feel about things.
Some emotions are almost always sinful. This is very difficult to truly understand if we feel that we have little or no control over our emotions. For example, jealousy is a very powerful emotion that starts in early childhood and, for many of us, continues right through adulthood. Often, it goes unchecked and can lead to a great many other sinful thoughts and behaviors. It is something that I certainly struggle with in all kinds of situations. But recently I have learned to battle jealousy through right thinking about God and his glorious promises to always take care of me. If I am willing to preach to myself that I am in his perfect hands and meditate on that fact, I can easily overcome that feeling of jealousy and turn it into feelings of joy and peace in God as my wondeful Father.
Another example is impatience. This one is extremely powerful, especially in our American culture. R.C. Sproul says that impatience is a direct attack against the sovereignty of God. I think that he is exactly right and that in that statement is the key to overcoming the sin of impatience. If I spend my time while I am stuck in traffic meditating on the fact that God is totally in control and that he put every one of those cars in my way at the very moment that I was in a hurry to get somewhere, the ugly feelings of impatience go back to wherever they came from and I find myself at peace in what could have been a very negative experience. I think this is very God-honoring.
The more I meditate on the fact that all things work together for good for those of us in Christ, the easier it is to deal with the grief of knowing that my first daughter will almost certainly pass away shortly after or before even being born. Also, knowing that His grace is sufficient and that His mercies are new every morning is wonderfully relaxing because I can rest in the fact that throughout the coming heartache, he will be there for me to strengthen and comfort me. This is what John Piper calls faith in future grace and I have found this understanding of God’s relationship to us profoundly life changing. This is also a daily battle that must be waged in prayer and meditation on God’s Word. This is what Paul calls the fight of faith. The battle is tremendously difficult at times, but the more we think and meditate on the great and glorious truths about God, the more we are able to experience the great peace and joy that are promised to us, even in the midst of great sadness.
Please pray that our thoughts and emotions will be greatly God-honoring and soul-satisfying in this very difficult time for us.
I think that Larry is right, but there is also some truth to what Bono says. Emotions hit us hard and seem to be less in our control than thoughts. Many emotions carry along with them a real physical response that only adds to their strength. However, for the most part, our emotions can be greatly influenced by how and what we think. I think this is why the Bible commands emotions all over the place and also why we have such a hard time accepting that God commands us to have certain emotions. I believe that right thinking about this world and particularly about God can greatly change the way that we feel about things.
Some emotions are almost always sinful. This is very difficult to truly understand if we feel that we have little or no control over our emotions. For example, jealousy is a very powerful emotion that starts in early childhood and, for many of us, continues right through adulthood. Often, it goes unchecked and can lead to a great many other sinful thoughts and behaviors. It is something that I certainly struggle with in all kinds of situations. But recently I have learned to battle jealousy through right thinking about God and his glorious promises to always take care of me. If I am willing to preach to myself that I am in his perfect hands and meditate on that fact, I can easily overcome that feeling of jealousy and turn it into feelings of joy and peace in God as my wondeful Father.
Another example is impatience. This one is extremely powerful, especially in our American culture. R.C. Sproul says that impatience is a direct attack against the sovereignty of God. I think that he is exactly right and that in that statement is the key to overcoming the sin of impatience. If I spend my time while I am stuck in traffic meditating on the fact that God is totally in control and that he put every one of those cars in my way at the very moment that I was in a hurry to get somewhere, the ugly feelings of impatience go back to wherever they came from and I find myself at peace in what could have been a very negative experience. I think this is very God-honoring.
The more I meditate on the fact that all things work together for good for those of us in Christ, the easier it is to deal with the grief of knowing that my first daughter will almost certainly pass away shortly after or before even being born. Also, knowing that His grace is sufficient and that His mercies are new every morning is wonderfully relaxing because I can rest in the fact that throughout the coming heartache, he will be there for me to strengthen and comfort me. This is what John Piper calls faith in future grace and I have found this understanding of God’s relationship to us profoundly life changing. This is also a daily battle that must be waged in prayer and meditation on God’s Word. This is what Paul calls the fight of faith. The battle is tremendously difficult at times, but the more we think and meditate on the great and glorious truths about God, the more we are able to experience the great peace and joy that are promised to us, even in the midst of great sadness.
Please pray that our thoughts and emotions will be greatly God-honoring and soul-satisfying in this very difficult time for us.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Purchased Promises - Thoughts on Easter
This past Easter seemed to zip by me with little time taken to pause and truly reflect on the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. As I have spent more time meditating on it this week, I have found myself more and more thankful for what God did for me in the death of His Son.
As I have recently blogged, our first daughter, Magdalena Grace, has some very severe birth defects and it looks like she probably won't live for very long outside of the womb, if she makes it to term at all. We are devastated. This is certainly the hardest thing that Julie and I have had to deal with. However, we have grown closer to each other with a greater strength and intimacy and hopefully a deeper faith in the goodness and sovereignty of God. We don't presently know why this is happening to us, but we can still trust God that this will all work together for good.
As I was thinking about Easter and the resurrection, I was given a deep sense of peace that what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us bought the promises of God that are so precious to me. When Julie and I look at the prospect of spending the next five months in a pregnancy that will not produce a healthy little girl, but one that will almost certainly die soon, it seems overwhelming and too painful. This is more true for Julie than it is for me since she is physically carrying the baby, but it is very hard for both of us. But then I consider the glorious promises of God for us that I can find peace, hope and even joy in all of it.
"His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:22-23) We don't have to take the load of all five months today. That would be daunting and impossible to deal with. But every morning we can find new stores of mercies waiting for us to get us through that day.
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (II Corinthians 12:9) We are certainly weak right now, but He will meet our needs and give us His perfect grace which will be enough to get us through. We just need to trust in God's future grace that will be there when we need it.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) Probably my favorite promise in the whole Bible. This verse has been in my mind through so many things. This is promise to build a life on!
"Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you." (Psalm 55:22) It is so wonderful to have a God that promises to sustain us when our burdens are so heavy and our hearts are breaking.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) What do we need more right now than to receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of tremendous need. That last phrase can also be translated as "for a well-timed help" which carries the sense of coming at just the right moment when we need it. What a great promise!
These are just a few promises that are found throughout God's Word. I am so thankful that Jesus bought those promises for us on the cross so that we can bank on them now in our time of deep need. Please pray for us that, as we don't pretend to understand God's plan in all of this, we will find a great comfort in Him and find our ultimate satisfaction and joy in Him alone. Thanks!
As I have recently blogged, our first daughter, Magdalena Grace, has some very severe birth defects and it looks like she probably won't live for very long outside of the womb, if she makes it to term at all. We are devastated. This is certainly the hardest thing that Julie and I have had to deal with. However, we have grown closer to each other with a greater strength and intimacy and hopefully a deeper faith in the goodness and sovereignty of God. We don't presently know why this is happening to us, but we can still trust God that this will all work together for good.
As I was thinking about Easter and the resurrection, I was given a deep sense of peace that what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us bought the promises of God that are so precious to me. When Julie and I look at the prospect of spending the next five months in a pregnancy that will not produce a healthy little girl, but one that will almost certainly die soon, it seems overwhelming and too painful. This is more true for Julie than it is for me since she is physically carrying the baby, but it is very hard for both of us. But then I consider the glorious promises of God for us that I can find peace, hope and even joy in all of it.
"His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:22-23) We don't have to take the load of all five months today. That would be daunting and impossible to deal with. But every morning we can find new stores of mercies waiting for us to get us through that day.
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (II Corinthians 12:9) We are certainly weak right now, but He will meet our needs and give us His perfect grace which will be enough to get us through. We just need to trust in God's future grace that will be there when we need it.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) Probably my favorite promise in the whole Bible. This verse has been in my mind through so many things. This is promise to build a life on!
"Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you." (Psalm 55:22) It is so wonderful to have a God that promises to sustain us when our burdens are so heavy and our hearts are breaking.
"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) What do we need more right now than to receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of tremendous need. That last phrase can also be translated as "for a well-timed help" which carries the sense of coming at just the right moment when we need it. What a great promise!
These are just a few promises that are found throughout God's Word. I am so thankful that Jesus bought those promises for us on the cross so that we can bank on them now in our time of deep need. Please pray for us that, as we don't pretend to understand God's plan in all of this, we will find a great comfort in Him and find our ultimate satisfaction and joy in Him alone. Thanks!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Magdalena Grace Roberts
Never before have the promises of God been (or needed to be) so precious to me. Julie and I just found out that our unborn little girl will have some pretty serious birth defects including a fairly severe form of Down's Syndrome. The doctor said that about 90% of children born with these types of issues either are stillborn or die within the first year. We are so sad right now. I never understood how devastating it can be to parents to have a miscarriage or something like we have now. I never realized how much parents come to love their baby even before he or she is born. With utrasounds and all of the modern technology available, parents can feel far more emotionally attached to their baby, which is a wonderful thing. What we are going through now, though, is very scary and hard to understand, but we know that our God is faithful and good and that he loves and cares for us more than we do ourselves.
A few promises that come to mind are:
"So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
"Cast your cares upon the Lord and He will sustain you."
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Please pray for us.
A few promises that come to mind are:
"So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
"Cast your cares upon the Lord and He will sustain you."
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Please pray for us.
Just Wondering
This has been bothering me for some time, even though it probably shouldn't. The Bible teaches very clearly that pride was the sin that sent Lucifer from God's presence, pride goes before a fall, and that the Lord opposes the proud, among other verses that teach very strongly against pride. Additionally, if C.S. Lewis was correct in his analysis of pride, calling it "The Great Sin" in an incredibly insightful chapter of Mere Christianity in which he argues that pride is essentially a starting point for all kinds of other sins, then why is humility not listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit? Wouldn't it seem that it should be there and sort of near the top (if they are ordered in any particular manner)? Any thoughts?
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Best Argument for Christianity
I picked up a book today that I haven't read in years. I consider it one of the best books I have ever read and I wanted to be reminded why. I simply opened it to the middle somewhere and began reading. It only took a few sentences to be, once again, entranced. I soon came across this quote that was written in the author's journal while he and his wife were still staunch agnostics, but open to an honest investigation on account of having so many Christian friends. This is what he wrote in his journal:
"The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. But, though it is just to condemn some Christians for these things, perhaps, after all, it is not just, though very easy, to condemn Christianity itself for them. Indeed, there are impressive indications that the positive quality of joy is in Christianity--and possibly nowhere else. If that were certain, it would be proof of a very high order."
~Sheldon Vanuaken, A Severe Mercy
This is the perspective of an agnostic. Are we, as Christians, living lives that are arguing for or against Christianity? Notice that Vanauken, while an intellectual, does not say that the best argument for Christianity is the logical reasoning for the resurrection, the evidence for an intelligent designer or anything of the sort. All those things are important in their place, but the best way to show the world the glorious value of a life in Christ is a humble, pervasive joy in all kinds of trials that is irresistible to lost and dying people. Where does this type of joy come from? It is a gift from God alone. It comes through a deep and profound faith in God's grace (also a gift) for our lives. Is that the message that our lives are sending to the world?
Vanauken and his wife, Davy, had committed themselves to finding the greatest beauty in life, particularly in their own relationship. They were intellectuals who had no interest in any "ridiculous" organized religion. They viewed their relationship as the greatest good in their lives to be protected by the "shining barrier". They were amazingly in love with each other and some of their ideas of romance are very inspiring, and they seemed very happy. Then they befriended some Christians and wondered why the Christians were so pervasively joyful. The two began reading C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton and other Christian apologists. But Lewis was the most influential and they began reading every book he wrote as well as writing him letters (to which he faithfully responded) and had the joy of meeting him several times.
If you haven't read this book, you simply must. It is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever encountered and it, as you can see by this one quote, is extremely insightful and convicting.
"The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. But, though it is just to condemn some Christians for these things, perhaps, after all, it is not just, though very easy, to condemn Christianity itself for them. Indeed, there are impressive indications that the positive quality of joy is in Christianity--and possibly nowhere else. If that were certain, it would be proof of a very high order."
~Sheldon Vanuaken, A Severe Mercy
This is the perspective of an agnostic. Are we, as Christians, living lives that are arguing for or against Christianity? Notice that Vanauken, while an intellectual, does not say that the best argument for Christianity is the logical reasoning for the resurrection, the evidence for an intelligent designer or anything of the sort. All those things are important in their place, but the best way to show the world the glorious value of a life in Christ is a humble, pervasive joy in all kinds of trials that is irresistible to lost and dying people. Where does this type of joy come from? It is a gift from God alone. It comes through a deep and profound faith in God's grace (also a gift) for our lives. Is that the message that our lives are sending to the world?Vanauken and his wife, Davy, had committed themselves to finding the greatest beauty in life, particularly in their own relationship. They were intellectuals who had no interest in any "ridiculous" organized religion. They viewed their relationship as the greatest good in their lives to be protected by the "shining barrier". They were amazingly in love with each other and some of their ideas of romance are very inspiring, and they seemed very happy. Then they befriended some Christians and wondered why the Christians were so pervasively joyful. The two began reading C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton and other Christian apologists. But Lewis was the most influential and they began reading every book he wrote as well as writing him letters (to which he faithfully responded) and had the joy of meeting him several times.
If you haven't read this book, you simply must. It is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever encountered and it, as you can see by this one quote, is extremely insightful and convicting.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Visit to the Doctor
Julie and I went to the doctor this afternoon. We were joined by Julie's mom who is a great encouragement to Julie and gives her a sense of security. We went to see if we are having a boy or a girl and after a very long time of trying to get a good view of the relevant area, we were told that we are having a baby girl! We are so excited. Ultrasounds are really incredible these days. We could see the tiny heart pumping away, the brain in its early formative stages, the backbone, the tiny fingers and toes, and arms and legs moving around. The difficulty that the nurse had in determing the gender was mainly because the baby would not open it legs at all. I suppose this is good thing knowing that she will be a modest little lady.
Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!
Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!
Boy or Girl?
This afternoon Julie and I will meet at the doctor's office to view a sonogram that will most likely tell us the gender of our child. We are very excited and a bit nervous. Of course, we are praying for a healthy baby, but please pray with us that this child, no matter which gender, will be more in love with Jesus than anything else this world could offer. When I look at the world around me, I wonder about the wisdom of bringing a child into it. This world is violent, dangerous and seems to be more evil than ever before. How will we possibly manage to raise our child in the way he or she should go? More than a healthy, safe living environment, good food, nice clothes and all the rest, the thing that our child needs from us is our personal holiness. As parents, we need to commit ourselves to a joyful pursuit of holiness that shows the greatness of the God we worship. As I am writing this, something I read recently comes to mind by Sam Storms:
“Following Jesus is an increasingly joyful conformity to how he thinks and a deepening delight in what he loves, together with a healthy aversion to whatever might threaten our complete satisfaction in him.”
This is what we want our lives to demonstrate to our child and the world. We know that we are incapable of saving our child, just as much as we were incapable of saving ourselves. I am very thankful for that. Our only hope is to trust in God's grace for us every day. His mercies are new every morning and his promises for his people are astounding. Every day will be a great challenge to trust in his grace more and more as we raise our little boy or girl "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Please pray for us in this new adventure of life!
“Following Jesus is an increasingly joyful conformity to how he thinks and a deepening delight in what he loves, together with a healthy aversion to whatever might threaten our complete satisfaction in him.”
This is what we want our lives to demonstrate to our child and the world. We know that we are incapable of saving our child, just as much as we were incapable of saving ourselves. I am very thankful for that. Our only hope is to trust in God's grace for us every day. His mercies are new every morning and his promises for his people are astounding. Every day will be a great challenge to trust in his grace more and more as we raise our little boy or girl "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Please pray for us in this new adventure of life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)