Tuesday, May 31, 2011

not the first and certainly not the last

Pop music is not my first choice. I find it to be more of a testament to the skills of the producers than the artists themselves. All you have to do is come up with one catchy line, and then let the mixers go to work. Apparently, this formula works since artists continue to make millions producing song after song. And if you throw in a little unorthodoxy in your antics, you are sure to become a star. For me, I would rather listen to someone strumming on the guitar or piano while sitting in a chair. I don't need all the fireworks.

I bring this up in response to a rather disturbing quote I read from one of the biggest pop stars in the world at this moment. She was being interviewed about how her concerts seem to be a lot more than people gathering to watch a performance. In her words, she called her concert "a religious experience" similar to church except the church's name is pop culture. Personally, I am not surprised because people have been using all sorts of music to foster "religious experiences" since music came into existence. Music was created by God to aid of worship of Him, but (as we do with all God's gifts) we use it in ways to do the opposite. But this star didn't stop with mere "religious experiences."

"It's more self-worship, I think, not of me. I'm teaching people to worship themselves." Again, nothing she says should be surprising. I'm sure she is not the first artist to use their talents for such purposes. Since the Fall, every human being has sought after ways to worship themselves. It's been humanity's means of rebellion against the God who alone is worthy of worship. It serves as proof of how desperately wicked and arrogant we really are.

To one degree I want to give this artist credit for verbally declaring what many won't despite their lives saying the same thing, both Christians and non-Christians alike. She's not hiding behind any mask or trying to deceive anyone. She is bold about what she wants her music to accomplish. Both her music and her antics validate her stance. If you have a problem with it, you have the choice to go somewhere else for your listening pleasure. I wonder if I have the boldness to declare my intentions in the same fashion as her. Would I be willing to declare my life as Christ-worship whereby I am trying to teach others how they can do the same? Do I back up my actions of exalting Christ in my words and visa versa?

On the other hand, I am grieved by the comment. This artist has "hit the nail on the head" when it comes to identifying 21st century American culture. Everything about us (music, television, movies, clothes, money, advertising, entertainment, politics, etc.) centers on self. We either put ourselves or others on a throne, and then bow down in worship. We put a nice name on it, like getting in touch with oneself or achieving our true potential, in order to hide what we really know is wrong. Then we rejoice when others follow suit. We say it's the result of progress and enlightenment. The truth is our culture is disgusting.

If we were to read Romans 1:18-32, what would we see? Would we see a primitive people or would we see ourselves? Would we laugh at the thought of people bowing down to images or start seeing the images we prostrate ourselves before everyday? Would we shake our heads at those started the trend or weep because we have helped it to continue? Would we arrogantly declare our innocence or humbly confess our guilt?

Our culture is no different than the one before us. The problem remains the same: sin. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened (v.21). Everyone one of our problems branches off from this root. I think it's ironic that the problem we are so desperately trying to fix is the solution we celebrate and parade around as worthy of our worship.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

no more favortism

Dear Lydia,

As of today I can no longer call you my favorite niece. Your momma gave birth to your baby sister, Heidi Eva, earlier today which now gives me two nieces. I am going to have to work on my phraseology. Now I will still be able to work around this by awarding you "my favorite 18-month old" or "the cutest animal mimicker" or "the most adorable big sister" (sorry Danielle). Either way you are still a very special young lady.

Personally, I think you are going to be an excellent big sister. You already show yourself to be a great big help to your momma. I have witnessed you packing lunches, sweeping floors, folding laundry, and tackling many other jobs. Your parents will love all the help you can give them. You are also very entertaining. Heidi will quickly learn all the sounds from the animal kingdom because of your expertise. Your entertaining qualities will also be a blessing to your momma on days when she simply needs a laugh or after your daddy's had a long day at the office.

But most importantly, you get the wonderful blessing of loving and caring for your younger sister. I have the wonderful privilege of being both a younger and older sibling. They are both wonderful. Being older than me, your momma (and daddy later on) taught me many things I still remember today. And I had the blessing of sharing them with your Aunt Rachel. But I can say I have still learned many things from Aunt Rachel just as your momma might admit to learning things from me. So as you take on the blessing of being an older sister share your joy, wisdom, and love with Heidi. Read her stories from your Bible to help her love Jesus too as daddy and momma have done with you. And don't forget to let her teach you all the while.

Give daddy, momma, and Heidi a congratulations hug from me.

Love,

Uncle Derek

P.S. If you ever think it's a good idea to cut off the scarf from Heidi's favorite teddy bear ask your momma first. She has some valuable experience in that department.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

short but sweet

In its entirety, Psalm 117 reads,

Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

At first glance it simply seems like a song of praise to God, which it is. Upon closer look, it reveals a good deal about God in only four sentences.

Today, God's name is praised by all nations. No, nations as a whole are not declaring His praise, but representatives from all nations are. Through Christ, God opened the doors of salvation to all nations. And we can travel to India, Africa, China, Iraq, and everywhere else to find all nations praising Him.

Today, God is being extolled by all peoples. No, all people are not extolling Him, and God's Word never suggests all people will in a saving means (but all will bow eventually when they see Him). But just like the nations, every people group is represented in praising God's name. Every race and ethnicity extol Him because in Christ these things don't matter. He burst through those doors declaring God's salvation open to all who come to Him through Christ.

God's steadfast love refers to His covenant love for His people. And it is great! His covenant love resides with Christ who lived as a man, died on the cross, and rose again. He lived the perfect life making Him the perfect sacrifice. His death on the cross satisfied the wrath of God, paying the penalty of sin, therefore enabling us to be reconciled to the Father. His resurrection gives us new life now to live for Him by the power of the Spirit, while giving us hope of the life to come. This love does not end nor is it based on our performance. Its rests in God's grace poured out on us.

God's faithfulness endured generations before (see Israel) and will continue in the generations ahead. He declared salvation for all coming through the Jews thousands of years before Christ came. When Israel seemed to fail again and again, God remained faithful to His promise. In God's perfect timing, Christ came demonstrating the unwavering faithfulness of God. In Christ we share in the same faithfulness. Though we fail again and again, God's promises hold true. We receive forgiveness, mercy, and grace because He is faithful. He will never leave or forsake. In his timing, He will bring those in Christ to Himself to dwell with Him for all eternity.

Praise the Lord!

Friday, May 20, 2011

adequacy

From J.I. Packer in Knowing God,

In other words, the first commandment God told Israel to serve him exclusively, not only because they owed it to him, but also because he was worthy of their entire and exclusive trust. They were to bow to his absolute authority over them on the basis of confidence in his complete adequacy for them. And, clearly, these two things needed to go together; for they could hardly have been wholehearted in serving him to the exclusion of other gods if they had doubted his all sufficiency to provide whatever they might need... (p. 268, emphasis mine).

...We are afraid of the consequences of going the whole way into the Christian life. We shrink from accepting burdens of responsibility for others because we fear we should not have the strength to bear them. We shrink from accepting a way of life in which we forfeit material security because we are afraid of being left stranded. We shrink from being meek because we are afraid that if we do not stand up for ourselves we shall be trodden down and victimized, and end up among life's casualties and failures. We shrink from breaking with social conventions in order to serve Christ because we fear that if we did, the established structure of our life would collapse all around us, leaving us without footing anywhere.

It is these half-conscious fears, this dread of insecurity, rather than any deliberate refusal to face the cost of following Christ, which makes us hold back. We feel that the risks of out-and-out discipleship are too great for us to take. In other words, we are not persuaded of the adequacy of God to provide for all the needs of those who launch out wholeheartedly on the deep sea of unconventional living in obedience to the call of Christ. Therefore, we feel obliged to break the first commandment just a little, by withdrawing a certain amount of our time and energy from serving God in order to serve mammon. This, at bottom, seems to be what is wrong with us. We are afraid to go all the way in accepting the authority of God, because of our secret uncertainty as to his adequacy to look after us if we do.

Now let us call a spade a spade. The name of the game we are playing is unbelief (pp.269-270, emphasis mine).

Thursday, May 19, 2011

none but Jesus

In the quiet in the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored
When You call I won't refuse
Each new day again I'll choose

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

In the chaos and confusion
I know You're sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will
So when You call I won't delay
This my song through all my days

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

All my delight is in You, Lord
All of my hope, all of my strength
All my delight is in You, Lord, forevermore

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

~None But Jesus, Hillsong

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

come

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
And he who has no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
~Isaiah 55:1-3


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

normal

Our church is hosting an event from the 22nd-25th. It is called The Thirst Conference. Each evening we will gather together for worship, teaching, and drinking richly from God's Spirit. The purpose of the conference is to expose the many things we hunger and thirst after instead of God. We like to convince ourselves we're aren't as bad off as we actually are. In general, we take ourselves way too seriously while not taking God seriously enough. We put God wherever we can fit Him on our priority list. We run to all sorts of broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13) hoping they will satisfy our longings and desires when they repeatedly fail to hold anything. We mar the beauty of the gospel in our attempts to use God for our glory. We do enough of what we think we should (read, pray, attend church, serve, etc.) thinking it somehow obligates God to bless us. We are Israel thousands of years later.

I struggled with this mightily upon my return from India. Eventually it subsided as I allowed myself to be swept away in the current of the mundane. Recently God has been showing me my drifting back into the land of the sleeping and/or dead. With all my heart, I want to be as far from that place as possible. And I believe God's Word shows us the only way to avoid it is to hunger and thirst after God alone.

My sister's blog is called Fig Tree Freedom. She altered her design a bit recently, and I reread her original purpose for the blog. As she says, Jesus came to curse the normal. My life is normal. I am as much distracted by the drifting currents of this world as any unbeliever. I am a fig tree not producing figs in the off-season. My goals echo the goals of every other human being, except I claim a hope when all is said and done. That is not my calling. We are not called to live like every one else, but be different from everyone else because of the hope we have in Christ. Christ saved me from the world in order to live against the world for the sake of the world.

If you are in the area over the course of next week I encourage you to come out to the conference. Join a local gathering of God's people desperate for His Spirit to pull us out of normality and into transformed living for the glory of His name.

I am going to use this week to allow God's Word to flood me with truths about my need to thirst and long for Him. I should be doing it each and every day, and I pray it will take root in my heart.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

~Psalm 84:1-2, 10

Now what is normal about that?

Monday, May 16, 2011

healing faith (take 2)

I originally wrote something like this last week, but the blogger system went done for the evening leaving my work unsaved. I thought about putting off my re-post until another time, but the morning's service convinced me otherwise. The time of worship showed me my need of more and more healing for the many ailments facing me, all of them my own doing.

While some sort of physical healing is a need for many (even I am still working through a significant ankle sprain nearly 4 weeks ago), true healing is needed in the heart. And this is the target God has been aiming His Word at in recent weeks. It hasn't been wonderfully sweet or welcomed either. I have been feeling bombarded and overwhelmed by the light of His truth shining into the deep recesses of my own heart. It's been uncomfortable to watch unknown sins rise to the surface. It's been far more humiliating to see the ones I know full well are present hanging around and making a home. I acknowledge I am a wretched man (Romans 7:24) and the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) as I look into the idol factory that is my heart. It gets distracted by so many trivial things exalting them to places where God alone should be.

Surprisingly God has not been using directly corrective verses and/or passages to work over my heart. It's actually been stories of healing which have weighed heavily on my heart. They tell of God's goodness as well as my lacking faith to receive His healing. God has been continually bringing me back to the book of Mark.

I studied the book a few months back, and I am learning it wasn't an accident. Like most of the gospels, it is littered with stories of Christ's healing power. However, Mark seems to say a lot more about those seeking healing than the other gospels do. And these accounts are what God is using to restore me. Look at how many times the following phrases and/or concepts are spoken by/about those in need of healing:
  • came to Him (1:40; 2:3; 3:8; 5:22, 27, 33; 6:55; 7:25, 32; 8:22; 9:15; 10:13, 50; 14:3)
  • cried out/save/help/heal (1:40; 5:23, 33; 7:26; 8:22; 9:22, 24; 10:47, 48, 51)
  • your faith has healed you/because of your faith/saw their faith/believe (2:5; 5:34, 36; 7:29; 9:23-24; 10:52)
  • Bartimaeus, the blind man, in 10:46-52 is especially noteworthy. This man hears Jesus passing by, cries out, gets rebuked by the crowd, cries out even louder, sprints to Jesus, pleads for mercy and healing, receives what he desires, and is commended by Jesus for his faith.
In nearly each case of healing, the focus is on the actions of the sick and needy. They didn't sit around and wait for something to happen. They sought after, asked for, and had faith in the healing power of Christ. Their actions can easily be summed up by saying they knew who they believed in. By seeking Christ, they declared their faith in the One who could heal. By asking Christ, they declared their faith in His mercy and compassion for them. All this culminated in Christ healing them. He was glorified in their requests and even more glorified by healing them.

I tend to treat healing like surgery. I want God to put me under, do the work, and wake me up when everything is all finished. The wonderful folks in Mark demonstrate healing does not come by lying on my back, but by going and doing. I need to be seeking after God through His Word and prayer. I need to swallow my pride and ask for the healing I need instead of waiting for God to show it to me. I need to have faith that with God all things truly are possible. Clearly He is the only One who can heal, but am I willing to believe it and act upon my belief?

Hillsong sings a song called Healer which God has used as complimentary material for my healing. It declares God to be the One who heals and our need to believe in His ability to do so. I've listened to it hundreds of times, but just recently started listening to what it says.

[Chorus] I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus, You all I need

[Interlude] For nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Friday, May 13, 2011

Friday the 13th

Yesterday I wrote a post centered on healing. Like all human beings, I am in desperate need of it. My nature is sick and twisted, and I have no power within myself to do anything about it. Christ is my only hope and means of healing. Unfortunately, the blogger crashed (or something similar) taking my post with it. I may rehash it at some point, but not today.

People like to make a big deal about Friday and the 13th day of the month meeting together. The sixth graders I have been subbing for over the past few weeks were no exception. They came in making all the jokes about what might possibly happen given the nature of the day. I found it a good time to remind them, and myself, what God says about how luck holds up against Him.

So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:8

"Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Genesis 50:19-20

There is no such thing as bad luck. If anyone could have declared it to exist, Joseph would the man. He was beat up by his brothers, sold into slavery, seduced and then accused of adultery by his master's wife, falsely imprisoned, and forgotten about for two years. Our culture would say he was "unlucky." Instead, Joseph understood his seeming misfortune as God's means of bringing about blessing. God was allowing all these things to happen for His will to be done. And Joseph knew God's will desired the glory of His name and the good of His people.

God has not changed from then to now. He still allows things such as calamity and chaos to affect our lives. He designs these to bring about His purposes. We don't have to play around with silly myths and practices to keep off the "bad luck." For whatever God has planned with come to fruition. But we can rest assured, His glory will come about as a result, and we will be blessed.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:16-17

Likewise, there is no such things as good luck. All the good we experience in our lives is a gift from God, whether we realize it or not. Both believers and unbelievers experience the goodness of God every day of their lives. It doesn't come down to karma, luck, or whatever else we may try to give the credit to. It's all because the God of the universe is a gracious God who pours out blessings on all His creation regardless of whether or not they deserve it.

Therefore we can rejoice in this day. It is just like every other day: created by God for His glory. Everything will happen according to His will, which His Word tells us is good, perfect, and pleasing.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

closer to home

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9

Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans 3:15-18

I've read over these verses nearly one hundred times. Typically I do one of two things with them: examine how my own heart would look awfully similar if not for salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit within me and observe where I see these truths still playing out. God's Word is not ancient. It may have been written thousands of years ago, but the truths are timeless. All people are sinners. They are not all on the same level, because some people are far more evil than others (most of your historic dictators for example). However, we are all evil nonetheless.

Now I can remember losing a number of people in our community over the years. Diseases, accidents, and other tragedies are not foreign. They are one facet of the evil on this earth. They are a result sin's corrupting effect on all life. They aren't easy to deal with either, and I do not want to diminish the pain and sorrow accompanied with these.

But today the horrific evil, which I tend to identify only existing elsewhere, showed up next door. This type of evil goes right back to the verse I listed above. It's the result of a deceitful and sick heart, a lack of fear for God, and feet swift to avoid peace. Tragically, a ten year-old girl was kidnapped, assaulted, murdered, and thrown in a local dumpster last night. Stories such as these are heard throughout this world and equally horrific. But when it moves closer to home it becomes harder to swallow.

Since college my life has almost revolved around kids. I have worked as either a summer camp counselor and swim coach ever since the summer after my freshman year. I taught two years as an elementary school teacher. One of those years was as a substitute locally which frequently brought me to the school of the young girl. I can't say I remember her clearly, but her face seemed familiar even though she was a first grader that year. I went to India to share the good news of Jesus Christ with children of all ages. And now my passion is to work with youth to see them grow in their love for Jesus Christ. Today's tragedy hurts more than any other I have experienced outside my family and sphere of close friends.

I cannot fathom the motive of the individual, nor how a heart could grow that sick. I cannot fathom the pain of the mother, grandmother, relatives, friends, classmates, teachers, and everyone else who knew her. I cannot fathom what this precious one endured when she should have been home eating dinner. I'm grieved and angry. My heart wants justice, but struggles against vengeance. I know the end of the wicked is sure, like Job, my eyes tell me the wicked prosper.

But I (and I pray the family and close friends too) can cling to our God:
  • Your God reigns (Isaiah 52:7).
  • Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it (Deuteronomy 10:14).
  • The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18)
  • Behold, I am making all things new (Revelation 21:3-5)

Monday, May 9, 2011

sports radio

*Sorry for the length, I didn't notice until I was finished how long my rant went*

I tune in to sports radio on occasion. It usually happens when a story breaks which I find important or interesting. There are also the times when my Ipod is not playing usually because I am not driving my car (rare) or the radio offers nothing pleasing to my ears (not rare). In these circumstances, I may stop in for a quick listen before moving on. Today, I did just that.

Now I don't want to throw out any names, but the timing of my tuning in could give away the journalist I heard today. But for those who know Philadelphia sports radio, I heard one of the two of the most popular and controversial gentlemen seeing as their programs cross paths for a time. I don't enjoy either of the two for reasons I will keep to myself, and listening in today didn't not help my personal opinions.

Apparently, Phillies pitcher, Roy Oswalt admitted to working heavy machinery during his departure from the team for Mississippi to check in on his community after the heavy storms moved through. He may have also gotten involved in some manual labor, which is never good for people with back problems in their medical history. Anyways, he was recently placed on the DL with back problems after missing a week while tending to his family. But before that news broke out, he admitted baseball was somewhere between points three and four on his priority list. His family occupied the top spot with his community close behind. He confidently stated walking away from baseball would be an easy decision for him should he have to choose.

Given the two pieces of news together, the particular sport's voice decided to get angry at Mr. Oswalt for (essentially) being irresponsible and disrespectful to the Phillies management, team, and fan base. In the gentleman's opinion, Oswalt's leaving was justifiable but he stayed too long, violated his contract, and sent a bad message to fans. In his words, athletes hold special jobs where they are held accountable to fans who pay to see them perform. By messing up his back and claiming the ability to walk away from baseball, Oswalt was not holding up his end of the bargain. Now fans who paid money won't get to see him for at least two weeks. Instead, Oswalt could have gone down to Mississippi, surveyed the damage, and used his millions to pay for the clean-up while he rejoined the team. Getting his hands "dirty" was wrong and irresponsible. He closed his argument by stating how even normal occupations don't let people leave for that long without inquiring some sort of a penalty, especially if they come back worse for the wear.

Simply put, this argument made me mad. First, why do we treat athletes as if they are super-human? And I mean this both in the positive and negative sense. In Oswalt's case, why are we surprised when a husband and father stops entertaining people in order to care for his family? They're human beings not robots. Isn't that what many of us claim is missing in our culture? We want men engaged in their families, just not the ones who happen to be athletes. That makes us suffer. I mean if I don't get my sport's fix, how will I survive?

Second, why do fans act like they own their athletes? Sure they make a lot of money we all wish we could make. And yes, the majority of them spend it like kids at a candy shop. The athletes of the teams I follow do not owe me anything. They don't need to pledge their allegiance to me, win me a championship, or even entertain me. They need to perform to the best of their ability as image bearers of God just like the rest of us.

Third, shouldn't we applaud Oswalt for being willing to sacrifice for the sake of his family? He isn't going to lose millions, but the team is mad and people are questioning his commitment. In essence he will suffer (to an extent) for doing good. 1 Peter talks about this exact issue a lot. Suffering for such causes is praise worthy and honoring to God. Are we willing to do the same especially if our families are suffering?

And my final point, what does our priority list look like? What impressed me even more about Oswalt was the fact that his family was fine. The house had minimal damage, but he stayed behind to help his community. Not only was his family before his profession, but almost everyone else was as well. He talked about visiting neighboring towns to check in on the damage after seeing his town wasn't too heavily damaged. I'm glad he didn't just send money for the mop-up because I think our culture thinks money is always the solution. In times of pain and crisis, financial gifts will be needed and should be joyfully given. But most of the time, those suffering need the physical presence of people who care. They want someone to talk to, hug, cry on, and sit with them. It appears as though Mr. Oswalt did just that.

I don't hate sports. I was bummed when the San Antonio Spurs got beat up by the Memphis Grizzlies. I exuberantly screamed last night when the Detroit Red Wings scored three unanswered goals to stay alive in their series. I am following closely to the NFL labor dispute, because I want to see if Cam Newton is the Panthers answer at quarterback. And I hope Roy Oswalt gets healthy soon because he is fun to watch and an important part to the Phillies hopes of winning. But there is a serious problem; we do worship our teams and athletes as gods. We pledge our undying devotion to them, hand over fork-loads of money, and sacrifice a lot (health and wealth) to see them succeed. And when they "fail us," we get angry with them for not giving us what we want or think we deserve.

For some reason, I feel the stories in the Bible are not as ancient and disconnected as we try to make them.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

mothers

For all mom's both young and old,

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers.
1 Thessalonians 1:2

Thanks for all you faithfully do for your husbands and children. I pray your devoted service is not neglected here, but rest assured it is valued by our Father in heaven.

Happy Mother's Day!

Friday, May 6, 2011

sin of idolatry

I have 2 1/2 chapters remaining in Doctrine, What Christians Should Believe. It is significantly shorter than the longest book I have ever read, but my progress through it has been staggered. It's been on my "in the midst of reading" shelf for more than six months. At least ten books have come and gone from when I started until now. It's not that I find it boring or uninteresting. It's merely a slower-paced read considering the heaviness of the subject matter: every single primary issue concerning Christianity.

The chapter I find myself working through revolves around the idea of worship, particularly what it is and why it is necessary. They quote Harold Best's definition of worship to frame the rest of the chapter; worship is the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing god (pp. 340). As you can see, the definition isn't geared completely towards the worship of God, and that's intentional.

Every human being on earth has two options placed before them: worship or idolatry. True worship takes the above quote and places the triune God of the Bible at the end. Idolatry takes the above quote and places everything else at the end. True worship is beautiful, while idolatry is horrific. Either way all human beings are worshiping something or someone.

Now Christians (myself included) can easily read the definition with approval because we go to church, read God's Word, pray, serve, and, in general, live lives which physically carry an expression of our worship. But God repeatedly tells His people, worship is a matter of the heart. The outward can deceive man easily. God, on the other hand, plants His gaze upon our hearts. And our hearts are where idolatry feeds and grows.

Doctrine quotes an exposition of Luther about the worship verses idolatry. It's rather tough to read, but an honest barometer of how whether we worship the true God or commit idolatry with worthless idols.

"...to have a god is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts...Thus it is with all idolatry; for it consists not merely in erecting an image and worshiping it, but rather in the heart...Ask and examine you heart diligently, and you will find whether it cleaves to God alone or not. If you have a heart that can expect nothing of Him but what is good, especially in want and distress, and that, moreover, renounces and forsakes everything that is not God, then you have the only true God. If, on the contrary, it cleaves to anything else, of which it expects more good and help than of God, and does not take refuge in Him, but in adversity flees from Him, then you have an idol, another god. (pp.346)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

suppressing the truth

It seems as though I am in the midst of a sin kick. By kick I am not referring to an increased desire for sin (by God's grace), but a greater awareness and Spirit-induced exposing of indwelling sin. It also helps when Romans is the particular book I am in the midst of studying. It's hard to read it without coming away with a deeper sense of just how sinful I am.

And yet telling me the extent of my sin is not the end. I am clearly told what my sin is, and it's embarrassing to say the least. Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."

Obviously, my sin warrant God's wrath. There is no denying this when you read through the pages of Scripture. Recently I have read multiple "biblical scholars" try to remove God's wrath and eternal punishment with an argument overflowing with spiritual arrogance. They claim sin in this life cannot be counted against us for all of eternity. For them life is too short for our mistakes to damn us away from God's presence forever. And at times, my life mimics these outrageous claims. Thankfully, Romans 1:18 stands in direct opposition to them. Our sin in this life more than warrants our forever separation from God and bearing His holy and just wrath.

And why is this so? According to Paul it's because my sin is a blatant attempt to suppress the truth. I take what creation, my conscience, and God's Word reveal about Him and tell the world it isn't true. It's my act of rebellion where I declare God a liar. And just what truths does my sin suppress? Technically all of them, but I'll just name a few for the sake of time and space.
  • God is wrathful (v.18)
  • God is holy (v.18)
  • God is righteous (v.18)
  • God is knowable (v.19)
  • God is a God of revelation (v.19)
  • God is powerful (v.20)
  • God is God, the One and only (v.20)
  • God is Creator (v.20)
  • God is honorable (v.21)
  • God is worthy of thanks (v.21)
  • God is immortal (v.23)
  • God is glorious (v.23)
  • God is truth (v.24)
  • God is to be worshiped (v.25)
  • God is to be served (v.25)
  • God is blessed (v.25)
Am I comfortable responding with a loud "liar!" (which is what my sin is) to these truths? Do I have the fortitude to tell God He is overreacting to my sin? Do I really think "I only suppressed the truth during my short stay on earth" will hold sway when I stand before God, if I am even able to stand? Why is it when people such as Isaiah and Peter fell down at the feet of Jesus when they saw their sin compared to His glory?

These are the questions God's Spirit has been stirring up in my heart. He wants me to grasp the full severity of my sin, in both the physical and spiritual realms. I am not merely slipping up or making mistakes. I am actively suppressing the truths of God. There is no escaping it. This is the reason why He tells us to respond to sin by turning from it and back to God (repentance).

And here is where while the kick is more than uncomfortable at times, it helps unearth just how amazing God's grace truly is. Despite the blasphemous claims my sin makes, God still openly extends His forgiveness to me. He doesn't toss me aside, but remains close through Christ. He shows me a fuller extent of the truth behind who He is.

Monday, May 2, 2011

unforgettable (but is that a good thing?)

On Sunday night/Monday morning I was in the crowd at the 14-inning marathon between the Mets and Phillies. For those who haven't heard, this particular crowd made headlines for their reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden's assassination. Chants of "USA! USA!" went on for nearly an inning, and intermittently afterward. I re-watched the television account, and I don't believe it did justice to the cheers. The loudest the crowd got was in between innings when the entire stadium finally hit the same notes. I am not going to go into a long response or argument, but simply share some reactions to the evening.
  • I doubt I will ever forget last night. It is one of those "where were you?" moments people love to talk about years later. To be honest, I felt goosebumps when the crowd finally got in unison. It was something to witness.
  • It's amazing how quickly we can turn off meaningless animosity towards one another, only to turn it back on even quicker. Fans from the two sides don't like each other. I can remember a game I went to in college where I shamefully joined in the open (by verbal means) animosity (my brother still gives me grief about it to this day). But as the news broke out, people pushed aside the petty (and sports allegiances, while not bad, are about as meaningless as you can get) to grasp hold of something larger. Unfortunately, the next time the teams face off fans will be beating one another's faces in, cursing back and forth, and spewing border-line hatred all because of a difference in team preference.
  • The Mets handled the situation with class, while the Phillies were an embarrassment to their fans (never though I would see the day). Neither side knew what was happening until after the game. The Met players praised the crowd for cheering and even wished the game had stopped to commemorate the moment. The Phillie players (for the most part) acted like it was no big deal. Some even went on to acknowledge the failures of the Phillies offense as a more pressing issue at the time. Really? I love sports. I really do. But when does a game ever outweigh what happens in real life? Sports are never primary, and maybe we should stop treating our teams and athletes like they are.
  • To be honest, I wasn't sure how to react. To an extent I joined in the jubilation. A chief enemy to the sanctity of all human life and holiness of God was removed from his position of power. Justice, which will be perfected upon Christ's return, was done. Governments are placed upon this earth by God. He grants them the authority they have. They administer justice and sometimes justice comes by means of the sword (Romans 13:4). It was also hard not to relish in the feeling of unity sweeping through the stadium. And yet, I held back from sharing the full jubilation. While I believe justice was done, it doesn't give me the liberty to rejoice over the death of anyone, regardless of my opinion of them. God desires for repentance, not death (Ezekiel 18:23). This doesn't mean God won't bring about the death of certain people (Sodom and Gomorrah or Ananias and Sapphira) immediately for their sins as means of His justice. But it also doesn't mean I can rejoice in the death of the individuals. I doubt Abraham and Peter did when they saw God's mighty hand of justice and wrath. They rejoiced in the removal of evil by God's gracious hand, but not in the losing of a soul. Instead they trusted His will as sovereign and good. And that is what I can rejoice in always.
  • Somewhat unrelated but I don't know how I feel about "God Bless America" being sung at sporting events. And after hearing an famous artist sing "How Great Thou Art" at a country music show, I feel more uncomfortable. I say this very carefully for two reasons. First, I have no business questioning the motives of the artist singing the songs because, for all I know, they may treat it as worship to our God. Second, I will admit that last night the rendition was truly beautiful and fitting for the news which would come later on. But I still can't help but question our motives for singing such songs. For the most part, our country has done everything within its power to remove God from this land. The people (both in power and out of it) want almost nothing to do with Him. As we discussed in Sunday School, people want to reject the face of God, but still receive the hand of God. We want all the blessings without any of the implications of following Him. We want a genie, not the living God. If I am truly honest with myself, there are times where I am no different from our nation. I pray without ceasing for God's hand of blessing without any regards for praying to see His face so I can better serve and worship Him. When I am calling out my country, I am really calling out myself first, understanding my own heart needs drastic change before I can even dream about seeing it "out there."

Sunday, May 1, 2011

muffins and cookies

Two favorite books from my childhood revolve around woodland creatures and baked goods. Since becoming an uncle I have had the privilege of reacquainting myself with them when I am with my niece and/or nephew. As a result, I have learned If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin are far truer than the author probably intended.

For those unfamiliar with these literary works (and I think there is at least one more book with the same basic story) the story is a warning. In the case of the mouse, once he has a cookie he will certainly want milk as well. From there he will want to do other things such as get a haircut, take a nap, and draw pictures to name a few. In the end, he will come back to the cookie starting the cycle again.

In the case of the moose, once he has the muffin he will certainly want jam as well. From there he will want things such as a sweater, a knitting kit, and art supplies to name a few. In the end, he will be reminded of how much he wants a muffin bringing everything full circle.

In a nutshell, these books are excellent examples of my sin. At first I only want a muffin or a cookie. It's nothing drastic, just a small taste to feed my appetite. However, once I get it I am not satisfied. The object was only fulfilling while the sweetness attacked my taste buds. Therefore I go searching for something to go with it. When I get whatever it is, I find the sweetness only lasting a short while. Eventually I am running around like the mouse/moose trying anything and everything to satisfy my desire. With each and every item my dissatisfaction grows and grows instead of dwindling. In the end, I end up back where I started without any sense of satisfaction and a greater hunger than before. Where I thought giving in here and there would help quiet my appetite, it actually made it grow screaming louder and louder.

James spoke of this in the first chapter of his book. "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (vs.14-15).

Giving in to our desires does not help solve the problem. It actually makes it a lot worse and more difficult to overcome. It's like eating the first Lays potato chip, when we know it's impossible to eat only one. It's the first step down a very steep and slippery slope.

For this reason, God's Word emphatically warns Christ's followers of the dangers of our sin. They aren't little hiccups, but attempts by our enemy to destroy us. They aren't merely typos we can go back and delete later on. They are traps meant to start the cycle addressed in James 1:14-15. They are meant to be the small pebble tossed harmlessly into the serene pool.

Let us be wise then and heed the advice of God's Word. When it comes to sin we are to: turn from it (Psalm 34:14), hate it (Psalm 97:10; 119:104), keep it from our eyes (Psalm 101:3), abhor it (Romans 12:9), flee it (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; 2 Timothy 2:22), put it off (Ephesians 4:22), not let it be named among us (Ephesians 5:3), stand against it (Ephesians 6:10-20), put it to death (Colossians 3:5), have nothing to do with it (2 Timothy 2:23), lay it aside (Hebrews 12:1), resist it (James 4:7), don't conform to it (1 Peter 1:14), put it away (1 Peter 2:1), abstain from it (1 Peter 2:11).

And these are merely a handful.