20 reasons from Ruth

Today is the day we set aside an entire twenty-four hour time period for the purposing of being thankful. While everyday should bring with it reasons for thankfulness, there is something altogether refreshing about the "intentional-ness" of Thanksgiving. But instead of giving a list of things I am thankful, I figured I would give a somewhat different list. I've been reading through the book of Ruth this week, and it is filled with reasons why God is deserving of our thanks. I will limit the reasons to twenty while offering a brief explanation for those which are a bit more subtle.

1. Faithful: she had heard...that the LORD had visited his people and given them food (1:6)
2. Kindness: May the Lord deal kindly with you (1:8) ~you wouldn't wish the Lord's kindness upon someone unless you know and have tasted it for yourself
3. Rest: The Lord grant that you may find rest (1:9) ~again you wouldn't wish the Lord's rest unless you were aware of its reality
4. Active in time of distress/anguish/suffering: the hand of the Lord has gone out against me (1:13) ~This doesn't seem worthy of thanks, but isn't far more comforting knowing God is at work during the bad times than simply the harsh realities of life?
5. Covenant: Your people shall be my people, and your God my God (1:16) ~Ruth uses covenant language God established with His people generations before at Mount Sinai.
6. Sovereign even over our sufferings: the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me (1:20)...the Lord has brought me back empty (1:21) ~God is not only active in our sufferings, but He is ruling over them for the purpose of His glory and our good (Romans 8:28; James 1)
7. Providence: ...and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz (2:3) ~what humans may call coincidence God calls part of His plan.
8. Nearness: The Lord be with you...The Lord bless you (2:4)
9. Grace: Why have I found favor in your eyes...since I am a foreigner? (2:10) ~Ruth asks Boaz the same question every redeemed sinner asks of God each and every day.
10. Repays according to works: The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord (2:12) ~This has a positive and negative side to it, but knowing God will reward His people in His kingdom is definitely worthy of thanks.
11. Shelter: ...the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge (2:12)
12. Provides for our needs: so she gleaned in the field until evening...it was about an ephah of barely (2:17)
13. Everlasting Kindness: May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead (2:20)
14. He is alive: as the Lord lives, I will redeem you (3:13) ~Boaz takes an oath by the Lord because He is the living God.
15. Redemption: I will redeem you (3:13)...who has not left you this day without a redeemer (4:14) ~The kinsman redeemer was just a foretaste of the great Redeemer coming to save God's people from sin.
16. Life-giving: May the Lord make the woman...like Rachel and Leah (4:11)...and the Lord gave her conception and she bore a son (4:13)
17. His renown: and may his name be renowned in Israel! (4:14)
18. Restores life: He shall be a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age (4:15)
19. Faithful: They named him Obed. He was the Father of Jesse, the father of David (4:17)
20. King: Abraham was the father of Isaac...Jesse was the father of David the king...and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ (Matthew 1:2,6,16) ~While this isn't directly from Ruth, it's impossible to read Ruth and not see a clear pointing to Christ with the inclusion of the line of David.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! ~Psalm 118:1

like Tebow

At this point in time, there may not be a more polarizing athlete than Tim Tebow. You either love him or hate him. I would like to think the issue revolves around his talent. His critics will say he simply is not a good quarterback, and I would agree with them. It is painful to watch him for three and a half quarters. But you can't take away the fact that Tebow is a fierce competitor when the moment arrives (if you saw last night's game you witnessed it). I am willing to look past his deficiencies in talent simply because he knows how and competes to win. It's also hard to doubt his leardership on and off the field. With all that said, I am also not naive enough to understand that the larger dividing issue is Tebow's faith.

I am a skeptic when it comes to athletes who claim Christ. It seems like after every homerun, touchdown, slam dunk, or goal someone is pointing to the sky, dropping to a knee, or giving verbal "props" to Jesus. At the same time these athletes are seen "living it up" at strip clubs, holding out for boat-loads of money, getting arrested for all sorts of crimes, or walking around like they are God's gift to the world. For all their talk of Jesus, it appears as though a mention is all He is worthy of to them. And I say this knowing full well that I am prone to the same attitude. These men and women are fallen just like me. I am equally guilty of proclaiming Christ, but doing little more than that.

For me there is no skepticism when it comes to Tim Tebow. Is he perfect? No, I think he would be the first to admit that. However, he unlike most of the other athletes (Christian and non-Christian) we encounter. I watched the post-game interviews after his impressive 95-yard, game winning drive. If any man had reason to boast last night, it was Tebow. Instead, he lavished praise on Christ for salvation (from sin and death) not just his physical abilities. Then he preceded to give thanks to every person: coaches, teammates, bosses, fans, family alike. The former players interviewing him were trying to get him to talk about himself, but it wasn't happening.

But there were two things which really stood out. First, Tebow is purposefully living his life the way he is. He bluntly told the men that he wanted to be a role model kids could look up to for how to do things the right way. And it wasn't because it made him feel good or brought the praise of men. In his words, he is doing it because of the blessings he has received and the platform which God has given him. Second, he confessed that football is not his life or greatest passion. Instead it is bringing hope and life change to the people he encounters. He described the opportunity football has given him to build a hospital in the Philippines (where his parents were missionaries) for children to the point of tears. You just don't hear many athletes like this.

As I contemplated all of this, I couldn't help but feel the need to pray for Tebow and others like him. Often Christians can be jealous of Christian athletes because of their money, talent, or whatever. But as Tebow views it, God has placed him there for a reason. Just as Paul prayed for boldness in the churches he wrote too, why shouldn't Christians be praying for the same for one another, athletes included. There is no doubt Tebow has women throwing themselves at him, millions of dollars waiting to pull him away, and other temptations the evil one is hoping will destroy him. As a witness to Christ, someone such as Tebow needs the prayers of his brothers and sisters to ensure he is faithful to the very end.

I also felt ashamed of how I view where God has placed me. Everywhere I go is a potential platform for the gospel. As a teacher, I had the opportunity to live out and speak the gospel in that setting. Today, I have the same opportunity as a seminary student and swimming coach. But how often do I take advantage? In the West faith has become a private issue. Sadly enough the church has adopted this as their mode of operating too. We don't talk about faith and life because it's personal and no one else's business. The reality is the gospel, while personal, is cooperate and everyone else's business. Tebow isn't shying away from this fact. He doesn't care if it makes people uncomfortable or if people hate him for it. God has blessed him so that he can bless others. And this is the case for all Christians. The question is what are we doing?

It hasn't happened too often, but I am thankful when it does. The pace at which I am reading leaves little time for in-depth analysis and contemplation. I wish I could go slower. However, every so often I come across something which makes me pause. It can be something completely new or different. It can be something speaking directly to my life. It might be an interesting point reminding me of a friend or situation.

For one of my classes I am reading How People Change. It sounds like a self-help book. Some might argue that it is. Its purpose is to present how the gospel completely changes lives, especially as people cherish it and wrap their identity in it.

In one particular chapter the author, Timothy Lane, was discussing how the gospel changes our values and how we handle the different phases of this life. Setting up the correct Christian perspective, Lane breaks down Revelation 7:9-17.

But the saints on the other side are celebrating none of them [the good things of this earthly life] As they stand before the Lord, crowned and reigning with him, their restoration is complete. God has finished his work of transforming their lives as he transformed their hearts by his grace. As they stand before him, they are like him in true righteousness and holiness. And so they rise in a crescendo of worship and celebration saying, "You did it! You did it! You did what we could not do for ourselves. You broke our bondage to sin and restored us to be the willing worshipers you created us to be."


Amen! What a great picture! And this is the reality waiting for all those who claim Christ crucified and risen from the dead. This is where the road we are on is leading. It is our final destination. With this in mind everything about us changes: priorities, outlook, motivation, hope, endurance (to name a few). And yet it rarely does. While I nodded in affirmation at the above quote, I understand it fails to be my reality.

What about you? Where have you wondered if following the Lord is worth it? Where have you struggled to understand what he is doing? Where have confusion and disappointment weakened you faith? Where have you already let go? Where are you running from the Lord instead of turning to him? How has God's work of change been interrupted by your doubt, confusion, or fear?

We Are...

I've never liked Penn State. I had the chance to go there, but chose against it primarily because it was too big. Additionally, I am a self-declared Penn State "hater" when it comes to their football program. I simply never enjoyed their players, their style of football, or their coach. Therefore, I felt reluctant writing about the scandal swirling around State College. I didn't want whatever I wrote to be construed as my attempt to be negative about something I already did not have a fondness for. However, there are few things I have been thinking through as I have followed the coverage over the past week or so.

First, the real victims of this entire ordeal are those abused children. It's not the football players, the football coaches, or the university. I read the first three pages of the indictment, but had to stop because I didn't want to keep reading. What those children endured was absolutely horrendous and a painful reminder of the total depravity of mankind. Instead of calling foul against the individuals being fired, we should be praying for the healing of these young men. Most of them are my age and have suppressed their abuse for nearly half their lives. They need to know their is hope and healing found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Second, men are not gods, and when we treat them as such the end result is always devastating destruction. Everything coming out is revealing that both Sandusky and Joe Paterno were men who couldn't be told "no." They wanted and demanded control of everything, whether it be a football program or their search for pleasure. And those is authority bent over backward to give it to them. They were essentially invincible, gods among men. As a result, those kids were sacrificed to maintain the status quo. One man did so by seeking out his own disgusting desires. The other ignored the problem to protect what he had built and hold onto his absolute power. There is a reason why the phrase "The Lord is God, there is no other" is repeated throughout the pages of Scripture. All other gods fail and devastate those who worship them.

Finally, as Cain found out, we are our brother's keeper. How many people had the opportunity to stop what was going on? How many failed to do what had to be done, not merely what they were legally responsible to do? What if one person played the role of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10? Those kids needed someone to step into their situation. They needed someone to physically stop the abuse when they saw it happen. They needed someone to follow through with them about the charges. They needed someone to believe that jobs, reputations, and well-being do not compare with the sanctity of a child's life. And so this begs us to ask whether or not we are willing should we face such a situation?

the west

I have little time (and sometimes desire) to write these days as the semester is winding up before it winds down. While I could use my study breaks to process my passing thoughts, writing rarely feels like much of a break. Today is not one of those days. I have an online quiz, an online midterm, and some reading waiting for me, but my apologetics class resonated too much in my mind to pass it off.

We had a guest lecturer who serves as a missionary to Muslim countries. He came in to give us a better idea of how apologetics can be used to reach Muslims with the gospel. Honestly, I enjoy when anyone with knowledge and experience of other religions talks about the need for the gospel to reach these people. Even without any resounding tidbits, I was going to be engaged. He ended giving a plethora of insight into Muslim history and beliefs as well as person stories of how God used him to bring the gospel through a variety of means. But what stood out was when he started talking about the reasons why many Muslims have such a strong dislike for us, mainly Christians.

Without addressing the history of the relations between the two (not overly pretty) and clearly opposed doctrinal beliefs, here are the four bullet points he presented with the addition of one he addressed at the end.

• Disrespectful
• Secular/humanistic
• Promiscuous
• Chaotic & dysfunctional
• Individualistic

Why do Muslims categorize Christians as such? Unfortunately, it's because they view western culture as the fruit of Christianity. America's claim as a Christian nation (which I would argue against even at its origins) coupled with the growing negative trends demonstrate to them the inability of the gospel to do anything significant in this life. Sadder still is the fact that these points do not just categorize western culture. Christians are just as guilty of them as well.

How do Christians, particularly younger Christians, respect the older and wiser ones among us? How do we make our faith more than a private, personal matter? How do Christians handle sex and modesty differently? How functional are our institutions? How much value do we place in community?

The main point of the lecture was not to show how Christians are terrible people. Everyone is flawed. Instead, it was to demonstrate the need for us to live out the gospel for the sake of those from different faiths. Our lives should look vastly different from the lives of those in our cultures. Why? Because the gospel enables us to live as such. 

And on top of that, we need to be praying continually for the good news of Jesus Christ to reach the ears and hearts of all people to the glory of God.