that's what friends are for

(Did I just use one of the cheesiest songs of all time as the title of my post? It must have been a long day.)

Regardless of the cheesiness, I agree with the point of the song; friends are put around us for a multitude of reasons. Unlike the song, I agree with the reasons that Scripture points out more than any others. Two in particular are found in Proverbs 15:22; "without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed" and Ecclesiastes 4:12; "a threefold cord is not quickly broken." God graciously reminded me of these two truths through a simple text-message from one of the brothers in my band (band of brothers not musical group).

To preface the text message, I will recall the post about the book I was reading about hell. I finished the book two nights ago, but I can't escape the second of the two themes. The first theme addressed how our view of God and the work of Christ are enhanced because of the doctrine of hell. Hell points to the full reality of the holiness of God, while also reminding us of the amazing grace we receive through Christ. (Emphasis added for the sake of my mother who loves this word.) This theme alone could take up a multitude of posts. The second theme presents the response of all Christians to the reality of hell; committed to sharing the good news of the gospel because that is exactly what it is! As God reveals the extent of His holiness and grace, our desire should be for others to experience them as well.

The Spirit has been grinding this idea into my head and heart over the past two days. He has been bombarding me with names and faces of friends and loved ones outside of God's saving grace. Instead of time spent sleeping, I have been burdened to spend more time praying for those I know (and those I don't) to have the veil lifted from their eyes. On Tuesday night, He convicted me to email one friend in particular. I have known this friend since high school, but failed to be the salt and light Christ calls us to be. I felt excited about the idea, and promised to do it in the morning (first mistake) or later in the day (second mistake). By the time Wednesday morning rolled around, I successfully "unconvicted" myself to write the email. Feeling rather discouraged, I brought up the situation to my band of brothers at our weekly Bible study. They committed themselves to praying that I would not only listen to the Spirit, but act upon His leadings. One friend, however, decided to push the envelope even further.

First, he verbally rebuked me in a gentle, yet firm manner. I don't remember the exact words, but they were along the lines of "stop listening to yourself and just do it!" Simple yet profound. As I let those words bounce around in my head, I put the issue aside for the night as another friend needed my attention. Being the "absent minded professor" that I occasionally am, I went through the entire day without giving a thought to writing the email. Thankfully my friend did not. Within 10 minutes of coming home from work I received a text-message from him. It wasn't long or even overly persuasive. The screen simply read, "email your friend yet?" Without another word, I jumped on my computer and starting writing the email. What is more, my mom called while I was in the middle of writing to share some prayer requests of her own. When she was finished I felt compelled to share what I was currently doing with her. Being the wonderful, God-fearing woman that she is, she prayed with me over the phone that I would be given the words to say and the grace by which to say them. All in all, I finished the email and had my roommate look it over to ensure I was speaking the truth in love. As of now, it has been sent. I am simply waiting for the reply, whatever that might be. Until then (and after), I thank God for friends. For when my plan was just my own, it failed miserably. But when I decided to seek my "many advisers," it produced much fruit.

The Road Ahead

Over the month of January I wrote two posts which touched upon my future endeavors (look and see). As of right now I am not in any clearer standing than I was last month. However, I have had the blessing of talking with family and close friends about where they might see God leading me. While they haven't given me a clear direction, the conversations have been fruitful and encouraging. The words they have shared with me continue to drive me to the throne of grace where I can find wisdom, peace, and, eventually, my answer. This week was especially beneficial as God forced me to slow down and turn all my attention to Him. The two snow days I was blessed with this week were spent reading, praying, studying, and listening to my Father. It was as if I received two Sabbath days right in the middle of the week. Once again, I did not receive any clarity of the road ahead, but I did receive numerous challenges and reminders to let God be the One who is in control.

I learned that my road ahead looks like this:

It's dark with low visibility and ample opportunities to stumble. Why do I consider this a lesson, let alone an encouraging one? God reminded me of one simple truth; I can't walk this road relying on my own strength. If I try there will be a large, face-down snow angel right in the middle of the road. Where I can't see, He can. Where I can't stand, He will. Where I'm lost, He leads. If my road was a straight and perfectly smooth surface, He knows I would convince myself to be my own guide. This road, while difficult and strenuous, will prove a blessing as I trudge down it with Him.

Matthew 6:30-31, 33-34 says, "But if God clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious about anything...But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

My Father will not start me on this road only to be abandon me when things get tough. At times I will follow in His footsteps while at others He will have to carry me. Either way, my needs will be provided for. When I believe and begin acting upon this (for belief without action is nothing but empty talk) I will focus less on the road ahead, and more on my God who is leading me. The road will seem less of a burden because I will be able to see the beauty on display all around me.

Revelation 3:14-20

Last year I read a good portion of The Valley of Vision due to the fact that I was only substitute teaching. I would bring it with me to the classrooms and read it during my prep periods. I would jot down certain lines that stood out to me or reactions I had to what was said. The more I read, the more I desired to dabble in poetic writing myself. I wrote a collection of different poems which usually came about from my Bible reading or sermons on Sunday mornings. They aren't anything to brag about, but I do enjoy coming back to them every now and again. There are certain ones which speak directly to specific areas of my life. Unfortunately, my current schedule keeps me very busy, so writing is not one of my top priorities. I am hoping to get better at squeezing in times to use writing as a form of meditating on God's Word. This poem is one of the last ones I wrote and it's title is the same of the title of this post. I listened to a message on this passage of Scripture, which shed new light on a passage I always thought I had understood.

I wish to hide from His righteous stare

For when I am found my heart is laid bare.

This bareness leaves me feeling naked and exposed

And He quickly reminds me that He already knows.

The light of His eyes burns down to my core

Where the beast of pride stands guard at the door.

Here it is fed and given life to survive

And the glory of self has allowed it to thrive.

It pursues its own interests and seeks it own praise.

Instead of trying to fight, I submit to its ways.

I boast in myself for the things He has done

And am convinced I no longer have need for the Son.

I say I am rich when in fact I am poor.

I am wretched, naked, blind, and pitiful once more.

The deeds of the faith are lukewarm and a waste

So out of His mouth He spits me with haste.

But there in my filth I am not left alone

For He still loves me and calls me His own.

He gives me garments of white to cover my shame

And the riches that come from sharing His name.

He rubs mud on my eyes to restore my sight

Then moves to my heart where He's ready to fight.

He opens the door and throws out the beast

To make room for Himself and a magnificent feast.

Now before Him I stand with my heart open wide

But this time I'm willing having no need to hide.

the blizzard of 0'10

Last night and into most of this morning the snow fell continuously. It took a while to get ourselves out from underneath the behemoth amounts of snow, but we are able to move about freely at this point. Now with the typical nature of this blog, you might expect an exposition comparing snow to being dressed in white through the death of Christ. While I do appreciate viewing the snowfall in this light, I also recognize the simple pleasures it brings. Snow (especially larger amounts) is best for reliving the days of my childhood. This particular storm was ripe for activities such as tunnel-building. The first step is to create a hole and slowly work your way further into it (ala Jordan)...

After a good deal of wiggling, heavy breathing, and multiple failed attempts your tunnel should look like this (barring any unforeseen collapses)...

Once you have slid yourself all the way through, you can let the neighbor's kids play in your tunnel while you entertain their dog, Hunter. He took a little while to warm up to us, but eventually we all became good friends...

Oh the wonders of the snow!

Why would I read a book centered on the doctrine of hell?

You may or may not have noticed one of the readings I am currently in the midst of. The book is entitled Hell Under Fire. It expounds upon the doctrine of hell, and why it is crucial to the Christian faith. In all honesty, I have no idea why I purchased this book. I was in religion section of Borders meandering through the titles when this one jumped out at me. Prior to this point, hell was a not a topic I would willingly choose to gain a firmer understanding of. Part of it was ignorance (which is rarely ever bliss) while the other was fear of what people may think about a guy who desires to learn about eternal suffering and judgment. These notions were challenged right away when I read the book's introduction; "no doctrine stands alone...take out the doctrine of hell, and the entire shape of Christian theology is inevitably altered."

At first I wasn't sure how to take this seemingly bold statement. I had gotten this far with an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality towards hell. Because Christ saved me from it through His death on the cross, I saw no need to dwell upon it. The authors of this book emphatically state the opposite. They litter each chapter with verses speaking to the reality and purpose of hell. It's not necessarily the most fun I have had reading a book (some biblical texts are tough to swallow), but the glimpses of God I have seen are awe-inspiring. "These truths should drive...God's people to their knees in worship." God has revealed a deeper longing for heaven, and the reality of spending eternity in His presence. It's where my regenerated heart yearns to be. He has also reminded me of the extent of His grace poured. Knowing the full extent of what He has redeemed me from leaves me feeling humbled and grateful. I cry aloud with Jonah, "salvation belongs to our God."

However, we insult the name of Christ if the doctrine of hell only leads us to a place of (corporate)worship (since all of life is to be an act of worship). A deeper grasp of the nature of hell should drive us into the presence of God in order to reach out to the lost. "These truths should motivate us who know the Lord to love, pray for, and speak with unsaved persons concerning eternal destinies." Hell should remove any and all sense of the fear of man many of us (especially me) suffer from. The condition of lost souls would trump how intact our feelings are. We wouldn't view hell as the "ugly stain" of the faith, and therefore be less likely to bring it up. Instead, we would be more urgent to speak the truth, which reveals the fuller depths of God's grace. It doesn't mean fire and brimstone sermons on street corners, but it does require a willingness to speak up. The Bible's portrayal of hell is as a contrast to heaven. Everything wonderful and glorious about heaven is horrific and terrifying in hell. The fullest extents of love, joy, fellowship, and freedom (and so much more) are contrasted by the fullest extents of anger, grief, isolation, and bondage beyond imagination. We should be just as willing to talk about hell as we about heaven. Each one magnifies the other. If our goal is to love and reach out to the lost as Christ did, we need to declare the realities of hell as He did. His willingness to be blunt about God's judgment should motivate us to be bold and leave out the "double hockey sticks."

Royal Rumble

I used to watch WWF wrestling at my old neighbor's house because my parents didn't like it (and rightfully so). My personal favorite was the Royal Rumble. It was when 4 men started in the ring, but as time went by more and more people started entering. The way to defeat an opponent was not by pinning, but by physically throwing them over the ropes and out of the ring. The only way to get this done was by catching someone completely off guard, or waiting until he was more tired than you. On top of that, the chances of you fighting multiple people at the same time were significantly high. As kid I loved to watch these displays of "brute strength" regardless of the fact that everything was staged.

My point of introduction is to give a glimpse of my last couple weeks. I feel like I am in the midst of a Royal Rumble, except no one is fighting against each other as all their attention is fixed on me. When I think I am ready to throw one out, another lands a shot to throw me off balance. I feel pinned in at every angle with no sign of relief. Probably the strangest part of all of this is my time spent with God is still as sweet as ever. I look forward to reading, studying and praying, but I agonize leaving that time. I ache physically, emotionally, and spiritually at the thought of heading back into the ring. I told my roommate the other day how I would love nothing more than to spend my days in presence of the Lord through Scripture, prayer, and study. I don't say this out of self-righteousness, but out of a genuine love for basking in the presence of my Savior. While this is obvously a wonderful thing, it is not so wonderful when I find it impossible to soak in His grace outside of those times. This makes the ring seem more like my "last stand." I am the tired wrestler who has been in since the beginning of the rumble, aimlessly swinging, and praying one of those swings lands somewhere. Part of me hopes one of my adversaries will fling me over the ropes, while the other clings to the last strand of hope I have left. I know He's in the ring somewhere, but the suplexes and flying elbows have made my vision blurry.

concrete plans

My current go-around with the book of Proverbs has been a lot tougher, and yet more pleasant than any of my previous encounters. One reason might be the manner in which I am reading it. Instead of simply reading and jotting down ideas, I am categorizing the entire book as best as I can. I got the idea from Mark Driscoll after watching one of his sermon series over the course of last year. My Bible is littered with tiny symbols marking most of the verses. My categories list grew in the first couple of chapters, but then maxed out after ten or so. The categories include being wise in finances, relationships, work, speech, and a couple of others. Being the product of a computer geek father (no offense Big Guy), I put my results onto a spreadsheet so I could refer back to it whenever I wanted a specific verse regarding one of the categories. To be honest, the process has been rather exciting! (Okay, now who's the geek?) At this point, I am a little more than halfway through, and my chart is filling up on a daily basis. The blessing has been to see how much God has to say about a lot of the issues we get bogged down with. The wisdom of God should (and does) infiltrate every aspect of life!

The category causing the most wrestling (and blessing) undoubtedly revolves around vision. This came as no surprise to me seeing that my vision is the most clouded it has been in a long while. In one aspect, I can see what is directly in front of me, so I am content. However, what's around the next corner makes me anxious because I don't know what's on the other side. In essence, I feel a little like Samwise Gamgee (my favorite fictional character of all time). He is able to find joy in the moments with his "Master" Frodo, but agonizes over the unforeseen shadows growing ever closer. My heart wrestles over letting God possibly wreck all my plans and establish new ones. Actually, I even wrestle over Him doing nothing to thwart my intentions. My two-faced heart wants to let Him do some rearranging, but only if the damage is minimal.

My experience in Proverbs over the past month has revealed that God has a lot to say about what I thought was a "unique" situation. Proverbs 16:9 says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Humiliation set in the moment I read this verse. My vision was that of a fool. (Solomon's usage of this word throughout Proverbs cannot be understated because it is exactly how we act). I convinced myself that it was I who not only planned my way, but saw my plans to fruition. Heart's all better, right? Wrong! The very next chapter deals the knockout punch. "The discerning sets his face towards wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth." (17:24, emphasis added). T-K-O. Only now is my heart ready for what God has in store for me. In my humiliation I have learned the sovereignty of our God. He doesn't want my eyes fixed on the corner ahead or even the ground in front of me. He wants them on Him! Anywhere else leads to foolishness. Apparently, the tough part about reading Proverbs has been the Spirit's exposing of this foolishness, while the blessing comes from the wisdom gained. Proverbs equates wisdom to the fear of the Lord, and Proverbs 19: 23 says, "The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied."