drama

I watch the television show Nashville.

I admit it.

First and foremost, I like the music. While I am not a country fan, I do like the live music scene, which is incorporated into just about every episode. Simply I have always been a sucker for music, so it was inevitable that I would wind my way to this show since it centers on the music industry.

Equally More appealing is the aspect of human drama and emotion. Nashville is ripe with it. The show is essentially an soap opera with far better acting and story lines. In fact, the lead female was nominated for an Emmy which validates my watching (or at least I hope). No matter how mad the characters make me, I still find myself coming back each and every week.

While the show is not always the most wholesome, it does provide an excellent glimpse into the human experience. It reveals the innumerable ways broken people deal with the brokenness around them. In these responses, it is evident where these individuals look to for salvation. And each and every time, this salvation miserably fails.

Here are a few examples from just the first episode of the second season:

The victim of an alcoholic relationship and a failed marriage throws inhibition to the wind. She indulges in all sorts of immoral behavior because her attempts at virtue and happiness have left her scarred and more broken.

An alcoholic turns to self-hatred and self-abuse. He hopes it will serve as a means of penance to make up for all the lives he has effectively ruined.

A terrible husband along with his equally terrible father-in-law rely on power and prestige to manipulate people. They feel this will cover over or at least mask just how poorly they have loved their wives and daughters.

A brother cannot cope with the guilt of his success at the expense of his criminal, and now dead, brother. He turns to women, partying, and shutting out everyone and anyone to dumb the pain.

The love deprived daughter of a drug-addicted mother cannot trust anyone. She is entirely self-sufficient, which leaves her miserable. Very few people like her and even those who do can only handle her in small doses. She looks for love in all the wrong places with all the wrong people.

A sweet and naive girl tries to save everyone in her life. She fails over and over, but still holds out hope that one day she will break through. She gets taken advantage of. She is treated poorly. Her hearts is repeatedly broken.

A young girl copes with the divorce of her parents. Their lies to her are exposed sending her into a tailspin. She chooses to bottle up her emotions. She seeks the approval of questionable role models. Eventually, she seeks out the counsel of one whose own life is filled with the same brokenness.

This all sounds depressing. It is depressing to watch. However, it is not far from what many people deal with each and every day. They are walking around looking for someone or something to save them from their guilt, misery, and brokenness. Sadly, every savior fails to come through.

If anything shows like these remind me how good the good news of the gospel is. The gospel exposes all functional saviors. They are unable to save anyone from anything.

In his life and death, Jesus bore all our shame, guilt, pain, brokenness, and sin. He took it upon Himself. And in His resurrection, Jesus claimed victory over them all. His resurrection promises our freedom from them, both now and in the age to come.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. ~Acts 4:12

divine vs. human love

Honestly, I am not the biggest fan of studying church history. It is not exactly the most exciting field to study. However, I will admit it is extremely valuable. The Church, the bride of Christ, formed two thousand years ago, and has continued through the ages. Contrary to the belief of some, the Church did not fall off the map at any point in history. And God's Word tells us the Church will stand forever. Therefore, it is beneficial to know and understand the history, particularly when it comes to what we proclaim.

Not surprising, the men and women who have gone before us are also valuable resources for insights into Scripture and what it teaches. I found this quote from Martin Luther's Heidelberg Disputation (just as good as his 95 Theses in terms of content not significance) worthy of note.

The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it.

While I do not agree with everything Luther ever wrote, this may be one of the most succinct, yet powerful statements made about the love of God outside of Scripture.

Obviously I am not an expert regarding human love. However, I can agree wholeheartedly that it begins with that which is already lovely. I began the pursuit of my fiance because there was something about her that I deemed lovely and pleasing. My love took form and grew as I engaged more and more with those things I found desirable.

Praise God that His love operates in the opposite way! God does not look first onto that which is lovely. In fact, He first loves that which is altogether unlovely and disgusting. He sets His love and affection on sinners actively rebelling against Him. And not only does He gaze lovingly, but through Christ He transforms the unlovely.

I was an active rebel, dead in my sin. I wanted nothing to do with God. I was an object of His righteous judgment. And yet, His love for me in Christ pursued me. It paid the debt of my sin. It raised me to life. It clothed me in Christ's righteousness. It made me lovely. It made me pleasing to God.

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge ~Ephesians 3:18-10

back to the grind

Last Thursday I began my third year of seminary. As of three o'clock this afternoon, I had survived the first class in each of my five classes this semester. The period of syllabus reading and workload panicking is over. The ebbs and flows of another semester are upon me.

But in the midst of my mental weariness and ongoing adjustment, I am reminded of the blessing seminary continues to be for me.

A place where relationships form and grow as people study, learn, pray, and fellowship together.

A place where prayer is preached and practiced. The prayers of the professors are passionate, steeped in Scripture, genuine, God-honoring, and, often times, on behalf of the students.

A place where knowledge and study supplements personal intimacy and communion with God.

A place where grace is preached day in and day out to sinners in desperate need of it.

A place where one learns more about themselves as they learn more about their Creator.

I know there is a lot in store for this semester, but unlike the ones prior I enter with great anticipation for what God will do in and through it.

finding a good thing

He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.           ~Proverbs 18:22

Allow me to introduce you to my "good thing" come the summer of 2014...

It is safe to say my heart and soul are filled with much rejoicing!

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant!       ~Psalm 135:3

love in wrath?

When speaking of God, Christ, and the cross many get tripped up over notion of God's wrath. It sounds harsh. It makes many uncomfortable. It seems easier to avoid (as one denomination chose to do by removing "In Christ Alone" from their hymn book this past month for its inclusion of God's wrath). It suggests a stark contrast to the love of God.

However, wrath and love are not on opposite ends of the spectrum. They can (and do) go together, and perfectly, at that, when it comes to God. God's wrath is an expression of His love.

In King's Cross Tim Keller describes it using the following depiction,

If you don't believe in a God of wrath, you have no idea of your value. Here's what I mean. A god without wrath has no need to go the cross and suffer incredible agony and die in order to save you. Picture on the left a god who pays nothing in order to love you, and picture on the right the God of the Bible, who, because he's angry at evil, must go to the cross, absorb the debt, pay the ransom, and suffer immense torment. How do you know how much the "free love" god loves you or how valuable you are to him? Well, his love is just a concept. You don't know at all. This god pays no price in order to love you. How valuable are you to the God of the Bible? Valuable enough that he would go to these depths for you...Your conception of God's love-and of your value in His sight-will only be a big as your understanding of his wrath. (177-178)

God's wrath was poured out on Christ on the cross. And by doing so, God was beginning to reverse the reign and curse of sin, the object of His wrath. Because of His love for us, God was destroying the very things (sin and death), which had destroyed His good creation. Through the pouring out of His wrath, God was demonstrating His great love for us.

And that is love unlike any other.

whose agenda?

I actually read a book for pleasure during my vacation to the Lake in August. It was the first time I had willingly picked up a book since the semester ended back in May.

The book was King's Cross by Tim Keller. It focuses on Mark's Gospel account which presents Jesus as the true King eternally destined to bring His kingdom through the weakness and suffering of the cross.

When talking about Peter's rebuke at the news that Jesus would suffer, Keller focuses on Peter projecting his personal agenda upon Jesus the King.

We are no different than Peter. Keller keys in on this when he says,

If your agenda is the end, then Jesus is just the means; you're using him. But if Jesus is the King, you cannot make him a means to your end. You can't come to a king negotiating. You lay your sword at a king's feet and say, "Command me." If you try to negotiate instead, if you say, "I will obey you if...," you aren't recognizing him as a king. But don't forget this: Jesus is not just a king; he's a king of a cross. If he were only a king on a throne, you'd submit to him just because you have to. But he's king who went to the cross for you. Therefore you can submit to him out of love and trust...Taking up your cross means for you to die to self-determination, die to control of your own life, die to using him for your agenda. (106-107)

Am I more interested in using Jesus for my gain and glory? Or am I willing to sacrifice all of that for His?

the psalms

Back in April I had the privilege of preaching Psalm 6 and Psalm 103. Since then, I have remained in the psalms reading one each day. It has been both a joy and blessing.

The psalms are honest, raw, emotional, and packed full. In them we get a glimpse of the highest of highs as well as the lowest of lows. As a more emotional person, this is right in my wheel-house (to borrow the baseball term). Through the psalms, I have found much teaching on how to grieve/wrestle and rejoice in a worshipful way.

Take Psalm 77 (and note the way it easily breaks down, which adds to the beauty of the psalms)...

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

Rarely am I as diligent as the psalmist is in crying out to God. I'll give maybe one loud shout, and then move on. This guy shows it is acceptable to be persistent. He continues crying out until he hears an answer. As long as his grief remains, his crying will last.

You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search: “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

Not only does the psalmist cry out, but he wrestles. He wonders whether God has abandoned him. He despairs over the feeling of loneliness surrounding him. And he is actively searching into whether or not this could actually be the case. I tend to doubt and wrestle, but I fail to search like this guy. It is because of his searching that he is able to do what follows.

Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

In the midst of his despair, the psalmist goes back to what he knows: the faithful testimony of God through the ages. He recalls the love, grace, mercy, kindness, power, and wonder of God. He retells the Exodus, God's great salvation of Israel, to himself. It stands in the face of his doubt and despair. It rejuvenates his soul. All the comfort my soul needs is displayed on the cross, the fulfillment of God's great and eternal plan of redemption. It reveals the depths of His love, grace, mercy, kindness, power, and wonder. If I search long and hard into this, I will be able to respond like this psalmist.

When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; indeed, the deep trembled. The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side. The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The psalmist ends his cry with the specifics of God's actions. As he reflects on what he has seen/heard God do, he cannot help but find renewed faith. He ends with a declaration of faith that God's leading Israel will mean God's leading in his own trial.

This is why I love the psalms. They show we can be honest in the midst of our trials and joys, and that we can maintain a heart of worship despite the pain and jubilation. We do not have to be stoic robots with no emotion. We have been created with emotion and feeling in order to worship the God who gave them to us.