terminal illness

I have been diagnosed with a disease that will ultimately lead to my death. When, I’m not sure, but death is imminent. You see, I suffer from a disease called sin. It’s genetic and I inherited from my parents. Yes, it has been in the family for as long as we can trace it. This diseases manifests itself in many different symptoms. Sometimes it is obvious to those around me and at times it appears to be in remission. I have tried to treat this disease on my own many times and in many different ways. Sometimes I go into denial and act as if I’m not sick. Other times I try to hide the fact from others and put on a false front. After all, I don’t want others to view me as weak. Then, at times the reality sets in and I’m able to see how sick I really am. I’ve even tried treating the symptoms. You know, whenever this disease manifests itself in the forms of pride, lust, greed, or take your pick, I simply fool myself into thinking that if I can only manage the symptoms, then the disease will go away. Unfortunately, after I manage to get one under control for a brief time, many others manifest themselves in many different forms. This disease appears to be ingrained in my very essence. I’ve tried everything to try to get rid of this on my own, but it only seems to rage back with a force that is unbearable. Thus, I begin to wallow in this disease as reality sets in. I’m going to die, so why not eat, drink, and be merry? There is no cure. It appears that this is it. So I limp...

After giving up long ago, I received word that there is a man who claims that he has the cure for this disease I suffer from. Apathy set in long ago, but I decided to give it a shot. There’s nothing to lose, right? As my name is called, I catch my first glimpse of him. There is nothing that stood out to me as far as his looks go, but when we made eye contact I could since that there was something different about this doctor. He had a gentle smile and He had a scar in the palm of each hand which was definitely noticeable. He asked me to sit down and then he began to speak.

“Child, I want you to know that I have already diagnosed the problem. In fact, I am very familiar with this disease. I’m going to be honest with you because I love you too much not to give you the truth. This disease will end in death. You see, long ago your first parents were very healthy until they made a fatal choice. They chose to eat the fruit of a tree that was strictly forbidden. The result was this disease which you now carry. This disease is unrelenting and it separates and forbids you to ever enter into the presence of the King. It blinds your eyes so that you can’t see and it deafens your ears so that you cannot hear. It dulls your nerves so that eventually you will become numb and unable to feel. Child, you are more sick than you ever realized and the reality is that without the cure, you will spend not only this life, but eternity in separation from the King. You see, he set out the rules very clearly and his standard is nothing less than perfection. You will never be able to cure yourself. No matter much you try to treat the symptoms or fix yourself you will fail every time. This disease is way too powerful.”

At this point I begin to shed tears. “Then how can I be cured? I’ve tried everything. It seems like the harder I try the more it rears its nasty head. At times the pain is unbearable and I’ve been offered many different types of pain killers but it just comes roaring back. I’m hopeless and destitute. Who can heal me? Who can heal me.....”

As the tears streamed down my face, I feel a gentle hand lifting up my chin. Then I hear him speak, “Child, I have good news if you wish to receive it. Long ago before you were even born I knew that you would suffer from this disease so I came up with a plan. You see, I am just as much human as you are, yet when I was born into this world, I was not tainted with this disease. My Father and I arranged it so that my birth would be supernatural. I was conceived by the Holy Spirit even though my mother was a virgin. This is the only way it could happen. As I began to grow I was exposed to this disease many times by that crafty Serpent who deceived your parents. Thankfully I was able to defeat it with the Words that are written in the Sacred Book. You see, I lived among others just as yourself. I saw the horrors of this disease and the symptoms manifested in the worst of forms. I healed some along the way, but I really came ultimately for one purpose. I did not step out of my eternal glory to simply be an example to be followed. I did not come simply as a moral teacher. You see, child, I came to die! These scars on my hands are only a glimpse of what truly happened.” He paused for a second, then he lifted his shirt and pointed to his side. “You see this hole in my side? This is from a spear that the soldier thrust under my ribs piercing my heart. He wanted to make sure I was dead.” He then lifted his robe and showed me his feet. I couldn’t help but notice the stripes on his back as he turned back around. “Child, I did this for you! You deserved to be punished and killed for this disease you have. The King cannot simply ignore it. You must be healed in order to enter his presence. I knew you were hopeless, so I took your disease upon myself and died the death you deserved to die. The physical was nothing compared to the separation I had to endure from my Father. He could not bear to look at me. He had no choice but to turn His back and pour out His wrath upon me. This is the only way the disease could be eliminated. So I drank it to the dregs! It is finished!”

At this point I begin to weep even harder. “But I can never repay you! I can’t keep the rules, I’ve tried. I’m destitute and bankrupt!” He gently puts his finger to my lips and says, “Shhh.....hush child. You’re exactly where you need to be to receive the cure. You see, it’s a gift! A free gift! All you must do is receive it. I’ve done everything. You see, the grave could not hold me. After three days I rose from it destroying death once and for all. This is the first-fruits that guarantees your resurrection. If you but receive this gift, you will live! But if you reject it, then I have no choice but to pour out my wrath on you and banish you from the presence of the King for eternity. You can either accept that fact that I bore the wrath for you or you will have to bear this wrath yourself, for eternity.”

I look up at him with wet eyes and I said, “Please, I am yours. Rescue me from this disease! I repent of all the times I tried to cure myself and look to other things for false relief.” With a smile on His face, He says “Child, I give you my righteousness. You are now fit to enter into the presence of the King! Now, before you leave I want you to know that I have chosen you to proclaim this Good News to others. You are not the only one who suffers from this disease. If you love other people, you will tell them the reality of this horrible disease. Don’t simply treat the symptoms giving them a false since of hope. Proclaim and declare to them the diagnosis. They are fatal! Love them enough to give them the only cure and send them to me. Now go into all the world and proclaim this!”

From that day on I have not been the same. This disease will still eventually cost me my physical life, but it will be the release into the presence of my King. He will then return one day to raise me to life once again. This is the Hope I have. Life only began when I found I was already dead! Now I must proclaim this message of Good News until He comes!

holy

“You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD (Yahweh) am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” Le 20:26

Holy.

How often do we actually stop and contemplate what it means to be holy? Although these words were originally addressed to the nation of Israel, the command is extended in the NT and applies to all believers in all times. Israel would serve as a paradigm of the human heart as God chose them to be His own special people based on nothing they had done to deserve His favor. He redeemed them from the bondage of slavery and would lead them on a journey of epic proportions through the wilderness. In exchange, He simply asked that they love Him and keep His commandments. Israel would eventually arrive in the Promised land, but within a few generations they would go apostate and forget the God who had brought them out of their bondage and suffering and turn and serve other gods through means of child sacrifice and ritual prostitution. They would literally “whore” after other gods and cheat on Yahweh with whom they had entered into covenant with. They had agreed that he would be their LORD and they would be His vassal. In exchange for their loyalty and love, God would bless them. However, if they would break covenant, the heavens and earth would act as a witness against them and God would bring upon them the curses that were outlined in their covenant agreement. As you read the history of Israel, God does exactly what He says He is going to do. Israel broke covenant and He had no choice but to eventually boot them out the Promised land just like He said He would do.

I am Israel. I was born in bondage and sin. Dead. A corpse. I literally hated God. I needed to be rescued out of my Egypt. But God is a holy God and a holy God has no choice but to punish sin. The consequence is death. I must die! His justice must be upheld, but how? I am sick. I am wicked. I constantly whore after other gods of my own creation. I look for satisfaction in anything or anyone except the only One that can give me true satisfaction. “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus rescued me from Egypt. He ransomed me from the bondage and oppression of sin. The penalty, death, has been paid at the expense of a Holy God. And what does He ask of me? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Just like Israel, Christ simply asks that I keep His commandments and to “be holy because He is holy.” He has separated us from the peoples so that we should be His. His very own special people that have been called to represent His love and to reflect His glory. But oh how I fail. Oh how I whore after other gods. I serve Him, but just like Israel I trust in my own strength, pride, and self-righteousness. Why is a holy God so patient with me and not yet booted me out of this land?

The more I gaze into the holiness of God the more I realize my own sin and the gap continues to grow larger. I am hopeless and the weight of my sin is immense. What can bridge this gap between my sin and God’s holiness?

The cross! That bloody, disgusting, rugged, tree on which a Holy God entered into our suffering and paid a price that was infinite. My sin was so great that the cost was infinite and an infinite God chose to enter into my suffering and pay the penalty that I rightfully owed! It is finished! But He did not stop there. He rose from the grave and conquered sin, death, and Satan. He has clothed me in His righteousness and given me His Spirit in order that I can be convicted of sin and testify of this grace and gift of repentance. He simply asks that I confess and it brings Him joy when I acknowledge my sin and turn to Him with a heart of repentance. Joy! Unfathomable. A Holy God receives joy when I acknowledge my sin and turn to Him!

I can never repay Christ for the what He has done, so the best thing I can do to show my love for Him is to keep His commandments! Oh God, may you grant me the desire and humility to submit to your Spirit and keep your commands so that I may love you!

some random thoughts

There are no guarantees in life! The more I reflect on the past the one thing that keeps ringing true is that nothing is guaranteed and that God owes me nothing. Entitlement will ruin you. When we approach God and attempt to project on Him what we define as fair, just, and righteous, the results are devastating. We cannot assume what is true of man is also true of God. The minute we attempt to do so, the created order is turned on its head and creature/Creator distinction becomes muddied and blurred. This is also known as idolatry. We attempt to bring God down to a level that is at the very least equal to creation and proceed to manipulate Him to meet our needs and wants. Prayer then becomes a means whereby we attempt to leverage our deeds and works as spiritual equity with God. It’s not hard to see how entitlement will utterly ruin us.

The only guarantee in life is Christ. We must find our identity and security in Him alone. When faced with circumstances in which we will offend either God or man, we must ere on the side of offending man. We have a very high calling on our life as ambassadors of King Jesus. Our citizenship is in heaven and we represent a King and Kingdom that is not of this world.

The only two things that do not change is God and man. The Dr. (by now I assume you know that I am referring to my dead mentor, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones) used to always say that for proof of this, ask someone to invent a new sin. There is no sin that is committed today that is not recorded in the OT and there is no sin in the OT that is not still being committed today. The external circumstances may have changed, but the heart of man has not changed.

When I read the Bible, the world makes sense. It explains why there is evil and pain and suffering. Nothing should surprise the believer. We should expect opposition, pain, suffering, and yes, even persecution. Mind you persecution is not always physical, but can also come in the form of verbal or slander as well. Christ said that the when the world hates you, “and it will” know that it hated me first.

I feel as if I have no choice but to proclaim the Gospel. Like Jeremiah, “I am full of the wrath of Yahweh; I am weary of holding it in.” Like Paul, I seek to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. At the same time, the results will not always be deemed a success by the world’s standards. To those who are called it is the power of God to salvation! The only thing possible for positive change in the world is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything else merely slows the decaying process!

So, what do I make of everything. Here’s all that I know. I’ve been placed on this earth and entrusted with the responsibility to live a life as an ambassador for King Jesus! My citizenship is in heaven and I am already seated in the heavenlies. I expect some to receive the message and be transformed from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Life. I expect others to reject it and hurl insults and persecution and opposition to me for proclaiming the Gospel. But I rest in the fact that I am not responsible for the results, only proclaiming it. The Puritans used to say that the same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay. My prayer is that I can say along with Paul, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!”. God forbid if I waste my life. I desire so deeply to hear Jesus say, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”

what is man?

What is man?

In an age of optimism, self-esteem, and progress, I’m sure I’ll be labeled a pessimist. At the end of the day, I really don’t care because I feel that if one is truly honest, they will come to the same conclusion. If you have a warped and incorrect view of what man is, then you will also have warped and incorrect view of man’s troubles and problems. We live in a world that operates on the basis that one has the right to express themselves as they wish, even at the expense of others. Therefore, whatever one likes is therefore of necessity legitimate. Man has set himself up as the highest authority and answers to no one. All the talk about sin and depravity is foolish and only leads to self-repression, which is of course the only sin. What at one time was labeled sin, is now just self-expression and is the highest and most vital possession that man has. Man is merely a result of his environment and instincts and his highest good is found in exercising these powers. At the same time, those who take a stand for what God has revealed as sin are labeled as a bigot, psychopath, and is not only sinning against himself but also against humanity at large. Thus, evil is called good and good is deemed evil.

For some reason, we all have a warped view of what the norm of history and society has revealed to us. Just a cursory look at history will show the norm and default mode of society is far more riddled with war, violence, and conflict rather than this false sense of utopia and peace that we all tend to assume. In fact, history is basically a study of war and struggle between nations and individuals. There never has been a time of universal peace and when peace does occur, it is by far an abnormality, not the norm. That said, what has caused all this conflict, war, death, disease, and suffering?

The first thing we must point out is that man fails to recognize the true nature of self. It’s obvious that before expression must come definition. Man does not understand that his true nature is depraved and not good. The Gospel is not a call to self-repression, rather it is a call back to the realization of the true nature of man. The current view of man does not differentiate between the self and the factors that influence the self or the factors which one uses to express themselves. In reality, man is nothing more than a result of these factors and their effects. These factors may be biological which says that man is nothing more than a mechanism and his personality and self is purely the result of biological forces. Closely related is those that view man in terms of instincts. Still others view man in terms of his environment and geographical or climactic location. The one thing that all these views have in common is that the self has become lost. It is not longer a distinct entity, rather is regarded merely as a result produced by the interaction of these various forces and factors. Self-expression simply means allowing these factors to have free play and exercise in his conduct. Furthermore, to restrain these factors is to do violence to himself.

In Matthew 18:8-9, Jesus says, “And if your hand or your foot causes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.” Notice that Jesus does not identify the self with these instruments and powers. In fact, the true self is far more important and greater. They are simply the servants and instruments which the self is to control and use according to its will. According to Christ, man is not simply the result of biological and environmental factors. He is much more. There is another element within man that transcends all these--the soul. To identify the self as nothing more than a result of various factors is nothing more than an attempt to justify and rationalize sin. It chooses to deliberately ignore that which does not fit its scheme or system. Thus, we see that this view of man robs him of his greatest glory, his soul and spirit, which attests that there is more to him than just his body. It is therefore an insult to him and God because it reduces him to the level of a beast or animal and blatantly ignores the fact that man has been created and bears the image of God Himself.

Not only is the self separate and distinct from the hands, the feet, and the eyes, but it also may be “offended” by them. Not only do the various instincts and impulses fail to true and only self, but may actually be the greatest enemy, source of offense, and cause of damnation. Here is something which most people ignore altogether because their view of sin is false and fails to recognize the danger that threatens the self from within. This recognition of sin is the whole crux of the matter. It is sin that has introduced this complexity. The very faculties that were designed to be servants of man has become his master. There is nothing more dangerous than to allow these faculties to guide us because of sin.

How tragic and foolish it is to ignore sin! A travesty and yet that very principle is being advocated for today. The reality that sin is being ignored and self-expression encouraged is fraught with the most dangerous consequences conceivable. There is only one test of whether or not something is right, the test of pleasure and enjoyment. If it is your desire to stifle your conscience, murder your reason, and quench every desire of higher and nobler things which arise in you, and if your desire is merely to satisfy your lust and the craving for pleasure, then go for it! Just realize that the true way to express the self is the way of discipline and order, reason and prayer, the voice of conscience and encouraging every uplifting thought and desire. The world may regard you as a fool, and from its standpoint you will certainly be maimed and have but one eye, but you will be a man worthy of the name. Jesus said that we should expect opposition, persecution, and resistance. They hated Him, what makes us think that the world will not hate us as well. Hold fast to the Cross of Christ which alone can give meaning to sinful and depraved humans!

[Much of this is a meditative reflection based on Truth Unchanged, Unchanging by Martyn Lloyd-Jones that I’m currently reading]

a word from my dead mentor

"[Christ] still remains the only hope of individual man, and the only hope for the whole world. Is the Gospel still relevant? Is its ancient message still adequate? The answer is that it alone is relevant. It alone can deal with, and solve, the problems of mankind."

"The Gospel of Jesus Christ confronts and challenges the modern world with the statement that it alone has the answer to all man's questions and the solution to all his problems. In a world seeking a way out of its tragedy and its troubles, the Gospel announces that the solution is already available. In a world feverishly looking to the future, and talking about plans for the future, the Gospel proclaims that the search is not only mistaken in direction, but is also quite unnecessary. It denounces the fatal habit of pinning our hopes to something that is going to happen. It announces that all that people, individually and collectively, need has been at the disposal of mankind for two thousand years. For the central message of the Gospel is to tell people that everything necessary for their salvation is to be found in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the only begotten Son of God. It is in Him, His life and His teaching, that we see what we are meant to be and the kind of life we are meant to live. It is in His death upon the cross that we see the sin of the world finally exposed and condemned. It is through His death that we see the only way whereby man can be reconciled to God. It is from Him alone that we can derive new life and obtain a new beginning. It is only as we receive power from Him that we can begin to live the life God intended us to live...The Gospel proclaims that the time is coming when at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, 'of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.' (Php 2:10). Thus, the Gospel of Jesus Christ confronts man and urges him to turn back to this unique Person who was here on earth two thousand years ago, in whom alone salvation is to found."

-Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, from "Truth Unchanged, Unchanging", 105-06.

What is Mortal will be Swallowed up by Life

I just received word an hour ago that my aunt passed away last night after a six month battle with brain cancer. Although I rejoice that she is in the presence of Christ, I still cannot look upon her death and not feel outrage and anger at the effects of sin. It is once again an all too real reminder that death is the last, but also the ugliest, strongest, and merciless enemy that we will all have to face. I take comfort in the fact that Christ has gone before us and that even He experienced death. Furthermore, we all died with Him in His crucifixion, yet we are all raised with Him in His resurrection. It’s moments like these when I feel blessed in a very real way to emotionally and spiritually enter into the sufferings of Christ. It is not something to run from, rather it is to be embraced and cherished. Count it pure joy, brothers, when you experience trials of various kinds. Christ entered into our sufferings by offering Himself on our behalf. The pain that I now feel is the very pain that Christ felt. The outrage at looking upon death is the very outrage that He expressed. The Gospel becomes very real in the midst of loss. Through the deepest possible pain, I can still say, God is enough. Although I cannot begin to understand why or how, I know that it “cannot” be that He doesn’t love us. The cross totally blows that out of the water. I long to be with my family, especially my mother at this time. I knew that moving 2600 miles away from home would have its drawbacks, but this is by far the toughest. I feel as if I am being poured out. I try to focus on this in relation to the loneliness that Christ felt, but He was abandoned by everyone, His Father included. This gamut of emotions pales in comparison to what Christ experienced but I trust that I do not run from this pain. Death is a curse, but is also a blessing for those who are in Christ. “This perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?...For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” It is in death that we truly find life. Look to Jesus, it is in His death alone that we may truly begin to live. This is the Gospel! A holy God cannot leave sin unpunished, yet a merciful God cannot leave us without a way of redemption and forgiveness, reconciling us to Himself. As John Owen, the famous puritan put it, the cross is the death of death in the death of God. Christ became what He hated most so that He could make us become righteous and holy. This great exchange, He took my sin, which really wasn’t His and gave me His righteousness which really wasn’t mine! So, as I sit here and sort this out, I hope and pray that I do not forget this day. I am outraged and livid when I look at death and the effects of sin and suffering, yet I am comforted and blessed to enter into the very sufferings of my Savior, even if it is but a glimpse of what He experienced!

outrage

I recently had the privilege of spending the day listening to Dr. Don Carson speak in Seattle. He is one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars and it’s not very often that I have the opportunity to sit under the teaching of such a distinguished theologian. During the course of the sessions, he devoted an entire hour to examining John 11 and the the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It’s not my aim at this time to discuss all the implications that are involved in this passage, however, Dr. Don did expose something in the text that I had never heard before.

To give a brief background of this passage, Jesus and his disciples were some distance away from Judea when they received word that Lazarus was ill. Jesus decides to wait a full two days before leaving to make the journey to Lazarus. At first thought, this may seem strange, but it would prove strategic on the part of Christ. He knew that Lazarus was to die, but in the historical context, it was not uncommon for individuals to be mistaken as dead only to be discovered otherwise in the process of burial. So, according to Jewish customs, a person had to be dead for four days before they were “officially” dead. Even if Jesus had left immediately, Lazarus would have still been dead upon his arrival. Furthermore, we know that in precedence Christ had healed the centurion’s servant from a distance and it was not beyond his ability or custom to do so on occasion. Ultimately, Jesus wanted the people who were to witness this miracle to know beyond a doubt that it was from God. By delaying two days, he would arrive after Lazarus was dead, and no one would be able to claim that he was merely sleeping. Summarily, Jesus’ delay was intentional and would attest that Lazarus’ resurrection was an act that would vindicate and validate his deity.

This would also prove to be Jesus’ last journey to Judea. He would ultimately be arrested and crucified during the course of this journey. That said, Jesus arrives and meets Martha outside the village. Mary is given word of his arrival and goes out to meet him. It is at this point, in the midst of her weeping, that she says: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” The text then states that “when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled”...and again upon arrival at the tomb he was “deeply moved” yet again. Dr. Carson pointed out that this term literally means that Christ was “OUTRAGED”. He wasn’t merely moved in the sentimental, emotional, sadness of the situation; he was OUTRAGED, indeed, even furious. But why? He knew he was going to raise Lazarus. Why the OUTRAGE? Death, at its very core, is a result of sin and the fall. Every time Jesus sees death, he is reminded of the effects of sin. He is OUTRAGED, because sin is the ultimate cause of all suffering and death in the world. We were not created this way. Every person bears the image of God and every time someone suffers or dies, it vindicates the reality of SIN. Jesus is holy and cannot merely look at sin, suffering, and death and feel anything other than RIGHTEOUS HATRED. This is why he was OUTRAGED, FURIOUS, and LIVID. Lazarus death once again points to the core of all of humanity’s problems--SIN. And Jesus is OUTRAGED!

What amazes me most, in meditating on this OUTRAGE, is that in a very short time, Jesus was to become what he hated most. He would literally become SIN and the OUTRAGE that he was experiencing would be directed at HIM by the Father, the full wrath of God would be poured out on him to the very dregs and he would be crushed for our iniquities and our SIN. Jesus became what He hated most and died as a substitute in your place, thus paying the penalty for mine and your SIN.

What are the implications of this? How should we respond? Every time we see pain, suffering, and death, we should feel this same OUTRAGE. Murder, rape, genocide, slavery, human trafficking, all the social-ills, AIDS, cancer, and war, to name but a few attest to the reality that SIN still exists in this world--it is a travesty. In light of the person and work of Christ, we should feel the same OUTRAGE that he felt regardless of our future glorification. There is such a thing as righteous anger. Have you experienced this OUTRAGE?

In light of the Gospel, the only thing powerful enough to have any potential for positive change is that we embrace the full Gospel and allow it to define our identity and purpose in this world. We must address the reality of SIN and treat the disease. The only cure is the cross of Christ. All else is merely a futile attempt to treat the symptoms by some means of spiritual morphine. It may lessen the pain, but the reality is that the disease is still present and worse yet, people do not even know they’re contaminated.

As believers, we should feel OUTRAGED when we see the effects of SIN in the form of pain, suffering, and death. At the same time, this should motivate us to share this very Gospel that is “the POWER” of God to salvation to all who accept Christ and his work on their behalf on the cross. Body of Christ, I pray that this very OUTRAGE motivates you to reflect all the more on the person and work of Christ and in turn devote your life to proclaiming the cross to all who are dead and lost in their SIN! The cost of this Gospel we have been entrusted with is infinite and is something more valuable than anything else on this planet--material or spiritual. Don’t waste your life!

solus Christus
m.

contend: an exhortation (video)

contend: an exhortation

What is the cost of following Christ? I believe inevitably it is the cost of your life. As you know it. On this earth. True grace understands that it cost the the Son of God his very life. This grace is infinitely valuable. To embrace true grace is to truly die to yourself and your desires in every area of life. Sure, it may not cost you martyrdom in the physical sense, but alas, I can assure you that you will face martyrdom. Christ is clear when he says that the world hated him and they will hate you as well. The Christian is an enigma. He is not at home in this world. He is a pilgrim, a sojourner, a nomad, a vagabond. We cherish the time that we have been given to embrace the full Gospel of Christ and the costly grace that has been bestowed upon us.

But oh how much we abuse this grace. We treat it as if it were purchased at a thrift store for the price of pennies on the dollar. Because it was freely given it must have been freely purchased. What blasphemy! What arrogance! What an abomination! To claim to have been bought by the very blood of the Son of God and to in turn spit in his face and represent him in this world as if he is a hill of dung! If it weren’t for Christ, we would all be damned at this very moment! We would still be dead in our sin and at enmity with God. Corpses. Even our good deeds amounting to bloody tampons and menstrual rags. Apart from Christ, we are NOTHING! In Christ, we have our redemption. In Christ, we have been reconciled to God! In Christ, we have been justified and declared righteous! In Christ, we have our adoption! In Christ, is our propitiation, satisfying the very wrath of God that we deserved to have poured out on us to the dregs! In Christ we have victory over the enemy and death! In Christ our salvation is secure! This is true grace! Grace that demands a person to leave all for the sake of his Master! Grace that constrains us to know nothing but Christ and him crucified! Grace that preaches the gospel as the very power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes! Grace that counts everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord! Grace that for his sake we suffer the loss of all things and count them as dung, in order that we may gain Christ! Indeed, this very grace that requires us to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints!

We have been entrusted with something infinitely more valuable than anything on this earth can even come close to in comparison. This Gospel, is the only thing that will reconcile fallen man to God. As believers, we are in an all out WAR! And this war is for the very souls of men. That’s how valuable the Gospel is. And oh how it is profaned and spoken of so flippantly! Body of Christ, its high time we contend for the faith that we have been entrusted with. At the very least I can guarantee that it will cost you something. You will be martyred in some way. Count it all joy, brethren! May the love of Christ control us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, we regard no one according to the the flesh. Even though we one regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from GOD, who through CHRIST reconciled us to himself and gave US the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in CHRIST God was reconciling the world to himself not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We IMPLORE you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that IN HIM we might become the righteousness of God.

Oh, if we would truly embrace the full Gospel and allow it to transform our life! I pray that God will allow our lives as believers to be defined by this very Gospel he has entrusted us with to represent him to the unbelieving world. May we repent of our cheap, flippant ways in which Christ is so grossly misrepresenting to the unbelieving world. May the love of God that cost Christ his very life compel you to proclaim and live this Gospel, even if the cost is infinite!

solus Christus
m.

the day after: a reflecion

In light of the conclusion of yesterday’s election, I could not help but be amazed by the response of people on both sides.  I don’t want to come off as being a cynic or rain on anyone’s party, but I’m somewhat grieved.  Primarily, the grief has nothing to do with President Elect Obama.  When it comes to politics, I’m a moderate and I’ll give anyone a fair shake.  Ultimately, I believe that God is in control and Romans 13 is clear, ...”Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”  So, I submit myself and honor Obama as my President as I have Bush.  I have no qualms and I’m at absolute peace and understand that God is and has been in control of every election.  

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of my dead mentors I often read, says that there are two things that never change;  God and man.  When I look at world history, I cannot help but see that “peace” is not the default mode of society, rather it’s war.  Times of peace are actually an abnormality as far as world history is concerned.  Look at the history of our nation alone.  We have seen far more years of war than peace.  Every empire eventually falls and the world is a “jacked” up place.  Always has been, always will be.  That is, until Christ returns and makes things right.  What grieves me is that so many people, Christians included, place so much faith in one man as if he is the savior and is going to set everything right and we’re going to live in this utopia for time immemorial.  This is not the first time I’ve observed this in my short life.  It happens every four years.  A president is elected, hopes are high, hopes are dashed, the parties “war” blaming each other.  No one takes responsibility or acknowledges that they could have possibly been wrong on a “matter”.  I can’t help but see depravity everywhere.  People are longing for a Savior.  Someone to rescue them from their dire condition and make things right.  They want Jesus, but they don’t know it and don’t want to know it.  All men have the desire to be rescued and worship something bigger and beyond themselves.  That’s the way God created us.  Anything short of Christ will only result in apathetic let downs and dashed hopes and dreams.  

So, how bad is this world?  It’s worse than you think it is.  How lost are you?  More lost than you believe you are, myself included.  How much does God love you?  More than you ever dared hope for.  So much that he personally came to this earth and took on human flesh and gave his own life on your behalf.  That’s where true “change” occurs.  By Christ rescuing us from our fallen state.  If we would only fall more passionately in love with the Gospel of Christ and embrace it and allow it to define our lives.  It wouldn’t matter who was in office.  There is nothing more powerful on the face of this earth than the true power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is the “power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.”  That my friends is where the change has to occur.  By all means, politics has its place.  It was instituted by God.  But it is primarily a negative force to somewhat manage and slow the decay of this utterly rotten world in which we live.  The only positive change that occurs in this world  through lives being rescued out this darkness and brought into the light of the Gospel.  

So, I conclude by making this appeal.  If you’re a believer in Christ, I urge you to embrace the full Gospel and allow it to take hold of your life.  If your not a believer, I want you to know that I love you and I’m praying for you and I’m here for you!  I understand what its like to not believe.  I understand what its like to not like Christians.  But please, this is something that goes far beyond this life.  I love you too much not to give you this truth.  If you truly desire to be rescued, please turn to Christ and he will receive you with open arms just as you are, baggage included.  I love you!

The Prodigal God

When it comes to understanding the Gospel in opposition not only to irreligion, but also religion, Tim Keller is among the best. In his latest book, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith, Keller beautifully deconstructs the parable of the Prodigal Son and mines all the precious gems that are often looked over. I would recommend this book to every believer, especially those that have grown up in religious Christianity and struggle with religious baggage. Also, listen here for the sermon that inspired the book!

Losing the Gospel in the Fog of Politics and Social Justice

[Recently, I’ve been making my way through a book by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones entitled The Assurance of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depths of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own. The book consists of around fifty sermons that he preached on Sunday mornings from 1952 to 1953. It has been tremendously rewarding and sobering. This week, while making my way through the middle section of Christ’s prayer, a few things have stood out. Subsequently, the wheels have been turning and I’m going to attempt to relate some of my thoughts on some issues I’ve been wrestling with of late.]

In John 17:11, Jesus says:

...”I am no longer in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and no one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

These words were uttered literally hours before Jesus would proceed to the cross. The hour had finally arrived and he was about to fulfill what he had ultimately been sent by the Father to do. It’s interesting that he uttered this prayer out loud and that it was obviously intended for the disciples to hear. Fortunately, this prayer was not limited to his disciples, but intended for all believers in all times, ourselves included. In verse twenty, Jesus says, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word...”. I cannot help but be amazed that during this hour of utmost emotional and spiritual distress, Christ took the time to pray for his own, myself included. A sobering thought. Furthermore, I cannot help but intrigued that he asked the Father not to take them out of world, but that you keep them from the evil one. Why did he pray this? I cannot help but wonder at times why God leaves his people in such a wicked, polluted, dark, and fallen world? Why not instantly take us out of this world and directly into his presence? These are questions I have wrestled with multiple times throughout my life as a believer. To further complicate matters, he says that we are not of the world, but it’s obvious that we exist in the world. Then he proceeds to ask the Father to sanctify them in truth; your word is truth. Finally, Jesus says he has sent us into the world.

In light of this passage, among many others, I struggle to find a balance between existence in the world and not being of the world. When I look around, I cannot help but see a huge pendulum swing in two opposing directions. There are those who believe it is the role of believers to transform the world through political means and by simply voting for the correct candidate they have fulfilled their role. Change occurs by political means and as long as we vote and elect the right individuals, then we can rest assured that we have done our job. Once abortion is “illegal” and gay marriage is not “recognized”, then we have achieved what God has left us here to do. I agree with the Dr. when he says by way of a blunt assertion: “...with regard to the relationship of the church and the individual Christian to such matters...is that the Christian’s interest in such things is not direct but indirect. Let me put it this way: all these matters are part of the function of the state and not of the church as church, nor of the Christian as Christian--of the Christian as a citizen of the state, certainly, but not of the Christian qua Christian...The functions of the state are of necessity good because the state has been appointed by God; let us never forget that. It is therefore a good thing to point out things which are wrong...all these things [concerns for political issues, social justice, etc.] are perfectly all right and we should be glad of them and pay due attention to them. Teaching about morality, in and of itself, is right. It is good to warn people against the consequences and the dangers of wrong actions, and it is right that the law of the land should be enforced. It is wrong to break the law, and it should be the business of all citizens to see that the law of the land and the statute of the book is enforced...I want to go further: it is right that the state should enforce God’s law, because the state derives its own being from God...The state is not a human contrivance, it is not man who conceived the idea of the state and of law, it is God who ordained it...and one of the duties of the state is, therefore, to see that God’s name is honored and glorified...It is the business of the citizen to see that the state functions in the best way and one of the functions of the state is to remind men of God, and to see that the rulers are God-fearing people.”

Along with the Dr., I do not have a problem with the role and function of government, or even desiring to elect God-fearing candidates, but I do think this mentality falls short when we view government and politics as a means to an end in and of itself. Government and politics function primarily in a negative sense. The Dr. concludes with the following: “...you will see at once that the purpose of all this is simply to set a limit to sin and to the results of sin and wrongdoing. All that I have been describing can do nothing more than control sin and keep it within bounds. I think that it is obvious that it is an entirely negative work...all these things can never make anybody a Christian. It is a very great sin to confuse law and grace. These movements are really only concerned with law, and it is their function to keep people under the law until they come under grace...It is because of this this, then, that I go on to say that really laws and regulations and various other things have nothing to do with the Christian as such, and that is why I said earlier on that these things are not primarily the business of the church...it is the business of the church to preach the gospel and to show what I would call, with Paul, ‘a more excellent way’. That is why the church must always be careful to ensure that nothing she does or says should ever detract from or her compromise her message and her gospel. The church derives her power entirely and solely from God and in no sense from the sate, or from the law. If there is one thing about which we should be more jealous than anything else it is that within the church we recognize no law, no leader, no ultimate king save the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sole head of the church--no state, no man, no monarch, no one else but the Lord himself...The church ,in other words, must never hide herself behind the law of the land and she must never try to enforce her message by using the law of the land, for that is to compromise her gospel. It is to make the unbeliever in the world say, ‘Ah these people are trying to force this upon us, they are using the law in order to get it done.’ No, at all costs the church must keep her message pure and clean, and she must take her stand upon the purity of the gospel and upon that alone. Indeed I do not hesitate to go so far as to say that the church, claiming as she does that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, must be prepared to say that her gospel will work in spite of the world whatever its state, whatever its condition; that even if hell be let loose on the face of the earth, her gospel is still powerful...As a preacher of the gospel...I must stand on the basis that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church; that as the power of the church is the Holy Spirit, it matters not what the world may be like, for this gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and in order to get right down into the dregs and do its own work, it need no help from the state. It does not need to hide behind the law, because it can stand on its own feet and trust in the power of the living God.”

Not only do I see the pendulum swing in the direction of a political gospel but I also believe that it swings in the opposite direction of a social gospel in which God leaves us here to merely act on issues of social justice and change will occur. Feeding the poor, embracing culture, etc. are seen as a means to an end. Unfortunately, I feel we’re looking at two sides of the same coin. Both sides fall tragically short of proclaiming and giving the people the truth of the gospel. They merely treat symptoms without getting to the root and treating the disease of indwelling sin and separation from God. Both sides view either themselves or others as a victim of the system, as opposed to sinners opposed to a holy God who has given believers the task of proclaiming this truth through the power of the gospel. I’m grieved as I look at both sides spending so much time shooting their bullets at each other and not at the true enemy who has blinded those to the truth of the gospel. Change does not occur in those ways, but in a much more positive way: the gospel way. The Dr. furthers this argument by pleading with us to “rely upon God’s work, and of course this work of God in the soul is regeneration; it is the making of a new man, the creating of a new being, the giving of a new life. So the gospel way of attacking this problem is not negative...but positive....The gospel and the church are not so much interested in less sin, as in more and positive holiness. All the other movements...are interested in avoiding sin, but the Christian life is about sanctification. Though a man may never drink, though he may never, even, do any of the things which are wrong in and of themselves, yet, if he does not see himself as a vile, hopeless sinner who is saved only by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is as lost and damned as the most profligate sinner in the world. The church and the Christian should not be interested only, or even primarily, in the general social effects of salvation, but in the fact that men and women should be brought nearer to God, and should live for his glory. When the church gives the world the impression that she interested in revival only in order to heal certain moral sores, she is denying her own message. I am not primarily interested in revival in order that the streets may be cleansed; I am interested in it because I believe that for any man not to glorify God is an insult to God. I know that such a man is held bound, and my desire is that he may come to know God and glorify him in his daily life. The church is not interested primarily in the social consequences of irreligion...[that results in] becoming so interested in social conditions that we forget primary truth...that is morality, and not Christianity.”

So where does this bring us? How is the Christian to be in the world but not of the world? In the Jesus’ manifesto given in the Sermon on the Mount, he states emphatically that Christians are the salt of the earth and the light to the world. He has just finished describing the character and identity of the Christian, given in the Beatitudes. This naturally leaders to the function and conduct of the believer. Salt represents preservation. The Christian is first off to be a preserving force in a world that is rotting and subject to putrefaction. Secondly, he is an illuminating force pointing and proclaiming unbelievers to the truth of the Gospel. In regards to preservation the Dr. adds...“the Christian and the gospel, are not so much concerned about removing occasions for sin, as in removing from man the desire to sin. ‘I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one...Sanctify them.’ Our Lord is saying in effect, ‘I am not so concerned that you should take the occasion for sin away but that you should take out of man the desire to take advantage of the occasion.’ You see the difference? The gospel of Jesus Christ does not so much take the Christian out of the world, as take the world out of the Christian. That is the point. ‘Sanctify them’: whatever the world is like around and about them, if the world is not in them, the world outside them will not be able to affect them. That is the glory of the gospel; it makes a man free in the midst of hell...Or again...the gospel is not so much concerned about changing the conditions as about changing the man...You need not change the man’s conditions before you change the man--thank God, the gospel can change the man in spite of the conditions.”

I don’t want people to think I’m against politics or social justice. In fact I believe that both are right if done correctly. I’ve actually written at length recently about religious oppression of social justice. I believe the Dr. once again sums it up best: “...our main concern should not be so much to limit the power of evil as to increase the power of godliness within us. Let me give an illustration at this point. The gospel is not primarily concerned to remove the sores of infection, or to put us out of the danger of infection; what the gospel does is to build up our resistance to infection to such a point that it renders us immune to it. The [believer] is not concerned with trying to destroy the infection. Until our Lord returns again the infection will be there; until Satan is cast into the lake burning with fire, the infection will continue. You cannot stop it! It will be there in spite of our [political and social] efforts. The Christian is not primarily concerned about that. The business of the Christian, and the church, and the gospel is to see that you and I take so much of the pure milk of the word and strong meat of the word that our resistance is built up to such an extent that we can, as it were, stay in a house of infectious disease, and be absolutely immune. The germs are there, yes, but we are filled with anti-bodies that destroy them the moment they attack us...’Sanctify them’--that is sanctification, and its whole approach is not negative, but entirely positive. Sanctification means that we become more like the Lord Jesus Christ. He was so immune that he could sit with publicans and sinners and not be contaminated by them. People could not understand it. Pharisees could not understand it. ‘This man is a friend of publicans and sinners,’ they said. But because of his resistance, our Lord could sit there without danger at all; and what our Lord prays is that we may be made like him. He says, ‘As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.’ ‘Sanctify them.’ Make them like me, render them immune from assaults of temptation that whenever attack comes they will be guarded against it. ‘I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one’. And that is the ultimate way we are kept...Though in it, we shall not be of it; we shall be walking through it in the light with God.”

I have to confess that I have been convicted and know that I swing from time to time in each direction, typically in regards to trying to treat the symptoms without giving people the solution to the disease by way of the power of the gospel. I pray that God will continue to keep you, my brothers and sisters, from swinging too far in either direction, but that we may all keep our eyes focused on Christ as he continues to sanctify us and form us more into the image of Jesus. Amen!

religious oppression of social justice

“The tendency of religious people...is to use spiritual and ethical observance as a lever to gain power over others and over God, appeasing him through their good works. This leads to both an emphasis on external religious forms as well as greed, materialism, and oppression in social arrangements. Those who believe they have pleased God by the quality of their devotion and moral goodness naturally feel that they and their group deserve deference and power over others...In Jesus’ and the prophets’ critique, self-righteous religion is always marked by insensitivity to issues of social justice, while true faith is marked by profound concern for the poor and marginalized.” - Tim Keller, The Reason for God, 59-60.

The more I understand the true, holistic nature of the Gospel, the more I abhor religion. The essence of religion requires man to observe ritualistic traditions and/or work to maintain his righteousness in order to appease a holy God. Religion says in effect if I obey God He will love me. It is man-centered and by religion you are attempting in your own strength to achieve the impossible. Because religion forces you to compare yourself to others rather than Christ, those whom are poor and marginalized become a simple and easy target. There is no grace offered or given, because in religion one has not truly accepted or received true grace as experienced in the Gospel.

Tim Keller, in his book The Reason for God, offers some very interesting insight into this issue. He says, “Extremism and fanaticism, which lead to injustice and oppression, are a constant danger within the body of religious believers. For Christians, however, the antidote is not to tone down and moderate their faith, but rather to grasp a fuller and truer faith in Christ. The scholar Merold Westphal documents how Marx’s analysis of religion as an instrument of oppression was anticipated by the Hebrew prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and even by the message of the New Testament gospels. Marx, according to Westphal, was unoriginal in his critique of religion--the Bible beat him to it.”

Jesus, in his manifesto recorded in Matthew 5-7, directs his criticism to the “religious” people of his day. “It’s interesting that the very people he criticizes pray, give to the poor, and seek to live a life according to the “law”, but they do so in order to get recognition and power for themselves. They believe they will get leverage over others and even over God because of their spiritual performance (Mt 6:7). This makes them judgmental, and condemning, quick to give criticism, and unwilling to take it. They are fanatics...In his teaching, Jesus continually says to the respectable and upright, “The tax collectors and the prostitutes enter the kingdom before you (Mt. 21:31). He continuously condemns in white-hot language their legalism, self-righteousness, bigotry, and love of wealth and power (You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness...You neglect justice and the love of God...You load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them...[You] devour widows’ houses and for a show make long prayers (Lk 11:39-46; 20:47)

Jesus followed the example of the prophets such as Isaiah, who said to the people of his day:

“Day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers...Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice...to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him...?” (Is 58:2-7)

Jesus and the prophets were not against prayer, fasting, and obedience to Biblical directions for life. They were opposed to the tendency of religious people to use these means as a lever to gain power...The God of Jesus and the prophets, however, saves completely by grace. He cannot be manipulated by religious and moral performance--he can only be reached through repentance, through the giving up of power. If we are saved by sheer grace we can only become grateful, willing servants of God and of everyone around us...The Swiss theologian John Calvin, in his commentaries on the Hebrew prophets, says that God so identifies with the poor that their cries express divine pain. The Bible teaches us that our treatment of them equals our treatment of God.

So, what do make in light of all this religiosity that uses the very things we’re commanded to do as levers for oppression and power? Tim Keller paints a beautiful picture of the true Gospel in light of all this in chapter fourteen of his book as follows:

“The story of the gospel makes sense of moral obligation and our belief in the reality of justice, so Christians do restorative and redistributive justice wherever they can. The story of the gospel makes sense of our indelible religiousness, so Christians do evangelism, pointing the way to forgiveness and reconciliation with God through Jesus. The gospel makes sense of our profoundly relational character, so Christians work sacrificially to strengthen human communities around them as well as the Christian community the church. The gospel story makes sense of our delight in the presence of beauty, so Christians become stewards of the material world, from those who cultivate the natural creation through science and gardening to those who give themselves to artistic endeavers, all knowing why these things are necessary for human flourishing. The skies and trees ‘sing’ of the glory of God, and by caring for them and celebrating them we free their voices to praise him and delight us. In short, the Christian life means not only building up the Christian community through encouraging people to faith in Christ, but building up the human community through deeds of justice and service...Christians then are the true ‘revolutionaries’ who work for justice and truth, and we labor in expectation of a perfect world in which: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things is passed away (Re 21:4)...And when we get there, we will say, I’ve come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I’ve been looking for all my life, though I never knew it!” (Keller, 225-6)

Please join me in making this my life’s passion and desire by living out a true Christ-centered, Gospel-driven life of a true “revolutionary”!

[The majority of this post is adapted from Tim Keller in his book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. I’ve attempted to synthesize the main points and majority of the argument as laid out. I highly recommend reading the entire book at some point. I am by no means attempting to take credit for this post. This section appears in chapter four of his book under the heading “The Biblical Critique of Religion”, 58-60.]

reflection

The last two years have been a journey of EPIC proportions to say the least. I’ve experienced ups and downs, joy and heartache, grace and bitterness, arrogance and humility, and just about every other emotional/spiritual attribute under the sun. Wondering around like a vagabond, I’ve lived in four states ranging from CO, WV, NC, and now OR. Arriving here in Portland, I can look back and honestly say that it is by God’s providence that I’m here.

Growing up in southern WV, like anywhere, had its advantages and disadvantages. I grew up in a middle/lower working class family. My dad worked a blue-collar job managing the produce department at a local grocery store. Mom, she stayed at home, raising my two sisters and I in what I would consider an average childhood. Both parents sacrificed significantly to send my sisters and I to a private Christian school. I never knew how much they gave, but looking back, I know it’s more than they let on. By mom staying at home, they chose to sacrifice such things as a nice house, opting instead to raise my sisters and I in a mobile home. Instead of driving two cars, we always had one vehicle which was responsible for all our logistical transportation. I never went without, and unlike many other poor, southern Appalachia children, I never went to bed hungry. I never went without clothes. I never went without love. I actually look back and thank God and cherish the loving sacrifices that my parents made.

I was raised in what I would describe a typical, independent, fundamental, cookie-cutter baptist church. I honestly don’t know the first time I heard the “message” of salvation or how many times I prayed the prayer to “ask Jesus to come into my heart” (whatever that’s supposed to mean). I grew up in what I would describe as religious Christianity. You know, the kind that drives you to a constant sense of guilt and condemnation. And when you don’t feel guilty about anything, you feel guilty about not feeling guilty. God isn’t viewed as a father. Sure, you’re saved by grace, but when it comes to your sanctification, you better work for it. If I work hard enough and follow every rule, then God will love me. The whole Santa Claus is Coming to Town theology........God’s makin’ a list and checkin’ it twice/Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice/He sees me when I’m sleepin’ and knows when I’m awake/so let’s just be good for “goodness” sake. God is a distant figure way up in some spiritual north pole and my list of prayers may reach Him if I my good deeds outweigh the bad. You always hear this talk about “personal” relationship, but it’s a journey that is way too hard and nothing you ever do is ever good enough to make any significant headway. So, eventually, you just throw in the towel and say to hell with it. I can’t do this! Apathy sets in...

High school graduation rolls around. I’m young and going to conquer the world. I have it all planned out. I’m going into Biology with the end goal of being a pediatrician. I’ll make money, have the big house I never had growing up, drive the nice car, and of course give my measly 10% of my six figure income to whatever church I join where I can write it off on my taxes. God will finally be pleased and smile on all I’ve done and accomplished. I will have finally earned his favor! Then I can rest assured in his salvation. After one semester, I slip further down this slippery waterfall of apathy that eventually pours into a pool of spiritual stagnation. Direction is lost and soon this gives way to the stench of festering bitterness that pollutes and fogs every possible direction of escape. Everything that was once so ethereal has succumbed to this intangible madness. Panic sets in.....

I decide to play my spiritual “get out of jail free” card and apply for Bible college. God will definitely not be able to overlook my piece of paper that I paid a bunch of money for which says I’m now a credible person and know everything there is to know about the Bible. Ask me anything.......I’ve been told everything I need to believe now. You don’t even have to know why you believe it. God has to love me.......I know that my good things are tipping this spiritual scale for the first time in my life. The lady of Justice is taking her blindfold off and giving me a wink! You’re home free now..........I can go ahead and ride this train straight into heaven, all the way to the throne where I can load up all my crowns and awards and chug right on around the New Jerusalem tootin’ my own horn the whole time......

Summer 2006

Colorado. Second season guiding in the San Juan range of the Rocky Mts. I can’t really put a finger on the exact time it started, but God began shining the true light of the Gospel into my life. Could it be that there is more to the Gospel than the “message of salvation”......It actually is “Good News” and not just “Good Advice”?

For the first time in my life I began to personally experience the love and grace of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ through the power of the Spirit. It all began to make sense. I experienced regeneration and the Gospel actually began to make sense in the bigger scheme of things. This whole time I was opposed to a God who is Holy and Just. I was at enmity with Him, under His wrath. There was a barrier, a separation, a gap that existed between His holiness and my sin. I began to look at the cross and what Christ accomplished. Not only did He die the death that I deserved, but He also lived the life I cannot live. He didn’t come here to just to simply be a good example or a coach or a therapist. No, He came here to be my Savior. He went to the cross and willingly laid down His life and the full wrath of God was poured out upon Him in my place. This “great exchange” has taken place in which He became sin and credits His righteousness to me. Done. It is Finished!

Life takes on whole new meaning.........

I don’t know exactly what God has in store, but I do know this. Life is no longer about trying to climb this spiritual ladder of earning God’s favor. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Although there is plenty of religious baggage to work through, I can now say that the Gospel is enough. I have yet to get beyond the Gospel and the Cross. I pray I never do!

26 and single...

t all started around three weeks ago. I had no inclination whatsoever to dwell and meditate on the topic at hand. But, God in His sovereign ways, has seen fit to make me face it, despite my stubborn ways. I’m taking a course in Homiletics (Preaching) here at seminary. We’re required to preach for fifteen minutes on a passage assigned by the professor. The professor announced that we would be paired with a partner in which we’re required to meet with at least once a week for the next twelve weeks. I received the e-mail with the assigned passages which were dispersed in alphabetical order. I scan the list and my name is no where to be found. I inform the professor, he updates the list and places me at the very end. The passage assigned--Ephesians 5:22-33: Husbands and Wives! Now at first glance, you may be asking yourself, what’s the big deal here? Well, to begin with, I’m twenty-six years old and single. What in Hades can I or do I possibly know about marriage! Beyond that, how am I supposed to stand before married people and preach about “marriage”! I felt like I’d been asked to represent a country in far east asia, speaking a language I’ve never spoken. This is ludicrous! Insane! Ridiculous! But, at the same time, looking back, was it really just an “oversight” that I was left off the list the first time around? Or is there something that God is trying to teach me and show me through this! The Calvinist in me tends to lean toward the latter.

I was in my first wedding back in 2002. Best man, actually! Good times. Get to hang out with several close friends that you don’t see on an everyday basis, good food, etc. This would the be the first of nine weddings to come over the next six years. I’ve now had the privilege of being a groomsmen in nine weddings! Insane! I consider it an honor, but honestly, it’s hard not to get “burned” out. I can now say that almost all of my closest friends are now married. Friendships are changed, children are born, life goes on.....Even my twin sister is married now and my older sister got married last year. I became an uncle for the first time two months ago. Moving out here, I have yet to meet my nephew. I feel as if I exist as an enigma in a world of married 20 somethings. Then I reflect on my life and can’t help but ask the question, Why am I not married? It seems so easy for everyone else. They meet someone, go out for a cup of coffee, maybe upgrade to an occasional dinner or movie, man buys a diamond, gives it to girl, have a little ceremony, and bam! they live happily ever after. Why is it that I feel so misunderstood on so many different levels. Is it because my idea of a family vacation is a romp in the woods? Maybe it’s because I love bluegrass and mountain music from my native Appalachia? Maybe it’s the beard! Maybe it’s because I actually enjoy reading Calvin’s Institutes, Augustine’s Confessions, and many of the Puritans--for fun! Who knows. But is it spiritual? I cannot help but get lost in my own thoughts and live in a pseudo-reality in which I try to grasp and understand this concept of marriage and how it relates to my faith in Christ and what He has planned. Am I the only one who struggles with this? I mean, if I’m going to be a pastor and plant a church someday, it would make sense to have a wife who is sold out to Jesus and lives and breathes the Words of life found in Scripture expressed in a life of devotion to reaching the lost and helping the poor and living out the Gospel in every facet of life, including marriage. Even God says that “for this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” So, why is it so hard to find the “right” one. What does that even mean? I feel like a song by my one of my favorite bands, the Avett Brothers. The lyrics go as follows:

o you want to be in love like the movies
But in the movies they're not in love at all
And with a twinkle in their eyes
They're just saying their lines
So we can't be in love like the movies

Now in the movies they make it look so perfect
And in the background they're always playing the right song
And in the ending there's always a resolution
But real life is more than just two hours long

So you want to be in love like the movies
But in the movies they're not in love at all
And with a twinkle in their eyes
They're just saying their lines
So we can't be in love like the movies

Well you can freeze frame any moment from a movie
Or run the whole damn thing backwards from reel to reel
But I don't see one single solitary light technician
Or one single camera in this moonlit field

I don't want to be in love like the movies
Cause in the movies they're not in love at all
With a twinkle in their eyes
They're just saying their lines
So we can't be in love like the movies.

And with a twinkle in their eyes
They're just saying their lines
And so we can't be in love like the movies.
Nooooooo
We can't be in love like movies.

Is it really like that? I look around and wonder, how many people really are just putting on show! Is marriage really always like the movies! There’s a sneaking suspicion in my that its not always that way!

I know I’m rambling here, but I have to get this all out! Feel free to tune me out.........

Back to what started all this! I started reading the passage and meditating on the verses. Paul begins in verse 21 by telling everyone to submit to one another in the fear of Christ. Then he goes on to apply this principle in several relationships, beginning with wives and husbands. He tells wives to submit to their husband as to Christ. He then tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church. This whole issue of submission can get really nasty, but going back to verse 21, if they are both truly submitted to Christ, then there should be no disconnect between this submission/loving relationship. If the husband truly loves his wife as Christ loves the church, then he will simply want what is best for her and she should have no problem submitting because they are both submitted to Christ. Then Paul throws out this monster curve-ball! He says, by the way, this whole marriage thing, it’s the clearest picture we have of Christ’s relationship to His body, the church! Whoa! Wait a minute. Paul, you’re saying that Christian marriage is the clearest model we have of Christ and the church. This is crazy! Could it be that marriage is first off spiritual and not merely finding a “soul mate” who is physically attractive! I believe that there has to be some connection on all levels, but how many people do you know accept the fact that Christian marriage is first and foremost a privilege to be embraced because you actually are experiencing and modeling what the relationship looks like between Christ’s love for his bride the church. This whole submission/love relationship should be a privilege to be embraced! Christ after all modeled for us to perfection what it is like to submit to His Father, despite them being equal in essence and deity. Nevertheless, He humbly submitted Himself to the Father, even to death!

So, in conclusion, I guess I have a whole new perspective on marriage. I’ve sort of toyed around with these principles and concepts before, but not to this extent! To my married friends, please think and meditate about what a privilege you have of modeling this relationship to the world. To my fellow singles out there, don’t give up! More than likely, God hasn’t called us all to be monks or nuns. Trust in His providence and sovereignty. Even though it may seem that no one truly understands you and every date you go on turns to shallow, narcissistic, meanderings, it may just be God’s way of affirming that they’re NOT the “right” one and that you will be so much more blessed and thankful once you are given the privilege and honor of entering into that covenant relationship before God to model Christ’s love for His church. So, I’m going to go listen to some Avett Brothers now and maybe go for a run or a hike..............

Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

I concur with Piper!!! That crap makes me throw up in my mouth. Christ is enough!

Keller in Newsweek

Tim Keller was recently featured in a Newsweek article this week. You can check it out here. It's also worth checking out his response to a few errors written in the article. You can view that here. Keller has had a tremendous impact on my understanding of the gospel in relation to religion and irreligion. His new book, The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism, was released this past week. I have a copy in the mail, so, I'll post a review as soon as I read it!

my state of the emerging church address

[The following is a synopsis the emerging church as whole as I've observed the past two years. Some of this is redundant, and material that I've stated in the past. After this article, I am taking a moratorium on the topic for a bit to focus more on how I can be more like my Lord and Savior, King Jesus. I will continue to stand for what I feel to be the truth, but I'm not looking for an argument. May Jesus be lifted High!]

The emerging church is one those topics that seems to always find its way onto the table of discussions in bloggerdum and the likes of any good seminarian lunch table. It’s one of those subjects in which everyone thinks they know “something” which usually ends up with a synopsis that is based either entirely on hearsay or a secondary source in which one has already nailed their coffin shut with biases. I’m not claiming to be an expert on the topic at hand; however, I have been involved in a church plant this past year that would be considered emerging. It was part of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network which is considered to be the premier network that would be deemed emerging. I’ve personally attended two of their boot camps, one in Seattle at Mars Hill Church, and the other in Raleigh at Vintage 21. I am speaking as a voice that has seen the emerging church from the inside and the outside, the good and the bad. So, my first attempt will be to define the emerging church.

The term emerging was originally coined by Dan Kimball, who published a book on the topic a few years back. When you hear the word “emerging”, in the basic sense, it typically refers to a church that employs a philosophy of ministry and/or methodology that calls for the church to be constantly emerging in and with the culture it has been placed. In a general sense the term encompasses a very broad umbrella of movements within movements. The first mistake anyone can make is to assume that all “emerging” churches consists of far left, post-modern, beer-drinking, square-glasses, goatee sporting, pastors who sit in a circle, light candles, and question and discuss the validity and value of such topics as the virgin birth, penal substitutionary atonement, the Trinity, the deity of Christ and anything that the majority of the Christian faith would adhere to as orthodoxy. Although such things do exist in some circles, you cannot assume that all emerging churches adhere to the same practices and beliefs. For example, there are many churches that would consider themselves independent, fundamental, and Baptist and adhere to a King James only philosophy. That doesn’t mean that all independent, fundamental, Baptist churches are King James only in the least. So, when viewing the emerging church or any movement for that matter, you must be wary of reductionism which will result in a view that is reduced based on the assessment of only one or two books or a lecture from a favorite theologian or pastor.

Another mistake I’ve observed is assuming “emerging” and “emergent” are synonymous and interchangeable. There is a HUGE difference that must be differentiated between the two. Most churches and individuals that would consider themselves “emergent” would be considered an emerging church. However, there is a huge stream within the emerging church which is not “emergent”. The term “emergent” represents a theological framework which employs a post-modern epistemology and a trajectory theology. To the “emergent”, they view theology as something that is dynamic and changing with time and culture. God knew that culture and times would change, so he set it in motion or on a trajectory theology giving man the ability to dictate what message best suits the times. So, basically, human reasoning, evolution, and even integrated spirituality (aka neo-paganism and new age) are all fair game in building our theological framework. What it amounts to is a man-centered, culture driven theology in which a post-modern epistemology is employed to be the lens through which the entirety of life is to be viewed and filtered.

Many individuals view emergent theology as a danger and rightfully so. However, I do not believe that it is a movement that will last simply because the whole foundation is built on speculation which results in relativism and fear of taking a stand for any thing absolute. I’ve written at greater length in the past about how the “emergent” movement is eerily similar to the Gnostics of early Christianity in which they attempted to elevate Christian theology and doctrine to that of pagan philosophy. I believe Tertullian was right when he shouted that heresy is prompted by philosophy. He would go on to say that “we have no need of curiosity reaching beyond Christ Jesus. When we believe, we need nothing further than to believe. Search that you may believe; then stop!” There are certain facets of Christianity that must simply be accepted by faith. We cannot know everything there is to know about God. It is nothing more than self-righteous pride and arrogance to place human reasoning/philosophy on the same level of an omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-present God. When God speaks, you listen! One need only to go back to the garden to see that what would ultimately lead to the fall began with a conversation and questioning what God had said. There is nothing good that can come out of questioning whether or not God meant what He said. He has spoken and revealed Himself in and through Jesus, whose life is recorded in the Bible. We need only to look to Jesus to see God.

I was privileged to be a part of an emerging church that boldly proclaimed the Gospel, stood for the authority of Scripture, preached through the Bible expositorily, but at the same time saw a need for contextualization to a culture and city in which we had been called. Thus, the term “missional” comes into play. What does it mean to be a “missional” church? Being missional basically means being intentional about proclaiming and living the Gospel out within the culture/city the church exists. A missional church would operate from a Jesus-centered, Gospel driven theology in which the Bible is the lens through which the entirety of life is to be viewed and filtered including culture. It operates from the premise that God is a sending God, a missional God who has always set apart individuals (e.g. Abraham/disciples) and entities (e.g. Israel/Church) to be salt (preservation) and light (illumination) to the unbelieving world. It acknowledges that the Gospel is a timeless message, but requires timely methods to use the tools of culture to contextualize the truth of the Gospel (c.f. Acts 17). It operates under the tension of remaining biblically faithful but being culturally fruitful.

What concerns me about the church at large is that most believers do not embrace the Gospel as a lifestyle in which we truly heed calling as ambassadors of Christ. Most churches are guilty of reductionism in which evangelism is merely another program or department. I agree with John Armstrong when he says that “the place we must begin to counteract this reductionism is in seeing that our mission is not merely an activity of the Church, but rather that the Church exists for mission. Mission is the result of God's activity within the world and that mission is to restore and heal creation. The Church is a community of the redeemed and exists to serve that mission. This is the meaning of John 20:21. God is a missionary God and we, as his people, are a sent people. The Church is not the purpose of the gospel, or even the goal of the gospel. The Church is the instrument and witness of the gospel. Only when we get this right will be begin to be the community that God intended for us to be.” ( “How Reductionism Impacts Evangelism” http://www.theresurgence.com/john_armstrong_2007_how_reductionism_impacts_evangelism [Accessed on 10 November 2007])

If the church is to truly heed the call to be missional, believers must realize their calling and what they’ve been commissioned to do. Christ gave us a commission to go into all the world and make disciples. If you are a believer, this is your duty this side of eternity. It encompasses every area of your life and you are responsible to represent Christ in such a way that is conducive to making disciples. Being missional is a lifestyle. It’s allowing those around you to take a peek into the life of someone who is committed to something bigger and greater than anything anyone could ever imagine on this earth. Only when you recognize this can you truly take every opportunity and seek to transform these moments into something that will last an eternity. This ultimately requires commitment. But let’s face it! You choose to be committed to something/someone you believe in. If you really love someone, you will choose to sacrifice and take risks that you would not typically take. I believe that you can only be “missional” if you first truly recognize your calling and commission, then ultimately fall in love with what God has given you to do. In this sense I do believe that the church should be emerging to contextualize the Gospel to the cultures within which we are placed and called without compromising the truth or the character of the Gospel.

Are you passionate about the Gospel? When you are passionate about something or someone people will take notice. When people take notice, they will see that there is something different about the way in which you live. They will begin to dig and dive into your life to see where this vitality is coming from. This is what living a missional life is all about. Taking those opportunities and sharing Christ with those who would never dream about picking up a Bible or walking into a church building. When you have an assembly of believers that recognize their calling, accept their commission, and make a commitment to truly sacrifice and live passionately for the person they want to become (Jesus) by yielding to the Spirit, God can and will use His church to reach far more people than we ever dreamed imaginable.

In conclusion, I don’t believe that every stream within the emerging church is biblical or effective. At the same time, I do believe that there are many churches within the movement that are biblically faithful, culturally fruitful, resulting in many converts who have embraced the Gospel and are now our brothers and sisters in Christ. As a result, I hope that we can at least rejoice on this point. So, I don’t expect you to agree with me on every aspect, but as one who has seen the good, the bad; experienced from within and stood as an observer outside; I thank God that there are passionate people within the emerging church who are living a life that is Jesus-centered and Gospel-driven. Nothing more, nothing less. May Jesus be lifted High!

continuous ourpourers of worship

[The following is a review of a work I recently completed by Harold Best. I highly recommend it if you ever have the opportunity to work through it]


It is rare these days that one is challenged on an intellectual and spiritual level that Harold Best exudes in this work. At 78 years old, I'm not sure of any author that has the life experience to contribute to such an undertaking. Unceasing Worship is by far the most challenging, yet rewarding book I have read on worship to date. Best even goes a step further by dealing with Biblical perspectives on the arts and relates worship to current culture in which there exists much of the experiential spectrum resulting in idolatry in which we are guilty of worshiping our methods and styles as opposed to living and relating to culture as a result of our continuous outpouring of ourself/selves as living sacrifices and going forth as a sweet aroma to spread the gospel of our Lord and Christ Jesus. If you want to gain new insight and renew what it means to live a life of continuous outpouring of worship, read this book. Be prepared to be challenged and have a dictionary at hand to clarify many of the big yet powerful and descriptive words employed by Best to paint a beautiful picture of what it means to live a life of "Unceasing Worship".