saponaceous

2010-07-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

"I am still learning."
-Michelangelo

Tensions in Evangelism

2010-06-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, sometimes we feel like the Great Commission is the Great Annihilation where we're called to bludgeon people with a Christian version of the billy club. There's always that question of whether you've been forcing it too much or not doing enough. If you've ever gone random evangelizing (don't mess with the sovereignty of God though, you might get stoned for telling someone that it's random) you know the feeling: after you open in divinely-inspired corporate prayer you feel the rush of the Holy Spirit come upon that weeny heart of yours.

And then you see him. The guy eating his lunch by his lonesome in the middle of the dining section of the student union and you freeze. "What if I get denied? What if I forget how to explain the gospel?" You muster up the courage to go with your partner (who always seems more courageous than yourself!) and manage to get through a nice cordial conversation.

And then the aftermath sets in: what if you didn't say all that needed to be said? What if I wasn't forthright enough in presenting the gospel? There's always the possibility that if I had said one more thing that the "scale of unbelief" would tip in favor of salvation.

All these questions are difficult to answer as salvation doesn't entail a man-made formula for success. On top of that, there's no telling how faithful obedience to the Great Commission, with respect to your neighborhood or campus, will change an individual in the scope of eternity (until you're dead at least). And don't forget that the dynamic duo of discernment + wisdom that have a large part in how we handle different situations.

Worries are aplenty, but rest comes well when we love God, love His people, share the gospel, and trust in His work. And when times get weary "let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."

2010-05-26T14:33:00.001-07:00

God doesn't love us because we are good. God loves us to make us good.

Why read, pray, fellowship, praise, share, sing?

2010-05-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

Transcribed from a North Korean's testimony:

"People ask me, 'How are Christians surviving in North Korea?'

They have a secret: it is through God's intervention, protection, and miracles. They are starving so much physically, but they cannot live without reading God's Word, praying and praising God. That's the secret to their survival."

It shouldn't be any different for us in America. Bodies may be perishing among our brothers and sisters in NK, but many a soul are dying away in this country. Why is Scripture sweeter than honey that drips from the honeycomb (Psalm 19:10), and why is prayer offered as sweet incense to the Lord on behalf of Christ who intercedes for us (Hebrews 9:24), and why is praise a delight to our souls and our God?

Because they take us to our sweetest comfort: Christ.

History: In God's Hands

2010-05-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Martin Luther was on trial before many nobles and even King Charles V when he delivered his famous speech in response to the various works that he wrote in response to Roman Catholicism. "Do you recant?" they asked. And his response was as follows:

"I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me. Amen."

And from Luther's boldness (along with countless others') we're able to treasure the Word without fear of martyrdom in this land.

God, thank You for church history. Thank You for men like Luther. Thank You for grace.

This Love Must Go Beyond

2010-05-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are."
1 John 3:1a

The apostle of love bids us to come see, firsthand, what sort of love the Father has given us. The way which he presents his case is that we use our immediate senses to reflect on this great love. "See," he says. He speaks directly to his audience; there's no ambiguity but only a clear plea that we focus the eyes of our hearts upon a love that brings us adopting grace. How great is this love that we should be called children of God? What would make this love good enough that a portion of Scripture is taken in the middle of a letter for the Apostle to remind us to simply "see?"

This love must be good enough to go beyond anything that could satisfy our fleshly longings. This love must go beyond the far reaches of where all human toiling fails to measure up to the greatness of a holy God. This love must go beyond the depths of all sin committed by all men throughout the entirety of history. This love must go beyond all doubt cast over men by the enemy who exists to steal those whom Christ bids come. This love must go beyond stony hearts that need the hands of a skillful Surgeon who can make it beat with a heart of flesh. This love must go beyond two wooden planks on Calvary where Life itself was stretched out onto a cross and beaten to death. This love must go beyond death behind a stone-walled grave. This love must go beyond the power of man and rest in the power of Christ.

So do you see? This love must go beyond all reason and logic to make a wretch His treasure so that we might be called children of God. And so, we are.

When Bodybuilding and Protein Can't Save You

2010-05-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 1:4-28)

As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God pwnz.

Teach Us To Pray

2010-05-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

The old Baptist preacher, C.H. Spurgeon, once noted that he "would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach." It's easy for me to get caught up in all the foresight of ministry all the while forgetting about the power, the necessity, and joy of prayer.

Which is why pictures like this humbles my weeny soul:

Children: God's Gift or Precious Tools in Disguise?

2010-04-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

I was reading a post on how a pastor deals with shepherding people who don't like him. He talks about what he takes on his visits to these discontent church members at their homes:

3) Take your children when you go and visit them. A pattern established every time I visited a certain church member. I was constantly hammered with complaints when I went. I happened to stop by their house once when one of my children was with me. They treated me entirely different than before. They didn’t complain because they were too busy taking an interest in my child, playing with her, talking with her, and offering her cookies. Since then, my children have been one of my greatest assets in trying to build bridges with those struggling to trust me and receive my care.

If were a normal, sane person, this point would seem perfectly applicable. But doesn't taking your child so that the church member could take interest in them, play with them, talk with them, and offer cookies seem like such an awesome method to use a child's cuteness (which is probably anything but that at home)?!

At least for today, it seems having children is an excellent commodity to good, people-pleasing means for effective ministry (if happy churchgoers are even the mark of a healthy ministry... it isn't). God help me.

HT: Practical Shepherding

Salty Living

2010-04-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

"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."

When Jesus intercedes for us in John 17 and asks God to keep us in the world and to not be swallowed up by the evil one. Our calling is to run away from worldliness, but not the world. And being in the world, we're called to live in a manner that displays our heavenly citizenship. And in displaying our heavenly citizenship, we're called to be salt that can be effectively applied to the world around us.

This can be incredibly tough because there are many, many, many things that I can consider "unsalty" and even distasteful in me. I often say and do things that look more like I'm planning to stay on earth forever rather than looking ahead to being with Christ.

But Jesus doesn't finish His prayer by asking the Father to keep us in the world:

"I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Jesus intercedes for us to be set apart so that our living might reflect Him, but it's infinitely encouraging to know that He doesn't scream at us like an army general does to his soldiers. So what does He do to spur us onto Christ-like living?

“When we go to the cross, we see our God dying for us. If you let any other god down, it will beat you up. If you live for people’s approval or your career or possessions or control or anything else and you don’t make it or you mess up, then you’ll be left feeling afraid, downcast, or bitter. But when you let Christ down, he still loves you. He doesn’t beat you up; he died for you. Let his love win your love, and let that love replace all other affections. The secret of change is to renew your love for Christ as you see him crucified in your place.”
(Tim Chester, You Can Change; HT: Of First Importance)

I want to be marinated with Jesus!!!

John 13:34-35

2010-04-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

During this intimate moment after Jesus washes the feet of His disciples and Judas flees from Jesus in shame, Christ presents a new commandment to the disciples. The shocking nature of the command comes in two levels:
1. Christ tells the disciples to love one another.
2. He tells them to do it just as He did.

This is mind-boggling for two reasons.

First, we love to hear when someone tells us to do something specific. "Go take out the trash," sounds a lot more direct and understandable than, "You would do it if you love me." Jesus, why not make it simple by just telling the disciples to do something tangible?! It's just easier because when someone tells you to do something out of moral compulsion it gets so much more tangled up in a person's motives.

So there is a difference between telling someone to perform an action and aiming at their heart so that they can both perform the action and do it, hopefully, with the right motives. I can give offering because I love the Lord and I love to see what I've been given go back to him, or I can give so that I might be next in line for elder candidacy. One is God-honoring and the other is self-seeking.

Christ was not merely aiming to fix behavioral problems (and trust me, these men didn't lack in that department); He was changing hearts. Someone in the group might have thought Christ was going to encourage them to make a charitable living out of washing a bunch of dirty, first-century feet, but to my surprise, Christ says to love one another. Why go for hearts, Jesus? Don't you just want us to look like good law-abiding citizens, what's the big deal?

But here it is: When you love, you wash feet. When you love, you give to members of the body in need. When you love, you can lay aside secondary doctrinal differences and join hands for the advancement of the gospel because redeeemed souls mean more than controversy. When you love, you can hug and weep with a struggling brethren in Christ. When you love, you live out the reality of what you claim to be. Changed hearts have changed actions, but changed actions do not prove changed hearts. Doing good things, in themselves, don't mean that you love.

Secondly, Christ exhorts the disciples to love as He did. Hard might be an understatement (yes, I am being sarcastic). Come on, Jesus, really? How can You expect anyone to fill this command? It would not be fair for God to demand from us what we cannot give Him. But the exhortation seems to aim at a bigger point: what is the basis of our love-giving? Sure, we can love like the world tells us to love others, but who's to say that the world's view of love is the right way?

When Jesus says to love one another as He has loved us, He's giving us a huge hint as to where we must look when we consider how to approach this command. We must follow our Lord on Calvary's road to see and believe the depth and riches of His mercy on our lives to have the slightest idea of what it means to love as He did. The easy part is that the narrow road fixates our hearts on Christ because He is the only way, but the difficulty (and human impossibility) lies in the fact that it's only by the Spirit's power that we can even desire to see His love.

Yes, the call is great and the difficulty is immeasurable, but the reward is everlasting: when we love fellow brothers and sisters as Christ does, we show the world that He's real. We can't proclaim a risen Christ if it looks like He died for a bunch of people who call themselves Christians and do not love one another.

The application: we work hard to love one another while remembering that when Christ loved, He could accept a sinner's death so that the redeemed would find all of our worth in the power of the cross.

Anyone need their feet washed?

That's My King!

2010-04-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to myself as to who Jesus is:

That's My King! from Albert Martin on Vimeo.

HT: Justin Taylor

The Big Picture

2010-04-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

I admit, I follow more blogs than I can handle. I will read posts by friends, but when I see my monstrous inbox of other "big-name" blogs, I tremble. Needless to say, I've become a better skimmer (if there is such a thing as "blog-reading efficiency rating") but I have one subscription that I always stop to peek at.

The Big Picture.

I'm not much of a picture taker (I forget that I even own a digital camera), but it never ceases to amaze me how a photo does capture more than you think. This blog has captured almost everything from a series of pictures from Afghanistan, the 2010 Winter Paralympics, to shots of Passion Week across the world. I'm a fan of words; that's why I bother to write. But there's something so different about pictures of people and nature in action that fills what words may fail to describe.

Romans 1:18-20 says:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

What could pictures from a news blog have anything to do with man being without excuse before the Living God? When we see photos of the destruction in Haiti it reminds us of the heinousness of Adam's original sin that has plagued every generation, thereafter, to deal with its consequences. Pictures of rioting against the Thai government remind us that Christ will return one day, triumphantly, uniting all things under His rulership and authority. Pictures of Poland mourning the death of its president from a tragic plane crash reminds us of what James says: "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." Shots of Spring tell us that the new heavens and the new earth will be so much more joyous than what can be perceived on this side of eternity.

~~Pictures tell us of the reality of God.~~ All creation tells us of the reality of God. That's the big picture.

Irony on Good Friday

2010-04-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

"He [Pilate] said to the Jews, 'Behold your King!' They cried out, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.' So he delivered him over to them to be crucified."
John 19:14-16

One of the many ironies of Good Friday is how wrong the religious Jews were and how the non-religious Gentile nailed the truth on its head. The Jews were the ones who would spew their over the Scriptures, like Isaiah 53, and know the words of the Word inside out and yet, they failed to recognize the face of their King; they would be subjects of Caesar.

And here's the irony: Pilate the Gentile is the genius (unbeknownst to himself) who gets the truth right. He says, "Behold your King!" And they say, "Crucify Him!"

And the Apostle Paul testifies: "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." May we never cease to call upon Him as our King day by day.

Thursday of Passion Week

2010-04-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

Almost 2000 years ago today, Jesus would have been found with His beloved Disciples as He would show what sort of death He would die, in the breaking of the bread and pouring of the wine, and serving them by washing their feet.

But the end of the night culminates with our Lord being confronted with the Father's will in Gethsemane. Below is a portion of a sermon entitled "The Cup" by C.J. Mahaney (link to mp3) and would you take care to see on what grounds the Savior had to tread to accomplish God's plan of redemption.

"To obey is better than sacrifice."

2010-03-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 15:22

The situation is tense after Saul destroys the Amalekites when Samuel reproves him for taking some of the spoil in the land and sparing their king, Agag. Saul must have thought that he was an overachiever by taking the plunder and animals of the enemy as sacrifice for the Lord. And here comes Samuel, saying what?

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”

A little harsh there, no? Not nearly enough. The aim of Saul's heart was not to obey the Lord, but to make much of himself. In sacrificing all the animals from the plunder, surely, all of the Israelites would praise King Saul for his wondrous deeds! To which a grieving mentor replies: "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." Saul was not seeking to obey, he just wanted to build a pedestal for himself.

But do we see sacrificial obedience that the Lord is pleased with? Don't count out Abraham and his son, Isaac. Think of how much Abraham must have rejoiced in the goodness of God when his son was born even in his old age. And then, the Lord meets him with heart-shattering news: "Take your son up to the mountain, and do unto him as you would the sacrificial lamb." And how does the patriarch respond? "Yes, Lord." For to obey is better than sacrifice. And we know that Abraham's faith in itself pleased the Lord to stop him from killing Isaac and that in place of his son a ram was offered.

This is Passion Week, so how do these events relate to Christ on the cross? Christ gives us the living exposition of 1 Samuel 15:22. He came down with one primary purpose: offer perfect obedience to become the only suitable sacrifice. The proper heart that lacked in Saul, we see in the righteous motive of Abraham, but where the sacrifice of the ram lacked in life-giving blood we see it being fulfilled at Calvary. Where the Lord stops Abraham from killing Isaac, God continues to completion as His Son is being put to death on a sinner's cross. The unadulterated obedience of the Son makes His sacrifice so good that it would be the only acceptable offering to please God.

Yes, to obey is better than sacrifice. Lord help us to remember that Christ's obedience became the perfect sacrifice; there's no greater news than that.

How Big is Missions?

2010-03-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

We're asking for this earth to become heaven. That's huge.

Head or Heart?

2010-03-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Both.

"Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way." (Proverbs 19:12)

A sound theology, knowledge, and understanding of the Lord is the safest route that the airport draws for the pilot. But, knowing the route does nothing if you can't get in the air; we need desire, much like a plane needs wings. And a plane may spread its wings in the air but it'll come crashing down without any wind.

Lord, give us eyes to see your Word and the desire to open the wings of our hearts. But by the grace of God, send us a hurricane.

Why We Weep in Worship

2010-03-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

"You need not weep because Christ died one-tenth so much as because your sins rendered it necessary that He should die. You need not weep over the crucifixion, but weep over your transgression, for your sins nailed the Redeemer to the accursed tree. To weep over a dying Saviour is to lament the remedy; it were wiser to bewail the disease. To weep over the dying Saviour is to wet the surgeon's knife with tears; it were better to bewail the spreading polyps which that knife must cut away. To weep over the Lord Jesus as He goes to the cross is to weep over that which is the subject of the highest joy that ever heaven and earth have known; your tears are scarcely needed there; they are unnatural, but a deeper wisdom will make you brush them all away and chant with joy His victory over death and the grave. If we must continue our sad emotions, let us lament that we should have broken the law which He thus painfully vindicated; let us mourn that we should have incurred the penalty which He even to the death was made to endure ... O brethren and sisters, this is the reason why we souls weep: because we have broken the divine law and rendered it impossible that we should be saved except Jesus Christ should die."
-C.H. Spurgeon, HT: Tim Challies

Church, we weep in worship not because Jesus died; we weep because our sin put Him there.

Soli Deo Gloria - Part 3

2010-03-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

3. Soli Deo Gloria captures the heart of what missions is all about: the glory of God.

And the short series finally boils down to the natural conclusion of Soli Deo Gloria: missions that makes much of the glory of God. I want to stay within Colossians 1:24 and leave you with two things in closing: (a) what does the joyous heart look like in missions? and (b) how does God use us for His glory alone?

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church"
Colossians 1:24

Question #1: What does the joyous heart look like in missions?

Paul is claiming some ridiculous things in the passage above. Consider the afflictions that the Apostle had to endure: "I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches."

Now you take ALL of that and connect it to the beginning of Colossians 1:24: Paul rejoices in all of his afflictions. For a lack of better words, this is insane. How do you see beatings and shipwrecks and trials as something worthy enough to rejoice in? Answer: because the reward is worth it.

For example, if a child were caught in a fire the first thing a mother or father would do is rush inside the house to save the child. They don't have time to think about the safety of their own life, they just run because the livelihood of the child is what matters most to them. Paul's missional reward - beyond his livelihood, beyond his safety, beyond his well-being, beyond his health - is the advancement of the Gospel to those who do and will believe: the Church. God will save, but we need to be with Paul in having a passion to spread the Good News.

Question #2: How does God use us for His glory alone?

Paul isn't speaking blasphemy when he says that he's filling up what's lacking in Christ's afflictions as though what Christ did on the cross were not enough. Paul is saying: how can ANYONE ever hear the good news of Christ unless they take their physical bodies to the nations to tell them about what the Savior has done? Someone has to go and tell them! Christ died and resurrected but unless we become John 1:14 in the world, then it is rendered useless for those who do not hear! God uses us for His glory by sending us out to be the bearers of the Gospel.

God's glory shines when Christians do the hard things that the world doesn't expect them to do. What the world expects from Christians is to be good and morally upright. What the world doesn't expect is for men and women to give up their high paying jobs and earthly securities to say that there is something that matters eternally more: making Christ known. Christ looks so precious when we live like the man who sold all he had for the treasure buried in the field. That brings glory to God and Him alone.

I had an incredibly hard time writing this post because I'm an infant when it comes to dealing with the reality of missions and I’ve yet to be stoned for preaching the Gospel. One trip to Japan didn't make me an expert on missions, but something about seeing another nation with only 0.02% Christians gave deeper insight on things like, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” A simple prayer in closing: “Lord, use your missionaries for your glory.”

Soli Deo Gloria: in our joy, for His glory.

A Quick Break

2010-03-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 'For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ."
1 Corinthians 2:12-16

It is a great grace anytime the truth of Scripture is illumined in our lives. It would do us well to both please the Lord and find joy in our hearts by offering thanksgiving when we come to understand even a punctuation that comes from the very breath of God.

Soli Deo Gloria - Part 2

2010-02-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

2. Soli Deo Gloria captures the heart of why God sent His only Son.

It's a Gospel issue. The first point really has its own niche in my heart, but it pales in comparison to this one. John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

So many times the last part of verse 14 is neglected and we forget why it matters that the "Word became flesh." We gather at least three things: a. the glory of God has been revealed, b. it comes from the Father through the Son, and c. it's full of grace and truth. But what does this all mean? Doing a little reading comprehension and tying points a. b. and c. together tells us: "The glory of God is shown in Christ and He does not lack in either grace or truth." Main point: Christ is God's glory. God, Himself, came down so that sinful men would be able to understand, touch, see, converse with His glory. God wants His glory to be made known.

But now we beg the question: "Why Lord, do You send Your Son?"

I started the post saying that Soli Deo Gloria is a Gospel issue. It's a Gospel issue because of where salvation leads us to. If God sent His Son just so that we might be saved to avoid hell, then the means wouldn't be justified. Why should God send His Son just so that we could continue living like we're hell-bound? This post is about forgotten verses and many people think John 3:17 is a hard act to follow after it's neighbor, but here's what Christ says: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Christ did not purchase us from condemnation, back into condemnation. He purchased us so that we might be free to worship Him. Soli Deo Gloria.

God sent His Son because that's how much His glory means to Himself; He would save His lost creation by putting His Son on a cross so that we might know how much He longs for us to worship Him. At first glance, it might seem like the five pillars of the Reformation are simply about us being saved and us getting to the right place. This is partly true, but Soli Deo Gloria really puts our hearts in the right place. John the Baptist says, "I must decrease, He must increase!" Soli Deo Gloria is there to remind us that the end of salvation is not merely Heaven;
it's about realizing Revelation 7. It is a call to worship, in Christ alone.

Soli Deo Gloria - Part 1

2010-02-22T13:27:00.001-08:00

This is the theme for this year's short term mission program at the college group I serve in. I am nothing short of thrilled. The excitement comes from my infant knowledge of church history and, more importantly, God's plan of what He continues to do in order to spread His own glory.

I'll be devoting three posts to tackle the question: why so joyous over "Soli Deo Gloria?"

There are a few reasons why "Soli Deo Gloria" excites me deep in my bones (and I hope it will for you) as it relates not only to my church's short-term mission trip, but in the grander scheme of our existence:

1. Soli Deo Gloria captures the heart of the Reformation and what countless reformers died for.

So what does the phrase even mean? Simply, "glory to God alone." The Reformation, as we know it today, stood upon five pillars: Sola Scriptura (Only Scripture - because many denounced the authority of the Bible), Solus Christus (Only Christ - because many did not preach salvation by Christ alone; John 14:6), Sola Gratia (Only Grace - because we cannot work for salvation), Sola Fide (Only Faith - because we can only put our faith in what's already been done through Christ for salvation), and Soli Deo Gloria. Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses onto the door of the Catholic church in Wittenberg denouncing the sale of indulgences (buying forgiveness) and, thus, marked the beginning of a huge revival that would sweep across Europe in hopes of recapturing what is essential and good to our faith. The Reformation was a fight to reclaim the glory that God duly deserved (and everything that comes with it). Glory to God alone; not the papacy, not man, but God alone who shows His great love for us by sending His own Son, in the likeness of human flesh, to reclaim His people so that we might come to Him in joyful worship.

These truths are what men died for. Soli Deo Gloria is not meant to be taken lightly when men like William Tyndale met his death upon a burning stake just so that we might be able to have an English translation of the Bible. Soli Deo Gloria is not meant to be taken lightly when hundreds of Puritans had their heads removed for opposing Rome and embracing Christ saying, "He is the only author and perfecter of our faith! No pope can wash away my sins! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!" Soli Deo Gloria is serious. When we say "glory to God alone," we are acknowledging that EVERYTHING we do must amount to making Christ look like He's worth it. We are saying that we are the man who sold everything he had to buy the plot of land where our treasure is buried.

What I am saying is that the glory of God is more than wordplay to us and we owe the Reformation credit for bringing Protestant Christianity as we know it today. But Soli Deo Gloria is not proven by what the Reformation did, merely. We don't hang on "glory to God alone" because a lot of people fought and died for it. There are martyrs who die for the cause of Mohammad who do not have the glory of God in mind. However, there is the death and resurrection of One that secures God's glory to rest in the right place: His name is Jesus.

Realizing more and more that...

2010-02-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

"You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, and then be willing to live for them and die for them."
-JP

This seems to have been the case for the Apostle:

"Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches"
"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."

I feel really small when I read Paul, but I need these reminders ALL the time.

Calling

2010-02-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

So I visited a seminary yesterday, and to my not-surprise: I loved it. Not because I want to be a seminarian, merely, but because I believe that's what the Lord's called me to do in this little lifetime.

That was yesterday. Today I'm back at work typing away, processing reimbursements, and doing what working people do best: feeling like this isn't what I'm meant to do for the rest of my life. And thank God, it isn't. But the fact of the matter is: I'm not in seminary right now; I'm behind my desk at work. I know where I want to be in six months, but right now, I've been called to attend to my 8-5 job. And the questions appears: how am I supposed to bring glory to God from behind a desk?

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 says: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."

Jesus was no exception. Christ was called to do something beyond anything we could imagine: bear the sins of man. And what was His response?

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed... Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

He prayed for the Father's glory and for our salvation.

Wherever you are, find comfort in that God has called you to be there for a bigger purpose than to get you a degree for expanding your personal kingdom. You can bet that, if what Paul says is true (and it is), every task He calls us to has eternal weightiness to it. So, shouldn't I treasure this time behind my desk?

Trust

2010-02-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

“God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; he intended that they should be used. God’s gold is not miser’s money, but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see his promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, Lord, do as thou hast said. We glorify God when we plead his promises.”
-C.H. Spurgeon

I think it would do us well to please the Lord by simply trusting in His given promises:

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him."
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

2010-02-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Psalm 23:1

1. Who is the LORD?

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1)
"Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment." (Ex. 6:6)
"Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest." (Psalm 50:3)
"On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God." (Ps. 62:7)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
"Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'" (John 8:58)
"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)
"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." (Col. 1:16)

2. What does the Shepherd do?

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:11-18)

3. Why will I not want?

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." (Revelation 21:3)

We get Jesus. In Him, our search ends.

Jeremy Camp - There Will Be A Day

I picked up my diploma today.

2010-01-29T15:22:00.001-08:00

Finally, I was able to behold what the last four years of (arguably) fruitful labor had brought into my lap. Gawking at the nice gold and shiny UCLA emblem fixed on the middle of my diploma with my name was pretty rewarding - like a bright red cherry on top.

But even in the middle of my excitement, something seemed eerily missing.

I started thinking about first stepping foot onto UCLA's campus and feeling like an ant in the middle of a giant farm that just produces Bruins to infest the working world. Tons of all-nighters (or attempts), midnight Yoshinoya runs, so many Jack-in-the-Crack tacos until your eyeballs pop out, the dorms, all of my mistakes, and God's grace. In that moment I felt like the past four years couldn't really fit into this tiny 8.5" x 11" piece of cardstock.

Probably because I was reminded of Philippians 3. I don't have nearly as many credentials as Paul does; far, far less. And as much as I'm glad that I'm really done with undergrad, it really doesn't compare to the most precious gift that I left with: Christ. Salvation doesn't really have too much room to fit on a diploma with my name.

I'm really happy to get my diploma, but it's probably not going to see much daylight once it gets filed away for a long, long time.

Follow-up: What you don't know can kill you.

2010-01-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

Stephen and I had the privilege of watching the best sermon that you haven't listened to last evening on proclaiming truth in Christ to a postmodern world. Call it chance (I call it providence), but I stumbled across an article with leading atheist, Christopher Hitchens, being interviewed by a Unitarian minister some time ago.

I'm not sure what kind of taste this article leaves in my mouth, but it's not saponaceous. It's one thing to be convicted and knowingly come to a decision on something - I appreciate that Hitchens, although an atheist, says things as they are; no mysterious ambiguity. What troubles and saddens me more than the atheism is the ambiguous sort of Christianity that is prevalent in not only this article but our culture today.

I hope you would be reminded that following Christ does not leave things like the death and resurrection of our Savior to ambiguous, metaphorical thinking; I'll let you decide what to think on this:

Minister: The way I believe in the resurrection is I believe that one can go from a death in this life, in the sense of being dead to the world and dead to other people, and can be resurrected to new life. When I preach about Easter and the resurrection, it’s in a metaphorical sense.
Hitchens: I hate to say it—we’ve hardly been introduced—but maybe you are simply living on the inheritance of a monstrous fraud that was preached to millions of people as the literal truth—as you put it, “the ground of being.”

Minister: Times change and, you know, people’s beliefs change. I don’t believe that you have to be fundamentalist and literalist to be a Christian. You do: You’re something of a fundamentalist, actually.
Hitchens: Well, I’m sorry, fundamentalist simply means those who think that the Bible is a serious book and should be taken seriously.

Minister: I take it very seriously. I have my grandmother’s Bible and I still read it, but I don’t take it as literal truth. I take it as metaphorical truth. The stories, the narrative, are what’s important.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints."
Jude 3

What you don't know can kill you.

2010-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;
because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children."
Hosea 4:6

The better part of the Old Testament involves God sending His prophets to remind Israel of their sin and that they should turn and repent. Hosea was no exception. The message he brought to the people was one that showed the seriousness of sin and the sweet reconciliation that Christ would bring to sinners one day (even to all the "Gomers" and worse).

There's much to be learned from Hosea for us today. Hosea's message dealt with a holy and just God who will deal with sin at the final judgment and no one will be able to turn a blind eye in His courtroom. At least two things to consider:

1. The weight of knowing your sin and knowing redemption's cost is eternally important.
The Christian doesn't need to know a whole lot of things to be saved, but he better know a lot about the one thing that matters: Jesus. Paul says in Romans 5:1 that our justification through faith has brought us "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." If we now have peace with God, this also means that at one time, we did not have peace with God. Friends, we're being saved from God (his justice against all sin), by God (through His Son, Jesus Christ), and not knowing the reason for the gospel will have eternal ramifications.

R.C. Sproul says: “When the Scriptures tell us that God saves us, that salvation is of the Lord, we tend to forget that salvation is also from the Lord. What do we need to be saved from? We need to be saved from God– not from kidney stones, not from hurricanes, not from military defeats. What every human being needs to be saved from is God. The last thing in the world the impenitent sinner ever wants to meet on the other side of the grave is God. But the glory of the gospel is that the One from whom we need to be saved is the very One who saves us.”

2. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
Peter says it well, let us press on to learn and apply that sweet, heartfelt, life-changing knowledge that has the power and force to lift lifeless souls like Lazarus from the grave. Digging into the Bible is savingly sweet. Paul says that he wouldn't trade anything in the world for it; I hope you or I would stand alongside him in saying that as well.

Pray for Haiti

2010-01-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

When natural disasters and horrendous tragedies befall us, it doesn't take a Christian to realize that there's something horribly wrong with the way things are turning out. But it takes someone who hopes in Christ to see that there is good coming, and it's eternal.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

A call to prayer:
1. Pray for comfort to those affected by the earthquake.
King David in his psalm says that the Lord is with him in his walk through the valley of the shadow of death and as he goes through, the rod and staff of God are his comfort. Rods and staffs are tools to straighten out the sheep but also for the shepherd to lovingly guide his flock to the safe destination. And for those who believe, that destination is the bosom of Christ Himself. He is making all things new. Destruction will, one day, be no more. Tears will, one day, be no more. Even death will, one day, be no more. Pray that the people in Haiti would be able to hope and trust in the promise of Revelation 21.

2. Pray that people would turn to and stay in Christ.
There is no promise of future hope or grace if, even, we ourselves do not hold to Christ's atoning sacrifice; only second death. Pray that believers in Haiti would mobilize by living out the gospel with their lives as they tend to the immediate needs of their neighbors but that their helping of their bodies would be a means to show the need for Christ. Also, pray that this would not lead people away from Christ lest they become as those who are called faithless like the Apostle John says. Let's hope that something of this magnitude would lead many to Jesus.

3. Pray for prayer.
There is no greater work that man can invest in than the work of prayer. Yes, Jesus commands us to do our part in standing alongside those in need; we absolutely must go! But consider the inability of man to do any of the above: man cannot comfort with his own words nor can he make people believe in Christ. But God can. Pray to the God who works all things together for good. And be confident knowing that Christ, the most obedient servant of them all, is interceding on your behalf for even those that are suffering thousands of miles away.

Live to Declare, Sow to Reap.

2010-01-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

A pastor recently tweeted the following:

“Preach the gospel; if necessary use words” is like saying “Tell me your phone number; if necessary use digits.”

Now, we've all heard it said before that "if necessary used words." I like what this pastor has to say, but I want to be cautious about how we should treat this because there is truth on both sides of the fence whether you're declaring with your mouth and your lips the heralded gospel or living the life that Christ set you apart for. But here's the truth of the matter: you don't separate the two.

1. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the preaching of the gospel, which is the Word of God.
There is no way around proclaiming the truth of the gospel without declaring what is behind the message; and the message cannot be delivered unless it is spoken. Paul in Romans 10 says: "And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'” Gospel means good news, but if you don't preach it, it can't be heard. And lest you think that this is a legalistic matter and you're tired of hearing people talk, talk, talk the gospel I would ask you not to forget the ramifications of sharing the gospel in certain parts of the world. People die for talking. Don't forget Stephen who died speaking the Word of God in front of the Jewish council. Words are costly and weighty; choose the right ones.

2. Spirit-filled action accompanies heartfelt words.
James says, "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." There is a way to do ministry where you can simply do what you ought to do without having the heart that the task requires. The practical example is a preacher who doesn't strive to be intimate with what he preaches. I can love the Puritans for writing what they wrote because of how eloquent and convicting their words are, but if their words are not backed by the history of immense suffering that they endured then they lose weight. So when the old Puritan, Thomas Watson, says, "Faith lives in a broken heart," I want to believe it.

But who cares what people have to say, I want to hear see from Jesus. Why are Christ's words so heavy and piercing? Because He accomplishes what He says He will. Everything. He claims Godhood and owns up to every prophetic word ever delivered about Him and crucifies it on Himself. Jesus isn't just talk. He accomplished redemption to the dot. Why else would God tell His people: "Be holy as I am holy." He cannot demand of His people what He is not; shouldn't we struggle against ourselves to be likewise?

I do agree, you can't call upon Jesus unless you tell people how and you give people His "phone number" (which is the gospel). Pray for those around the world who are involved in God's work and preaching the gospel with their lives but are looking for the right opportunity to PROCLAIM it to those they are working with. Pray that God would use both their ability to live out the gospel but also that they wouldn't shrink when given the chance to declare the truth to those who need Christ.

A Christmas Worth Remembering

2009-12-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

"If there is "nothing new under the sun" then perhaps the main task now facing the Western church is not to reinvent or be relevant, but to remember."

Funny how book descriptions on Amazon can be the source of reminding ourselves of what this season is really about. Thanks Jesus, you make me clean.

Did you thank Jesus for your oxygen today?

2009-12-02T11:24:00.001-08:00

Many of you are going through finals and I thought I would re-post a quote that was on another blog:

He who forgets the humming of the bees among the heather, the cooing of the wood-pigeons in the forest, the song of birds in the woods, the rippling of rills among the rushes, and the sighing of the wind among the pines, needs not wonder if his heart forgets to sing and his soul grows heavy. A day's breathing of fresh air upon the hills, or a few hours, ramble in the beech woods' umbrageous calm, would sweep the cobwebs out of the brain of scores of our toiling ministers who are now but half alive. A mouthful of sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind's face, would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best.
-C.H. Spurgeon

Don't waste your finals; do it for the glory of God (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31) and who knows, God may choose to save souls by your diligence. But while you're at it, don't forget to breathe.

Praying for students, workers, and the world,
Billy

Protests and Jesus

2009-11-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

As I hear the thundering protests of countless students over the injustice of UC fee increases I can't help but wonder how much greater and marvelous it will be when all the saints will one day march toward the throne of God, justified by the blood of their Savior, and bowing before the Lord of All we will with loud shouts of praise, and not protest, cry out: "Worthy, worthy, worthy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and finally is now come."

"Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped."
Revelation 5:11-14

Students protest now because their university is dying; Christians worship forever because their Savior is alive.

Isaiah 53 & Jesus Lord of Heaven

2009-10-21T12:51:00.001-07:00

Isaish 53:4-7:
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

"Jesus Lord of Heaven":
Your love is deeper, than any ocean higher, than the heavens reaches, beyond the stars in the sky. Jesus Your love has no bounds.
========================================================
So badly the Father yearns for sinners to return that He sends His Son to a wooden cross where rusted nails, that have no business with the Lord of the Universe, are driven through holy hands that are more fit for holding the world. The Father's response as the nails go into the hands of His only begotten Son?

"They must go deeper."

Savior, Your love is deeper than anything this world has to offer. We know, by Your wounds, that Your love has no bounds.
========================================================
"Yes, we carry the nails of the cross in our pockets."
-Martin Luther

Morningside meditations on Matthew 13:13

2009-10-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

"This is why I speak to them"

What great grace that the Savior would even speak before the council of people with deficient eyes that are blinded by their unquenchable thirst for signs and wonders but fail to see the Giver, deafened by their inability to hear the very words of Life being spoken into their hearts, and deceived by their own understanding of who the Savior is. Yet He still speaks. To whom does the Savior need to answer before? He is Supreme Council over all things to whom all things have been given.

Even so, by the riches and mercies brought to us today we are left with the precious words of Christ whom countless "prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Praise to the Father for bringing so many of us on this side of Calvary's Cross to clearly behold our Savior. Spirit, touch our hearts that we may discern the words of the Savior when He speaks.

Calvary Love

2009-06-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

With graduation and the conundrums of life on the prowl, be reminded of the great love that surpasses the worth of anything you've earned; that carries you from this side of eternity, to the next:

"Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,

cast off that I might be brought in,

trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,

surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best,

stripped that I might be clothed,

wounded that I might be healed,

athirst that I might drink,

tormented that I might be comforted,

made a shame that I might inherit glory,

entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,

groaned that I might have endless song,

endured all pain that I might have unfading health,

bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,

bowed his head that I might uplift mine,

experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,

closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,

expired that I might for ever live."

(A Puritan Prayer)

The Furnace

2009-05-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

"our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

How often the believer stumbles upon their own "Nebuchadnezzar" or burning "furnace." In the face of our own fires, we must not relent. Our Lord is able to save, but even if He doesn't, He's no less able. What will be your cry when the flames begin blazing towards you from a distance? Is the Lord still sovereign then? What a task we have until the end of our days: to trust in the promises of our Faithful Father! - "for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him."

Strangely, temptation always draws nearer when the coals begin warming up the furnace. But, we will not succumb to our flesh or the prince of the power of the air; though circumstances may dictate that you do anything but worship we will stand with the saints of old singing, "All the way my Savior leads me! He is enough! He is my full portion!" We will remember that His "grace is sufficient for you, for the Lord's power is made perfect in weakness." Let the words of Paul be as a calming fountain that dwells by the Spirit in your heart! Even your weakness is a testimony to God's saving power; in fact, it's the only way the Gospel works in a dead heart. How the Lord takes so much delight in lifting up the downcast so that they may pray with Jonah: "Salvation belongs to the Lord!" God uses the furnace for your good.

God saves His own from the fire, but His Son burned in our place. If you are a child of God, He will not desert you, ever. When you feel the heat of the furnace, take heart, you get nearer to the foot of the Cross where burning sorrow and marvelous joy meet; you become more and more like your Savior.

He will deliver. He has delivered.

2009-05-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Behind all the ramblings and Biblical jargon, there's really only one thing that I want at the end of the day: the warm embrace of a Father who will never let go.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Thank You, Jesus; the holes in Your hands are a comfort to me.

The Joy of Sharing the Gospel

2009-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's just an absolute joy when (even behind the computer screen) get to be under the wisdom of shepherds whose primary passion and joy is to spread the Good News about our Senior Shepherd: Jesus Christ. My prayer is that babies in the faith, like us, would grow to be more and more like Jesus so that we would be willing to make His death and resurrection a priority in all our lives.

In the meantime, listen to what these God-loving sinners have to say.
Cheers :)

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge" -Psalm 18:2

2009-03-03T02:27:00.000-08:00

Christian, on what does your salvation rest? Don't let it be rubble and granite lest the waves crash and lay waste upon everything you've built upon. Only when your saving grace is built upon the rock of Calvary will it be able defend itself from the most tumultuous storms and cantankerous winds. The Rock is not only the source of your salvation but also the means to take refuge within the fortress that is built atop. Only the fool finds the Rock of justification and departs from it in the midst of a flood. Rather, we kneel beside Isaiah who saw the very wounds of our beloved Savior because His blood is the ship that carries our souls from start to finish.

When the Lord passed over Moses, was He not gracious to extend His hand so that His glory would not vaporize him? The very hand of God is what covers and carries His sheep. The hand that decrees justice across His land is the same that extends to cover the ones who cannot fulfill it. What Grace! If Christ is not the Rock you claim victory over sin, then that Rock will become your judge and it will do as it were meant to with injustice: crush. But not His sheep; Christ sheds His blood to seek every single one of His own. The waves will come, but the Rock speaks on our behalf.

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand!"

"And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her." -Ruth 1:14

2008-12-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Christian, do you presume that mere kisses will be pleasing to our King? Rather, Christ demands our whole, He does not stop to ask for weekly tithes, mindless prayers, and the like but asks for everything. But be near the Savior and you will receive so much more than you would expect. Remember, His yoke is easy and burden light. Christ's yoke rests easy on the shoulders of His sheep because of the excruciating weight of sin that He had to endure.

And do not be quick to forget the consequences of kisses from old; Judas paid dearly for his betraying kiss, and so did Orpah as she fell back to her deaf gods and old ways. But Ruth "clung to Naomi". How Ruth may have looked ahead to all the trouble and fingers that would be pointed for her ethnicity, and yet she clung to Naomi. She found much riches from the caring likes of Boaz, but we serve one who is so much greater. When we cling to Jesus, He gives generously. Wet His feet with aching tears, heart-shattering prayers, and honest offering, and He will listen. More than listen, He'll give Himself.

"Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the Cross I cling."

Grateful for grace.

2008-12-09T02:31:00.000-08:00

Sin has marred our image to be so unlike the glory of God:

But I thank Jesus for God-fearing friends and grace that doesn't kill those with God-angering hairdos.

Happy finals friends :)

"you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good"

2008-10-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

Oh that Joshua would speak such words in the climax of his family's return! How often, Christian, do we forget that the Lord works for the good of those who love him? It is not a matter of trivial pursuit, rather, one of eternal importance. Though Satan strike you down and take away your manna and daily bread would you stand to shake your feeble fist at God or humbly go to the feet of the Father who means everything for good?

Satan will tempt you to despair and whisper your guilt into the conscience of your heart but know that you are not one who treads on the planks towards destruction. The enemy will do everything in his power to make you cry, “God is not good and it is not worth serving him, and escaping from this suffering in some sinful way is to be preferred.” But, be of comfort! You follow the path that Christ has paved for righteousness!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus: He has saved you from eternal despair. There is nothing of yourself that can justify you from sin, but Jesus' death and blood atones and defends on your behalf. We will be threatened by the sparks that brush our skin, but remember, our sin set Christ ablaze in the inferno so that the sting of sin be no more! The world meant evil against Jesus and killed Him, but God meant it for the good of the likes of you and I.

Cost and Payment [Follow-up]

2008-10-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Forgiveness is no easy task. If it were, God wouldn't have had to send Jesus to die for sin. If forgiveness were easy, there would be no hard-feelings. There wouldn't be any grudges.

Forgiving another just so happens to be the hardest thing to do. It requires a level of self-condemnation that sinks your pride and elevates the standing of your oppressor. If the forgiveness is genuine then the accused is, in effect, telling the accuser, "I don't count the cost of what you did to me. In fact, I am able to take what you did and use it as a means of loving you more." That's why issues like divorce, robbery, rape, and murder are perhaps harder to deal with because Christ calls His sheep to "forgive as I have forgiven you."

It's not easy. Christ didn't say it was going to be easy.

An interesting comment I heard over the weekend:
"If you're struggling with forgiveness, then remember what Christ has done for you. That's it."

Sounds harsh. Sounds insensitive. But it's not harsh enough. When you put into view the mercies that Christ laid on the cross at Calvary, we see a form of forgiveness that is utterly incomprehensible - but God reveals just enough to tickle the need for repentance in our hearts.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

The Gospel.

2008-08-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Worth

2008-07-04T16:15:00.001-07:00

"Christ died for men precisely because men are not worth dying for; to make them worth it."

Cost and Payment.

2008-05-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

I am a liar if I say this were wholly self-inspired. If I drop your precious laptop, then obviously someone must incur the cost. Either I replace it, or you say "it's okay" and let me slide but someone pays for it.

When you sin, someone has to pay for it. But I'll let you in on a secret: it's not you.

Maybe there's more to Easter than egg hunts.

2008-03-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had a one-night battle with insomnia. I lay awake listening to my roommate's choking snores (strangely, it has become a rather soothing comfort) as I question my assurance of faith. On what empirical grounds do I affirm the rationality of some Jesus of Nazareth resurrecting from the dead; let alone, have the power to push aside a boulder-sealed tomb?

I don’t want to get out of bed. I hate the cold. But more than that, I hate uncertainty. I need proof and evidence of what I believe in. So I do the very thing that any curious child does at 3 in the morning: reaches for his dusty Bible. I don't hesitate and go straight for the Gospel of John. I know that if John were living today he would likely be the blunt redneck who says things for what they are. If he saw Jesus incarnate after being crucified, then I'll take his word for it. So I flip my Bible; astonished to read this:

"After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."

John 19:17-24 and 28-30

And so he dies. Totally despicable contrary to what the Jews thought he would be. The "christ" they are looking for does not overthrow the Roman government as they thought he would; instead, he comes and is crucified on a cross. No one would believe it. Even his followers always denied the possibility that their Christ would die. And yet in this very moment, he is up there, hanging by the blood-soaked nails that are driven through his limbs. So I continue on:

“Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.”

John 20:1-10

Somewhat content, I am about to close my Bible, but what’s a verse or two if you don’t read the conclusion? So I read on only to find this written at the wee end of this book of John:

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

I might be crazy, but if the Apostle John is going to tell me that all this happened, then I think I’ll take his word for it. I mean, three others wrote on the same account of Jesus resurrecting, half the Bible talks about how it’s going to happen, and the rest of the Bible talks about why it happened so I think there has to be, oh I don't know, maybe a lot of truth to this.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Beautiful. So sitting on my bed with my little book light I breathe deeply with a grin. There is my assurance. My assurance happened 2000 years ago. My assurance isn’t based upon my holiness; someone else completed that requirement for me. So as Easter approaches rapidly, I encourage you to reflect on your salvation as well. And friends, if you have no idea what I just wrote, ask someone, “Why are you a Christian?” Heck, ask me. I promise not to deprive you of any personal conviction. I promise that I won’t be pompous. I promise I won’t give you the obligatory, “Hey! How’s it going?” (although that comes with it because I would like to know how you are doing). Call, email, yell, they all work.

I almost forgot, something about those eggs with rainbow dye never tasted right.

2008-02-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

C.S. Lewis on our fledgling desires and spiritual ADHD:

"…it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Here's a thought: when was the last time, in the midst of sin, we sought to ask the question, "Is this the greatest thing we have at hand?" Far too often I find myself rolling around in that puddle of mud with a fat smile across my donkey lips. But the danger in it all is this: it never seems that bad. Oh, prodigal me. Oh, prodigal us.

Happy tidings :)

I bid thee great tidings.

2007-11-28T18:19:00.001-08:00

So when all is forgotten and the spirit of Christmas no longer resides in the remembrance of a child named Jesus it is a mystery as to why any network would still play these shows.

Thanks Schultz.

Love 2

2007-10-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

We all have a twisted view of love. Not convinced? Turn on your TV and find the next infomercial you see. Okay, if it's the one about that same ol' rotisserie chicken cooker go look for another one. Find the one about the quick weight loss program? The amazingly thin and hot showcase example comes out giving her testimony of how she didn't want to be seen in public with her kids since they were embarrassed by their mother's obese figure. To earn the love of her children she sets off on a weight loss program.

How does that make you feel? Queasy? Or perhaps a string of synapses start firing from your cognitives revealing your deepest insecurities in your lonesome. STOP! America knows how to sell you out! They're telling you that love can be purchased! Really, you don't have to go far to discover this amazing mystery. I find myself on edmunds.com for hours probing through the newest muscle cars and rice rockets thinking, "Only if I drove that!" then I'll have ________, and _________, and ___________ .

Corporate America knows its consumers; it knows me.

But really, love entails so much more than a commodity that can be purchased. Forget infomercials, think about the movie, Titanic. I'll try my best to look past the painting scene (that alone should've made the movie rated R). Love is so painful! Poor Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) had to put up with Kate Winslet only to die poor and in love (a fair trade-off for some). Daring I say but the point I make is that a mutual love requires mutual suffering. Jack suffers by paying the price of a sacrificial death and Rose suffers by having to live the rest of her life without him ("I'll never let go, Jack.") If you need a tangible example look at your parents. For those of us ungrateful children, let me remind me of what it means to be thankful. Mom and dad work their full day, 8-6, only to hear the lousy complaining of their children complaining about not having the new iPod nano (which plays both pictures and video with improved battery life from the previous generation, starting at $149). Love costs. It isn't until we, the children, see this unfair payoff of our parent's work for our personal wellbeing that we see the fruition of the idea of what love is (in the case of family but there are numerous examples outside of the family setting). Friends delight in one another's similarities, not sans the pains and aches that we see together. The manifestation of love entails suffering.

Take that Corporate America! Suffering isn't a commodity that you can purchase (although I'm sure if they sold it in cans we would have plenty left over) and many don't see it is as necessary when it comes to relational issues. We all want the filet minons: sappy, lovey dovey, "Hey! I really like that too! Let's be friends" instant success relational ideals that work out perfectly. Love isn't as glorious as the Notebook makes of it, it's actually really dirty.

If curiosity killed the cat, Karl Marx obliterated idealism. And if that's the case, our friend Karl must've been a poor lover. I implore you: next time you think you love someone (or something?) think of the consequences of that particular love. It costs the UC system $10,000 of financial aid for me to love him back every year (and I still whine for not getting enough). It costs $25 to play a round of golf and for the amount I pay, the course doesn't care to show much affection for me. In the case of Jesus, He asked His people to love one another and in return got crucified on a cross.

Yeah, I think love costs a lot more than that rotisserie chicken cooker.

Love

2007-08-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." C.S. Lewis

Dear friends,
To not love is to bereave yourselves of the greatest pains of this world. And to rob yourself of the greatest heartaches also means that you lose the one thing that comes forth from such malice: joy.

Cheers.