Never Forget?

We remember, don't we? We remember a lot of things, some good and some bad. Today especially is a day that calls to mind so many thoughts of tragedy and loss that it seems almost unbearable.

September 11, 2001 changed the world. And it changed us with it.

May we never forget how our world was changed on that fateful day. But may we also never forget that millions of people live in that kind of tragedy on a daily basis. May our remembrance spur us to action. May our action show the love of Christ to a dying world. And may our love lead to words that explain the True Word to a world that is lost without Him.

If I'm honest, though, I get really tired of only hearing about that day every year. It's the same articles, the same social media posts, the same "God bless America" that we hear every year. And it's tiring. It's burdensome. It doesn't diminish the loss that some people still feel as piercingly as they did twelve years ago.

This morning as I read through various things, as I thought about the impending action (of whatever form it eventually takes) in Syria, I weighed those things in my mind against all of the other events that occur daily around the world.

Governments force political agendas. Rebels fight for freedom. Children starve to death or die from the dehydration of uncontrolled diarrhea due to dirty water supplies. AIDS runs rampant. Suicide is skyrocketing.

It makes me wonder. Have we gotten so caught up in remembering one event or another that we've ignored present realities? Have we gotten so wrapped up in ourselves that we've neglected everyone else?

Remembering is a good thing. God continually called His people to remember. It's a major theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. It's something that we should do as we live our lives - remember the past events that brought us to the present ones.

But remembering also has a purpose. God didn't just tell His people to remember. He told them to remember so that they wouldn't sin against Him. He told them to remember so that He would receive the glory for the great things that HE had accomplished on their behalf. Remembering is both for our holiness and for His glory. Anything less is, well, sinful.

Even more than our purpose in remembering, is God's purpose in it. There are two aspects that I think we often forget about. First, God remembers His promises to us. And He keeps them. God blesses His people, not only in America but worldwide.

Second, and this cuts me deeply, don't forget about all the things that God chooses not to remember. He says through the Psalmist,

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." [Psalm 103:8-12]

In Christ, He offers us chance after chance after chance. He offers us complete forgiveness and forgetfulness in regard to our sin. In Christ, we are washed as white as snow, we are bound by sin and death no more, we are free to live in submission to Him as adopted heirs into His kingdom.

That is the kind of memory that I want to be known for. That is the kind of life that I want to live. One that remembers the past, but doesn't dwell in it. One that sees how far God has brought me, and honors Him rightly for His undeserved grace toward me. If God can do that for me, then my life should certainly reflect it to others.

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That you might know Christ,

Lady Gaga

Last week Lady Gaga released a new single. Now, I'm not typically a Lady Gaga listener, but for whatever reason I heard it on the radio and surprisingly the lyrics peaked my curiosity. To be sure I was hearing correctly, I looked them up. The chorus is incredibly revealing:

I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause, applause
[Lady Gaga]

Well, at least she's honest.

But as I listened, I could not keep the words of Paul from resounding in my head.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

 John also contributes to the subject:

"Isaiah said these things because he saw his [Jesus'] glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."

A difficult question comes to mind: am I as transparent as her? Aside from the accolades of a job well done at work or awards for good performance, social media has contributed just as much to our desire for approval. With friends and followers and likes and shares and view counts and on and on and on, aren't we all prone to "love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God?" If we're honest, aren't we all tempted "live for the applause" just as much as Lady Gaga?

If you claim to follow Christ, then your first priority from the moment you wake up each morning will be to make Him known to as many people as possible. That's the very essence of His final marching orders. None of us has an excuse. There are no exceptions. There is no Plan B. Whether your job is full-time ministry or teaching or working in a coffee shop or anything in between, your primary task is to make disciples of Jesus. His command to all of us is to reject the applause of man and to radically seek out the applause of God, and we do so by our faithfulness to confess Him as Lord and to proclaim His Gospel in all the contexts in which we have influence. The goal is to win the nations, not sit back and hope they figure it out themselves. The goal is to be a faithful witness for Christ and receive the applause of heaven, not spend our lives seeking the things of this world and gaining the approval of men.

It's one or the other. You can't have both. Which will you choose?

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That you might know Christ,

Labor

[For context, read Ecclesiastes 5 and 6.]

We work so hard, don't we? We spend decades earning and saving money and stuff, preparing for all our 'golden years' of retirement, the time when we can finally do what we really want to do.

At the end of the day, though, that mindset is exactly the problem. The author of Ecclesiastes makes it very clear that if all our efforts are merely for "the mouth," then they will not last. That is, if all the hard work we put in is for temporary, vain pleasures, then we are wasting our time pursuing things that don't last for eternity and don't satisfy the soul.

It occurs to me that in seeking the so-called 'American dream,' we have unthinkingly perpetuated this kind of living. We have settled for finding satisfaction in a life well-lived...for ourselves. We have gotten comfortable with and encouraged the blatant, satanic lie that if we can have just a little more, we'll be satisfied. The basis of this problem, though, is that nothing satisfies the soul except God. Nothing brings the peace that passes all understanding except God. Nothing makes our lives worthwhile except for God. And nothing will last except that which is found in God.

I don't mean to say that having possessions or working hard and working well is bad, or even that planning for the future is bad.

But, then again, maybe I am. A little.

Possessions and work and planning for the future are not inherently bad things. After all, the Bible clearly teaches that God graciously gives to His children and that we are to be wise stewards of those things (Gen. 1, Prov. 31, and so many others). But how often do we treat them as we should? If you are honest, which is more likely: that you use those things for your own glory and your own purposes? Or that you use them to honor and glorify God?

Are you more likely to idolize the gift or worship the Giver?

I fear (at least in the Western Church) that we have allowed this idea to grow, and perhaps even encouraged it to flourish, in order that we might "help" the church grow and "help" the kingdom of God grow.

God doesn't need our help. He allows it.

Instead of "helping," though, it seems much more often we become satisfied with these vain pursuits themselves. As if anything but God could truly satisfy.

So, take an inventory. Check your heart and your motivation for all the things you do and seek after, for all the things you're storing up here on earth. Is it for God? Or is it really just for yourself?

If it is for God, good! The man who recognizes that all his possessions are a gracious gift from the Father is given the ability to enjoy them - because his satisfaction is in the Giver, not the gift. (Ecc. 5:18-20)

If it is for yourself, then God has something else to say. Using some rather graphic imagery, the author of Ecclesiastes says that seeking satisfaction in the gift, rather that the Giver, is so inevitably dissatisfying and pointless that it is better to have been miscarried in the womb. That seems wildly inappropriate, and yet it drives home the painful point:

Life has no purpose apart from God.

"All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his desire is not satisfied." (Ecc. 6:7) Why? Because he labors to pursue the gift, rather than to please the Giver.

Would you live as though you had never been born?
Or would you live a life of purpose and meaning?

Then begin to view all things as graciously from God and use them generously for God.

In this alone will your soul find rest from your labor.

---

That you might know Christ,

Babel

Photo Courtesy: Kat Masback

Time passes. People come and go. It's all vanity.

This is the central message of Ecclesiastes 1:1-11. The author has come to the end of his life and realized the wastefulness with which he lived his life, and probably even recognized it in the lives of so many others.

Verse 8 captures it well:

"All things are wearisome;

Man is not able to tell it.

The eye is not satisfied with seeing,

Nor is the ear filled with hearing."

We were made for more, weren't we? The stuff we spend so much time collecting and pursuing is just vanity, an idol built to ourselves and our ingenuity. We're steadily continuing to build the Tower of Babel, a monument to how little we think we need God.

And yet, not a blink or a breath goes by without His sovereign hand guiding it to completion. All things in life, even the assumed, subconscious processes of our temporary, earthly bodies, are the gracious gift of God, at His good pleasure and for His great glory.

So, I close with a question. Will you work to build for God today?

Or will you vainly continue trying to build Babel?

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That you might know Christ,

Notecard

We've been cleaning out a lot lately and in the process we've discovered many hidden treasures. Some things have been quite embarrassing and made us thankful to be past various stages of life (i.e. middle school...)

Some things, however, have been surprisingly insightful. We have some kind of wisdom stored in these noggins of ours! Anyway, this post is courtesy of Beth. She wrote this down (original to her or someone else, we don't know) an unknown number of years back, and we found it hidden away on a notecard. This is just one example of why I'm so thankful for the wisdom and insight she brings into my life on a daily basis.

"I'm sure most of you have figured out that the sexier you dress the more attention you get. But even though that attention can feel good, it's really not good for you. Everyone deserves to be loved, not lusted over. When you dress to impress, guys notice; but when you try to live a life that's honoring to Christ, a whole different set of guys notice. You just can tell because they're not going to look you up and down. Instead of thinking about you with no clothes on, they're thinking about you in your wedding dress. Instead of one night sex, they're thinking about what it would be like to grow old with you. Instead of wondering if you're a cheap date, they wonder if you're going to be a good mother. So if you're feeling left out because you don't show off your body, you don't date yet, or if you're thinking about taking it a little easier on guys by dressing a touch more conservatively; I promise you're going to get noticed."

To all the single (and married) ladies and gentlemen, know that we have been there. Know that we have struggled in the same ways. Know that we are praying for you as you fight to walk in relational purity before the Lord.

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That you might know Christ,

Love

As I was reading this morning in Proverbs, I stumbled across this verse and just couldn't get it out of my mind:

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions." [Prov. 10:12]

As I read that verse, two thoughts came to mind immediately. First, Rob Bell's controversial book "Love Wins." While I disagree with the proposal that all people will be won to God and that no one will end up in hell, as the saying goes, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while." Rob has recognized that love is very powerful. For many people, loving them where they are goes a long way to breaking down barriers between them and others. We could learn a lesson from that, especially those who make grand, potentially hurtful statements without thinking about the consequences of their remarks.

The second thought I had, though, was something Jesus said in Matthew 5:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

Jesus' words indicate that my first thought is a correct one: we must love people, especially those we are expected to love. BUT, He is also communicating to us that we must love our enemies. So, what are the implications of this? Why is Jesus' statement relevant to my reading in Proverbs?

God is gracious in general ways to all of His creation, whether they respond to Him in love and gratitude or not. So, we love all people graciously, whether we agree with them or not, whether they reciprocate that graciousness or not. As Christians, that is our job, as strange as that might appear to others, because we are the people of God, we are aliens and strangers in this world, we are uniquely set apart for God's purposes.

That means we especially love our enemies, those who persecute us, those that we really disagree with. Like the Good Samaritan, we stop by the side of the road to pick up the injured soul and care for them far beyond what is commonly expected. I think there are many people who would do just that, in person. But online, in the easily anonymous world of social media, how many of us have written things that are equivalent to, not just ignoring an injured person, but stomping on their wounds and taking the rest of their money? I would hazard a guess that we're all guilty of that, especially with those we (sometimes very strongly) disagree with.

You see, Jesus set the bar. In spite of being perfectly innocent, He did not argue His case. In the face of radical injustice, Jesus was silent. Isaiah paints the picture this way: "He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed...He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth."

If you are a follower of Jesus, think of your own conversion. Was it Jesus' condemnation of you and your sin that won you over? Or was it His sacrificial love for you in spite of your junk? Our family, friends, and yes, even our enemies, are more likely won to Christ by our love for them than our condemnation. They are more likely to hear and believe the truth of our words when they feel the weight of our love behind them.

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions." Will you stir up strife today? Or will you love others?

After all, where would you be if Jesus hadn't loved you?

A Voice Calling Out

photo courtesy: Dimitris Papazimouris

Early this morning out of the deep recesses of sleep I heard a small voice crying out in pain and misery.

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

I got up and hurried into our daughter's room, and there she was, tears streaming down her face. She had thrown up in the bed while she slept. Some wake up call, huh?

Anyway, I went immediately into task mode. Pull off the sheets, peel off the clothes, wash the face and hair, dry (not my forte...) the face and hair. All the things that she, in her moment of pain, would not think to do for herself. She just wanted daddy to make things right. After I got her hair dried and she was redressed, I changed faces a little. Before I had been primarily in clean up mode, with a little bit of sympathy thrown in (also not my forte...). Now, however, I just held her there in my lap, rubbed her back a little bit, and spoke soothing words to her. And I prayed for her little stomach, out loud, so that she could hear and understand the importance of praying at all times for all things (an important piece of the armor of God!).

As I sat there and holding her in my arms and praying, the events of the early hours of the morning replayed in my head. And I realized that just as I had heard her crying out in the dark, so also God hears us calling to Him. In the midst of our pain and misery, God hears our cry to Him.

"FATHER! HELP!"

And He answers. It may not always be in the way that we expect Him to, but He answers our prayers. He ministers to us in our pain in ways that we cannot even fully understand in this life. It is a good thing that, just like my daughter called for me, the first place we run in times of trouble or hurt is to the arms of our heavenly Father, who cleans up our messes and comforts our hearts better than any parent could.

So, lesson learned? Maybe. But I have two questions that I still need to ponder, and that I want to leave you with.

First, is God the first person to hear of your pain? Run to Him. Cry out to Him. He is there and He will answer. He sent His Son to take on human flesh, to live among us as one of us, so that He could sympathize with us in our weakness. You could have no greater God and Father than Him.

Second, is God the the first person to hear of your joy? Just like a child calls out for help, she also runs to tell her parents about every little happy thing that happens in her life. So also we should run to God with everything that thrills us. He wants to celebrate and rejoice with us in our happiness as well. Run tell Him how blessed you are, and then praise Him for the blessing.

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That you might know Christ,

Were

The events of the past week or so have been heavy on my heart lately.

Kermit Gosnell. West, Texas. Boston Marathon.

Events, places, and people that we may never have given a second thought but yet are now etched into our minds. We feel hurt and pain for those involved, wishing them speedy recoveries. We begin to label the perpetrators as “loser,” “killer,” “bomber,” or “evil.” Perhaps we even speak hateful things about them.

Yet, in spite of all this, a phrase continues to plague my mind.

“Such were some of you.”

Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter because of some awful things that were going on in the church. Sexual immorality, fighting with one another, suing members of the church. One guy was even sleeping with his father’s wife. It’s bad. In the midst of this, Paul speaks to the issue of suing one another, and he specifically points out that no one is righteous. No one will inherit the kingdom of God because of their own good works. Asking a series of questions, Paul rather pointedly makes his case: everyone in the church is guilty. Everyone deserves death.

Yet he continues with some of the most incredible words:

“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11

Maybe there was an act of negligence that led to the explosion and resulting deaths in that Texas fertilizer factory.

Maybe the Chechen brothers really were the culprits in such a senseless bombing.

Maybe we haven’t even plumbed the depths of all the horrors Kermit Gosnell inflicted upon women and children in that Pennsylvania clinic.

“Such were some of you.”

The Holy Spirit is reminding and convicting me through Paul’s words that my sins may not be as public, but they are certainly just as damnable. My crimes may never be known, but I am still worthy of condemnation.

So, before you speak, think. Please. Think on your sins. Think on your state before a holy God. Think on the blood of Christ shed for you. Think on the lives of the men and women involved in such terrible events and how desperately in need of Jesus they are.

“Such were some of you.”

And pray. Pray for them to repent. Pray for them to believe. Speak in love and truth, in word and deed, so that all might hear that were it not for grace, you could very well be the Boston bomber. Were it not for God’s merciful hand upon your life, you could be Kermit Gosnell.

We are every bit as worthy of condemnation as these men are. We just haven’t stood trial yet.

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That you might know Christ,

Second Thoughts

"Hey, Daddy. Look what I drew for you."

This is normally a statement that prompts me to walk over to the table where Isabella has been quietly coloring and admire the picture that she has drawn. I "Ooh" and "Aah" over whatever it is that she has created. It could be letters, shapes, or some random combination of objects that makes no apparent sense. Yet, for me it doesn't matter if I can understand what she has drawn (even after her explanation of it) because she drew it, by herself, just for me. I find great joy in knowing that Isabella thinks to draw things for me and that she values my opinion of them. It is an incredible blessing.

One day recently, however, I heard the usual declaration, but from an unusual location: the couch. I got there so fast that in retrospect I think I  actually teleported. Drawing and couches do not mix. What I discovered, though, was the drawing in the picture above.

I had been reading my Bible and journaling before she got up for the day. I left it out to get her breakfast, get ready for the day, etc. And somewhere in the time I was away, Isabella had taken it upon herself to draw her little letters and pictures, even her name, in my Bible. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I didn't say that I was a little frustrated at first. I mean, it's my Bible! Only I write in it, and very carefully at that. It's special.

But then the humbling realization dawned on me: she's watching. I think so much about my own perspective and my own view on life, but I rarely think twice about what Isabella sees when she wakes each day. I wake up and start my day: quiet time in the Word, journaling, coffee. Normal parts of my life, that I don't give a second thought. Yet, Isabella wakes up and she sees my priorities, good or bad, whatever they are. She goes through her day and she sees me spend time on the things that are important. How many times has she woken up to find me sitting on the couch, drinking my coffee, reading my Bible, making notations in it to myself, writing in my journal. Is it any wonder that she wants to mimic that by drawing her own notes in my Bible?

Harder questions naturally follow this line of thinking. How many times has she seen me love Beth selflessly? Serve the body of Christ? Share my faith with another person?

Whatever I do, whatever I say, she's watching me. With my words I tell Isabella what I want her to know and how I want her to behave. But with my actions, I demonstrate which of those things is actually important enough for me to do as well.

If only we could realize the impact we have when we choose selfish wants over others' needs, prideful argument over humble apology. What we are attempting to teach our kids with each passing day is so incredibly important. Our words matter. But they only really stick, if they see us living it out, daily demonstrating the love we have for God by our obedience to His Word. How you live and how you love is more indicative of your priorities than what you say (or write). You can lie with your lips very easily, but you will find it nearly impossible to lie with your life.

Our kids are watching us. Our family and friends are watching us. It's time we give second (and third and fourth) thoughts to how we live our lives. Intentionally choose to live your life in a way that you would want your kids to emulate. Or your lack of choice will choose for them.

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That you might know Christ,

Burning

In a sermon published after his death, Thomas Hooker wrote:

"When a man will say he hath faith, and in the meantime can be content to be idle and unfruitful in the work of the Lord, can be content to be a dead Christian, let him know that his case is marvelously fearful: For if faith were in him indeed, it would appear, ye cannot keep your good hearts to yourselves, wherever fire is, it will burn, and wherever faith is, it cannot be kept secret."

What a challenge to live a life that truly reflects the faith that we proclaim! May our lives be a bright, hot flame, whose sole purpose is to burn! Burn us up for Your glory, God! Burn us up so that all people may know the hope and saving power of faith in Christ!

Mourning

Sometimes I take a break from my "scheduled" reading of the Bible and just read the Psalm that goes with that particular day of the year. It's good for me because it makes me think differently and freshly about the Word. Today was one of those days. So, I read Psalm 88. The following is what I wrote in my journal after reading and meditating this morning.

The assigned title of this Psalm is "A Petition to be Saved from Death." I think this is appropriate, especially considering today is Good Friday.

I imagine Jesus' prayers in the garden last night, and perhaps phrases of this Psalm coming to mind, recalling that men of faith before Him also faced imminent death. Of course, His cup to drink is much deeper, much more bitter. It is the most immense, the most heavy burden possible to be born. And Jesus is the only man capable of bearing it. 

Jesus dies today. He bows His head. Breathes His last. Gives His life for the sake of man, for the sake of those who would believe, for you, for me.

The wrath of God the Psalmist fears is a wrath so all-encompassing that he ought to fear, yet so completely poured out on Jesus that it removes all fear. 

I am so very thankful that Jesus bore the wrath of God for my sake. How can I do anything but offer my own life in return?

We mourn today, as the disciples did.

But we mourn joyfully for, though today is Friday, Sunday is coming.

Praise Him whose life, death, and resurrection ensure that our death is turned to life when we rise with Him at His return!

I love God's Word. It is living and active. Sharper than a two-edged sword. It speaks to our lives and circumstances. Most importantly, it points us to the one true God and the only way of salvation: Jesus Christ.

As I am thinking and writing, this song keeps coming to mind. I hope it helps you to reflect upon all that Jesus did on your behalf and to worship, even as you mourn.

Remember Jesus today. Consider His sacrifice for you. Feel the weight of your sins on His shoulders.

"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5

---

That you might know Christ,

All

Most mornings I spend time in the Word and prayer before everyone else is awake. But, every now and then, I spend that time eating breakfast with Isabella and reading at the table. When this happens, Isabella almost always asks me to read aloud. This morning I was in Genesis 36 and the thought crossed my mind (and honestly lingered there for a while) that I should just skip Genesis 36 and move on to 37. If we're truly honest, wouldn't you rather read about the dreams of Joseph than the genealogy of Esau? Plus, it has to be much more interesting to a four year old...

But then a realization dawned on me. And conviction settled in.

Do I really believe "ALL Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness?" Then why on earth would I skip a genealogy just because it's less "boring" than another passage? What am I teaching Isabella about God's Word? I would have been teaching her silently and implicitly, but just as powerfully, that certain parts of God's Word are more inspired than others. Granted, the genealogies are harder to glean wisdom from and worship God through, but if they weren't important then God would not have included them. If they weren't meant for His people to grow in their relationship with Him, they wouldn't have made it into the Bible in the first place.

So, I read Genesis 36. Out loud. Stumbling through the names and wondering what in the world God would have to say to us through these seemingly endless lists. As I thought about it, though, this passage isn't without purpose. The entire chapter concludes the story of a man who was so consumed with his own physical satisfaction that He rejected the plan and promise of God, to the point that his descendants become a major hindrance to and enemies of Israel.

Ultimately, these verses tell the story of what happens when we choose our own desires over God's desire for us. Today we live in a world of instant gratification. Yet God often tells us to wait because His purpose is much greater and His timing is more perfect. Gratification might be delayed when we wait on God, but it will always be better than anything we could have done for ourselves.

God gave us His Word for a purpose - to lead us into deeper relationship with Him and direct our hearts into worship of Him. Read it all. Cherish it all.

Even the genealogies.

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That you might know Christ,