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

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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,

Blessings

God be gracious to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us.    Selah.

That Your way may be known on the earth,

Your salvation among all nations.

Let the people praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy;

For you will judge the peoples with uprightness

And guide the nations on the earth.    Selah.

Let the peoples praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You.

The earth has yielded its produce;

God, our God, blesses us.

God blesses us,

That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

{Psalm 67}

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Why does God give good things to His people? Why does He give good things to anyone at all?

After all, we are at His mercy and we are entirely sinful - God does not owe us anything. Come to think of it, He does owe us something: wrath, judgement, and eternal punishment. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God," for God is holy and can do nothing but condemn sinners.

And yet, God does not judge or condemn us. Why? Because Christ stood in our place. He lived the life we could not live. He died the death we ought to have died. So, if we are united with Christ, then we have every reason to praise God endlessly for the good gifts that He blesses us with, not the least of which is our salvation.

But there's more.

Psalm 67:7 indicates that God's blessing has a purpose. In fact the whole chapter points to the purposeful blessing of God, poured out so lavishly upon us.

"God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him."

In my own words, it would say something like this: "God blesses me so that the testimony of my life, in word and deed, would cause the rest of the world to know, love, follow, serve and fear Him." In other words, God's blessing is not only for you. It's for the world. It's for the fulfillment of the Great Commission through His people. God's blessing should drive us to the mission field - whether international or our own backyard - in bold testimony of all that He has done.

Yes, it is good to praise God for the great things He has done and is doing in your life. Yes, it is good to revel in the blessing that He has richly bestowed upon you. But if your walk with God does not lead to action, then you have missed the point. God wants the world to know Him. And we are His "Plan A" for accomplishing that.

Just don't forget that there is no Plan B.

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That you might know Christ,

Questioning

Photo Courtesy: Duncan Hull

Lately, Isabella has been doing this...thing.

"Momma, do you want me to put that on the counter?" 

I answer for Beth, "No, thank you."

So, she asks again, "Momma, do you want me to put that on the counter?"

Beth answers for herself, "No, baby. Thank you anyway."

I had not given it much thought until now, but tonight that same sort of exchange happened and I saw it in a new light. I think it's the Holy Spirit's way of getting my attention in a somewhat unconventional way.

See, I've thought since she started doing it that it was just Isabella being rude. She completely ignores my answer and asks again. I honestly don't know if she asks again because she really wants to hear the answer straight from Beth or if she thinks she'll get a different answer. Maybe it's something else that only her four year old mind can explain. Either way, I had new insight tonight when it happened.

We do the same thing with God.

We have a burning question about our life or God's will or whatever. We try to find the answer. And, whether it's yes, no or maybe, God answers. Sometimes it is directly through His Word or the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is indirectly through the wisdom of fellow believers. But, regardless of the answer, there are times when we respond as though God didn't answer at all.

So we ask again.

In Acts, questioning is shown as a great quality. The example of the Bereans is one in which Paul and Silas came to town proclaiming a word from God, but they went straight to the Scriptures to judge whether it was true. This is a good form of questioning. This is the kind of questioning that I wish more Christians, myself included, made it their habit to do.

Even today, we remember Martin Luther raising some very good questions about what the Church believed and why. And our remembering calls to mind the countless other individuals who stood up to ask good questions - questions that sought to bring people back to God's Word.

But, there is of course another form of questioning. It is the questioning that Thomas is now infamous for - doubtful questioning. It is the "I need to see it to believe it" kind of questioning. It is a faithless kind of questioning. It is a form of questioning that I fear I am all too often guilty of.

Lesson learned. Sometimes I don't like the answer God provided, so I ask again. Or I think I can find a better one somewhere, so I ask again. Or I wonder if God is even able to answer at all, so I ask again. But that's not the kind of questioning that is rooted in faith, trust, and waiting on the Lord in His infinite wisdom. All I'm really doing is pretending to be a Berean.

So, that thing you've been grappling with God about, perhaps even asking Him over and over again hoping that the answer will be different? Maybe the answer is staring you in the face. Maybe He has already answered and you simply need to trust that His answer is true, His plan is sure, and His purposes for your life are much greater than you can imagine.

Are you really a Berean? Or are you a Thomas just masquerading as one?

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That you might know Christ,

Used

I'm going to go ahead and state the obvious: it's election season. Some people really love politics and debates and trying to determine the best candidate. Honestly, I could take it or leave it, but at the very least, I think we as citizens should take advantage of our right to vote and do so in an informed manner. Anyway...yesterday I checked the mail and, literally, every last piece of mail was political in nature.

Vote for me!

No, vote for me!

He's dumb, vote for me!

Well, he hates women, vote for me!

Well, he hates babies and women, vote for me!

He's lying to you and he hates babies and women, vote for me!

No, he's lying to you, hates babies and women, and he just kicked your grandma down a flight of stairs because she was in his way as he tried to shake hands and kiss babies in an effort to convince people to vote for him when he really isn't even qualified to run in this election...oh yeah, and vote for me!

It's an endless onslaught of, to put it bluntly, hate mail directed at one another and filtered through my mailbox.

And I found myself incredibly frustrated about the whole thing, longing for November 7th to come and wishing that there had at least been some sort of note from a friend mixed in with all that mess. I'd have even taken a bill over all that! As I stewed for a moment, a thought floated across my mind:

"I feel used. They don't care who I am or what concerns I have. They just want my vote. If they really cared, I would hear from them more than just during election season."

Now, most politicians probably don't intend that message. But you can imagine my frustration with the whole situation. You've probably even felt it in some form or fashion, and not even necessarily about politics. Maybe you're walking through the mall and those kiosk workers perk up as you walk by. You can practically see the dollar signs on their eyes. You wander around a car lot and the salesmen are fighting over who "gets" you - again, you're just a paycheck to them. It's a common phenomenon, but it's true.

Long story longer, we were driving down the road and I was telling Beth about my frustration over the whole thing and she responded this way,

"People probably feel the same way about us as Christians."

Ouch. That really stings.

And yet, she is absolutely right. We can feel used by politicians or valued only for a sale in the mall, but the same is true for the message that we proclaim. People don't really want to hear what we have to say about the gospel until they can see that we really value them for who they are. Otherwise, they just end up feeling like the next sale.

It is true that we ought to love God. But it is also true that our love for God will show itself in our love for people. Jesus calls it the second greatest commandment. We must truly love and invest in people. The people you are trying to share the gospel with are, after all, people. They have questions and concerns, problems and solutions, joys and sorrows. They are real people with real issues and when you cross their path you have two choices: you can sell them some product they don't need or you can show them a Person they can't live without.

But the only way they'll know they can't live without Him is if they see how desperately you can't live without Him. And the only way they'll see that is by walking through life alongside of you.

Jesus modeled this very thing. He lived life with His disciples and among the people to whom He ministered. And as the people came to Him in droves, they watched Jesus miraculously meet their physical needs while offering the perfect solution to all of their spiritual ones. They watched Him absolutely love them as they were while divinely calling them to something greater than themselves.

And so my challenge to you is this: live life. But live life with people so that they can see just how much you love them for who they are, no matter what. So that they can see that you value them as a person, not as a statistic. And when they see how much you care for them, flaws and all, then they will truly hear what you have to say about the one Person who loves them more than you ever could.

Do you truly love people?
Or are you just using them to get a crown in heaven?

---

That you might know Christ,

Shadows

Photo Courtesy: Becky Brewer

The other morning I was coming back from a run and I looked down and saw a rather large shadow on the ground. It startled me a bit because it was moving along in step with me. Creepy...

I looked a little closer though and realized that it was just a bug, a tiny one at that. I could have easily crushed it without a thought. It certainly wasn't anything to be startled or creeped out about.

It's kind of dumb now, looking back on it, but the whole thing got me started thinking those "deep thoughts." At least, perhaps, they're the deepest thoughts a person can have at 6 a.m., worn out from a run and just trying to get home.

Anyway, I thought to myself, "Aren't most shadows like that?"

Deceptive.

Larger than life.

My point is that a shadow is made up of darkness, it's the absence of light. They shift and shuffle as light moves and they scatter immediately if you shine a light on them. In the shadows, you really can't see well and they deceive you into thinking something is there when it's not or something is bigger than it really is.

Satan deceives us in the shadows.

They're like lies - its not the blatant ones that draw you in. It's the subtle, mostly true ones. Shadows do the same thing. It's not the dark, black, scary places where you get caught up and lost in sin. Those places are obvious and much easier to avoid. It's the gray places, the subtleties of life, that drag us right down into the pit. They're just dim enough to see, and just dark enough to deceive. You think you see something that you need or want or desire. And you pursue it. After all, it's not that dark. You can see enough to get there and get right back out again.

But once you get there you realize it's darker than you thought, it's deeper than you imagined. All of a sudden you find yourself trapped in the mire - you're stuck before you even realize what's caught you.

Scripture describes shadows in many ways. Our lives are like shadows, death is a land of darkness and deep shadows, and there is a valley that lies in the shadow of death.

If that were the only way shadows were mentioned in the Bible, shadows wouldn't seem very good to me at all. Yet, Scripture also talks positively about shadows - they speak to the very shadow of the Almighty God.

"How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 36:7

"He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

"And I have put My words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of My hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are My people.'" Isaiah 51:16

"They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon." Hosea 14:7 

We hide in the shadow of His wings because in Him there is no darkness, there is no shadow. The shadow of God is as bright as the morning sun, so even as we run to hide there we can see exactly where we're going and Who we're hiding in.

There is no deception.

There is no trap.

It is exactly the size it seems - HUGE beyond all imagining - but it's not scary because the very bigness of God is what comforts us. It gives us a peace that passes all understanding because we know that in Him there is no fear or worry. And His Word gives us assurance that all the blessings and pleasures of this life are found when we take refuge in the shadow of God.

Run from the shadows you face in life, whatever and wherever they might be, into the shadow of God.

You will find no safer refuge.

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That you might know Christ,

Tangles

Every morning before heading off to school, Isabella and I sit down to brush her hair and fix it so that it's out of her face. And more often than not, whether its from sleeping hard or food she got in her hair while eating, it's inevitable that she has tangles in her hair.

It's funny, though. I don't normally think of brushing the tangles out of Isabella's hair as an object lesson, but today Isabella said something that really caught my attention.

"Can we just leave them alone?"

It's an innocent question, but one that is definitely worth pondering. See, as inevitable as it is that she will have tangles in her hair, it's just as inevitable that she won't like it when I brush them out.

"It hurts!" she says and runs away from me.

I know it hurts. But I also know it'll hurt worse if I don't brush them out. The tangles will get tangles, even to the point of getting knots, and that hair session will be practically unbearable - not to mention how Isabella might feel about it!

Her question made me wonder whether or not I had ever used that same excuse with God. Maybe I'm spending time with Him, praying, reading the Bible, and I feel convicted of a particular sin.

"Can we just leave that alone?" God convicts me even more. He starts to carve away at that area of my life.

"It hurts!" I say and run away from Him.

Of course it hurts - removing sin is never painless. Growing in holiness is like carving a log down to a beautifully designed figurine. The deeper the cuts, the more progress you make. The more detailed the carving, the more time it takes to sand down the rough edges.

I'm sure that God could leave our sin alone. He could definitely leave us to our own devices. And He does at times if we insist on rejecting Him. But, the sin will get worse. And the process of cutting it away will be even more painful as a result.

So, what does all this rambling mean? Well, for me, it means that I've been thinking a lot lately about a certain passage in the Bible - Colossians 3:1-10, especially verse 5 - and this morning was just the reminder for me that I can't just think about those verses. When I'm confronted with truth, I must also act on that truth. And what is that truth?

If we are in Christ, then we must not excuse or ignore sin. We must kill it.
          Without mercy.
                    Without delay.

To delay is only to make it worse later. To excuse it is to ignore God's standard for holiness. And neither is acceptable in God's eyes. Over and over God tells us in His Word that we are to "be holy as I AM holy." That means every day is a choice - to give in to sin or to kill sin.

What will you choose today?

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That you might know Christ,

A Grief Observed

"Jacob...it's B-Mom...she's gone..."

          "Jacob...Poppa Tom died..."

                    "Jacob...Marianne died in her sleep."

                              "Jacob...Memaw passed away this morning."

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Photo Courtesy: Alberto Lauretti

This morning I received the phone call that no one really wants to receive, that no one ever really seems prepared for. Even when a death is expected, it's still a shock. Ever since college I've been getting phone calls like that. I know deaths have happened in our family before then, but they never seemed personal until I was on my own and I had to deal with the news by myself.

There is always that dreadful, weighty, and interminable pause. You can almost sense that this phone call is different than all the others you've received before. There is always the attempt to break the news in a way that divulges information yet preserves the dignity of the individual and protects the emotions of the hearer. "Died" seems so harsh at times so we soften the blow with "we lost him," "she went to sleep," "they passed away," "he went home to be with Jesus." It all means the same thing, but somehow it makes things easier to swallow.

And what do you say in a moment like that? How do you respond? "I'm sorry" seems to be the most common thing that comes to mind, but it just never seems to cut it. "Ok" feels less than human and devoid of emotion. You certainly can't say, "Oh good!" - at least not out loud. Surely even the most awful people deserve a little sympathy......Right?

Then there is the flood of emotion. First come waves of grief that practically bring you to your knees in sorrow. No one looks forward to the death of a loved one. Subsequent waves of guilt and denial are soon to follow. In the case of an extended illness, perhaps even a bit of relief from the stressful role of caretaker sneaks its way into your mind.

This time, however, it's different. For me, the relative is not by blood but by marriage. At times I feel overwhelmed in the same flood of emotion for the loss of a loved one. I want to cling tightly to each member of my extended family to show them my love and support during this time of sadness. I want to be strong and brave for my wife, yet at the same time empathetic and gentle. But other times I feel almost like an outsider, looking in and observing the grieving process of a family that is not entirely my own. I feel the sharp pain of Memaw's death because she reminded me so much of my own grandmothers - each in their own way. But at the same time, there is not nearly so great a hole left in my heart as there is in Beth and her family. Blood ties more deeply than marriage.

Torn between feeling like both an insider and outsider, it has allowed me the opportunity to think about death from a new perspective. Before I just felt the emotions of grieving. Now I realize that while those emotions are a normal, natural, and healthy part of the process, I must move past those emotions to the question that everyone asks in the event of a death. What happens when you die? Is death the end? 

Death is not the end. Each time I experience loss I am reminded that there was one Man who died and didn't stay dead. He returned to life. He is Jesus Christ. He died the perfect, substitutionary death for all who would believe in Him as Lord and Savior. He made a way for life where there was no way but death. While we were dead in our sins, God made us alive in Christ.

Lois Tisdale: Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife, Mother, Aunt, Memaw - you were so many things to so many people. You are loved and cherished. You are grieved and mourned by those who remain here on this earth, our temporary home. But we also rejoice in death because death has lost its sting! Death has lost its victory! While we may weep and groan, longing for heaven and home, mostly we are jealous. We are every bit of green with envy for you have gotten that sweet reward of a life lived faithfully in service and worship of the King of Kings. You have gotten to taste the riches of heaven and we must continue to wait. We remain here, if only for a little while, until physical death or the return of King Jesus calls us to our heavenly home. "Come, Lord Jesus!"

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That you might know Christ,

Missed

Yesterday, Isabella came home.

We had been out of town and with all the logistics of drop off and pick up, Isabella had been gone from home for a little more than a week.

It was a momentous occasion, to say the least.

She got out of the car, we came out of the front door, she saw us, we grinned ear to ear and called out her name, she screamed excitedly, and she started running as fast as she could to grab and hug and kiss us. In a torrent of information over the next several hours, she wanted to tell us about everything she had seen and done while we were gone, but mostly she just wanted to hold us and tell us she missed us.

Yesterday's 'homecoming' left a permanent impression on my mind.

How excited one person can be to see another. How eager one person can be to share everything that has happened since the last time they saw someone.

It's something I think that we lose with time, with routine, with familiarity.

As I think about the joy that I felt to see my little girl and hold her in my arms and for her to not want to let go, as I meditate on that experience to soak it in and never forget it, I cannot help but think that perhaps I saw just a glimpse of what God feels when one of His children comes running home to Him. The Parable of Lost Things (sheep, coin, & son) in Luke 15 comes to mind. What rejoicing there is in heaven when one who is lost is found!

I never want to forget that joy.

I think so often we get comfortable and familiar with the people we love and we forget the joy that it is to know and love them. Familiarity breeds contempt, right? Even when they are gone, we so quickly forget the hole that only they can fill and that they are sorely missed.

Yet, with God we do this very thing. We spend so much time in church that we begin to feel contempt for His people. We spend so much time serving that we begin to feel deserving of service ourselves. We gradually work our way away from the church, or just leave it altogether, and we forget that the hole God fills can never be filled by anything or anyone else. We get to the point of spending so much time away from God that we forget that He is even missing - and yet He ought to be desperately and undeniably missed.

When you truly understand "how deep the Father's love for us," you will never want to leave Him again.

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That you might know Christ,