ONELIFE: time is short.

ONELIFE has moved.

2005-04-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

ONELIFE posts have moved to arongahagan.com in the 'ONELIFE' category. (Thanks, RD!)

Come on over!

Ancient Paths: The Way of Allurement

2005-01-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’” [Jeremiah 16:6]

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” [Psalm 37:4]

Sometimes the universe just feels…empty. The open skies, once a source of enormous delight and wonder, are just cold, distant, and—worst of all—silent. It feels as though someone who'd been bathing your soul in a warm and beautiful song has stopped singing abruptly and has completely disappeared from the world. Who it was you're not exactly sure, but you're sure someone's missing. And the cold their absence brings is palpable, and the sudden silence is deafening. Nothing seems to have any meaning, and the hands of the clock stoically whisper the passing of another unrecoverable hour into the depths of inevitability. Life has turned to a mass of useless material; salt without taste.

This is the complaint of an emaciated soul; a soul starved for too long—deprived of the only food that can satisfy. It’s the complaint of a soul in the gravest of dangers. And there is only one remedy—and it must be taken immediately, and it must be fought for and won at all cost. But perhaps this isn’t a land you’ve yet walked through. Perhaps your soul is in another place…

Perhaps urgency for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the expanse of his kingdom fuels you every single moment. Perhaps you search and seek and knock and devour everything you can get your hands on because everything you read and hear and think about Christ just doesn’t seem to quite scratch the soul-deep itch in your innermost being. You’re desperate for a greater capacity to express your joy so, like the psalmist, you’re pleading with the creation to help you shout his praises because your voice just isn’t loud enough or full enough; You think for a split second of the majesty of Christ and you leap to your feet and your arms spring upward and your chest heaves and your eyes instantly water for joy and you wish to double your size to take in more of Christ’s glorious Spirit—you jump, leap, reach and no matter where you look you’re still hungrier for more of God—to know him and commune with him and be conformed to him. Has this yet been your experience?

Whether your soul is dying without God, or dying for more of God, there is only one remedy: a bigger vision of Christ and him crucified. And today, when ‘bestsellers’ are so light and empty; and God’s sovereignty is mocked; and his glorious foreknowledge is apologized for; and Christ is nothing but a gentleman caller asking for a dainty dance, rather than a mighty firefighter who can revive you to life and effortlessly carry you from a burning building before it crashes down all around you; when Christ isn’t able to save, only able to offer; when Christ isn’t an almighty Lord and Master of Creation but a candidate running for spiritual office over your life—it’s simply no wonder we’re starving!

We need—we desperately need—to follow our Lord’s direction, which national Israel “would not.” He told them to “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” [Jeremiah 6:16] These “ancient paths” have been long abandoned because men felt a need to soften God, or apologize for his purposes, and be more ‘sensitive’ and more ‘relevant.’¹ Treason! But nothing is more relevant, nothing is more necessary, to the human condition, than an enormous and grand vision of God as God.

“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” [Exodus 34:6-7]

“I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other!” [Isaiah 42:8]

“Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle!” [Psalm 24:8]

We need a daily dose of concentrated God is GOD! time to keep our souls from starving and to scratch that soul-deep itch. Whether we have no appetite for God at this point, or if our appetite seems insatiable—our appetite for spiritual delight in God needs to grow. The Lord has directed us to “stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, [that we might] find rest for [our] souls.” Jonathan Edwards is the perfect person to “ask for the ancient paths;” he said that all Christians ought

…to be endeavoring by all possible ways to inflame their desires and to obtain more spiritual pleasures. . . . Our hungerings and thirstings after God and Jesus Christ and after holiness can't be too great for the value of these things, for they are things of infinite value. . . . [Therefore] endeavor to promote spiritual appetites by laying yourself in the way of allurement...²

And that’s what we all must set ourselves to do: lay ourselves in the way of allurement. We must set things before us continually that point our minds and hearts at the ultimate beauty and majesty of God in Christ. To that end, I’ve included a list of resources (all free) under the recommendations section below. First, there are bible reading plans (which are good for structured reading, and are meant to be springboards for further meditation and study). Then there are daily devotionals and sermons; God has given us teachers to open the Word of God for us. Let’s glean from them. Finally, there are old-school confessions and creeds, which organize the content of the Bible into brief statements or into question and answer form. All of these could be of great help in laying ourselves in the way of allurement.

Whether you’re currently in a bleak, grey, almost artificial-feeling desert longing for God, or you’re in a white-hot fury of desire for him, we can never desire God too much: lay yourself in the way of allurement!

¹ I am not beating a straw man here; I’m talking specifically about the theological liberals who tried to destroy biblical inerrancy in the 1970s (as revealed in Harold Lindsell’s Battle for the Bible), who tried to tear down God-ordained gender roles in the 1980s, and those who are trying to abandon the imputation of Christ’s righteousness and dismiss God’s perfect foreknowledge in order to retain a false understanding of fallen human nature today. All killers of God’s glory and our joy.

² I found this quote in John Piper, A God-Entranced View of All Things: Why We Need Jonathan Edwards 300 Years Later. Desiring God, 10 October 2003. <http://www.desiringgod.org/library/topics/edwards/edwards_300.html> Accessed 20 January 2005.

Recommendations

Bible Reading Plans

The Scriptures are the surest source of personal and corporate revival; spending time in it daily is like breathing the sweetest air, and eating the sweetest food. Don’t risk living without it.

[reading plan] The Navigators’ Discipleship Journal Daily Bible Reading Plan. Read portions from the 1) gospels, 2) epistles, 3) wisdom and poetry books, and 4) law and history each day! A great way to read through the Bible in one year. Only 25 days per month scheduled—time to catch up or read ahead! I’ve been using this plan for a couple of years now and I’ve found it very helpful.

[reading plan] In December of 1842, Robert Murray M’Cheyne, a tender Scottish pastor, designed this reading plan for his flock. Following it, you’ll get through the Old Testament once, and the New Testament and the Psalms twice in one year. The 2 page large-print introduction alone is an amazing piece of encouragement. Very good—especially for those of you who are starting out with a young family, and wish to begin a regular daily family devotion. I plan to switch to this one next. Email me for a copy.

Daily Devotionals

I find these to be great kindlers of fire either first thing in the morning, or at various times in the day. Sometimes we all need a little priming of the pump.

[devotional] Charles Spurgeon’s daily devotional, Morning and Evening. Strong meat and solid encouragement, yet brief. A good mix of doctrinal truth and practical application. Subscribe to the daily email version here.

[devotional] The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan Prayers to ‘prime the pump.’ Get a taste of the heights of puritan love for God and piety of life. I’ve found them to be quite heart-penetrating. Click on the little green arrow next to the word “Welcome.” (Also available as a paperback or leather-bound book.)

Sermons

If you have a little more time in the morning, evening, a long mid-day break, or time on a weekend, reading some of these sermons would be greatly encouraging to you. Why should we ignore what these great teachers and preachers had to say, simply because they are dead? I don’t think so. Enjoy.

[sermons] The Sermons of Charles Spurgeon. Just start with volume 1 sermon 1; he wasn’t called the ‘prince of preachers’ for nothing. Some Spurgeon each day keeps apathy away!

[sermons] Select sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Meet the man called, simply, ‘The Doctor.’

[sermons] The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards. A bit bumpy in places, but no one exalts Christ like Edwards. Try ‘The Excellency of Christ,’ ‘God Glorified in Man’s Dependence,’ or ‘God’s Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men’ for starters.

Confessions and Catechisms

You may find reading a question or two each morning, and looking up the scripture proofs, a wonderful way to spend your devotional time. Confessions and catechisms help to organize the overall teaching of the bible in either topically in a confession, or in question and answer style, as in a catechism. Have some questions about what the bible teaches? Check out the Westminster Confession.

[confession] The Westminster Confession of Faith. The standard by which all others are judged.

[catechism] The Westminster Shorter Catechism. “What is the whole duty of man?”

[catechism] The Westminster Larger Catechism.

[catechism] The Heidelberg Catechism. The first question and answer are amazing!

[others] A list of historic creeds, confessions, and catechisms.

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light!

- Dylan Thomas [more…]

The Absolute Freedom and Justice of God

2005-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

“You are good and do good…” [ Psalm 119:68 ]

I have to admit that Jim Elliot is a modern hero of mine. If you’re not familiar with his life—and particularly his death—I’d highly recommend reading either Through Gates of Splendor (by his wife, Elisabeth Elliot), or The Journals of Jim Elliot (edited by his wife)¹. He’s the one who wrote that famous and blindingly true statement, He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. For those of you who don’t know, he was a young and radical missionary to

Ecuador

in the mid 1950s. He and five friends determined, at great personal risk, to attempt to bring the gospel to the tribes of savage Aucan Indians who lived in the jungle near his home. They were all killed—speared to death—in the attempt. Jim Elliot was 28 years old.

Elisabeth (also a sort of modern hero of mine) had just given birth to their only child, Veronica. The story of the 5 young martyrs spread over the world like wildfire. Some were angered at the Indians, some blamed the missionaries for lack of wisdom, some questioned God’s justice for allowing his children to die so heinously. Others waited for the reports of mass salvations in the Aucan tribes, to defend God’s taking of the 5 young lives.

Elisabeth had a much different reaction, written 27 years after Jim’s death, which is recorded in the Epilogue II of Through Gates of Splendor:

We all know…that time and again in the history of the Christian Church, the blood of martyrs has been its seed. So we are tempted to assume a simple equation here. Five men died. This will mean x-number of Auca Christians.

Perhaps so. Perhaps not. Cause and effect are in God’s hands. Is it not part of faith simply to let them rest there? God is God. I dethrone him in my heart if I demand that He act in ways that satisfy my idea of justice. It is the same spirit that taunted ‘If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross.” There is unbelief, there is even rebellion, in the attitude which says, “God has no right to do this to five men unless…”

The massacre was a hard fact, widely reported at the time, and surprisingly well remembered by many even today. It was interpreted according to the measure of one’s faith or faithlessness—full of meaning or empty. A triumph or tragedy. […] The beginning of a great work, a demonstration of the power of God, a sorrowful first act which would lead to a beautifully predictable third act in which all puzzles would be solved, God would vindicate Himself, Aucas would be converted, and we could all “feel good” about our faith. […] But the danger lies in seizing upon the immediate and hoped-for, as though God’s justice is thereby verified, and glossing over as neatly as possible certain other consequences…

We are not always sure where the horizon is. […] The One who laid earth’s foundations and settled its dimensions knows where the lines are drawn. He gives all the light we need for trust and for obedience.²

Mrs. Elliot’s point is that God does not need to explain his actions to us—not ever. Even if none of the Aucans were saved as a result, God would be no less righteous for the taking of these 5 young lives. He is always Good, always right, always working everything for the good of those who are called, for those that love him, and always for his glory. Even—especially—when it appears completely otherwise to our limited, vaporous, fallible minds. Trusting his goodness and his power is the very core of faith in him; doubt either, and we are lost.

Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” He is absolutely free. And he is always, and only, absolutely good and just in everything he pleases, and does. He does not answer to us. He “is good, and he does good.” [ Psalm 119:68 ] Always…and only. It simply cannot be otherwise. And so, with Job, in the face of calamity, let us worship him for his goodness and for his mysterious purposes in the world. And, at the warning of Christ upon hearing of great calamity in Siloam, let us also “repent, lest we perish likewise.” [ Luke 13:1-5 ]

We serve a big and good God, though his ways are sometimes inscrutable. How is your faith?

¹I haven’t yet read Shadow of the Almighty, his official biography (also by his wife), so I can’t recommend it in good conscience. But I’m sure it, too, would be life-changing!

² Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor. (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1956 [repr. 1981]), pp. 269-273. Jim’s passion and devotion to “live life to the hilt” for the glory of God moved me to tears of longing a half-dozen times just in the first two chapters of this book. I may have just been tired…but I doubt it. It’s about $5 used.

Recommendations

[ministry] The Missionary Aviation Fellowship (“MAF”) has been asked to oversee the organization and distribution of all airborne aid in Indonesia, which was greatly affected by the recent tsunami. Since most roads and bridges were taken out by the tsunami, going airborne avoids the bottleneck and gets the supplies to the people that need them the most. MAF is providing technological, organizational, and airborne support to get the supplies to the people in need. Read more, and consider donating, here.

[devotional] A recent ONELIFE message on how to respond to calamity, titled How Firm a Foundation. Lest we become deists or idolaters, let us glorify God for his awesome power displayed in the ‘strong winds and mighty waves.’ Lest we become hard-hearted, let us weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice, and pray that the Lord of the harvest would send workers in the field.

Our Master said 'Love one another, as you are loved.' (Part 4)

2004-12-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

"First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." [Matthew 5:24]

Part 4: When Sparks Fly

Note: If you only have time to read one article today, skip this and read Schaeffer’s article recommended below.

There is so much godly, practical wisdom in the Bible on handling conflicts. Here are a few great examples:

• “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” [Ephesians 4:26]. This means we must 1) deal with our conflicts and 2) deal with them quickly. There’s nothing magical about sundown—he just means take care of the situation before it gets buried in bitterness, before it snowballs, or before it becomes something much worse. So if sundown comes before we take care of things, that doesn’t mean we’re off the hook…

• “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.” [Matthew 18:15f] Which means that, 1) we go (we don’t ignore it, we don’t wait for him, we don’t leave a message, we don’t send a scathing email—we go), and 2) we go alone at first (don’t bring a support group—even in conversation: “We all think that…”, “…and I’m not the only one!”), and 3) we go in person.

• “…in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” [Philippians 2:3]. For our purpose, this means walk in preemptive forgiveness. That’s not the same as preemptive anger management; the absence of anger is not the presence of love.¹ It means walk with a tendency, a leaning, a habit, of forgiveness. But this presents us with a huge problem—that is completely against our nature! That can’t be dong by willpower! So, how does it become second nature? (We’ll come back to that in a moment.)

And there is other great advice:

• We must learn to “…make a distinction between errors and persons” ² –that is, to separate people from their ideas, and we must learn to separate ourselves from our ideas. We can love people and still challenge their ideas without making it personal. And, we can still have our ideas challenged without taking it personally. All of us want our iron sharp, and when “iron sharpens iron,” sparks fly. It’s just part of the process. Sometimes our ideas, attitudes, or behaviors are so far out of line we need correction. (When I spent a summer framing houses, I often came across twisted or warped 2x4s. Some I could force into place with my hands and nail them, but others required the use of my (beautiful, 20 oz. Estwing® framing) hammer. But some were so far out of line I had to bring out the sledgehammer—which we nicknamed “The Motivator.”) Sometimes we need a good, loving, dose of ‘motivation’ for the sake of the house of God. We just need to give and receive it in genuine and visible love, remembering that “the wounds of a friend are faithful.” [Proverbs 27:6]

So there are many great guidelines and principles to apply in our attempt to love one another in the midst of conflict. But there’s a huge problem. These guidelines require that something else has happened, and is happening, deep in our heart. Jesus says that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” [Luke 6:45]. No amount of anger management will help. Something deep inside of us needs to change, and continue changing each day. That something is self. That something is pride.

The best medicine for pride and antidote for self is the gospel—straight up. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a great preacher in England in the 50s, said that a Christian is “at bottom, a man whose mouth has been stopped.”³ [Romans 3:19] In our own power, we can do nothing but bring about the wrath of God. We were wretched, poor, miserable, blind and naked, sinners, without hope, doomed and hell-bound:

“…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [Romans 5:8]

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” [1 Corinthians 1:27, KJV]

“but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;” [1 Corinthians 10:13, KJV]

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Ephesians 2:4-9]

We have nothing that we have not received from God! [1 Corinthians 4:7]

We are completely undeserving, yet he “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…”! [Ephesians 1:3]

We were his enemies, yet he “has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence”! [2 Peter 1:3]

We “were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,” yet “he has now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present [us] holy and blameless and above reproach before him”!! [Colossians 1:22-23]

We deserve endless torment in hell, yet he has prayed [John 17:24] and paid [Acts 20:28, Hebrews 9:12] that we might be with him where he is, to look upon his Glory! And to be in his presence where there is fullness of joy, and pleasures forever more! [Psalm 16:11]

It’s nearly unfathomable! When we think long and hard on this, we ought to be utterly broken, and filled with humility and joy and thankfulness toward our God for his grace and mercy! Freely we have received, and freely we must give. It’s a lesson we must learn—and I’m convinced it must be learned—for if we forgive, we shall be forgiven, yet if we do not forgive we shall not be forgiven. [Matthew 6:14-15]

So the best lesson on how to walk in humility and forgiveness is to gain a deep understanding of how much we’ve been forgiven. It’s the essence of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35. Once I prayed:

“Father, please forg—“

“You are forgiven,” he answered, before I finished.

“Father, teach me how to forgive.”

“You are forgiven. And that is your lesson on forgiveness,” he replied.

Loving Christ means loving one another, because he has asked it—even commanded it (love turns wishes into joyfully obeyed commands). To those who don’t yet know the powerful, Lion-like shepherd, his word is all command. And they would be right. But to those who’ve tasted and seen that he is good, they don’t sound like commands; they sound like life-saving, loving instruction from the Shepherd and Bishop of our soul [1 Peter 2:25]. And his commands can become easier—even a source of delight: “…for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.” [Psalm 119:47]

So let’s marinate our minds, hearts, and lives in God’s word, think on his greatness and our weakness and his mercy and his glory and our joy and be humble, thankful, merciful sons of our Father in heaven! For as Christiana Rossetti wrote in her Sonnet of Sonnets⁴, we cannot love God without loving one another, and we cannot love one another without loving God.

Recommendations

[article] Francis Schaeffer’s The Mark of a Christian. What is the ‘final apologetic’ for Christianity? Schaeffer offers a convincing argument, and a strong exhortation. If you’re not yet familiar with Schaeffer, here’s an excellent introduction. (Also available in book form.)

[book] Chapters 25 & 26 of Garry Friesen’s Decision-Making and the Will of God. Very practical wisdom for handling disagreements, differences, and the occasional Pharisee who feels the need to remind you that you’re not perfect. Part 4 alone is worth the price of this book.

[page] Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions. While many of us have given up on making resolutions, these are a great inspiration for aiming at a life of obedience and devotion and holiness. Use only as directed. #10 is reminiscent of the ‘big toe’ incident a few months back, which I shared with you. I especially like #22 – let me know which ones stick out to you!

Our Master said, "Love one another, as you are loved." (Part 3)

2004-12-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

Part 3: I am your stepping stone

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering of sacrifice to God." [Ephesians 5:1-2]

For the past few weeks we’ve been unfolding the phrase “Our Master said, ‘Love one another, as you are loved.’” First we thought about what it means to have a Master, or to be Mastered. Then we considered what it meant that Jesus told us not only that we must love, but that we must love in a certain way, namely, ‘as we are loved.’ That’s where we were last time. Before we move on, I’d like to paint a picture of what this looks like.

Remember the old Monkees song, “I’m not your stepping stone?” Well, it’s a catchy tune but don’t let it affect your worldview. Jesus Christ, our Master, is called the “stumbling block of Israel,” and “a rock of offense” to those who are condemned [1 Peter 2]. For those who believe, however, he is a rock to make our steps secure [Psalm 40], a sure foundation [Isaiah 28:16], and solid ground [Matthew 7:24-27]. We are built up on him as the chief cornerstone of the building of God [1 Corinthians 3:11, Ephesians 2:20]. What I see here—if we are to love as we are loved—is that we are to be stepping stones for each other!

Jesus said “Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.” [John 15:13]. Laying down one's life means, in part, being willing to get stepped on. But is this so bad? Think with me for a moment about what a stepping stone actually does and the image is really quite extraordinary:

A stepping stone serves, supports, lifts, strengthens, and directs a person’s path upward to a higher destination. To do this, it must know the destination and point to it, it must be humble, it must have adequate strength, and it must be willing to get a bit dirty in the process. And for someone to really get to higher ground, it takes more than just one step. Which means that we must be willing to repeat the process of getting stepped on for another’s benefit. And it also means that we should assemble with others who are like-minded. And when you have a bunch of stepping stones all working together, pointing toward one goal, you get a rock stairway—and that’s kind of like what a church body should be like. Can you picture it?

By God’s grace the person exerts the energy to climb the rock stairway, but the stairs support him, direct him, draw his vision upward to the destination, beckon toward the upward goal, and they repeat the process until he gets there. Think about all the other character traits this image brings out! Attitude, humility, teamwork, etc. A rock stairway is a great picture of what we should be doing for each other: being each other’s support, direction, encouragement, and vision-realigner. (A good brother just did this for me recently!)

It’s just simple imagery, but it fits in so well. When we get into those conversations with people who are having a tough time, it’s time to take on the role of a step—get humble, get supportive, get positive and encouraging, set the vision toward the higher ground of truth and joy, and gather others to help you. Sometimes we all need a way out of the dark cellar of solitude into the light-warmed family room. So let’s aim at becoming willing stepping stones for each other—for the higher ground awaits! Look for opportunities today, for our Master has said “…give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” [Luke 6:38]

[Next week we’ll continue our discussion, and focus on handling conflicts. Thanks for reading!]

Recommendations
[movie] Luther (2003), starring Joseph Fiennes, just came out on VHS/DVD—highly recommended! Majority of the manuscript was taken from actual statements or manuscripts or court records. Low budget, but a great movie! Should be available in your local video rental store.
[article] Francis Schaeffer’s The Mark of the Christian. A classic work on our theme of loving one another.
[site] John Piper’s Fresh Words, a weekly devotional similar to this one.

Our Master said, "Love one another as you are loved." (Part 2)

2004-11-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Part 2: What it Means to ‘Love…as we are Loved’

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.” [Psalm 36:5]

Last week we looked at what it means to have a Master—or, what it means to be Mastered. We discovered that it means his commands are non-negotiable: we must say to him “thy will be done,” or he’ll say to us “thou will be done” ; we must choose either “No,” or “Lord,” but we can never say “No, Lord.” Now that we understand this command is not up for debate, we must get to the business of understanding exactly what we have been commanded to do. So, this week, we’re going to look at what it means to “love…as we are loved.’

To begin with, we must realize that we are not free to love people in any we see fit. We cannot say “well, this is how I love people.” He didn’t command that. His command was very specific: “Love one another as you are loved.” In essence, he said ‘this is what love looks like: do it this way. Rather, do it my way—follow my example.’ Which means that if we are to obey this command in truth, we must understand the nature of God’s love toward us.

So, what does God’s love toward us look like? I think the answer is in at least two parts:

1) what is the purpose of God’s love? (or, why does God love us? To what end?) and

2) what is the nature of God’s love? (or, how does God love us?)

First, what is the purpose of God’s love? In his essay titled The End for Which God Created the World, Jonathan Edwards wrote “All that is ever spoken of in the Scripture as an ultimate end of God's works, is included in that one phrase, the glory of God.” All of God’s activities and motives are all wrapped up in that same purpose: the glory of his name. (See Romans 9, 11; Ephesians 2:7-9; Colossians 1:16; and Revelation 4:11, KJV. For a complete list, see Edwards’ book—especially chapter 2, section III.) This means that in our loving one another, our goal must be to bring glory to God. And, since “the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever,” that means that we love people by helping them enjoy God. And joy in God glorifies God. So, the purpose of our loving one another must be God-centered and God-exalting and God-soaked—we must love people for His glory, and their joy. Sometimes that will mean saying things that are temporarily hard to hear, but will lead to eternal Joy in God himself. We love people best by loving God most.

Second, what is the nature of God’s love, or “how does God love us?” This is a huge question, but we’ll just look at four basic ways: initially, undeservedly, unreservedly, andunceasingly.

a) Initially. Throughout scripture, God always makes the first move. This was so with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, you, and me. If we are to love one another as we are loved, we must love one another initially. That means that we make the first move toward godly relationships. (See John 6:44; Ephesians 1:4; 1 John 4:19) (Please note that I am not referring here to godly romantic relationships. There are other principles for those—perhaps that will come later.)

b) Undeservedly. God’s love is a gift—no person alive (apart from Christ) has ever deserved it. God’s love and forgiveness springs from his mercy and grace, and so must ours. Many will offend us, both believers and non-believers—they will not always deserve our love. But if we are to love one another as we are loved, we must love one another undeservedly. (See Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5)

c) Unreservedly. Since God’s love for us is not based on our merit, or on our performance, but on that of Christ, he can and does love us unreservedly. There is no end to his love, neither in quality or quantity. “He who did not spare his only Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” If we are to love one another as we are loved, we must love one another unreservedly. (See Matthew 18:21-35; Romans 8:32)

d) Unceasingly. Here is perhaps the best, and most challenging part: God loves us without end. Once he chooses us, and sets his love upon us, it will never, ever, fade away. His love is eternal and unchanging. So, if we are to love one another as we are loved, we must love one another unceasingly. (See Psalm 16:11; Jeremiah 31:3; John 6, 10; Romans 8, 11:29; Revelation 5)

Our Master said “Love one another, as you are loved.” To obey this command, the purpose of our love must be God’s glory and their joy, and we must love initially, undeservedly, unreservedly, and unceasingly. I don’t write this so our minds will be filled with more fodder for lively, spiritual-sounding conversation. I write this so that we all might “think on our ways, and turn our feet toward his testimonies” [Psalm 119:59], and “Examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith.” [2 Corinthians 13:5] We are so prone to deceiving ourselves about how we’re really doing with God; and that’s eternally dangerous. I write so that would apply truth to life, live out being mastered, and “Strive [Gk. ‘agonize’] to enter through the narrow door. For many, [our Master told us], will seek to enter and will not be able.” [Luke 13:24]. Let’s not deceive ourselves—let’s be doers.

[Stay tuned for Part 3: Loving as we are loved: ‘I AM, your stepping stone.’ An illustration of a community loving as they are loved. Thanks for reading!]

Recommendations

[site] Louie Giglio’s message from this past Tuesday night, “Good God Almighty: Who is Jesus? (Part 2)” – A great follow-up to last week’s discussion about the absolute, invasive Lordship of Christ. (He even used the same text: Luke 6:46!) He does a much better job than I could, and even goes on to answer the question ‘why don’t we submit to his Lordship?’ – which we talked about in the message from 10/07/2004. Message starts about 34 minutes in.

[book] Jonathan Edwards’ The End For Which God Created the World,available online. It’s long and challenging, but it’s one of the most important things I’ve ever read outside the Bible.

Our Master said, "Love one another as you are loved."

2004-11-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

Part 1: What it Means to be ‘Mastered’

"Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" [Luke 6:46, NASB]

We have no idea what it really means to have a Master—rather, to be mastered. We having nothing in our world to compare it to. But we desperately need to understand and embrace it. It’s crucial to our eternal survival. Henry Blackaby (author of Experiencing God) has said, “When God calls a man to himself, he calls him to the absolute, unconditional Lordship of Jesus Christ over every area of his life.” When he emphasized the words “absolute,” “unconditional,” “Lordship” and “every area,” the idea was seared into my conscience. It was a small beginning to this understanding—which I am far from having attained—that He is my Master. This blessed road we’ve been chosen to walk is no light footpath; it is a harsh, hard, and narrow path—but never-ending and always-increasing joy awaits us at the crest of the hill.

This week we begin a series of messages directed by the statement above: “Our Master said ‘Love one another, as you are loved.’” We may not care to admit it, but this can be one of the steepest, and rockiest sections of our upward climb. It is hard to love people. More clearly, it is hard to love all people, at all times, in all circumstances. Yet, “Our Master has spoken.” So we must obey fully, and joyfully, because there is no other path to his presence than faith-induced, and love-soaked obedience. So, first, we look at the words “Our Master said…” – at what it means to be Mastered.

To have a Master means that we have no final say over what happens to our lives. This is the case for everyone and everything in the created world: this is his world, and we just live in it. God is not campaigning for office: he’s already on the throne—and his term lasts forever. Every creature ever created is subject to his “absolute, unconditional Lordship.” Some are striving to be loyal, obedient (and therefore joyful) subjects. The vast majority, however, are not. Instead, they live out a tragic life, well-expressed by William Earnest Henley in his poem Invictus:

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

It is merely an eloquent way of expressing the same rebellion inherent in all of us as children: “You’re not the boss of me!” This is the mantra of the treasonous subject: “I AM the master…I AM the captain…” But God is the only “I AM.” And those endeavoring to be loyal subjects understand this. We have seen the reality of our situation, which Charles Wesley put into the awe-inspiring words of his hymn, Amazing Love:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

Here is the heart of a soul set free: out of love and thankfulness and a desire to be in very presence of their King, we labor “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” until we attain Christ. And these two views frame the choice we make every day as we live out our life: what kind of subject will I be? Loyal, or treasonous? In the office or on the campus, in the bedroom or in the car, Jesus is our Master. When he gives instruction, there are no negotiations: we say to him “thy will be done,” or he says to us “thou will be done.” This is what it means to be mastered.

But we all know this—at least, we know it in concept. In practice, we fail in many ways. I’ll mention three of the most common ways that I’ve experienced.

The first is when we plainly say, “No, Lord.” And this we cannot say. The first word undoes the second one. We cannot say “No” to our “Lord.” We may say only “No,” or we may say only “Lord.” We cannot have both—they do not belong together. If he is our Lord, “No” must be dropped from our vocabulary.

The second is that we, sometimes unconsciously, pass his commands through our ‘approval process.’ We try to imagine why we should obey, or what the outcome might be, and then, seeing it, we agree. As if to say, “I think I see where you’re going with this, Lord, and I hereby deem it a worthy project and thus have decided in favor of your proposal, O God most High. I give it full support—well done, thou good and faithful God.” The essence of being Mastered is deciding before we even hear the command that we will obey—period. The rest is just details.

The third way is that we receive the command, then ‘revise it,’ then imagine that we have somehow obeyed. C. S. Lewis puts it perfectly in his book, The Four Loves:

"Those like myself, whose imagination far exceeds their obedience are subject to a just penalty; we easily imagine conditions far higher than any we have really reached. If we describe what we have imagined we may make others, and make ourselves believe that we have really been there - and so fool both them and ourselves." [C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves [New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1960], p. 140. Thanks, Dunphey, for the quote.

Piercing words—they sure hit home for me. We must know ourselves in reality—we are so prone to imagination. And this ‘knowing’ will only come if we are alert and aware as we leave the ‘devotional time’ or ‘church’ bubble, and carry our Master’s commands into the world. How do I react when someone cuts me off? How about when they won’t let me return a damaged good? “Love them, as you are loved.” How often do we revise it, and apply the command to whomever we will or won’t? That is not for us to do. Only God ‘shows mercy on whom he will show mercy.’ Only He has that absolute freedom to do as wills, when he wills, nothing more or less. We, on the other hand, have a Master. And “Our Master said ‘Love one another, as you are loved.” Case closed.

So this is, briefly, what it means to have a Master, and to be mastered by him: absolute, unconditional, consistent, joyful obedience. And “Our Master said ‘Love one another, as you are loved.’” If we would be honest, this is a very steep, and very rocky portion of the path. But, thankfully, God is good. And “with God, all things are possible.” Is it worth it? Oh, I cannot say ‘yes!’ loudly enough! The joy set before us is unimaginable. It is unthinkable. It is beyond all hope and expectation—so let us labor not to fall from the heights, and let us examine our hearts in honesty, and lay down those areas we’ve held back from our King, and let us press on to attain the prize! For “Our Master has spoken...!” and he awaits us at the hill’s crest!!

[Next week we’ll look at the next part of our statement above: “Love…as you are loved.” Loving as we are loved means two things: loving how we are loved, and loving why are loved. And that's where we'll pick up our discussion next week. Thanks for reading!]

Recommendations
[site] 722.org, Louie Giglio’s (of Passion) weekly Bible Study for twenty-somethings [loosely defined as 18-35]. Streaming video of live worship and excellent exhortation. A great way to spend a late night.

Practicing the Fear of the Lord?

2004-11-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have good understanding.” [Psalm 111:10]
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves." [James 1:22]

We’ve probably all heard of ‘practicing the presence of the Lord’ (a la Brother Lawrence), but what does it mean to 'practice the fear of the Lord’? I read this recently and was struck by the idea that I thought the fear of the lord was only something I had, or felt—not something I practiced. I thought it was more of an emotion, not an action. So, what does it mean to practice the fear of the Lord?

James nails it in Chapter 1:22-25:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of he word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in the doing. [Context]

The underlying motive is to have faith with legs—that is, a rock-solid Christian faith that actually bears fruit into real-life decisions and actions; a faith that runs. Having these commands and principles, and seeking to apply them and encourage others to apply them—practicing the fear of the Lord—was the inspiration for the last message or two I’ve sent out. And yes, it got a bit messy.

But the desire of my heart (and yours, I trust), which fuels these little messages, is that you and I would not be counted among the millions of Christians who are 'hearers only’ of God’s Word. That’s why, for about the past two months (or so) we’ve been searching the Truth (not truths) and wisdom of the Almighty God, found in the Scriptures, and seeking how to apply it to every aspect of our regular, everyday, real life—not our imagined one. And that’s precisely why the recent general election was fair game: it's simply a part of life to which Scripture and godly principles must be applied—especially today, when we have a say in the battle for the unborn and for the preservation of marriage. If we are silent on the issues precisely when they are issues, we fail, as Martin Luther said:

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every part of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. (Quoted in Parker T. Williamson, Standing Firm: Reclaiming Christian Faith in Times of Controversy [Springfield, PA: PLC Publications, 1996], p. 5.)

So, in order to actually practice the fear of the Lord by being doers of the word, we need to set a few things straight about our concept of what Christianity itself is and is not: it is not an extra-curricular activity, it is not a profession, it is not a club, neither is it merely a social gathering. It is a life spent with God, that invades all of life, or it is nothing. That means with God in our thinking, with God in our decision-making, with God in our desires, with God in our purposes, with God in our actions, and, ultimately, with God in eternity. Let me explain.

Picture all the ideas and activities of your life as a desk full of drawers (here's my 'social' drawer, my 'employment' drawer, my 'physical fitness' drawer, my 'personal finances' drawer, etc.). What is marked "Christianity"? Is it one of the many drawers in the desk, or is it the desk itself? If it’s just a drawer, you’ve been deceived. Christianity is no mere ‘religion drawer;’ it is either the desk itself (into which all other drawers go), or it is not Christianity at all—despite its label.

This means that every idea or action in our life (or every drawer in our desk), must be reshaped (or even discarded) in order to fit into the 'desk' of Christianity. Everything must be 'held' or 'stored' or even 'hidden' within the context and the restrictions of our 'desk' of Christianity. Some drawers won't hold some items. Some drawers, we might find, are bottomless (like the 'joy' drawer). Sometimes an entire drawer won't fit in the desk (like a 'sex life' drawer if one is not married), and must be utterly discarded. Instead, it is an all-encompassing, uncompromising, and exclusive view of every aspect of reality. It is a total world- and life-view.

Renovating our lives to this model is a process; usually a life-long one. If we are to succeed, we must be continually testing the drawers (our ideas and actions) to see if they still open and close smoothly in the desk. If not, they’ll need reshaping; and Scripture is our sandpaper (and our table saw, and our fire to burn the remnants). This is how we practice the fear of the Lord: by being doers of the word, and not hearers only: and that means application.

Before I stop, I’m in that process, too. Things have gotten a little messy around here this past week; I've been both the offender and the offended. But here, especially, is where our Christianity either has legs and gets up to run the race, or it is found to be non-existent. Here is where the rubber wheels hit the road—and if they don’t, our faith is not genuine: it’s merely a showpiece on display. So, next week, we're going to start a few-week series on what it means to be subject to a Master who commands that we love one another—no matter what. And we’ll look at—as practically as I can—how to actually apply it. How should we disagree? How do we deal with confrontation? It won’t be new material, but I hope to package it in a new and fresh way that gets the point across.

I hope you'll stick around for it...

For Further Reading
If you never read the articles from www.boundless.org from a few weeks back, do so. They’re very, very good.

The Principle Applied

2004-10-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

A fervent young man replied to our last devotional with only two sentences. I’ll keep his identity private, but I thought he made an excellent point, but unfortunately didn’t apply it. His first sentence read: "I refuse to vote for a man who is responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people around the world."

Perhaps you’ve heard this response, too. I’ve included my response to our friend below for your consideration, complete with facts and figures about current casualties from the war in Iraq (from www.dod.gov, http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/, and http://icasualties.org/oif/Civ.aspx), as well as the current death toll from reported, legalized abortions in the United States since Roe v. Wade since 1973 (from http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/abortionstats.html).

Please read it. You will be shocked at the numbers. I wept.

=====

Hey, […]!
Thanks so much for your feedback! I have a few thoughts to offer, if I may?

FIRST, I don't think I explicitly endorsed either candidate anywhere in the email. Nor did any of the links which I included. The flyer merely presents where the candidates stand. If you support gay marriage, partial-birth abortion, legislating from the bench, the abortion pill, and state-funded abortions, then vote Kerry. If you don't, vote Bush. Vote your principle, not your party.

SECOND, about your decision process: you make an excellent point. I agree that the killing of innocent lives is an evil that should be stopped. So:

1. The CURRENT DEATH TOLL for the war in Iraq (03/19/2003=590 days) including all military and civilian casualties is 17,874. That's about 30 innocent lives per day. That's pretty bad, and Kerry wants to end it.

On the other hand...

2. The CURRENT DEATH TOLL from legalized abortions in America since the Roe vs. Wade supreme court decision (01/21/1973=11,605 days) is upwards of 40 million¹. That's about 3,447 ² innocent lives per day. (114 times the amount per day in Iraq.) That's a horrendous amount of innocent lives, and Bush aims to end it. Kerry, on the other hand, wants to "move it to the mainstream."

Based on your principle: "I refuse to vote for a man who is responsible for the death of innocent people," you may want to rethink your position. It's just logic: 3,000 is more than 30. Abortion is worse, so vote your principle. (Check out the "Ballot Box Blues" link below--it's really good. It's a conversation between two college students and a teacher about choosing between two candidates that are BOTH less than ideal.)

I would bet money that if you read the "Ballot Box Blues" article and the two others I included, you'd find yourself agreeing. Hey, just give it a shot...I know you want to make the right decision! Please write back and let me know. I'll look forward to learning from you. :)

Bottom line, my friend, is this: 30 vs. 3,774. Vote your principle-not your party.

FOURTH ³ and lastly, regardless of the above, I'm sorry to see you go. I treasure the opportunity to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. I have lost that privilege. If at any time you would like to be added to the list again, please do not hesitate to let me know. I would love the opportunity to serve you again.

Thanks again for your input, […]. God bless and take care!

Aron Gahagan
ONELIFE

=====
If you didn’t check out the ‘For Further Reading’ section on the devotional last week, I’d highly recommend doing so before you go to the polls tomorrow.

Bottom line, our choice is between a man whose choices have unintentionally lead to the deaths of thousands of innocent people around the world, or a man who has promised to intentionally condone the killing of 5,623,788⁴ innocent people over the course of a single term in the white house.

Yes. 5,623,788.

And that’s if he doesn’t succeed in his goal of “moving abortion away from the fringes of medical practice and into the mainstream.”

For the sake of millions of unborn children please don’t forget to vote. And tell others.

^¹I got the actual number this evening [10/31/2004 10:51 PM] from www.nrlc.org: 44,670,812. That changes our numbers a little: that’s 3,849 per day, which is 128 times the daily average of 30 in Iraq.²1/22/1973-10/31/2004=11,605 days, 44,670,812 abortions/11,605 days = 3,849 daily average
³I apparently cannot count to four without skipping three. (Feel free to check my math.)
⁴1/20/2005-1/20/2009=1,461 days * 3,849 abortions/day = 5,623,788 abortions in one term at the current rate.

Voting the Principle vs. Voting the Party

2004-10-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

“…[destroying] arguments and lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God,
and [taking] every thought captive to obey Christ." [2 Corinthians 10:5]

What an amazing state of confusion and unrest our country is in! Lies, slander, accusations, denials; it's almost enough to make anyone step into the sidelines of political awareness and/or activity. One group of people are advising this strategy, another group is advising another. Some we trust, some…not so much. I suppose it was bound to happen when the news became a source of entertainment rather than information. But how, in the midst of all this confusion, should we determine, defend, and promote our decisions about who should lead our nation? How should we think?

1 Samuel 18-31 recounts King Saul’s maniacal pursuit of David, a loyal servant and the next anointed King of Israel. Earlier, when Saul was “tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord,” [1 Samuel 16] David would come and play his lyre (like a 10-string guitar) to comfort Him. But later, after David slew Goliath, Saul heard the people singing David’s praises and hurled a spear at him to ‘pin him to the wall’ out of jealousy! (Twice!) [1 Samuel 18] What began as a dim shadow of jealousy for his military exploits, had quickly become a lightless midnight of murderous intent toward David. So when David fled for his life, Saul mustered up his army and went after him. Twice there came a point when David and his men were able to sneak into Saul’s camp, under cloak of night, to thwart Saul’s intentions. When they approached Saul, sleeping soundly, David’s men said, basically, “Now’s your chance! Kill him, and deliver yourself from his hand!” [1 Samuel 24, 26] (No wonder Braveheart reminded me of David!)

Let’s understand his dilemma. If David struck down Saul, many good things would happen for him: he would deliver himself from the hand of his pursuer (not to mention adding a stanza to his ‘hero’ song); he could stop living on the run; he could stop sleeping in caves; he could get his wife back (or, one of them)—in short, he could live peaceably. Not only that, but so could all of his men. And, since he was the true King, many good things would happen for the country: they could rejoice because Saul the deranged oppressor would be overthrown; they would be greatly blessed because David, their King, was highly favored of the Lord; and they could finally be delivered from the perpetual threat of Philistine raids. David had a huge decision to make.

So David’s men knelt there in the stillness of midnight, utterly surrounded by a host of their enemies—hearts pounding, adrenaline rushing, breathing restrained, and spears at the ready—ears tuned and eyes fixed on David, awaiting his command. Then, hunched down near the head of his soundly-sleeping enemy, he said, “God forbid that I should raise my hand against God’s anointed.” [1 Samuel 24:10] (Imagine the reaction of his men!)

The second time David had opportunity to kill Saul, he said “…who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?...As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” [1 Samuel 26:9-11]

David made a decision dictated by principle, not by popular vote, nor by a desire for immediate personal gain. This meant that the running, the sleeping in caves, the longing for home and family, and the threat of death (for both him and his men), would continue. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be right.

Here’s the lesson: In determining who will lead our country, and be an example to us in thinking and in life, and represent us overseas, and allocate tax dollars toward or away from state-funded abortion and stem cell research, etc., we must heed God’s principles. Then, we must (as my Dad has said) “vote our principles; not (necessarily) our party.”

The accusations and denials fly, and confusion reigns over most—but the word of the Lord stands firm: “thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and “thou shalt not murder.” These are non-negotiable from the Lord, so they must be non-negotiable for us, and for the people we vote into office.

No matter what your party, we inherit our principles from God. And we have a responsibility to “cast down every argument that raises itself up against the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” So vote, encourage others to vote, and especially encourage others to “vote their principle, not their party.”

For Further Reading
[ARTICLE] Ballot Box Blues, by J. Budziszewski (of Boundless.org) EXCELLENT!
If you only read one of these, read this one by J. Budziszewski. Clear thinking on how to defend voting anti-abortion vs. voting anti-war (whether just or unjust).
[ARTICLE] One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society, by John Piper
Why a candidate’s position on one issue can be decisive when casting your vote. More clear thinking!
[ARTICLE] Why Vote If You Are Disillusioned?, by John Piper
Raises the standard of statesmanship; includes a great quote from Abraham Lincoln.
[NEWS CLIP] ABC Does Your Thinking for You
If the terrorists have come out against one candidate in particular, what does that tell you? They’re comfortable with the alternative. Does that make you comfortable with the alternative?

*The author of this email list is no longer legally associated with New Life Church of Biddeford, ME; 501(c)(3) regulations do not apply. (But the 1^st Amendment does!)

In All Our Ways

2004-10-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. [Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV]

I’m sure you’ve heard or read this verse before—you may even have it memorized. And if you’re like me, you’ve tried to apply it to all of your life decisions: the small ones (“What socks should I wear?”), the big ones (“Which car should I buy?”), and especially the super-big ones (“Should I marry? If so, whom?”). But, if you’re like me, you understand what the verse means, you believe it to be true, and you earnestly desire to put it into practice—yet the ‘how to’ often leaves you scratching your head: “Well, I would ‘trust in the Lord with all [my] heart,’and I wouldn’t ‘lean on [my] own understanding’ if he’d just tell me what he wants me to do!”

Ever been there? Me too. Our response (“What does he want me to do?”) is right because the verse provokes it. Look again at verse 5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Right off we notice that the Lord must have an alternative to “[our] own understanding,” which we must then “trust in” or “lean on” instead of “[our] own understanding.” So there’s a void to be filled: “Ok, what’s is his alternative to my ‘own understanding’? How do I find it out?” Here is where the problem comes in—too often we neglect the answer(s) he’s already given us to 99.7% of our life decisions—small, big, and super-big. In 1545, Martin Luther said “Let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scripture.” God can and does speak through special, direct ways today (such as dreams, visions, angelic visitations, prophecy, etc.), but his primary means of speaking to us today, far more often, is through his Holy Word. (Psalm 119, written by David, who was “a man after God’s own heart,” and whose “heart was perfect toward God,” ought to convince any skeptics.) So the Word of God is the Will of God. I appreciate how William Walker put it in his hymn, How Firm a Foundation:
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled.

So let’s look at the ‘how?’ The very next verse, verse 6, gives us something to apply immediately: In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Solomon’s main idea in this passage (vv. 1-10) is, at bottom, “Conform all your ways to all God’s ways and life will go well for you.” So what are “all our ways” Here’s a list of “ways” for us to work through, one by one, to determine whether we’re truly acknowledging God and following his ways in them: “in all your (work activity, financial management, relationships, entertainment choices, eating/sleeping/exercise habits, studies, conversations, devotional life)acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

How do I acknowledge him in these areas? Dig out the principles in God’s word, and live by them. They may not always make sense to us, but this is how we “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart, and lean not on [our] own understanding.”

Recommendations
The Book of Proverbs. Many have benefited from reading one proverb each day of the month. Reading the entire book of wisdom, of the wisest man on earth, every single month, can’t help but grow your wisdom.
William Walker, How Firm a Foundation [hymn]
The Navigators’ Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan [free download | pdf, outlook]
Garry Friesen, Decision-Making and the Will of God. [book] Dr. Friesen presents a convincing alternative to the traditional view of discerning God’s will for your life. It’s long, but a surprisingly quick read. As always, read with discernment.

2004-10-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

No devo this week--sorry. Stay tuned!

For the LORD is Good

2004-10-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100:5

I am amazed at how much God-ward rejoicing there is in God’s Word. It truly sets our faith apart from all others.

Christianity has something in common with most of the other theistic religions in the world: we believe there is a higher being who created us and who (therefore) is in authority over us. In fact, the vast majority of peoples and cultures across history have believed in a powerful, creating god who rules over his creation (atheism is a relatively new idea). This shouldn’t be surprising since, according to Romans 1, all faiths and all peoples have been immersed in a world that clearly reveals the invisible attributes of God – namely, his power and Godhead (or authority). Nature reveals both the power and authority of God and the origin and submission of man. But is this enough? Is mere power or authority sufficient cause for all the rejoicing we find in the psalms? I don’t think so.

Neither power nor authority are good or evil in themselves; that is, they are amoral. Power (much like hatred, tolerance, or rejection) earns a moral quality when it is exerted or expressed toward something good or evil. For example, if power is exerted toward something good, that power is virtuous (morally good). On the other hand, if that power is exerted toward something evil, that power is vicious (vice-ous, or morally evil). The same goes for authority. Pharaoh had quite a bit of (earthly) power and authority, and yet the Israelites weren’t doing a whole lot of rejoicing. And other “gods” put people in terrible bondage to fear and oppression. This is not joy-inducing!

What sets Christianity apart is the sheer goodness of God. “For the Lord is good…” We rejoice because when we see the absolute power and authority of our Creator displayed in his creation, we know that the one wielding that power and authority is absolutely, incorruptibly, eternally, unchangingly good! “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all…” [1 John 1:5] and “…every good an perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” [James 1:17] He “is good, and does good.” [Psalm 119:68] And there are so many, many more! [Exodus 34:5-7, Psalm 23, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 41:10, Lamentations 3:22-33, and John 10:1-17 to name just a few!]

The psalm above (the whole thing) seems to follow this understanding: verses 1 and 2 are an exhortation to rejoice in the Lord. Verse 3 is a reminder that 1) He is God (authority), 2) He made us (power), 3) we belong to him (authority). Verse 4 is further exhortation to praise him: but only in verse 5 do we get a “because”—an ultimate cause for rejoicing in him: “For [or because] the LORD [our Maker and Master who wields all power and authority over everything] is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations!” We could reverse verses 4 and 5 and get, basically: “The LORD is good, all that power and authority is in the hands of a good and loving God, therefore rejoice in him!” This is cause for never-ending joy, and this is what sets us apart!

Nature is enough to reveal God’s absolute power and ultimate authority. But if we would learn the full extent of God’s goodness, and his grace, and—unthinkably—his personal visitation among his creation, then we must turn to the Bible. It is his ‘special revelation’ in a book that compliments his ‘general revelation’ in nature, and it testifies of the goodness of God; especially as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord [2 Corinthians 2:6]. Nature reveals enough about God to leave us “without excuse;” but the Word (illuminated by the Holy Spirit) reveals everything we need to know to be eternally joyful in God, and (therefore) to be saved “to the uttermost.”

The LORD is good…, so take up your Bible today and learn of him, fill your soul with wonder at his power, authority, and his unstoppable goodness—and begin an eternity of rejoicing in him!

Recommendations
The Psalms. (I recommend the “essentially literal” ESV translation for its accuracy as well as its readability.)
Chapter 3 of John Piper’s book, Desiring God, on Worship

I hope and pray that you’ve been encouraged, and built up in your faith through this little message. And I pray that both of us would turn to God’s Word more frequently and more fervently, in order that the rising tide of worldly desires would be displaced by the growing pressure of a hunger for God himself.

PS – On a personal note, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful feedback and encouragement as I begin my next chapter. I can already see the Lord moving in amazing ways. I am also humbled—greatly—at the generosity of this group of people; I was able to replace my limping, screen-less laptop yesterday with a new Dell notebook (debt-free). I have no other words but “thank you, and thank God.”

The Word of God is the will of God

2004-10-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

"O you who love the LORD, hate evil!" Psalm 97:10

The other day I saw a bumper sticker that read "Hate is not a family value!"

I'm sure you've seen or heard this slogan at some point--it's quite popular. But what is popular usually isn't godly. From the verse above, we can begin to see the error of this "bumper-sticker morality." First, the scripture above tells us that we are to "hate." (That may be a bit shocking!) This means that hatred in itself cannot be wrong; God commands it. But, second, scripture goes on to tell us what we are to hate: "hate evil." This is what determines the morality of hate;its object, or target. If we hate evil, our hate is good; if we hate good, our hate is evil. Hate itself is neither good nor bad; its morality is determined by whatever is causing it. Third, scripture shows us that evil exists; it is real, and external and objective. So it appears that hate--if it is directed toward or in response to evil--is one of God's "family values." If we "love the Lord," we are to "hate evil." This is in stark contrast to the current worldview of tolerance, and postmodern thinking.

But let's back up for a moment. Why is this devotional material? Isn't all this "worldview stuff" a bit too academic for a devotional? Well, perhaps...but here's my real point: our devotion to the Lord will lead to joyful obedience to him and his will for our life. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." [John 14:15] Which means that a major part of our devotional life must be to learn what our Master's will is, cultivate a joyful obedience to those commands, and then seek to obey and apply them in our everyday life. The exercise above is just an example of "[destroying] arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and [taking] every thought [or slogan, or idea, or worldview] captive to the obedience of Christ." [2 Corinthians 10:5] Living a life of devotion means seeking to know and do the will of God in every aspect of our lives--all motivated by, carried out in, and aimed at, love to God. Isn't that the million dollar question: "What is the will of God for my life?"

The word of God is the will of God. If you want to know what the will of God is for your life, then turn to his word: meditate on the propositions of scripture while marinating in the presence of its Author. Too often, we think the "will of God for my life" is found in a voice from the clouds saying "work at Bob's auto mall," when in truth the majority of what he's revealed about his specific will for our life is found in scriptures such as "This is the will of God: your sanctification," [1 Thessalonians 4:3] or "...seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you," [Matthew 6:33] or Romans 12:2, or even Proverbs 16:9.

Have you grown weary of trying discover God's will for your life? We serve a God who “is good, and does good.” [Psalm 199:68] His will for my life and for yours is revealed to us in his word, and illuminated to us by his Spirit. He "gives [us] counsel; [and] in the night also [our hearts instruct us]." He will "make known to [us] the path of life." [Psalm 16] Meditate on his word "wherein is wisdom," marinate in his presence, and apply his will to all things--big and small. This is what a life of devotion to our King looks like.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Read Psalm 16 with Proverbs 16:9 in mind, and dig out a reason to be happy in the steadfast love and guidance of the Lord.
And Since we're still talking a bit about conflicting worldviews, I'd recommend reading any of the articles sent out last week that you might have missed. [see below.]

postmodernism101@boundless.org

2004-09-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

This week I'm going to refer you to some excellent articles I came across a few days ago on boundless.org--what with ATF this weekend, it's been a mad house this week. We'll be taking over 130 people this year!!

Article 1: The Hazards of Reading on a Battlefied - Walt Russell
Mr. Russell writes on authorial intention--that the meaning of a text is meant by its author--and the implications of this truth. (This article is the first of a four-part series, which aims to help us read our bibles well. I recommend them as well).

Article 2: What Is Truth and Why Does it Matter? - J. P. Moreland
In this article, Mr. Moreland does an excellent job of answering the question posed in his title, and leads through a discussion about the 'correspondence theory of truth:' that something is true when it corresponds accurately with something in reality.

Article 3: Postmodernism and the Christian Life: Part 1 - J. P. Moreland
This is an excellent summary of postmodern thought. Mr. Moreland groups the basics of postmodern thinking into six statements, then explores them briefly. Very good.

Article 4: Postmodernism and the Christian Life: Part 2 - J. P. Moreland
Mr. Moreland follows up his previous article with an "[analysis of] four aspects of postmodernism that bear on the possibility of successful Christian growth and discipleship."

They're each a bit more in-depth on nearly everything we talked about at the last ONELIFE. Very, very important--and very, very good!

Joining the Great Battle

2004-09-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

"I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do with my life."

Have you ever heard that? Ever said it? I’ve probably said it as often as I’ve heard it. Many people in their twenties are in the same spot: big passion, small direction. Desires are strong to live for something worthwhile, lasting, and enjoyable—maybe even for The Kingdom—but they aren’t exactly sure about the what, the where, and the how. I’ve been there. (Truth be told, I may still be.)

I woke up this morning with one clear thought: "Where, Lord, is the great battle of our day? Where can I join the front line of your Kingdom? Where can I make the most impact for Truth?" Immediately I thought of frontier missions. But then I thought about the classroom—and then the courtroom. Then academia. Then the media. Then the arts. Then the factory floor. Then…I realized that the battle is all around us—we are in the thick of it nearly everywhere. And I think this is the way it’s supposed to be: the 'front line' is neither geographical nor vocational; it’s just plain everywhere. The 'front line' is anywhere a loyal subject of the High King of Heaven is in contact with a slave of (or an idea from) the dark 'lord' of hell. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer suggests that "The only way to follow Jesus [is] by living in the world." The Cost of Discipleship, p. 48) It seems that we should think of expanding the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in and through a vocation (and nearly *any* vocation at that), and not just for a vocation. "Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31) So the battle line here—the external one—is drawn: it’s everywhere and anywhere, and it’s against the ideas and values and lifestyles of the enemy. (See 2 Cor. 10:3-5)

And I thought further that there is no battle so fierce as the one that rages daily in my own mind, heart, and flesh. This is the first and most violent of the battlefields, where the cost of losing is perilously higher to me than anywhere else: "for what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36) The reward for victory is also greatest here: for "greater is he that rules his own soul than he that takes a city." (Proverbs 16:32) We can do wonders in and through a vocation, and yet if we haven’t conquered the inner land of our own heart, "it profits us nothing." So the other battle line—the internal one—is also drawn: it’s in our own minds and hearts as well.

By waging and winning the internal battle (being "not of" the world) while living "in the world," we join the front lines wherever we are. So, the battle lines are drawn: where and how you join is (your decision and your destiny. If you’re looking for guidance for the details, look to the Word—he has promised to "show you the path of life." (Psalm 16:11) The Wisdom of God is imparted through the revealed Word of God as illuminated by the Spirit of God: "in all your getting, get wisdom." Plumb the depths diligently, and apply the gold rigorously in deciding the details, and "then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8)

Recommended Reading:
God’s Guidance: A Slow and Certain Light, by Elisabeth Elliot (192 warm and helpful pages)
TwentySomeone, by Doug Serven and Craig Dunham (240 very enjoyable pages)
Decision-Making and the Will of God, by Garry Friesen (462 meaty and pages)
The rigorous application of scriptural wisdom in making both major and minor life decisions is well exemplified in Elisabeth Elliot’s Passion and Purity, and her Through Gates of Splendour.

Welcome to ONELIFE.

2004-09-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Only one life, 'twil soon be past:
only what's done for Christ will last.

This blog has been set up to facilitate the continued discussion of the heart and vision of the ONELIFE community which was born in Biddeford, ME on 9.17.2004 at New Life Church. It will also be a repository for past and future email devotionals. And, last but not least, it will also provide a way for me to keep in touch with all the people I've come to know and love in the Biddeford, ME area.

Please bear with me as I figure out how blogger works. For now, you must be registered to post comments, but I'm looking into changing that as well as eventually opening up posting to more people.

I'm hoping to also figure out a way to have new posts automatically sent to those who sign up for it. Not sure if or how that would work. Your thoughts and ideas are welcomed and encouraged.

Thanks for your interest!

For His Glory and our Joy,
AG

--
P. S. - the web address is already-notyet because onelife, onlyonelife, and thingsabove were already taken--though they're obviously not used. "Already-not yet" is an answer to 'has the Kingdom of God broken into the world? The answer is that it has come already and it has not come yet. We live in the tension between, as pilgrims living primarily for the next age. (Feel free to post thoughts or comments about this name--we can change it I get a better suggestion.)

Of all people, most to be pitied?

2004-09-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
[1 Corinthians 15:19]

I read this verse the other day and I thought: "Why?" Why, if this Christian life is a blessed life, and if it is filled only with ease, comfort, health, safety, security, prosperity, and general giddiness—then why are we "to be pitied" more than "all people" that hunger, thirst, are blind or deaf, have diseases, are homeless, cold, in prison, etc.? Because this life is not that way. His meaning is this: if we go through all this and there’s actually nothing after it to make it all worthwhile—if there’s actually no "joy set before us" to strengthen us to "endure the cross" and "despise the shame," then we are not only destitute in this life, but deceived about the next one. And false hope is worse than no hope. This verse only makes sense if "this life" is not easy, comfortable, and giddy.

This presents a rather difficult view of Christianity: to think that it might be a "hard path"? That I actually might be despised and rejected of men just like my Master? What about 'walking in the favor of the King?' Hebrews 12:1-11 and 1 Peter 1:3-9 present a rather different understanding of the true and lasting favor of the Lord. The birth of a disciple of Christ is marked by a radical departure in every aspect of our being from what the world thinks and lives; for His way of thinking and living is considered foolish. To be joined to the Rejected One is to be inducted into what Dietrich Bonhoeffer calls "the brotherhood of the Crucified." (The Cost of Discipleship, p. 114. [actually he calls it the "fellowship of the crucified."])

This view wipes away trivialities and forces our attention to the center of life: the glory of Christ—where we must gaze at him and ask ourselves "Is he worth it? Is he worth the 'loss of all things'?" It is true that we do not trust in or seek hardship; we trust in and seek only Christ. But Scripture affirms that hardship is the unavoidable outcome of following Christ in this world and the only road to the fellowship of the cross. Hope for the next life gives us a will to leave all, strength to endure persecution, and joy as we run the race down the Calvary road. (Anyone who’s been verbally smacked by a friend or loved one or publicly derided or even beaten for the sake of Christ knows what I’m talking about here.)

But why do I write this to you? To have a "nice devotional thought"? No. Because I want to see our generation walk the “old path” of reverent and (therefore) radical discipleship. I want us to live a life of following Jesus so closely that we simply must look to the hope of the next life just in order to keep going in this one. So let us leave our nets, take up our dusty swords and use them on our own hearts, and follow our Rejected (yet Reigning) King of Creation. His glory awaits only those who follow in his footsteps—and his footsteps lead only to the cross.

Suggested Reading:
Matthew 8:19-22
Hebrews 12:1-11
1 Peter 1:3-9

How Firm a Foundation

2004-09-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." This phrase, "Yet once more, indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
[Hebrews 12:26-29, ESV]

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
[George Keith, How Firm a Foundation]

Calamity has a way of revealing what, and how sure, our foundation truly is. After 9/11 shook our foundations, many people realized that—despite the responsible attempts of our leaders—there is no such thing as "Homeland Security." That day my mom put this note on their refrigerator door: "Security is not found in governments or in men; Security is found only in Jesus Christ." And she’s right. We have a different and permanent homeland that we await from heaven [Hebrews 11:13-16, 12:22-24, 13:14], and we have a stronger security than any man or group of men can ever offer us [John 6:35-51, 10:1-5, 27-29; Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 6:13-20]. This is the glorious lesson of the life of Job.

Job may have suffered more than any other person in the Old Testament. All at once, Job got news that 1) the Sabeans had slaughtered all of his oxen and donkeys and all of the servants that cared for them (except one), 2) the fire of God from heaven burned up all of his sheep and all of the servants that cared for them (except one), 3) the Chaldeans stole all of his camels and killed all of the servants that cared for them (except one), and as if all this wasn’t enough, 4) a great wind knocked a house down on top of all ten of his children (seven sons and three daughters). So in the space of a few short seconds, Job discovered that he had vicious enemies, he lost his entire source of livelihood, he lost all of his servants, and he lost all of his children. This is immense personal calamity. Almost none of us will ever experience loss so great as this in our life. Yet what was his response? He worshipped God!

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." [Job 1:20-21, ESV]

The lesson of Job for all of life is exactly what Louie Giglio said when reflecting on the tragedy of 9/11. He said: "Worship is ALWAYS the correct response." When Christ alone is the source and strength of your foundation, your foundation cannot and shall not ever be shaken. He said "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." [Matthew 24:35, KJV] He did not say "heaven and earth MIGHT pass away." Calamity and personal loss will come, but if we "Trust in the name of the LORD," that He is Sovereign and Good and that He will "never, no never, no never forsake" us, we will have a steadfast anchor of our soul. Governments and countries will come and go, but Christ stands firm forever! With Heaven our Homeland, and Christ our Security, "we shall never be moved!"

God is in the heaven-and-earth-shaking business: how firm is your foundation?

Suggested Reading:
Hebrews 6:17-20
A Mighty Fortress is Our God (Martin Luther) and How Firm a Foundation (George Keith): Excellent!
GENERATION Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 3
Note: we do not necessarily agree with all opinions expressed, but most of it is very good!

The Everlasting Gospel

2004-08-19T15:16:00.000-07:00

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." [Mark 1:1 ESV]

I’ve never read the phrase "the end of the gospel of Jesus Christ" in the Bible. Have you? I think that’s because there isn’t one. Here’s what I mean: the gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news about Jesus Christ—the good news not just about His long-awaited appearance on the world scene, but the good news about who He is and what He is like. And since Christ is infinite, there will always be something new (to us) to learn about Him, and since He is God, what we learn of him will always be good. There will never be a time when God begins to reveal Christ to us, only to later say "...and that's about it; that's all I've got--the end." There will simply (amazingly) be no end!

When we first hear the gospel of Jesus, it is only the beginning. To become a Christian means to embark on a never-ending journey of joy and pleasure in observing and rejoicing in the excellence of the Son of God. Can you imagine that? Try! I dare you to imagine a feast of the mind, heart, and senses wherein each course of revelation is more delicious and more satisfying than the last! Can you imagine the heights of joy? The peaks of wonder? The elation of God’s people delighting in the beauties of Jesus--for ages upon ages without end?

The exciting part of this story is that we can get a glimpse of this experience now in the Word, "which testifies of [Christ]." [John 5:39, KJV] The gospel is the subject not just of eternity, but of the Bible. The whole point of the Bible is to reveal Christ to us. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that "…now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now [we] know in part; then [we] shall know fully, even as [we] have been fully known." We are blessed with the privilege of knowing (at least) in part, and seeing (at least) in a glass darkly. So what are we waiting for?

Have you feasted on the gospel of Jesus Christ today? It is truly good news—indeed, it is the best news! What else is worth your precious time?

Suggested Reading:
Jonathan Edwards, The Excellency of Christ

Maintenance Christianity vs. A Loud Voice

2004-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

"For the love of Christ [compels] us, because we have concluded this: that...he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, ESV

This morning, while reading Matthew 27:45-56, I was struck by these words: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." Jesus "cried out…with a loud voice." It’s almost unthinkable. The pain that He endured, though a pure and innocent Lamb, is incalculable. We may never fully comprehend it. Exactly what happened at that moment in history and reality (to history and reality) we may never fully understand. But what struck me was that He held absolutely nothing back from the will of God: "Not my will, but Thy will be done," [Luke 22:42, KJV]; "I do always the things that please [the Father]." [John 8:29, KJV]

He is so precious, so glorious, so worthy-worthy of all we are and all we have. And yet we hold back so much from His absolute control, stockpiling it in the "secret" closet of our mind. We pile objects, people, feelings, safe identities that we’ve built for ourselves; all mistresses of our fallen nature—all idol moons orbiting around the sun of self instead of the Son of God. We stand in front of them in the closet, shielding these things from his control and in an attempt to avert His attention away from them-but He sees. What objects do you see over your shoulder? What people do you see whose opinions you simply must win? What is hiding there, in the corner of your eye?

Those things stay in the closet, and are not exposed and ripped out because, I think, we tend to be maintainers rather than pursuers. We have quiet times and pray and read the bible and have Christian-ish conversations that we might maintain our current 'saved' status—stay afloat—not fall away. But we are not meant to maintain. We are meant to pursue—to run, to sprint, to leave all, to abandon everyone and everything for the sake of Christ alone. (And I did not say "if necessary.") We are meant to pursue with abandon.

Paul understood this in one of my favorite passages of scripture: Philippians 3:7-14, ESV. (Please take a moment and read it.) He did not consider himself to have obtained all that there was to obtain: do you? Are you maintaining? Instead, he "strained forward to what lies ahead, and [pressed] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." He counted everything in the closet as "loss" when compared to Christ. He said "Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ…" [KJV]. That's pursuit.

How often do we merely 'maintain'? Our Christian walk should look like a pursuit, a sprint, a "crying out with a loud voice", "that we may win Christ and be found in Him." He shouted when winning us, will we shout to win Him? Do something today to break the mold of 'maintenance Christianity,' and "run so as to obtain [the prize]!" [1 Corinthians 9:24, KJV] Don't maintain; pursue. He's worth more than it all.

Recommended Reading:
Chris Tomlin, "Take My Life" [song lyrics]
"Be Thou My Vision" [hymn]
"O the Wonderful Cross" [hymn]
Andrew Murray, Absolute Surrender. [essay/book]
*A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God [book] *one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Rugged Faith & Steadfast Love

2004-08-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
- Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress is our God

I hadn't felt that much physical pain in a while. My reaction was immediate: a swelling warmth in my gut, the racing heart, clenched teeth and a furrowed brow, a weakness in my hands, a rising anger toward the inanimate object that folded my left big toenail in half, and a fury to repay it or something nearby with my fist. But right at that moment, I thought "what if a person just did that? What if some person just did that to me willingly and said, calmly, 'Deny Christ, or I'll do it again.'?" Did I have the steadfast faith to say "Never! Do it again if you must-I will not lose my highest treasure." And what's more, did I have enough love to then look him in the face and say-from my heart-"I forgive you. I love you. God loves you. Be blessed." The answer was unsettling: "I don't know."

Romans 12:14 (ESV) reads "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them." This 'blessing' for our persecutors is not a mere word; it is a genuine, heart-deep desire for their betterment-or it is not real. My first reaction was to yell-about as close to a swear as my conscience allowed-and then I reached down to fold my toenail back into place. (I tend to like things to stay where they belong.) The pain eventually subsided, and I went about my day.

But I kept thinking about the state of my heart; could I have not only not cursed, but proactively blessed, a person who did that to me intentionally, and with the intention of repeating it all night long until either I recanted or died, or he grew weary? Impossible, I thought. It's not natural. It's not my built-in response.

Some may have the faith to endure without recanting. But our Master requires more of us: love is the command, and Paul said "Even if I give my body to be burned [as a martyr], if I have not love, it will profit me nothing." [1 Corinthians 13:3, ESV] And the love I think he's talking about is love for the guy who senteced him to death, for the one who tied him up to the stake, for the one who smiled as he lit the wood around his feet, and looked on with pleasure as he burned alive.

How do we get this faith, and this love? I am certainly unable to force it from myself: "How can a bad tree yield good fruit?" Jesus said, "You must be born again." [John 3:7, ESV] This kind of faith and love does not come from a focused willpower, or a determination of mind. It is not a 'choice.' It is divine. We must be born again; we must receive a new nature from the Spirit of God-His nature. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." [John 3:6, ESV], "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing." [KJV/ESV hybrid] And once received, we must cultivate and care for that new life. We must nourish it in the Word and Worship, we must let it breathe in prayer-or it won't grow. And it may never achieve faith or love of this kind.

So what about you? Do you have this kind of faith and this kind of love? Don't answer now-we tend to be too optimistic while comfortable; instead answer the next time you jam your finger or rip a nail or feel some kind of pain. Ask that very moment "what if someone just did that to me intentionally to get me to recant? Would I? Could I love him?" "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith." [2 Cor. 13:5a]

Rugged faith and steadfast love: our Master requires them of us. Do you have them? Have you been born again? Have you cultivated that new life today? Everything depends on it-eternity depends on it-and nothing else truly matters.

Suggested Reading:
Matthew 5, ESV
John 3:1-10, ESV
Romans 12:9-21, ESV
Jonathan Edwards, Resolution #10

It is Accomplished!

2004-07-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
Psalm 65:3-4, ESV

We are constantly in need of a saviour. Anyone with any shred of honesty who has attempted a holy life has learned this in the valley of dryness. We are constantly brought low in humility, sometimes even to despair, that the grace and mercy of Christ might be exalted. We are brought low, He is lifted up. Have you ever tasted the bittersweet gaul of defeat in sin? Have you ever wept bitter tears of failure and discouragement for not living up to the standard of holiness required of us? I know I have. That's why this verse stopped me dead in my tracks yesterday-the whole point of the gospel is mercy and grace for all who believe! Refresh yourself in the gospel, as David did in the passage above. "When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions." This is the gospel: when we fail, and weep for it, our attention must go to the once-for-all-time atonement of Christ, and the Kingly shout "It is accomplished!" Here, in this short passage hidden away in the Old Testament, is the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! Have you despaired for salvation? Have you been brought low for your many failures and mess ups? Come, weary soul, find rest at the foot of the cross-come and drink! For truly, we have been chosen, we have been brought near, and "we shall be satisfied with the goodness of [His] house!" Amen.

Suggested Reading:
Charles Spurgeon's brief morning devotional from November 12th on "The Trial of Your Faith" - Classic Spurgeon!

Soul-deep Satisfaction

2004-07-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you I the sanctuary,
beholding your power and your glory.
[Psalm 63:1-2 ESV]

The word that I noticed this morning was 'SO' in verse 2. He said "I'm thirsty...I'm fainting...so I will behold your power and your glory." The implication is that in beholding the power and glory of God, his thirst will be quenched, and his soul will be satisfied of its longing!

Look at the next verse: "Because your steadfast love is better than life...", and later "My soul will be satisfied...and my mouth will praise you with joy...when I meditate on You." David is seeking, in his own 'devotion time,' to be supremely satisfied in the power and glory of God!

I dont know if this idea had really found it's way into my own devotional life: "Seek to be satisfied in the power and glory of God. Your thirst will be quenched, your soul strengthened and satisfied!" When we behold a vision or description or praise for God's glory or power or majesty or holiness, the believer's heart is greatly kindled with joy and wonder.

How long has it been for you? Are you dry and thirsty? Longing for supreme soul-deep satisfaction? "Look upon [Christ] in the sanctuary, [behold] His power and His glory!" and you will be satisfied. Don't let the day disappear without it.

Recommended Reading:
If you'd like to gaze upon the power and the glory of Christ further, I'd highly recommend a sermon by Jonathan Edwards titled 'The Excellency of Christ.' If his writing style is a bit bumpy for you, just stick with it-it will pay off. To find treasure, we must dig. Spend a portion of your devotion time over the next few mornings and work through this-you will not regret it!

Be exalted, O God!

2004-07-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

I've been spending some time in the psalms lately, and recently one passage really stirred me deeply: Psalm 57:7-11, ESV. Especially verse 7: "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!" This, in one sentence, is the essence of salvation, and the essence of evangelism, and the essence of world missions: spreading a passion for the glory of God.

It's the essence of salvation, because by nature we don't glorify God as God. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, new passions and desires are born into our innermost being: and then we see things as they really are. This new source, or new 'impetus,' for God, is one indication of our being genuine sons of God.

It's the essence of evangelism because the heart of the gospel is to point people to the glory of God, to his goodness, his holiness, his enjoyable-ness (to make up a word). Praising God is preaching God, and 'faith comes by hearing.'

In the same way, it's the essence of global missions as well. Exalting Jesus before the nations, with the hope that they too will see his goodness, truth, and beauty, is the great commission.

Have you thought about the "glory of God covering the earth" lately? "I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! ...I will sing praises to you among the nations."

This is the gospel. This is the source of joy, and this is the essence of the Great Commission.

Excellency of Soul

2004-06-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

"The worth and excellency of a soul is measured by the object of its affection." - Henry Scougal, Life of God in the Soul of Man, (c. 1676)

A thing can truly be called 'excellent' only if it accomplishes what it was designed for. We were designed to glorify God, to be recipients of His joy-and so the more all-encompassing our passion for God becomes, and the happier we become in God himself for who He is (and not only for what He gives us), the closer we approach true excellency of soul. And this must become the number-one, overriding goal of our entire existence, to which all other goals become secondary: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Have you tasted "life eternal" yet today? If not, how will you do this? When, and where? Will you let this day pass without drinking from the "Fount of Every Blessing?" How will you labor to make your soul happy in God-in the excellency of Jesus Christ? It is your daily duty to be delighted in God...to not accomplish this deprives God of glory and you of joy. You have only today...will you let it pass by?

Suggested Reading:
Henry Scougal, Life of God in the Soul of Man [online book]
John Wesley, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing [hymn]