NOW READ THIS!

This year, 2010, I read through the Bible entirely on my Blackberry. I've worn out a fair number of Bibles in my lifetime, but after a year of reading, the Blackberry has no dog-eared pages, no marks, no highlights and no notes scrawled in the margins . . . and I think I miss that. Well, I have been able to mark up my other "work horse" Bibles during study and sermon prep, so I didn't miss out completely on interacting with my text in that way.

At any rate, I'm on the verge of purchasing a new phone with a different platform, one that will support a Kindle app, and I'm looking forward to downloading the Scriptures and having a go at a "cover to cover" read next year with some more options for digitally highlighting and notating.

"Open my eyes, that I may see wonderful things in Your law." Psalm 119:18

Dumbstruck

The following is of no spiritual or inspirational significance whatsoever (unless you're really creative). I recommend duct taping your jaw so that it doesn't hit the floor in the seconds following the 1:20 mark...

Longfellow On Christmas

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Historical Note: This hymn was writ­ten dur­ing the Amer­i­can civil war, as re­flect­ed by the sense of des­pair in the next to last stan­za. Stan­zas 4-5 speak of the bat­tle, and are usual­ly omit­ted from hymn­als:

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Go Ahead and Jump

When my second son Jack (he's the fella featured in my blog header, btw) was small, he would jump from the top of the stairs in our home to where I stood on the landing with outstretched arms. He never once balked, and would always be smiling and often close his eyes in blissful freedom as he flew, spread eagle, towards my secure embrace. I have never in my life seen a more vivid demonstration of trust: that little guy not giving his blind leap a second thought, but trusting without hesitation that I would catch him. And I always did.

So today, remember how faithful God is.

ZIP! POW!

LEFT JAB - "For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:14, NLT

It sends you reeling!

Here's the right cross from the ESV:

"For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

That's the power of justification! Christ's perfection, applied to believers, makes them perfect, not in practice (sanctification must do its work) but in position and eventually in the full realization of redemption. It is mind-blowingly awesome.

Our salvation is very great indeed, stronger and more profound than I've ever imagined. Just when I think I've got my mind wrapped around what Jesus did, more wonder is revealed.

I'm so thankful that Christ is the kind of high priest we need: forever interceding, guaranteeing, saving forever and saving completely.

8:33

"Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." Romans 8:33

Wow.

This isn't a picture of Al Capone with some bottom feeding attorney getting him off the hook, just so he can get back to doing his mob business again. This is the common thief and murderer, poor and pitiful, the one justly sentenced, that finds a pardon has been granted and his death sentence repealed. A life of imprisonment has dissolved, dreamlike, into a life of freedom. The impossibly high and barred gate swings open into the sunshine.

And who hands down this clemency? None other than the judge Himself! The criminal doesn't even expect it. This judge is just, he hears. That can't be good news. But there IS good news . . . strange news . . . the judge Himself has actually made sure justice was served - in the death of His own Son.

Imagine: there you stand in the dock, guilty and accused, when the judge declares that YOU have been pardoned. He chose you to be so.

He's already handed down the sentence on His Son, and that's final. You can't argue it. No one can. It's the Judge who justifies. There simply are no more charges to bring, no more sentence to be served.

What this does to my soul!

God visited the punishment for our crimes upon His Son, the Christ, not wistfully hoping someone would believe and be saved, but He did it with intention, with a specific mission: to save those called "elect." Who are these? They are those of whom it is said, "whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" and Jesus' death has purchased their pardon, salvation and freedom, and no one will bring any charges again. Ever.

Wow.

That's it. I want to be done with sin. That's what freedom does; it doesn't (shouldn't) foster a sense of license to sin even more. I want nothing more than to please my dear Savior. Nonetheless, sin is still a part of my life. It grieves me, and enough of it grieves the Holy Spirit with whom I've been sealed. But my heart's desire is to be done with it and live in the glorious freedom of the children of God, and rejoice in my freedom.

Evolution Is Preposterousness

"You can't make a chicken from soup." Thus, the fatal flaws of evolutionary theory are summed up by my distant relative Alan Root.

Alan is a rock-musicianary to tweens (what an awesome title!). He's a lovely fella, and has written some great material for teaching young tweeners. Check him out, buy his stuff, use it. And when you click on his mug below, you'll be taken to his home page where you can hear the song "You Can't Make A Chicken From Soup!"

Daryl and Toni's Marriage Advice

OK who doesn't dig this song? It's so great: simple, honest, catchy. The lyric must have meant something to the Captain and Tennille because they're still happily married, enjoying their golden years in Arizona. So, I would suggest listening to the song while reading the article below the vid in another tab.



Weathering Storms in Your Marriage at twoofus.org

Arduous and Glorious

I've been reading a fantastic book by Al Mohler called He Is Not Silent, and I am stunned that one man can say so many incredible things so close together. I think I've underlined half the book so far!

Just grabbing a quote at random, I give you:

"Preaching did not emerge from the church's experimentation with communication techniques. The church does not preach because preaching is thought to be a good idea or an effective technique. The sermon has not earned its place in Christian worship by proving its utility in comparison with others means of communication or aspects of worship. Rather, we preach because we have been commanded to preach."

And later...

"True preaching is never an exhibition of the brilliance or intellect of the preacher but an exposition of the wisdom and power of God."

That last one is especially good, as I am several watts short of brilliant. The real burden, though, is far greater. There's no pressure, you see, to be brilliant or intellectual; where the responsibility lies is in properly handling the Word of Truth.

Quoting Mohler again:

"Those who preach from some other authority or text may speak with great effect and attractiveness, but they are preaching 'another gospel,' and their words will betray them. Christian preaching is not an easy task. Those who are called to preach bear a heavy duty. As Martin Luther confessed, 'If I could come down with a good conscience, I would rather be stretched out on a wheel and carry stones than preach one sermon.' Speaking on the basis of what God has spoken is both arduous and glorious."

What Does It For You?

Last Sunday I trembled.

Our team was leading the congregation in worship and when we came to the second verse of "Before the Throne of God Above", I wasn't sure I was going to make it all the way through.

"When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there, who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free!
For God, the Just, is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me."

It was like stones thundering down a mountain, crashing with powerful certainty on my soul. I don't know if anyone else felt the vibration, but nothing moves me like belting out magnificent truth like this while banging on a guitar. It was nothing less than the Spirit of God, moving as the truth of God and the work of Christ was proclaimed.

So, what does it for you? What songs move you because of the truth they proclaim?

Come Away

Middle of the week...song for my wife..."Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones. I've always heard this with Norah playing piano, which she does beautifully, but I stumbled across this vid of her playing GUITAR! The sound of the hollow body Gretsch is niiiiice.

Frozen Facial Hair

Finally...a morning brisk enough to frost my facial hair. My "soul patch" was collecting crystals within sixty seconds of the beginning of my walk along my favorite abandoned road this morning. Seventeen glorious degrees!

Phil Keaggy's My Unspoken Words:

(Listen to it at Grooveshark)

There's a road I like to walk when the morning is brand new
And the only sound you hear is the earth beneath your shoe
In silence more is said, I pray you're listening, Lord.
Reach into my heart and hear the unspoken word.

The road leads up a hill whose path I used to know
Suddenly it's unfamiliar, I'm not sure where it will go.
So I'll wait for just a while, You know just where it hurts
Oh assure me that you hear my unspoken words.

Eternal light shine and still lead me home
Grant me sight til I'm where I belong.

Though I've been gone a while wandering alone,
In the distance there's a light I recognize as home
And You have lead the way and brought me safe towards
That place where I can speak my unspoken words.

Eternal light shine and still lead me home
Grant me sight til I'm where I belong.

Eternal light shine and still lead me home
Grant me sight til I'm where I belong.

Seeds Of Turmoil

Peace in the Middle East? Not likely. In Bryant Wright's book Seeds of Turmoil, he traces the current unrest in the Middle East back through the centuries to where it all began: the sons of Abraham. He shows quite clearly that the trouble truly began when Abraham and Sarah acted faithlessly and Abraham took matters (and Sarah's maid Hagar) into his own hands, siring Ishmael because He was too impatient waiting for God's plan to materialize.

The results have been manifold: through the centuries Arabs have been pitted against Persians, Jews and even other Arabs. Muslims have sought to exterminate Jews, Christians, and even other Muslims. Seeds of Turmoil does a good job of laying out in a simple and understandable way the scenarios that brought us to where we are today and how historical events have demonstrated this deep-seated tension.

What is truly fascinating is that the tension between Jews and Arabs, and even between different Arab groups, exists and persists because of one man, and the weakness of that one man displayed in a less than faith-filled act. It's a clear and present demonstration to us that acting in faith and obedience is always the best route.

I Met Her Up In Delaware

Who doesn't like a good love story? This one's for my wife, and even though the couple in the song doesn't spend their lives together, love finds them together at the end.

"His Favorite Christmas Story" by Capital Lights

Strength To Be Content

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." ~ Philippians 4:13

If you've ever heard this verse quoted as a declaration to go do something great for God, or go out and achieve your dreams, or get that job, or pass that exam, or any such thing, raise your hand. Yeah, me too.

But you know what - it doesn't mean that. At least not primarily.

This verse isn't about achievement. It's about contentment. Paul is wrapping up a paragraph talking about a secret that he's learned, namely, the secret of being content in any and every situation. When Jesus knocked Paul off his horse, Paul gave up what was most likely a life of relative ease. He chose suffering with Jesus - and found true joy and contentment in following in His footsteps.

So,whether I'm poor or in plenty, starving or stuffed, I can do this! God gives me strength to be content! I can live for God and fulfill my calling in Christ in perfect contentment, without being choked by the worries and cares of the world, because God gives me the strength to be content, at peace, and satisfied. And beyond that, being contented is a real sign to others that this world just isn't all it's cracked up to be (and it's really cracked up), nor is it our home. Contentment loudly proclaims that God is my provider and He's totally dependable, whatever comes.

That's cool!

This weekend our pastor said there are two things that are true about contentment:

1. Contentment is always possible and,

2. Contentment is always chosen.

The best part of it all is that it has nothing whatsoever to do with health or wealth or circumstance, but everything to do with the all-surpassing power of God's strength. Awesome.

It's ALL The Time

How many times? How many times have I heard someone declare "God is good!" when they found a short line at Wal-Mart when they were in a hurry, or a good deal on the car of their dreams, or got front row tickets to a concert they thought was sold out?

Why is it we only hear "God is good" when things like this happen - things that aren't even that important! How about because of Jesus my death sentence has been lifted: "God is good!" How about even though outwardly I'm wasting away yet inwardly I'm being renewed day by day: "God is good!" How about the fact that we have a roof and some food in the fridge: "God is good!"

Moreover, how about "God is good" when your tire is flat, when your flight is delayed, when your children are ill, when your bank account has an echo?

God IS good. God is GOOD. His goodness goes beyond our shortsighted ideas of how life ought to be. His goodness, love and favor towards those whom He has adopted by grace is unquestionable. It is rich, comforting and stabilizing. He is good ALL the time.

Wow That Guitar!

Below you'll find a sweet, sweet song from a guy I just discovered a few days ago: Glen Hansard. The thing that piqued my curiosity about Hansard was his guitar. He plays a 20 year old Takamine dubbed "The Horse", and brother, it's been rode hard! Observe:

Makes me feel better about the wear on my Taylor. Anyway, back to the song - it's tender, and the official video tells even more of a story. Unfortunately, embedding was disabled so you'll have to CLICK.

Such As These

One morning last week I ran across this article from the AP. It tells the most unbelievable story about the bodies of approximately 2,000 aborted babies hidden away in a Buddhist temple in Bangkok.......

It seems that abortion is actually illegal in Bangkok (and these bodies were ostensibly from illegal abortions), but there are three tiny exceptions that allow a "legal" abortion: "Abortion is illegal in Thailand except under three conditions — if a woman is raped, if the pregnancy affects her health or if the fetus is abnormal."

Oh. Alright. If a woman is raped, we kill the baby (stunning logic). If the pregnancy causes the mother any health problems, we kill the baby (You harm me, I kill you - does this argument have any merit in any other circumstance???) . If the baby is abnormal (that is, if the child might be born with a congenital defect that would require the parents to give it extra special care and attention), we kill the baby. None of this makes sense, nor will it ever. I'm tired of it. Really tired. Some day, there will be no more abortions and this despicable evil will never be thought of again.

Unexpected Arrows

I have one brother and one sister. They're both older than I am (and they ALWAYS will be!). I married and started a family well before my brother did, and to ensure the survival of the family name, my wife and I had five sons. Having accomplished that, I began to think of my brother who had sired no children of his own, and I felt sorry for him.

However, while I was in the process of filling my quiver, my brother did get married to a lovely lady who already had three children of her own. Boom. Instant family. Nevertheless, my brother and his wife have had no children together, nor will they. Like I said, I used to feel sorry for him about this, but not these days. Although I have seen and experienced firsthand the blessing of bringing one's own children into the world, I've witnessed how God blesses in other ways.

Although I may have been given the responsibility of raising five sons in the ways of the Lord, my brother was chosen for a very different and special mission: embrace and love a woman and her children who had been terribly hurt, and become a father and grandfather to a bunch of folks that desperately needed it.

You see, I got married and added my wife and our 5 subsequent children to the family. Hurray! But my brother got married and has, over the last several years, added no fewer than 20 people to our family circle. He is loved by all of them and the Lord has blessed him as (dare I say it!) an honored and respected patriarch.

So here's to my brother, and here's to God our Father who uses each of us in very important and unique ways, and "sets the lonely in families."

All In

It's Wednesday, so it's time for a song for my wife...I'm all in for life.

With These Words

One of these days there will be no more doubt to cloud the mind . . . no more temptation that blinds . . . no more separation from those who we hold in our hearts in Christian love . . . no more injustice that violates the innocent and helpless . . . no more abortions . . . no more politics . . . no more relationships ragged with humain frailty. Nope, no more. Because we will be with the Lord forever. Are you encouraged?

Honey, I Shrunk God

So I've been reading a book called "Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity" by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney. It's a commentary, really, on Edwards work and writings. Funnily enough I'm going to be quoting not Edwards, but Strachan, Sweeney and another man named David Wells.

I'll begin with a few words from the authors of the book:

"...we are not deeply rooted in any sense. Oftentimes, we don't think profoundly, we don't connect meaningfully, we don't focus extendedly. We can all to easily flit through life, trying new experiences, inventing new selves through online media. We watch endless amounts of television, keep a constant vigil over our email accounts, and update 800 of our closest friends when we make a piece of toast, but we often cannot be bothered to read, or think, or delve in to the lives of unbelievers who are everywhere around us. We have focused on ourselves, pumping ourselves up through self-esteem exercises, redefining ours sins as 'tendencies' that require therapy of one kind or another, and discarding traditional marks of maturity to gratify desires we refuse to tame. In the process, we have not grown. We have shrunk."

The danger of being a believer in America isn't persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword: it's SELF.

David Wells is quoted by the authors: "God is much friendlier, too. Gone are the notes of judgment, though these are more displaced than denied, and they are replaced by those of love and acceptance...Sin is preached but is presented more in terms of how it 'harms the individual, rather than how it offends a holy God. Sin, in short, prevents us from realizing our full potential.' Conversion is insisted upon but then, paradoxically, it is the this-worldly benefits that are accentuated, the practical benefits of knowing Christ receiving all the attention with scarcely a look at what happens if we turn away from Him."

Ask me, I'll tell you this is why people flock to some megachurches to hear a motivational speaker with a nice smile. In a consumer culture God has become, to many, merely a preference.

However, Christian maturity requires rigor along with transformation.

The Silencing of Thunder

Who did write the book of love? Well, that would have to be the Apostle John. I mean, that's just about all he talks about in the epistle we call "First John", right? Well it's pretty amazing that John wasn't bitter and angry. After all, his own brother, the other "Son of Thunder" was murdered by Herod in the initial wave of persecutions following the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Even brothers that don't get along that well experience a loyalty that goes deeper than friendship, and I have a feeling that James and John probably had a close bond, having walked with Jesus for three years. Maybe they were cantankerous and bellicose toward each other (hence the nickname from Jesus) or maybe they were simply loud, or even clumsy! Scripture doesn't explain, but for whatever reason Jesus labeled them "Sons of Thunder", it's a testimony to God's grace that the brother who survived did not adopt a brooding, stormy temperament.

This man John knew about love. He knew. And that's why he could write, decades later: "Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you...By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."

Glory to God for love that supersedes insult, injury and injustice.

Dude, Your Father Is Here!

This past weekend I was travelling with twenty-some teenagers, three of which belonged to me personally. At a "pit stop" on the way home, everyone was in line at McDonald's when my wife and I noticed that our second born wasn't around. All the kids were quite hungry by that time and we were surprised that he wasn't in line. We found him lurking around outside McD's with a friend and we asked him: "Are you gonna eat? Aren't you hungry?" The response was extraordinary: "Well, yeah, but I don't have any money."

!!!

My instantaneous exclamatory reply? "DUDE, YOUR FATHER IS HERE! I'VE GOT MONEY!" I then handed him a fiver and told him to go eat.

Now this son of mine happens to be the only miserly one we've raised so far. He likes to earn his own money, save it, spend it on worthwhile things, and when he has no money, he doesn't go begging because he'd rather do without. This bodes well for his future, and I'm pleased that he's wired that way. This character trait of his gave rise to the aforementioned situation as well as the about-to-be-mentioned illustration.

How many of us as believers tremble before our enemies, cower before temptation and worry over life's cares when right there in our immediate presence is our Father? I'm hungry and He supplies, I'm scared and He comforts, I'm weighed down and He relieves my burden.

Oh Lord, forgive me for stubbornly trying to do "life" without You. You are my all in all.

I've Got Something To Say

Some Christians, perhaps many, though not all, suffer profoundly from depression, doubt and the quickly changing tide of their temperament. King David, Martin Luther, William Cowper and Charles Spurgeon were all Godly men who suffered under the mind-bending, heart-rending throes of depression and anxiety.

I don't want to spend any time today talking about causes and triggers and remedies; I simply want to share a song from Starfield that expresses the feelings of a melancholy heart. I hope it's a blessing.

The bridge is particularly meaningful:
And faith might mean there won't be answers
And hope might mean enduring through the night
But help me not forget in darkness
The things that I believed in light

Something In The Water

In the spirit of cute little love songs dedicated to my wife...

I Don't Like To Share

Are you cold, calculating and stingy? Are you sure you're not?

I'm realizing that I'm a little stingy with love, a little stingy when it comes to sharing, and a little stingy with Christ when I'm out in public. When I see the cardboard signs and pretend to adjust my car radio (the beggar), when I'm greeted outside Wal-Mart by the veterans collecting donations and (the needy), when I give an outdated can of tomato sauce at the canned food drive (the hungry) instead of a boxful of inexpensive but nourishing food, I'm being stingy. My tendency is to see the man begging and then begin to flowchart: if I give him money it will either A) be spent on alcohol or B) won't make much difference. If it DOES make a little difference then it will A) only encourage him to beg more and/or B) discourage him from actually getting a job.

All of these gyrations my mind goes through instead of simply extending the hand of Christ with no further expectation.

In Marks of the Messenger, J. Mack Stiles says that "We [should] care for others regardless of any return for our efforts - evangelistically or otherwise. We never qualify whom it is we are to love . . . We share the good news always open to doing good, and we do good always with the hope of sharing our faith. We never divorce the two. If we get nothing in return, it's okay because it is the nature of love."

This is actually kind of liberating for me - instead of doing all the heavy calculating in order to avoid reaching out, I just need to reach.

What's the Value of Shock?

What do you think about using the graphic photographs depicting the aftermath of abortions?

Pro-abortion people get all kinds of bent out of shape when these images are used in the war against abortion. But why? Because the truth hurts. And informs. And sets people free.

It wasn't until Russian and American soldiers entered German concentration camps in 1944 and 1945 and found the piles of dead, naked, bodies, the ovens and gas chambers, the items made out of human flesh, the stories and records of devils like Josef Mengele, that the world knew what had been going on inside the world of the Third Reich. It wasn't until pictures and film were taken that the world could see what the SS had been up to and be properly horrified at the atrocious, unconscionable actions of Hitler's demonic henchmen.

There's a reason those camps were so secret. Imagine how much harder the allies would have fought in Europe had we had a glimpse inside the camps in 1942 or 1943. It is true that the Allies were 'aware' of the camps, but what was going on inside of them was not completely understood until later.

In a similar fashion, the more secretive pro-abortion activists are about the aftermath and effects of abortion, the more ignorance there is and therefore the more acceptance by way of indifference exists.

We can argue against abortion quite effectively from many angles. There are solid answers to every argument for abortion, and indeed, information is powerful. But what about using the 'big guns' which are the horrendous images I mentioned before.

They are not inaccurate. They are not photoshopped. They ARE shocking, horrifying and possibly more than some people can handle. I myself won't look at these images again. I have seen them in the past but I can't do it anymore. That was enough horror to last my whole life. But strange as it sounds, I'm glad I've seen them. Or perhaps it is better to say that I value how those images reinforced my repugnance for abortion. What do you think? To use or not to use?

Pro-abortion forces use misinformation for the purpose of extermination. So did the Nazis.

Colonel William W. Quinn of the U.S. 7th Army said of Dachau: "There our troops found sights, sounds, and stenches horrible beyond belief, cruelties so enormous as to be incomprehensible to the normal mind."

The same is true when a baby is killed by abortion.

Nice To Meet You...I'm Your Other Half

Just a great little song about being in love...



I couldn't embed the official production vid, so here's the link:
The Best Thing OFFICIAL VIDEO

Prodigal Animation

Seems like I've posted a lot of videos lately...oh well! :) The following is an animation, set to the song "Prodigal" from Sovereign Grace Music.

Trying To Pray Right (Correctly)

I would never get to the end of myself if I prayed about everything on my to-do list. It would be an enormous waste of time. As a guy, I'm so much all about checking things off my list each day and frankly, I often have to stop myself as I begin to pray, "Lord, I've got a lot of stuff to do today..."

It's not that I'm against praying for things like that, but I don't like the fact that my first impulse is to bring up my schedule when talking with God.

What I've discovered (surprise!) is that when my inner life is ordered, settled, and centered on things above, other things tend to work themselves out. Of course, my daily duties don't magically dissolve and drain away. If only... Instead, I find that the Lord supplies me with the focus and determination to work hard and work well, thus overcoming the sinful side of me that would tend towards laziness and laxity. That's why we approach the throne of GRACE and not the throne of GIMME. I need grace to supplant my sinful weaknesses so I can live out my day in the Lord's strength. I need daily bread. Strength for today.

So I guess I'm trying to beware of being satisfied with a lot of boxes checked off in my prayers. Instead, I want to make sure I've touched on the topics that change me and not JUST my circumstances. I will always have certain people and things I pray for regularly, if not daily. But for me, it's important that I don't stray into mindless, scurrying-around prayers instead of staying at Jesus' feet to listen.

On The Heights

When I was a kid, our family travelled to Colorado just about every summer for vacation. It was just a day's drive from our home in the rolling hills of northeast Kansas and across the fruited plain to the mountains. One of the coolest parts of that road trip was (and still is!) sighting Pike's Peak from I-70 when it was yet 80 miles away.

The feeling of leaving the plains and moving into the enfolding protection and majesty of the Rocky Mountains remains something that is almost palpable for me. Being in the high country is where I've always wanted to live. It's a constant barrage of beauty and wonder and the ruggedness all around stirs adventure in the soul! Even today, I return to the mountains often and find that the feelings and emotions I had as a child haven't ebbed in the slightest.

Sometimes the trail we're walking turns steeply upward and taxes our strength. Often we're on what seems to be an interminable succession of switchbacks, making little progress. We're out of breath, and the summit we're straining for disappears from sight even though we're closer to it than we ever were. Such is life, such is hiking. Nevertheless:

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

This Is The Way

Two love songs for this Wednesday, sung by a couple of beautifully creative artists - Charlie Peacock and John Foreman. So, here's to my God and the wife He gave me.

Feasting and Foes

Don't you think it's interesting that Psalm 23:5 declares that those shepherded by God will actually feast in the presence of their enemies? Given the choice, I think we'd rather dine in peace and safety, but if life has taught me anything (and therefore simply confirmed what the Bible proclaims as fact), it's that purity comes by way of the furnace, maturity comes through trouble, and fellowship with Jesus comes through suffering.

For the believer, being in the presence of enemies is no cause for alarm. It's a time to feast on the riches of Christ and to be satisfied with His comforting presence.

And thanks to a good friend and Grooveshark, I've found a great long-lost song by Russ Taff that talks about the Table In The Wilderness.

Say Once More

Please allow me the next five minutes of sentimentality...for my wife this Wednesday...

Keep Watching the Chain!

Do you actually see an anchor when it's working? Can you indeed watch an anchor doing its job? Of course not. And this is the essence of trust.

Where is the anchor of hope for the believer? Well, it's right HERE.

Christ's victory on the cross, His priesthood, His intercession on our behalf - now THAT'S an anchor!

However it is quite true that we lose sight of that anchor when it's plunged into the depths of our wave-tossed lives. There's no doubt it's down there, holding on, unperturbed by the waves above. But we want to know that our little ship is still connected to that anchor. We need only look at the chain that connects us to Christ. It's not a chain that we have forged by our own smithing, but one of heavenly metal folded and forged of God's character, His faithfulness, His good promises, and His sure salvation.

"But what if the chain is torn from the boat!", you may say. Then take the illustration further. A chain and anchor lying on the seafloor are worthless. God's methods are not, and the work God sets out to do, He finishes. Noah's boat did not sink, nor would it. Yours will not either if Christ holds you fast with His promises and His faithful love.

It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night...

Psalm 92:1-2

Everything He Does

Mark 7:31-37...
Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”

With a sigh of deep compassion His healing touch reverses the curse and gives us what we don't have - eyes that see, ears that hear, hearts that finally understand, and souls that are set free. Everything He does is wonderful, and how I need His touch today!

How Can We See That Far?

A great old song from Amy Grant, whether you like her or not ;) ...

The Inspired, Infallible...song lyrics

Recently I heard a woman who had called in to a Christian radio station I like to listen to and as she was talking to the DJ, she broke down and expressed her despair and guilt concerning her life before Christ. She was still struggling as a newborn believer to truly accept the fact of God's forgiveness.

To encourage her, the thoughtful and sensitive DJ quoted for this young lady the precious, inspired words of . . . a song. If I had been sitting in a chair and not my car, I would have fallen out of it.

So, the woman battling doubt and needing assurance came away with a melodic platitude and temporarily better attitude, but how long will that last? What she needed was a promise. What she needed was something truly wonderful and divinely inspired like: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" or "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Wouldn't that have been much, much better?

Spiritual Turkish Baths

Apparently I'm still stuck on Bonhoeffer and suffering and good stuff like that. . .

Soon after Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Gestapo and locked up in Tegel prison in 1943, he wrote to his parents:

"A violent mental upheaval such as is produced by a sudden arrest brings with it the need to take one's mental bearings and come to terms with an entirely new situation - all this means that physical things take a back seat and lose their importance, and it is something that I find to be a real enrichment of my experience. I am not so unused to being alone as other people are, and it is certainly a good spiritual Turkish bath." ~ Excerpted from this book.

Upheaval is as certain as waves on the ocean, and you can never be quite sure in what form it will come, or what kind of power it will bring to bear. Reading stories like Bonhoeffer's makes me startlingly aware that I have known very little of suffering. It almost makes me yearn for it a little bit - well, not for the suffering so much as the refining influence and the focus that scarcity of well being brings. The impurities and poison that remain in me need a good spiritual Turkish bath to sweat them out. Even so, I'm pretty sure I could never suffer as well as Bonhoeffer.

I'm sure I've quoted this line from Phil Keaggy before: "Suffering restores us, burns away the empty shallowness, softening the heart to be broken bread and poured out wine." But even better are these words:

"If we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8;17,18

Doxology On the Olson

YES! And that's all I have to say about that...

Doubly Good

Three reasons I love this song: It was played at our wedding, it was written by Rich Mullins, and it reminds me of my wife. It's Wednesday, so this song is for her.

Don't Accept Jesus

I'm a little disturbed today...I just don't see where exactly in Scripture I'm told to "accept Jesus" and discover "God's plan for my life". Pleading with people to "accept Jesus" is too optional, not to mention, I believe, unscriptural. I hear this phrase bandied about by preachers and missionaries and I wonder if that's what they really mean to say. That's what's bothering me.

Recently I heard a missionary talk for 45 minutes about their work, and seeing people "accepting God into their life" and how we should work hard to see "God's plans unfold" in our lives. What does any of this mean?

At the end of the service, I hadn't once heard why a person should "accept God" - I had barely heard the name of Jesus and would have had no idea that He could save me from my sins. There was story after story of this person and that person "accepting God into their heart" but I'm not sure I heard the Gospel at all. Had to be an off day for the missionary, it just had to be - and this was someone from a major evangelical, Biblically sound denomination, not the Most Right Reverend of the Universalist Church of Marshmallow Gumdrops. It was disheartening.

Again I ask, what does that mean, anyway? "Accept God." "Accept Jesus." It sounds like shaking hands with Jesus and saying, "OK, I'll take what you have. Sure nice to meet you, Jesus. Good thing you came along when You did. So what's this big plan you have for my life?"

The Scriptures command us to "repent and believe." There's no acceptance there, except for coming to grips with the fact we are utterly sinful and hopelessly lost without Jesus' righteousness applied to our lives. Is that what people mean when they say "accept Jesus?" If so, it needs to be explained. Plenty of people accept Jesus - but repenting and believing? Not so much.

John the Baptist said, "Repent." Jesus said, "Repent." Peter said, "Repent." Paul said, "Repent."

Salvation is not "accepting Jesus." It is a heart-rending, relief-filled head-on collision with our sin and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.

We Won't Always Need Pain

Pain is good. The Marines say that "pain is weakness leaving the body." Rich Mullins sang of a "hurt that can heal with its pain." People who suffer from congenital analgesia probably wish they could feel pain. Folks with this condition are subject to all kinds of difficulties because they can't feel that they've chewed off the end of their tongue, or broken a bone, or have rested a hand on a hot burner. For them, the early warning system that pain is for most of us is absent.

So pain is good.

Pain keeps us from further injury or danger.

Pain toughens both the body and the mind against future tests and trials.

Pain reminds us that something is wrong and needs to be fixed.

Pain is a deterrent from risky behavior and sin.

There is a pain in separation that reminds us how great our love for others is.

There is a pain that reminds us when we have strayed from our heavenly Father.

Ahhhh. Pain. However, pain will not always be the odd ally that it is now. In fact, we won't need it all. And it will be banished along with the rest of the curse that causes creation to groan.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Romans 8:20,21

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and . . . He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:1,4

The reason there will be no more pain on the new earth is because there will be no need for it; there will be nothing left to harm us.

No painful separation will be felt about those we loved so dearly who went on ahead of us - ever again.

No injuries will be sustained.

No Spirit-grieving backsliding will occur.

No more suffering in the furnace of purification will be necessary, because our sanctification and glorification will be complete and all the dross will be removed once and for all.

In some strange way, pain is good, and we need it. But not for long.

This One's For My Wife

Every Wednesday, a song dedicated to my wife...this one's almost too mushy and cute, so you've been warned. However, Sixpence is always worth listening to...

Humble Orthodoxy

"I really dig theology." Those are my own words, but I'm pretty sure Luther or Calvin or Spurgeon said them, too. Those guys were giants, however, and I'm just 5'11" and have been since high school.

Theology is fascinating, of course, because of the subject matter and is more rewarding than wealth, strength or brainpower. Just hover your mouse over Jeremiah 9:23-24 to find out more about that. Even in the knowledge of God, however, we can become boastful.

I quote Josh Harris from his book "Dug Down Deep" :

"Do you want to keep your orthodoxy humble? Try to live it. Don't spend all your time theorizing about it, debating about it, or blogging about it. Spend more energy living the truth you know than worrying about what the next guy does or doesn't know. Don't measure yourself by what you know. Measure yourself by your practice of what you know."

Theology must go beyond knowing facts to understanding the subject (even though we may begin to apprehend, we will never fully comprehend Him!). There is a qualification in the verse above, that those who know God should understand, not facts only, but also that He exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth. One should be able to say, yes, I know God - but more importantly, I have seen His works, I am known by Him and belong to Him.

I've found that I can be prone to get excited about knowing things about God without an equally increasing zeal for God Himself. What I know should change my heart, and therefore my actions as well.

Unrelenting Homiletic Bummer

The title of this post is how Eric Metaxas describes Dietrich Bonhoeffer's January 1934 sermon on the prophet Jeremiah, at least from the perspective of the congregation that undoubtedly was wanting or at least expecting something more upbeat.

This sermon, delivered in London while the Third Reich was rising ominously in Germany, was powerful and even prophetic. You can't help but imagine that Bonhoeffer saw his own future as he described the woes of Jeremiah:

"The path will lead right down into the deepest situation of human powerlessness. The follower [of God] becomes a laughingstock, scorned and taken for a fool, but a fool who is extremely dangerous to people's peace and comfort, so that he or she must be beaten, locked up, tortured, if not put to death right away. That is exactly what became of this man Jeremiah, because he could not get away from God...He is a prisoner and he has to follow. His path is prescribed. It is the path of the man whom God will not let go, who will never be rid of God."

Wow! Take THAT Joel Osteen! The life of Jeremiah is indeed intriguing, even troubling, if a person tends to believe that being a Christian is easy and nice. Victory isn't wealth, it isn't health, and it isn't marshmallowy sweet relationships. More from the sermon:

"The triumphal procession of truth and justice, the triumphal procession of God and His Scriptures through the world, drags in the wake of the chariot of victory a train of prisoners in chains. May he at the last bind us to his triumphal carriage so that, although in bonds oppressed, we may participate in his victory."

Victory is identification with Christ and His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, so that we will one day identify with Him in His resurrection!

Wednesdays Are Wife Days

It's Wednesday and time for another post dedicated to my wife. This song is "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes, and the first verse starts it off well:

I’ve been a walking heartache
I’ve made a mess of me
The person that I’ve been lately
Ain’t who I wanna be
But you stay here right beside me
Watch as the storm goes through
And I need you

I want to remember that life is brief, and I've been blessed - there's no time or place for bitterness.

Wednesdays Are Wife Days

Yeah. I know it's Thursday and the title says "Wednesday." Golly, you might even be reading this on Friday! However, the topic at hand demands a certain priority. You see, I'm falling in love again. No worries - it's with the same woman I've been married to for 19 years. I think this time around though, instead of "falling" in love, we're "building" love.

My wife and I love each other mightily but we've suddenly realized that we've slowly been dancing apart from one another at the sockhop, getting lost in the crowd. We've been working hard raising five sons, homeschooling those same children, being ministers in our local church and working other jobs to keep the fridge full. We've poured our love and energy into a lot of people...and now we are astonished to find that the pitcher is nearly empty and there's not much left to share with each other. We've not lost our love - just the vital connection we used to enjoy. So we stand there, as the dust settles, kind of looking at each other saying, "Whoa! What just happened?"

So, in the interest of honoring the girl of my dreams (my sons are cringing at that statement), and celebrating the greatest gift from God this side of salvation, I shall devote each Wednesday on this blog to my wife. And this is the beginning, on a Thursday. Kinda quirky, just like us.

Here's a song that reminds me of US. (Lyrics below, VIDEO HERE)

On Laundry and Learning Young

So this morning my 12 year old son comes upstairs laughing because he had turned one of his undershirts pink while doing his laundry. There are two very precious items in this short story. First, my 12 year old is doing his own laundry! Second, he learned the lesson of separating whites before going to college, which is where I learned that I do not like pink underwear.

Lessons learned while you're still young are as good as gold, in part because we are still young and malleable enough to learn. We can also enjoy the benefit of skipping out on a whole lot of foolishness while growing up because we've already learned a thing or two. Even at a youthful 40 years old, I can sense myself growing a more stubborn. My prayer is that God would keep my heart tender until the end.

Lamentations 3:26-28
26 So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age
to the yoke of his discipline:
28 Let them sit alone in silence
beneath the Lord’s demands.