The Savior That Is A Servant

Take a moment to reflect on John 13:1-20 where we get a glimpse of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. These are some thoughts on that passage.

Disciples are supposed to wash the feet of their teachers. That is not what happened the night before Jesus went to the cross. In fact, before these moments are past, these close followers of Jesus Christ would know that He is a servant...and that they ought to be also.

In that Greek-Roman world, the Jews still stood as humble people. But what happened that night was beyond the typical sense of humility.

The Outer Garment

You see, Jesus took off his outer garment...that only happened in a place of intimate relationship. A person did not remove their outer garment in the home or presence of a stranger or some general acquaintance. When Jesus removes his outer coat, He is telling them that they are invited in to a close relationship with Him.

The Towel

He goes a step further, though. Then he replaces that outer garment with the towel...which would signify to the disciples what was about to happen. He was about to honor them by performing a task that was well beneath a teacher.

The Teacher’s Knowledge

You see, there are many teachers who understand the past. This understanding gives them understanding of what has happened and why it happened. There are teachers that are able to use their understanding of the past and help make sense of the present.

But teachers that can work in the present with complete knowledge of what is coming in the future...there has only truly been One. The One.

He Knew

He knew the betrayer was in the room at that moment.

He knew the great enemy was at work.

He knew the sorrow that was to come.

But He knew more than just this.

He knew the end from the beginning.

As real as the cross was to Him, the empty tomb was reality as well.

He knew the confusion of the disciples.

He knew the fear they would soon experience.

Yet He served them anyway.

He led them any way.

He loved them any way.

He knows your doubt, and He loves you any way.

He knows your confusion, and He loves you any way.

He knows your fear, and He loves you any way.

He is serving You today.

Just as He washed the disciples feet...He is at work for you today.

Jesus is actively interceding for His disciples even now.

As You Pray

As you pray, surrender your fears.

Seek His forgiveness.

Seek His cleansing.

Ask for His heart.

To love the dirty.

To love the unlovable.

To know someone’s sin...and love them any way.

Ask Him to help you trust Him.

Thank Him.

Thank Him for washing the feet of His disciples.

Thank Him for inviting us in to that intimate relationship.

Thank Him for teaching, leading and loving like no one else could do.

Fighting False Prophets

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t hope for a bright tomorrow. We all have hopes and dreams that life will be wonderful in the days ahead. Yet, when we get to the edge of seeing some of those dreams become reality we can become consumed with worry or dread. There can be many sources of fear, but one of them is that we often listen to misinformation. Many times we can find ourselves listening to lies.

In his book Running Scared, Dr. Ed Welch says that many of our fears are a result of listening to false prophets. A false prophet is someone that doesn’t give accurate information when forecasting the future. They offer the wrong answer as to what is to come. If you will take a moment to think about that you will find it is very true. Anxiety and fear is usually a result of worrying about things that will never happen. We worry about our needs, family, health, finances, career path, safety and the list could go on and on. We should be concerned about these things, but they can become points of fear when the “what if” questions we ask aren’t the right questions to be asking.

So, how do we battle against this? We need to turn to promises that are true.

Followers of Jesus should cling to promises such as Hebrews 13:5 where God says He will never leave us. We should look at Matthew 6:25-34 where Jesus tells us that the Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will take care of us. Lean on the promises such as 1 Corinthians 1:13 where we learn that God gives us strength when we face temptation. Remember that Ephesians 2:10 says that we are created in Christ for accomplishing good works. You should rest in the truth that nothing can ultimately separate believers from Jesus Christ according to Romans 8:31-39.

As I think through these verses, many more come to mind. What verses can you think of that will help you battle the false prophets that want to steal your hope? Why not make a list of verses that you can quickly recall so that you will be able to stand on the promises God has made to His children.

Patience Is A Value

How many decisions have you made that you regretted? How many words have you spoken that you wish you could take back? Did you let patience run its course before you made those mistakes? If you are like me, my greatest mistakes have been accompanied by impatience.

I am always looking for connections in life. I think God is using every situation in life to make me more like Christ and to change my heart (Romans 8:28-29). Recently, I have been witnessing impatience in word and deed and have been struck by how often I have asked people to be patient. As you might assume, this has led me to wonder just how patient I am. Please do not think that I am calling you to wait to the point of inaction, but I want to ask you to do more than just count to ten before making an important decision.

Scripture says quite a bit about patience. First, Galatians 5:22 says patience is a fruit or result of the Holy Spirit’s work in a believer. In another place, 2 Corinthians 6:6, Paul says that patience is an indicator of spiritual maturity. We see first that our ability to be patient as we think about the Godliest response to a situation is a work of God and an evidence to prove that God is at work in us. Patience and wise deliberation comes form God.

Then, we read passages that advise us on what we are to do while we are thinking patiently. There is more to the story than just thinking about a problem on our own or reading a Scripture passage that deals with it. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel a plan fails, but with many advisers they succeed.” We have been created as needy people. We need God and we need other people. When facing a decision we should seek the wisdom of the spiritually mature people we know. We need to talk with people that we know have made wise and Godly decisions in life. This may not be the people that have made the most successful decisions because sometimes success in our eyes does not equal Godliness. So we must be careful in choosing those advisors, but if we are in a local church there is a good chance they are close.

Today is a day of decision. Every day is a day of decision. Some are bigger than others, but there aren't really any insignificant decisions. Will you exercise patience? Will you seek Godly counsel? May your decisions honor God and be the best for you, your family, and the world around you.

The Present Glory of God

She was on her fifth day of being a widow. This was probably going to be the most difficult because she was just moments away from laying her greatest earthly love to rest. I waited in the long line to try to encourage her as she stood beside her husband’s casket. After only one small sentence of introduction, she turned and placed her hand on his rigid chest and said, “This is a display of God’s grace.” In an instant I knew what she meant. I had already been told that he had become a follower of Jesus late in life. The people in that room knew this man well. They knew he loved to laugh and to work hard. They knew he was kind and caring. But she knew him best. She knew what God needed to change in him. Even more, she knew how God had changed him.

The comment left me almost speechless. Here was a widow, just moments away from the start of a heart wrenching funeral, and now I had no question as to where her mind was. In that instant my mind was changed as well. I was pulled out of that moment and sent spinning to a world that had no funeral homes or cemeteries. Somehow, though, I was seeing a sort of intersection of these two worlds.

Just recently I read a line in a book that said, “The glory of God is the presence of God.” (Ed Welch, Running Scared) Just as the experience at the funeral home had given me a jolt, this sentence had as well. I suppose I had never thought of the glory of God in that way. If this sentence is true, then the glory of God is not stored up only in Heaven. We can experience the glory of God even now because we can see His presence now.

I see the presence of God in the beautiful creation all around me. I think I see it in a thousand places. But this one surprised me. I saw the presence of God in a funeral home at what should have been one of the saddest moments of life for this widow. I saw the presence of God filling her with strength. The glory of God was on display right there in front of me because she was testifying to the very presence of God.

God, help me to live in this reality. Remind me that you are close. Let me be daily swept away by Your glory in the presence of every day life.

Growing To Give

Have you ever planted a garden? It is so interesting to watch those little seeds turn in to baby sprouts and then mature into vegetable-bearing plants. It takes months for the process and a lot of hard work, but it is amazing that one little seed can produce so many vegetables.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a seed. Listen to Him in Matthew 13, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32, ESV)

Do you see the process of change for the little seed? When it is grown it becomes a tree that provides rest and security for the birds. There is no doubt that we are needy people. However, there are times when we allow this neediness to spiral out of control. We use our poor condition for selfish purposes. We use it for attention or for pity. We use it to gain a benefit that we really do not deserve.

Jesus desires for the Kingdom of Heaven to become manifested in His followers. He desires for us to do everything we can to join with Him in redeeming this world as we wait for Him to take us to the New Creation. This means we need to move from the place of need to the place of generosity. To be generous means that we are to be givers.

Yes, it is true that we will always have needs and those needs should be cared for, but do your perceived needs dominate every corner of your life? Are you always looking for the spotlight to shine on you? Do you wait for the right moment to hijack the conversation so it will revolve around you? Are your true desires that everyone would serve you at home, work, etc.?

Jesus says that maturity means we give. We give rest and comfort. We become a source of comfort and strength. Where are you in the growth process? Are you waiting for someone to pour more fertilizer on you, the little seed? Or, are you providing rest and help to those God has placed in your corner of the garden?

Full(er) Joy

There are times in life when we need to make a correction or modification to what we think or how we live. The last few months have been this sort of time for me in an area that I once spoke about boldly. The fact is not that my mind has changed completely, but I believe my thought has been expanded to be richer and more accurate.

There was a time that I would have said that you must want to go to Heaven or experience the New Creation for the singular reason of Jesus Christ being there. For instance, a quote might be, “Can you say that if no one else or nothing else was in Heaven, except Jesus Christ, you would still want to go?” Now, I do not want to change the fact that Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure of eternity. I still believe that the greatest joy we will experience will be seeing Him face to face and learning to love Him more deeply throughout eternity.

However, I now believe this mindset takes away some of the joy that God desires for us in eternity. My point is that I believe our joy will be made richer by being with other people, in addition to Christ, throughout eternity. The first factor that shifted my thinking was passages such as Philippians 2:2 and 1 John 1:4. These passages indicate that Paul’s joy and John’s joy will be fuller if they can have the confidence that the Christians they have been equipping will be faithful, will finish the race of life well, and will join them in the presence of Christ. I understand that. There are plenty of people that I have worked with over the years and I long for them to remain faithful to Christ so that we will be together in the New Creation. Sometimes just the sight of them brings tears to my eyes because I long to be with them in the presence of Christ someday. I can understand how a reunion with them in the New Creation would not take away from my love for Christ, but increase it.

A good example of this is the fact that my love for my wife does not diminish my love for my children; in fact it should cause it to become stronger. I am not filled with a limited supply of love. Really there is a domino effect of loving one person causes me to love someone else more. For instance, when I see a marriage repaired through Biblical counseling I grow to love God more because I have seen more of His grace at work. Please do not get me wrong, there are times when my love has to shift in order to please God. I must love God more and love sin less. Yet, that same equation does not fit when it comes to people that I truly love in life and can bring glory to God by loving. So, my point is that my love for Christ will not be reduced when I rejoice in seeing another person that I have dearly loved when we are reunited in Heaven. In fact, it will be made stronger because I will more fully realize that this is another life that Jesus has shown mercy and has tenderly shepherded into His presence.

Another source that has developed this idea is the book Heaven by Randly Alcorn. One specific quote there really grabbed my attention. It is found on page 329 and it is from Jonathan Edwards. Edwards says,

“Every Christian friend that goes before us from this world is a ransomed spirit waiting to welcome us in heaven. There will be the infant of days that we have lost below, through grace to be found above. There the Christian father, and mother, and wife, and child, and friend, with whom we shall renew the holy fellowship of the saints, which was interrupted by death here, but shall be commenced again in the upper sanctuary, and then shall never end. There we shall have companionship with the patriarchs and fathers and saints of the Old and New Testaments, and those of whom the world was not worthy…And there, above all, we shall enjoy and dwell with God the Father, whom we have loved with all our hearts on earth; and with Jesus Christ, our beloved Savior, who has always been to us the chief among ten thousands, and altogether lovely; and with the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, and Guide, and Comforter; and shall be filled with all the fullness of the Godhead forever!”

This longing to be with Christ and with those that I have loved only increases my intensity to be faithful to Christ so that I may be with Him (and them) for eternity. I am looking forward to the joy that will flood my heart when I am face to face with Jesus and fully understand the blessing of being reunited with people that have been significant to me and important to Christ. That joy will be even stronger because I will know more truly that these relationships are only possible because the King laid down His life for those of us that love Him.

Love Seen

Inspired by Matthew 7:15-27...

What can I do for you to see
All my love through life’s small deeds?

I can trust and hope in your great Name
And speak boldly when others bring defame

Yet, there must be more that I can do
To show my great love for You

Something more common from day to day
Simple acts along the way

You must make my mind anew
So that my thoughts are filled with You

Then my actions may show the love
That has come down from above

So You will see and know and feel
That my heart’s desire for You is real

The Wanders of Life

Aimless wanderings. Doesn’t that sound like life much of the time? Even when we have set what we think is a sure and steady course for life there is still some part of us that constantly reminds us that we are not in control of the end results. These wanderings encompass all of our being. How many questions could we generate along the lines of aimless wanderings when we examine our marriage, parenting, family life, health, finances, work, education, recreation? We could literally fill this page with questions concerning these dimensions of life as we regularly try to navigate through them. Many times we are trying to navigate through these waters even though we feel as if we are sinking in them.

Scripture is a wonderful place to go to find answers, and to realize that we are not alone in our wanderings. For instance, Psalm 56:8 speaks of David’s wanderings. In the psalm we observe a very young David that has not been able to find rest. He has found turmoil, transition and chaos most often. He has left home to pursue giants, and to prepare for the chief role of leadership among people he dearly loves, but, instead he has found turmoil, jealousy and threats. He is literally chased into the hill country and out of Israel by the standing King, yet he cannot find solace in other countries because his winsome reputation has preceded him. In Psalm 56 he feels isolated in his aimless wanderings.

At the brink of discouragement, in a dungeon cut off and alone he writes these words to God, “You have taken account of my wanderings, put my tears in Your bottle.” In a very lonely place, something stirred deep down to remind David he was not alone. There in the darkness he recognizes that God is not far away. At the moment when he is left to hang his head and begin to wonder about his wandering, He is reminded that God has kept count of every step. God has collected every tear. It is more than God just knowing about his struggle; David finds hope when he realizes God has been involved in the struggle. God has provided strength and comfort for David during a time of turbulence. He has propelled David to keep moving forward in obedience so that His plan would be accomplished through this young life and David could know the joy of faithfulness.

Could God be shaping his character and building his faith even with this terrible struggle?

Maybe David needed that dungeon. Did I really just say that? Because when I say that I might also be saying that I might need my struggle and you might need yours. If there had been no dungeon, Psalm 56 would never have been written and we would never have known of the sweetness of God’s care. If we were not at our place of aimless wandering, we might not have the chance to learn about the compassionate Father that has been counting every step.

What are you learning in your aimless wandering?

When I Am Afraid

My wife, Monica, and I went to the Doctor's Office today. We didn't go to just any doctor, we visited the Chair of the OB/GYN Department at the Vanderbilt Clinic in Nashville, TN. We went to see this Doctor because Monica is 23 weeks pregnant with our fifth child. Our local Doctor made an appointment for us at Vanderbilt because of the mysterious death of our previous son, Benjamin, when Monica was 26 weeks pregnant. We felt quite privileged to have the opportunity to visit with this medical authority.
It was quite obvious the Doctor at the Vanderbilt Clinic studied all of the material and records that had been sent to her from our personal Doctor. She knew the information, without notes, to the point that I believed she knew more about us than we knew about ourselves. It was quite impressive. However, the journey led us to the same spot we have been sitting since April of 2006. We just don't know why Benjamin died in his 26th week of life.
We don't live in those moments very often. Please don't think that the details aren't there in extreme clarity though. Visitors, prayers, thoughts, pain, sorrow, sobs...all of the memories from the days when Benjamin's life slowly ended to the day we returned him to the dust of the ground exist in painful clarity. Like piercing daggers they come alive when we are forced into those moments.
I sat in the room with a brilliant Doctor surrounded by all of the scientific technology you could buy and a cutting edge medical education program and I found myself mentally searching for Scriptures that declare the Sovereignty of a trustworthy God. A few came to mind. When we were back home I found another: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God who I trust; I shall not be afraid." Psalm 56:3-4 (ESV) Isn't that beautiful? David acknowledges his fear. Yet, he declares that he will not be afraid. Instead, he will trust.
In that room at the Vanderbilt Clinic we sat at the intersection of fear and trust. We decided, by the grace of God, to travel down the highway of trust. God is sovereign. He does not waste a hurt. We will remember His Word. We will praise Him.
Just a few moments before we joined the Doctor in an examining office we enjoyed a lengthy ultra sound with a sonographer that graciously acted as a tour guide for us to look at a healthy baby boy in Monica's tummy. There were many interesting pictures along the way, but this one caught our eye. In the picture you see Jameson's hand made into a fist with his thumb sticking up. At our house this is a sign for "Good Job!" or "It's alright!"
Now, I'm not one for signs. But I'm not one for coincidences either. So, you see, I'm sort of stuck. No matter what though, I think this was God moving my thinking toward trust. One day I hope to show Jameson how God used him to encourage his Mom and Dad. Obviously, Jameson won't be able to take credit for it, but I hope we can smile, laugh and praise God together for his little gifts that help to remind us that when we are afraid we find our hope by trusting Him.

Disappointing Presumptions

Over the years we have all had to go back and reexamine events that have taken place in our lives. Perhaps they didn’t turn out the way we believed they would or even thought they should have. Thinking back on some personal disappointments makes me wonder about the line between hope and presumption. I believe if you recognize that line you will realize how you can better align your hopes, dreams and expectations with God’s will and direction for life.

Most of us hope bad things will not come our way in life. We hope our marriage will not fail. We hope good things will come our way…with no difficulties attached. We hope our children will grow up to love God and to serve Him. We hope that we will live a long time. We hope we will not have to bury a child. We hope our children will be born healthy. We hope that we will get the job we always wanted. Our list could go on and on.

However, many of us live beyond our hopes. We live in presumption.

The dictionary defines presumption as “overstepping due bonds”. We become presumptuous when we believe that life will indeed turn out just as we hope and the primary reason we believe this will be true is because we want it to be. We presume success, happiness, or prosperity; therefore, it should come our way. For Christians, then, when those things do not arrive with a gold bow around them we are left to doubt God and question our faith.

Where does that problem truly rest? With God? With us?

James 4:13-17 is the passage that deals with people planning their business ventures without consulting God. The IVP Bible Background Commentary says, “The sin here is arrogant presumption – feeling secure enough to leave God out of one’s calculations.” The last phrase really grips me. My disappointments usually come because I have failed to bring God into the equation. Over the years I have been shocked when I realize that most of my greatest disappointments come when I have not worked to align my plans or actions with God’s will.

I am learning to hold my own hopes and goals loosely. It is not wrong to try to make plans to be a good steward of what God has given us. In fact, we are given examples of faithful stewardship in Scripture (Matt. 25:14-30). Yet, we have been called to be ready to surrender our own will to that of God’s. And that should be viewed with joy because if we truly trust God we will realize that He is working for the good of His children (Rom. 8:28) and that His ways are truly higher and better than ours (Ps. 61:1-3).

It is certainly easier to write this or to read it than to actually do it, but I wonder how you are doing? Are you submitting that success or failure to God? If you are disappointed with the situation around you, I wonder if you are really quietly disappointed with God whether you will admit it or not? Christians don’t want to acknowledge that, but it is often true. Are you trusting God with your plans, hopes and dreams or have you kept Him out of the equation?

Considering Every Thought

Have you ever been guilty of "speaking before you think"? You know, those are the words that we wish we could pull out of the air and shove back into our mouths. When we say things that we quickly regret we are often left just waitung for the fallout. Paul takes a wiser approach as he calls the Corinthian Christians to take growing in their faith seriously.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, "...and take every thought captive to obey Christ..." In this he is calling these young Christians to grow in their faith and to consider impure thoughts an enemy. Further, in verse 6, he says they ought to punish every disobedience so that obedience (to Christ) will rule supreme.

That leads to a question -- what is the best way to punish a disobedient thought? I would say that it is to ignore it.

How do we learn to discern between obedient and disobedient thoughts? By taking them captive.

We are left, then, to find ways to take our thoughts captive. Let me offer some questions that I use as an example:

Will this honor God?
Will this encourage others?
Will this tear others down?
Am I doing this so I will look better?
Am I doing this so I will receive praise?
Am I really trying to serve other people?
If I follow this pattern of thought, will I be a good witness?
If I follow this pattern of thought, what will I say to God when I stand in front of him?
If I follow this pattern of thought, how will it affect others? (family, friends, church, workplace, etc.)
Will this fuel my pride?
Will this cause me to sin?

Those are just a few examples of how I try to hold each thought captive. As I typed that list, I can say that I certainly thought of times I have failed miserably. There are times that I knew the right answer but went ahead and did the wrong thing anyway. Thank God for forgiveness and the opportunity to make wrongs right.

Will you work today to take every thought captive?

An Encouraging Outlook

A few days ago I took my two sons to one of the nicer golf courses in our area. Because the boys are five, I didn't start at this course but it where we ended up. Now, you must understand that these five year old boys already have their own golf clubs. These guys are pretty serious.

We played several holes and the sun was beginning to set so I began to struggle to see. On two holes I was in range of the green when I hit my approaching shot. Both times I lost the ball as my vision was confused by the contrast of the darkening horizon. After we drove all over the course to locate the balls the boys were hitting, we headed to the area around the green to see if we could find my ball. I had little hope as I am not a very good golfer, but I wanted to start looking somewhere around the green.

Both times, as soon as the cart stopped, the boys bounced off and ran as fast as they could to the pin because they were convinced that my ball must have landed in the hole since we didn't see it sitting on the green. Unfortunately, they didn't find my ball in the hole either time.

Yet, they certainly encouraged their Dad. It was rather humbling to know that they expected perfection from me. And, that they believed I can attain it.

I wish I was innocent like that. I wish that I assumed the best every time I saw something in life. I pray that God will give me a heart that "believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7) because it was the love that these boys have for me that caused them believe the best about their Dad's efforts.

The Renewed Mind

Okay, I am sitting in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where I am supposed to speak over the next few days on Biblical Manhood. Now, one challenge that I have before me at this moment is that everything, except what I am typing, is in Spanish on this page. Hopefully, when I upload this page shortly all of my English-speaking friends will be able to read it. We'll see.

I am working on a passage right now that continually holds me prisoner. It is Ephesians 4:17-32. This might be my favorite passage in all of the Bible. In it Paul talks about how the life of Christian should be changed because of what Christ does for us. He says that if we are in Christ our minds should be renewed and we should replace the old way of life with the new way of life. Several things grip me.

First, I am held by the goodness of God. He knows the evil of my heart, yet desires to forgive, restore and work through me. Amazing. He is indeed gracious and kind.

Second, I am struck by the change of life He brings and desires. In this world if we stop doing a bad deed, we are deemed successful. As long as you stop lying. As long as you stop the extra-marital affair. As long as you stop stealing. You get the point. God desires more though. He desires and makes a way for the bad action to be replaced with one that is pleasing to Him. So, instead of stealing we should work and be generous. Instead of lying we should speak the truth in love. Instead of being in the adulterous relationship, we should serve our spouse in every aspect of the relationship and be faithful and pure.

Not only does God call us to live this way...He empowers us to live this way through the clear teaching of His Word and the strong power of the Holy Spirit.

If you are a Christian, what are some ways that you are living in the "old way" of life. Think about them. Ask God to renew your thinking toward. Then, join Him in practically putting on a new way of life when it comes to these actions and attitudes.

For those that are not followers of Jesus Christ. Want a fulfilled life? Turn away from the half-truth of simply stopping the bad deed. Turn to Christ where you can, through His power, live a new life that pleases Him, helps the world around you and brings joy to your heart.

Dissolved

Let’s take a look at a passage of Scripture that tells us of the realities of the new creation that is to come. Listen to 1 Peter 3:11-13, “¹¹ Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

Our first reaction may be one of fear and dread when we hear phrases such as, “these things are thus to be dissolved,” but we ought not think that way. There is a perspective in this verse that really speaks to the expectations of Christians. What is our opinion of the here and now? Is truly wrong to be attached to things of this world? Well, the answer is yes and no. If you are so attached to this life and the things it…things like jobs, possessions, hobbies that you would be crying and screaming if someone took them away from you…then, yes, your perspective needs to change. However, if your perspective of those things is that they are ways to enjoy your relationship with God and other people…then you can be even more encouraged.

You see, now we are in a world that is filled with sin. There is sin, evil and rebellion against God all around us. In fact, sin, evil and rebellion against is inside of us. But, God has sent a Savior into the world so that our hearts can be changed now…and that we can join Him in a world that is free from sin, evil and rebellion one day. That world…that place…is what Peter is referring to as the new heavens and the new earth.

Building Trust

Today we celebrated the 5th birthday of our sons, Maddox and Isaac. I spent some time thinking over the last five years of their life and reflecting on all that has happened. We have been an active part of four and a half of their five years as we adopted them when they were six months old.

We began our adoption process in February 2002, the boys were born in April 2002, we first saw a picture of them in July 2002 and we traveled to get them in October 2002. It was a busy year. My thoughts, though, were how God was preparing something for us that we were not expecting. You see, in April 2002 we had no idea that we would adopt two. In fact, we were only expecting to adopt one. We didn't know if we would be adopting a baby boy or girl. Yet, in God's plan these two little boys were being prepared just for us. Now, long-legged, smiling boys we are so thankful for the plans God had for us that we never expected.

Too often I think we believe we must know everything God is doing in our lives. But we seldom do. There are things that God is planning and preparing us for that we have no idea will be in the days and weeks ahead. Most of all, He is at work trying to develop our trust in Him because our trust in Him is a direct reflection of our love for Him. Do we really trust God with our lives?

This is a big year for our family. Monica and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage in a little over a month, the boys turned five today, Eliza turned three a few months ago and in just a few days it will be one year since Baby Benjamin went to be with Jesus. As I think about all of those special events we can clearly see that God has been working to build our trust in Him. He has not failed us yet. We don't think He will in the future. The real test will be whether or not we will live as if we trust Him completely. I pray that we will.

Filled with Hope

There was controversy brewing in Thessalonica. Word was traveling that the teaching in the young church was wrong. Paul, the traveling preacher, had spread the word that the recently deceased Christians would be raised from the grave one day. Now, some of the established leaders of the Jewish faith were trying to put down this teaching. They said there would not be a resurrection of the dead. You got this life and no more. No wonder they called on the people to live their best life now.

It didn’t take long, though, for word to spread to Paul. So, to help reestablish the power of Jesus Christ and, to clarify his teaching, he wrote to the church in Thessalonica what we read in 1 Thessalonians 4,

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

In a matter of a few lines, the Apostle clears up the misconception that was being stirred up. He does so in a way that causes these young Christians to look at more than just life and death, but to gaze deeply at the very power of Christ. There is much more in these sentences than just a statement of fact or an equation for resurrection…there is hope. The last verse tells followers of Jesus what they should do with this hope of resurrection. They are to use it for encouragement. It is not a doctrine that should be debated in academic circles only. It is not the fourth part of a sermon outline that finishes a sermon and then is then tucked into a Bible. Paul offers us this hope so that we may put it into practice and draw hope from it.

Recently, we were moving through the line that passes beside the casket as folks speak to family members at the conclusion of a funeral service. I am always intimidated as I try to think something to say in those moments. That day I decided that I would use this verse in what I was going to say to the family. The man that had passed away was a strong Christian and we had a great assurance that he was now with Christ. When I approached his mother and father, I looked them square in the eyes and said, “Remember, we do not grieve as those without hope.”

This broken-hearted mother just looked at me.

For a moment I thought I had made a serious mistake.

Then she asked, “What did you say?”

So I repeated my bold sentence. “Remember, we do not grieve as those without hope.”

In an instant, her whole face changed and as tears filled her eyes she offered what seemed to be a heart-felt thanks.

Since Benjamin passed last year I have often clung to this hope. When I think about the sadness and pain of his death, my heart and mind are immediately filled with the hope offered by an empty tomb and a resurrected Savior.

Pain and Its Memory

I haven’t written much in the last few months. My routine has been up and down because of changes that have happened in our life, and I have found it difficult to find time to sit down and think through a blog article. However, I remember that a year ago this journaling really helped me get through the loss of our son, Benjamin. He was still-born on Saturday, April 22, 2006. It’s hard to believe that it has almost a year has past. I can honestly say there is some fresh pain now just because the calendar says April. It seems that for 30 days I am going to be reminded of the pain in an “in your face” kind of way because everyday I will have to write April _____, 2007 on something.

I’m not sure how to deal with the present pain and with the memory of pain. Just a few days ago I was in a daze and Monica asked me what I was thinking about. I was thinking about Benjamin. My sadness is not so much about his actual death, but it is about what we are missing with him. He has been with Christ for a year now. What does he look like? What is he doing? What has he experience apart from his Mom and Dad over this past year? Who, in addition to Christ, has been caring for him? Does he know that he has brothers and a sister that ask about him often? Does he think about his Mom and Dad as often as we think of him? However, it was an odd time of the day and there was a lot going and because I didn’t want to cause her to crash in the middle of the day I didn’t let on as to what I considering. I’m not sure if that was a good thing, but I didn’t want to ruin her day (or anyone else’s for that matter) if she is having a good one.

So, I have decided to try to come back to this blog. It helped a year ago, maybe it will help now. Here’s my two-fold task: First, there are some unfinished articles on suffering that I need to write and publish here. Second, how does that Bible tells us to deal with the memories of those we love who have already died? And, what does Scripture say about us dealing with our memories? I hope to think through those questions.

The Value of Suffering

I value suffering. I grow through suffering. I learn to love Christ in suffering.

Talking about suffering in that way may sound odd, but those are some lessons I learned about myself in a seminar a few weeks ago. It was a time for us to think through what we value and what has shaped us. I found that suffering has brought some of the greatest times of spiritual growth in my life. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Paul says in Romans 5 that those who suffer in Christ will ultimately end up with strong hope. So, how do we go from suffering to hope?

That is the topic I hope to work through in a set of three articles based on Romans 5:1-11. Lord willing, the first article will deal with preparing to suffer; the second will talk about the process of suffering; and the final article will help us understand hope in Christ.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.(ESV)

If we are going to suffer well, we must have a proper understanding of who Christ is and what He has done for those that follow Him. First, Paul says that we have peace with God when we place our faith in Christ. We trust that God will forgive us of our sins and credit Christ’s righteousness to our account because He has died for our sins and has been raised from the grave offering us peace with God. Jesus has broken the bindings that sin has on us both now and eternally. We can suffer well because we know that the long-term, final consequences of sin (i.e., Hell, separation from God, eternal hopelessness) have been defeated by Christ. We are confident that while suffering may hurt today, it will not last forever.

Second, Paul says that those who suffer in Christ have access to God’s grace. It is important to have peace with God, as noted in verse 1, because this gives us access to God’s grace which allows us: (1) the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to better understand and live out the Word of God, (2) to approach God with confidence through prayer, (3) to be a part of the family of God, the church. Let’s think through these for a moment to understand their significance in suffering. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Comforter” in John 14. At times of great pain and suffering the Holy Spirit brings encouragement. (2 Corinthians 6:2-10) We may not be able to explain this strange peace at the most painful time in our life, but we know it is the Spirit of God at work in us. Next, Christians are also called to be people of prayer that pray boldly and cast their anxieties on God. (Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 5:7) This does not mean that we do nothing to prevent suffering or to improve conditions when suffering is going on, but it means that we continue on trusting that God works all things for our good to transform us into the likeness of Christ. (Romans 8:28-29) As God’s children, we have also been relieved of the burden of suffering alone. God has given us the church where we can join in the sharing of our burdens and the burdens of others. (Romans 12) The church is one of God’s great gifts to believers that allows us to live every aspect of life together with those that share our hope in Christ.

Paul says that our peace with God and our access to God should cause us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice when we are reminded that our hope finds its resting place in the majesty and power of the God that is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Can you really believe that? The God that holds countless planets, solar systems and universes in order joyfully helps with your suffering? Isn’t it encouraging that the God who knows the color of the fish in the darkest part of the ocean knows of your shattered heart and wants to refill it with His joy! Christians rejoice to know that one day God will right all wrongs and that the many pains believers face will be no more.

In the next article, Lord willing, we will talk about what God accomplishes through our suffering. For now, though, does peace with God and access to God bring you hope? If it does, why not praise God for His goodness to us even in times of suffering. If it does not bring you hope, perhaps you need to investigate who holds superiority in your life. Are your problems bigger than God? Rest assured there is nothing that is beyond the authority of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 10:28) He is surely able to work all things for His glory and our good.

Our Weekend in NYC

After an exciting and quick weekend, Monica and I are home from New York City safe and sound. We enjoyed the excitement of the city and the millions of people that shared the sidewalk with us. We made all of the tourist stops that our sore legs would allow us to make and we stopped in most of the major stores that were fully decorated for Christmas. The first night, Wednesday, was overwhelming. The speed of the city, the number of people and the brightness of the lights was a slight contrast to life following a tractor or Amish buggy here in Smiths Grove. However, by Saturday morning Monica had us hopping the subway and moving through crosswalks like true New Yorkers.

The picture above shows most of the artists that were in our concert, An Appalachian Christmas, at Carnegie Hall. It was a great joy to work with Sounds of Victory, Higher Vision, Tammy Norris, Charlene Helen Berry, Two or More, and Dr. Randall Bane and Roy Hayes from Christian Music Presenters in Nashville. There was a good crowd on hand for the concert and most of the attendees were true New Yorkers. It was fun to watch them light up during banjo, mandolin and fiddle solos and tap their feet during some of the faster songs in the program.

My highlight for the concert was the last line of the last full song we sang. It was from the song Christ Was Born in Bethlehem and we made a slight alteration to the lyric. Greg Lynch from Sounds of Victory sang, "Christ was born in Bethlehmen, Christ was born in Bethlehem to burst the bands of death." As he sang those words tears filled my eyes as I thought about how Christmas is about much more than just a baby in a manger. It is about God living up among us so that He could die for us to pay the price for sin that we owe. God sent the Christ child so that we may have life both now and forever. After walking around all of the department stores and seeing all of the beautiful lights at Rockefeller Center, I was leveled in realizing again that it was because of Christmas that I can know peace with God and find hope in Him. It was a powerful moment.

A Busy Week...

Monica and I will be traveling to New York City on Wednesday where I will have the opportunity to sing in a program called An Appalachian Christmas on Friday night at Carnegie Hall. The program is a group of Christian artists from all over the country and we will be singing Christmas hymns and songs that were written by Appalachian songwriters. Even more than it being a great production, we're hoping it will be a true worship experience and that people will hear the Gospel through the Christmas songs we sing. Please pray that God would use our efforts for His glory! Hopefully, I'll be able to upload some pictures from NYC later this week. Check back to see what's here.

That means that I don't have much time to publish anything else here this week. However, I am working on a three part series on suffering based on Romans 5. I'm really excited about it and hope to post it over several days next week. So be looking for that and pray for us while we are traveling. Thanks!