My Dad…

Have you ever had so much you wanted to say that you couldn’t say anything or so much to write that you couldn’t even begin writing?  That’s how I felt (and feel) when I contemplate writing about the 1 year anniversary of my Dad’s death.  The pain yesterday was no greater than the pain of every other day this year – but it was different.  Coming back to mind were the instant message I received from Caroline during chapel, the drive to Brandon hospital, the confused look on my precious Mom’s face, the phone calls, the phone calls, seeing Dr. Bob Dewhurst come through the double doors of the ER and knowing I would never see my Dad on this planet again, the kind words of Mark Samec-Mike Sprott-Chris Pixley, the help of Brenda Sprott with all those kids in the waiting room, the tears of my children-my sisters-my brothers in law, the abiding feeling of disbelief, the friends and the food at my Mom’s house, Ronnie Batchelor and his amazing gentle way, a funeral with more people than I could have imagined, and on and on…

The words of this Mark Schultz song have been in my head for some time now…

What will you do with the time that’s left
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time that’s left?

What will you do with the time that’s past?
Oh and all the pain that seems to last?
Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?

What will you do with the time that’s past?
What will He say when your time has come?
When He takes you into His arms of love?
With tears in His eyes will He say well done?
What will He say when your time has come?

2009, a year of loss…

I’ve been reflecting on 2009 this past week (I know, along with every other sentient being on the planet) and it struck me that this was a year of tremendous loss.  Obviously, the biggest loss was the death of my Dad (I plan to write more about that next week) but it was not the only loss.  Shortly after my Dad died, my Mom’s sister was killed in a fire which lead to another loss for Heidi, my sister, and her husband Mark as they made every effort to fulfill my aunt’s wishes that they raise her daughter — to no avail.  I suffered another deep personal loss – that of my close friend of 30+ years… not to death but to my own carelessness and unloving attitude (God, I pray I have learned my lesson…).  Near the end of 2009, I watched as my precious sister and brother-in-law again lost an adoption at the very last second.  Last, but by no means least, was the sudden and unexpected death of my friend Nate Vaughn – a devastating loss for his family and his friends.  It was a tough year to be sure.

What’s great is that I know that none of it was accidental and that it was part of my sovereign God’s eternal plan – even the loss resulting from my own sin.  What sustains me (and Caroline, I’ll speak for her too) is God’s steadfast love – His lovingkindness… knowing that none of these things were capricious acts but were and are intended to continue molding us into useful tools for a good Master who has our best and His own glory always in view.

No, I don’t think I will…

I was praying about what I was going to write in regard to several issues regarding fundamentalism when I was struck with the thought – “to what end?”  What would I accomplish?  Those who agree that their are massive fundamental flaws with that movement need no convincing and those who do not agree or see the issues have pretty much proven that they are unable or unwilling to interact with any critique of the movement they are a part of.  I can only see downside to posting right now – perhaps that will change but I think not.

So, I’ll work through my thoughts and discuss them directly with the 1, maybe 2 friends who are a part of that movement and who are willing at least to evaluate it honestly.  The facts are that the first thing I wanted to write about (the inability/unwillingness of most Fundamentalists to critique or be critiqued) renders any writing on any of the other topics a complete waste of time.

Perhaps, rather than write in any sort of polemical tone, I’ll just deal with the various issues in my mind on their own merits w/o regard for Fundamentalism or any other system.

No objectivity…

I have two or three posts that have been bouncing around in my head the last few weeks – all of them related to Fundamentalism (that’s capital F “Fundamentalism”)…  The main reason I haven’t posted them (and won’t for some time) is that, as one close friend pointed out, I have no objectivity.  I’m worried that my legitimate ‘concerns’ regarding that system have grown into an attitude that is unloving, ungracious and unhelpful – leaking into how I interact (or don’t because I just can’t take it) with those in that movement that I formerly counted as close friends.

The recent death of my friend, who over time would have been a close friend, has brought to the surface of my mind much of what is wrong with that brand of Christianity labeled as Fundamentalism and removed whatever objectivity may have existed prior.

So, I wait and pray and will at some time write about this.  But for now I wait for a return to objectivity.

A great answer to the question, “Why should I want to be a Christian?”

Watch video here:  http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/4402/Video/

(Text from the desiring God blog @ http://ow.ly/Gn3V)

The following is an edited transcript of the audio.

Why should I want to be a Christian?

All of our wants are either toward something or away from something, aren’t they?

In other words, I don’t want pain and I do want pleasure. And those are just two words to use. You can use other words: discomfort, agony, horror. Or pick the pains that you don’t like: loneliness, etc.

So there’s a whole group of things that we don’t want. And then there’s a whole group of things that we do want: pleasure, delight, joy, satisfaction.

Christianity is Christ Jesus the Son of God, eternal, coming into the world to save sinners who have earned for themselves God’s punishment because of our neglecting God, rebelling against God, ignoring God, despising God, refusing God, walking away from God, minimizing God.

Everybody has done this. Christians still do it, unbelievers do it. Nobody owns up to the value of God to the degree that we should. And God is infinitely valuable and infinitely worthy of our trust and our love. Yet nobody does it. Therefore we’re all under his just judgment and we’re going to be sentenced one day to a lake of fire called the second death or hell.

And to trust in Jesus’ work on our behalf, when he died in our place, delivers us from the wrath to come.

So the first reason is the negative one: all those horrible things that will come upon us if we continue to rebel against God won’t come upon us if we trust in Christ who offers himself to us as a way of escape.

So that’s the negative side. But far more satisfying is, “Why would you want to get out of hell? Or why would you want to have your sins forgiven? Or why would you want to be reconciled with God?” And the answer to those questions is, “To have infinite satisfaction with God forever and ever.”

A clean conscience? Yes. Forgiven sins? Yes. Out of hell? Yes. In heaven? Yes. New heavens and new earth? Yes. Lion lying down with the lamb? Yes. Restored with Mom and Dad who were Christians? Yes. But that’s not the ultimate satisfaction.

The ultimate satisfaction is that you are going to be with Jesus. You’re going to see infinite glory in Jesus.

So why should you want—want—to be a Christian? It’s because you don’t want eternal pain. You do want eternal pleasure.

Hell is eternal pain, and we’re all going there without believing in Jesus. And God is eternal pleasure: “In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

So if you want full pleasures—that is, 100%, not 85% or 99%—and eternal pleasures—not just 80 years, but 80 ages of years—then become a Christian. That is, renounce self-reliance and embrace Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord and Treasure of your life. And you will have infinite pleasures in his presence forever.

I think that’s a pretty good reason for wanting to be a Christian.

Longing for this day…

As if a reminder was needed – a recent tragedy in our family again makes me long for the day when God will bring these verses to pass…

Rev. 21.1 ¶ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
Rev. 21.2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev. 21.3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
Rev. 21.4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Rev. 21.5 ¶ And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.

Great post from the IX Marks blog…

November 20, 2009

Learning to be Yourself as a Preacher: From One Still Trying to Do Just That

by Kevin DeYoung

When Phillips Brooks famously defined preaching as “the communication of truth through personality” I do believe he was talking about your own personality and not someone else’s.  It has taken me awhile, but I finally feel like I have learned to be myself in the pulpit.  Now whether this means my sermons are better or worse I can’t say.  But being myself means my preaching is more genuine, more comfortable, and more sustainable.  I know I have a lot to learn as a preacher, and I hope that ten years from now I’ll still get those awkward but true compliments–“your preaching has really improved over the years.” But at 32 I feel like I’m finally preaching the truth through my own personality.

Like most young preachers, and not a few old ones, I’ve struggled to find my “voice” as a preacher.  When I was in college I started devouring the Reformers and Puritans.  Everything I read seemed to be either hundreds of years old or was translated hundreds of years ago.  As a result, my writing (I wasn’t doing much preaching at the time) sounded like I was aiming for the “just translated from Latin” award.  My sentences were often elephantine.  The grammar was antiquated and there were simply too many words.  A very fine professor who affirmed me in many ways challenged me to write for my own century, not for the century of my heroes.  It was painful advice at the time.  I wasn’t quite sure I trusted him.  After all, wasn’t it a mark of piety to use words like “behoove” “calumny” and “obfuscate”?  Well, it wasn’t.  I need to be myself and not put on puritan-sounding airs.  (Incidentally, my cousin, and classmate during college, had a wonderful t-shirt at the time that read “Eschew Obfuscation.”  And he was the one with a girlfriend during all four years!  Go figure.)…..

Read the rest here…

Great article…

Whatever your thoughts are on Mark Driscoll, I think you’ll find the following article well written, fair, and clear.

http://assets.marshillchurch.org/media/Audio/ESV%20Statement%20Version%204%200_final.pdf

God’s mercy…

“(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.)
And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.””
(1 Kings 21.25–29 ESV)

Is there any greater juxtaposition of man’s evil and God’s mercy?  “There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord” is followed by “Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days…”  Unbelievable.  More unbelievable, perhaps, is my heart crying out for this man’s punishment and my incredulity at his being spared – completely overlooking the mercy that is shown to me on an hourly basis…

separation…

unified body?

the hand is white and pristine

the foot is unclean