Misdiagnosis Can Be Deadly

Today I woke up a little more thankful for a new day.  That's because I didn't know till yesterday that I had a blood clot in my leg.  Left unchecked, such a condition can be life-threatening.

It was nearly a week ago while on a walk that I began experiencing some slight pain in the heart of my calf.  I thought perhaps I had a slightly pulled muscle and ignored it.  I continued my walk and even played basketball with my boys later on that day.  The next day the pain grew worse, so I assumed I had aggravated this "pulled muscle" by not stopping my activity when I should have.  For the next few days I forewent my usual walk, shooting hoops with the boys and such.  But instead of getting better, my pain grew worse.

At that point I decided to do some research on the Internet.  After consulting some medical websites, I concluded that I had at the very least a grade II calf strain.  However, such an injury is typically the result of a traumatic event; there's usually no question as to when it occurred.  But such was not my experience, which left me a little concerned that perhaps it was something else.  My brother had experienced a blood clot in his leg (DVT) a few years ago, and the DVT symptoms are quite similar to an acute calf strain.  I was pretty sure I didn't have a blood clot; still, I couldn't shake this concern from my mind.

Over the next couple of days, I did next to nothing.  Yet the pain in my leg continued to increase.  There was swelling and redness as well.  At this point I got pretty anxious and decided to visit the doctor the following day if I didn't notice any improvement in the morning.

No improvement took place, so yesterday I was able to get in to see my doctor as early as 10 a.m.  He looked at my leg, considered the symptoms, and reached the same conclusion I had -- that this was most likely a grade II calf strain.  But to rule out a blood clot, he sent me to a vascular lab the next town over to undergo an ultra-sound.  It was there that they discovered conclusively that I indeed had a blood clot.

This changed everything.  They sent me right back to the doctor who changed my prescription entirely. I was to be put on Coumadin (warfarin) immediately, but since this would take five days to become effective, I was to take two shots of heparin twice a day until then.

I'm still not "out of the woods" but am thankful that I'm now receiving the proper treatment and should recover soon.  Indeed, the Lord's mercies are new every morning; great is his faithfulness!

As I look back on what has transpired the last few days, I'm reminded of just how important an accurate diagnosis is to receiving proper treatment.  When I thought I had a calf strain, I was both heating it and icing it (not a good idea).  Furthermore, I had my wife put deep-heat rub on my calf and massage it (not a good idea).  The doctor, thinking also that this was a calf strain, initially gave me the wrong prescription (not a good idea).  All these things which were to help me, could in fact have killed me.

Looking at this matter from an evangelistic standpoint, I'm reminded of how important it is to tell people their true condition before God and to administer the only remedy that God has prescribed.  Scripture informs us that the heart of every person is "desperately sick"--and deceptive!  The only one who can rightly diagnose its condition is God (Jer. 17:9-10).  

In reference to my own situation, I could have convinced myself that I didn't have a blood clot, but that wouldn't have changed the fact that I did and would have inevitably suffered the consequences of my condition, which was life-threatening.  Scripture says explicitly, "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23) and that "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23).  The only remedy to our deadly condition is Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and now reigns in heaven offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who put their trust in him.  "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

This is the truth.  To misdiagnose people's condition is to be guilty of spiritual malpractice.  We must tell people the truth if we are to rescue them.

Moreover, we must speak the truth in love.  In his excellent book on evangelism, Tell the Truth, Will Metzger writes,

In all our emphasis on teaching the truth of the whole gospel, we would be denying part of this gospel if we were not listening and being sensitive to the person we face.  If we don't treat people as persons when we witness to them, we deny a basic tenet of the very gospel in which we believe.  If we turn this  [gospel] outline into a formula, we have depersonalized those we encounter.  We can be blunt about the hard subject of sin with a person, if at the same time we treat that person as a unique individual.

One more thing:  When I got to the pharmacy counter to get my prescription, the pharmacist asked me, "Did the doctor tell you how much this cost?"  I replied in the negative, so the pharmacist proceeded to inform me that the medication cost a little over seven hundred dollars.  I about died right there!  In fact, I almost considered taking the risk of waiting the five days till the Coumadin kicked in.  But of course that would have been foolish.  It wasn't worth the risk.

How much more is this true in reference to our condition before God?  The remedy to our sin condition cost a hell of a lot more than seven hundred dollars.  I don't say that lightly but literally.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bore the full wrath of God the Father against our sin.  The price has already been paid. Salvation has been provided!  The question is, will we receive this cure that is freely offered to us in Christ, or will we go on trying to convince ourselves that our condition is really not all that serious?

Finally, for those of us who have been cured and cleansed by the blood of Christ, will we be faithful in telling others how they too can be cured, or will we keep this remedy to ourselves, content to let the rest of the world perish in their sins?

Lots to think about.

"How to Give Away Your Faith" - Book Review

Little, Paul E. How to Give Away Your Faith, rev. ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008. 202 pp. $15.00.

Introduction

            How to Give Away Your Faith, Paul Little’s practical guide to personal evangelism, was first published in 1966 by InterVarsity Press.  This is the publishing arm of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), a ministry marked by its long-standing commitment “To know Christ and to make Him known,” particularly through campus evangelism and discipleship initiatives.  Paul Little served with ICVF for twenty-five years, traveling extensively throughout the United States and five continents until he was killed in an automobile accident in 1975.

            In addition to his work with InterVarsity, Little also served as associate professor of evangelism at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and authored additional books such as Know What You Believe and Know Why You Believe. 

Summary

            Operating on the assumption that his readers already wantto witness, Little described his publication as “a book on instruction rather than exhortation” to witness (13).  What he does not assume, however, is that all professing Christians are truly saved.  So he spends the first chapter emphasizing genuine faith, which involves an initial personal commitment to Jesus Christ and is accompanied by an ongoing love and obedience to Christ as Lord and Savior. 

            Having been reconciled to God, the committed Christian does not live in isolation from the world.  He understands that he is God’s representative and that “the greatest favor [he] can do for others is to introduce them to Jesus Christ” (41).  This requires relationship building, which can be fostered through good listening skills, eye contact, a positive attitude, and hospitality.  Prayer also is essential for witnessing opportunities and stimulating compassion for the lost.

            In chapter three, Little sets forth Jesus’ example in witnessing to others, particularly the Samaritan woman in John 4.   Drawing from this encounter, the author presents eight principles:  “Meet and know non-Christians personally; establish a mutual interest in conversation, arouse a person’s interest by life and word; gear explanations to people’s receptiveness and readiness for more; accept and even compliment rather than condemn; stay on the track; and persevere to the destination” (75).

Following these guidelines, says Little, will improve one’s witness and add zest to life.

            Having laid out a general strategy for witnessing, the author then deals with some of the social barriers that believers regularly encounter as they rub shoulders with unbelievers.  The key to one’s response in any given situation is to remember that his role is that of an ambassador, and therefore his goal is to reconcile people to God who alone can “transform hearts and behaviors” (79).  Rather than condemning or correcting unbelievers, Christians should be winsome, making use of the casual touch, maintaining a healthy sense of humor, and offering helpful alternatives to activities that are sinful or don’t interest them.  The point is to relate to others in such a way that a platform is created for sharing the gospel in a loving and understandable way.

            Speaking of the gospel, Little devotes chapter five to clarifying the Christian message.  Articulating the gospel is essential to avoiding unnecessary confusion in the minds of unbelievers.  At the heart of the gospel is Jesus Christ--who he is (fully God and fully man), how he views the human condition (sinful to the core), and the salvation he provided for mankind through his death and resurrection.   These gospel truths can be expressed through a variety of simple evangelistic outlines (e.g. Romans Road, Four Steps to God, Religion versus Christianity) but must never be presented mechanically.  For those who end up professing faith in Christ, follow-up is essential.  Babes in Christ need to be assured of their salvation through the promises of God; they need to know how to read their Bibles, to pray, and to deal with sin in their lives; they need to be enriched by fellowship with other believers while continuing to maintain healthy relationships with non-Christians.  Those further along in the faith can and must encourage new Christians in these areas.

            In chapter six, Little delves into apologetic matters, insisting that “unless we are fully persuaded in our own minds that Jesus Christ is the truth, we will never effectively communicate the gospel to someone else” (111).  In defending the faith, Christians must avoid two tendencies.  The first is to adopt an anti-intellectual attitude that fails to respond to people’s  objections and questions regarding the Christian faith (e.g. the exclusivity of Christ, problem of evil, reliability of Scripture).  The other tendency is to rely too heavily on such answers as though they themselves can bring people to salvation.  God alone can transform hearts; the evangelist must rely on him.

            In the closing chapters, the author reiterates the relevance of Christ to the world today, while stressing the need for Christians to abstain from worldliness, the essence of which is self-indulgence.  Genuine spirituality is looking at life from God’s vantage point, and living one’s life by faith to God’s glory.   “The key” to victorious Christian living, says Little, “is being totally sold out, without reservation, to Jesus Christ” (179).  As goes one’s walk, so goes his witness.

Critical Evaluation

            Little set out to write a book designed to instruct Christians, rather than to exhort them, on witnessing.  Yet the manner in which the author presents the material is highly motivating.  He models in his writing the very traits he wants his readers to cultivate in their witnessing (48).  For instance, he establishes common ground by identifying with the reader’s desire to witness but ignorance regarding how to go about doing it (17).  He also conveys enthusiasm in presenting the material.  One can sense his genuine excitement over sharing the gospel with lost people.  Furthermore, Little makes himself interesting, particularly through his lavish use of illustrations and analogies.  For instance, he compares Christians unsure of the content of their message to a student who understands a mathematical problem when the professor explains it in class but then has trouble articulating what he learned to another student who missed the class (92).  Analogies such as this arrest the reader’s attention and help him relate to, and remember, any given point.  The author’s winsome spirit and writing style no doubt contributed to the popularity of his book.

            The content itself was also solid and went far in accomplishing the author’s objective to write an instruction manual on witnessing.  Little is to be commended for his emphasis, from start to finish, on the Christian’s personal walk with God.  In chapter one, the author sets forth the “startling possibility” (29) that one’s faith may not consist of true commitment to Christ but may be the product of one’s Christian upbringing or surroundings.  This is followed by a recitation of Jesus’ warning, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).  In closing the book, Little emphasizes once again the need to feed one’s personal relationship with God.  Knowing Scripture is not enough, for “the Bible’s purpose is to bring us into contact with the living God in Jesus Christ” (190).  Indeed, developing this “secret life with God is essential for an effective witness to a world who has yet to meet the God who alone can satisfy their every need” (198).

            Within this framework of one’s personal relationship with the living God, Little does an exemplary job in outfitting his readers with practical tools for presenting the gospel.  One of the most helpful sections was the “seven basic questions” (though Little actually lists eight) in reference to the Christian faith (116-135).  These are the issues Little encountered most in his countless interactions with people over many years of witnessing.  By proactively raising and responding to such questions, Little provides immense help to those who are timid about witnessing in light of issues which may arise in the course of conversation.  By giving simple solutions to these oft-asked questions, the author ably equips his readers to be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asks them to give a reason for the hope that they have (1 Pet 3:15).

            Another compelling feature of this book was the inclusion of repentance in the gospel presentation.  Little writes, “The essence of sin is living independently of God--going our own way rather than his way” (100-101), then proceeds to declare, “The substance of repentance is the repudiation of our self-centered lives and making Christ and his will the center of our lives” (101).  This call to repentance in sharing the gospel is both biblical and encouraging, especially in the midst of an evangelical culture that has largely downplayed repentance and the lordship of Christ.

            At times weakness has been described as strength taken to an extreme.  In his attempt to promote personal evangelism, Little fails to stress the importance of the church.  He mentions it as a matter of follow-up, i.e. helping new Christians to find fellowship (107-108).  But the church is also a powerful source of witness to the world as its members express worship through personaltestimony (1 Cor 14:24-25) and acts of loving service toward one another (John 13:34-35).  Had Little emphasized the evangelistic components of church life, he could have iterated all the more its importance in light of Scripture and also further supported the evangelistic thrust of his book.

Conclusion

            How to Give Away Your Faith has withstood the test of time, and, with over a million copies in print, continues to demonstrate that it is a valuable resource (if not “the classic guide”) to personal evangelism.  The practical nature of the book as well as the energetic writing style of the author renders it useful both to new believers and also to those further along in the faith who want to “put feet to their theology” by heralding the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ.  

C. S. Lewis on Faith

Recently I re-read C. S. Lewis' famous book Mere Christianity. Written nearly half a century ago, this publication continues to obtain a wide reading.  In this classic work, Lewis presents the central features of mere (pure, undiluted) Christianity.  Once such feature, or attribute, is faith.  Lewis devotes two chapters to this subject.  He begins by pointing to the faulty assumption he once held that "the human mind is completely ruled by reason" and "will automatically go on regarding [something] as true, until some real reason for reconsidering it comes up" (p. 139).  But such is not the case at all.  Human emotions and imagination also wield a powerful influence on us.  Hence faith can be understood as "the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods" (p. 140).

Beyond this aspect of Christian belief, there is a second and higher sense in which faith is to be understood and recognized, and that is in the face of temptation.  Says Lewis, "No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good" (p. 142).  Our failures show the necessity of faith toward God, for our track record shows that we can never make it to heaven on the basis of our own righteous performance.

These two aspects of faith represent the spiritual ground on which my greatest battles are fought.  Though I mentally affirm the doctrines of grace, emotionally and in many other ways I deny them.  For instance, if I do well in my Christian walk, I can easily become complacent, self-sufficient, and even self-congratulating.  But if I do poorly, I slink before God's presence in prayer, imagining how repulsed he must be at the sight of me.  This is not biblical, gospel-centered thinking; hence it must be struck down and destroyed by scriptural truth.

For this reason, I am attempting in my daily prayers and scriptural meditations to follow the maxim of Robert Murray M'Cheyne:  "For every look at self, take ten looks at Christ."  This is the fight of faith.  Rather than being self-conscious in my Christian walk, I am called to be Savior-conscious.  As I rejoice in the God of my salvation, I am reminded that I need not spend my life trying to earn God's approval; I live knowing that I already have his approval in Christ.

The President's Perversion of the Christian Faith

Today President Obama finally stated what most of us already suspected:  his support for same-sex marriage.  This stance directly opposes the clear teaching of Scripture.  After the Lord God made the woman from the man and brought her to the man, Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man" (Genesis 2:23).  Then Scripture declares unequivocally, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (v. 24).  The Lord Jesus, during the days of his earthly ministry, reiterated the divine blueprint for marriage, saying,

"Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

- Matthew 19:4-6

Likewise, what God has kept separate, let not man join together, i.e. man and man.

That the president's stance on marriage diametrically opposes the clear teaching of Scripture is bad enough, but he took matters a tragic step further by citing his and his wife Michelle's Christian faith as reasons for personally supporting same-sex marriage!  In an interview with ABC News, President Obama said,

I'd hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient.  And I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word 'marriage' was something that invoked very powerful traditions, religious beliefs, and so forth.

In the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people.  We are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule--treat others the way you would want to be treated.  And I think that's what we try to impart to our kids and that's what motivates me as president, and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I'll be as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I'll be as president.

The big tip-off to the president's horrendously fallacious perspective is what he professes to be at the "root" of what he and his wife think about:  "not only Christ sacrificing Himself ... but also the Golden Rule."  Contrast the words of the president, "not only Christ sacrificing Himself," with the words of Paul, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).  "Not only Christ sacrificing Himself" versus "nothing ... except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."  

The Christ of our president and the Christ of Paul are two different Christs.  Paul worshiped and obeyed the Christ of Scripture; the president worships and obeys the Christ of secular humanism.  The president sees the Golden Rule as something that must be considered in addition to Christ and his sacrifice, whereas Jesus himself saw all of Scripture--including the Golden Rule--as inextricably linked to his divine person and mission.  In John 5:39-41, Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.  I do not receive glory from men" -- including our "Christian" president.

Three Gifts to Offer Youth Pastors

While doing some research in preparation for a pastors' conference I'm preaching at next week, I came across some interesting articles and statistics on youth ministry.  Of course this is fresh in my mind in light of the fact that just last week had a promising candidate for the Pastor of Student Ministries position in our church.  Furthermore, I myself was a youth pastor for three years, and four out of my five children are teenagers!  (This was the case last year and will be once again come November.)

Based on statistics, the testimonies of colleagues in youth ministry, and even my own experience, I would like to suggest three gifts that church congregations can extend to their youth pastors:

1.  Faith

According to Scripture, one of love's chief qualities is that it "believes all things" (1 Cor. 13:7).  This does not mean that love is gullible, but that it gives the benefit of the doubt.  Love extends the gift of trust to others.

This doesn't mean that we put our confidence in man, rather we are being confident in what God does in and through people.  Thus Paul the apostle could write to the believers in Corinth, "I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you" (2 Cor. 7:16).  Skepticism and cynicism towards a man can kill his ministry in a given context.  Remember that in Nazareth, Jesus "did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief" (Matt. 13:58).

Jesus enabled those who were entrusted to His care to rise to their full potential because He was utterly confident what the Spirit of God could and would accomplish through them (see John 14:12).  Wolf J. Rinke, author of 6 Fail-Safe Strategies for Building High Performance Organizations, writes, "If you mistrust your employees, you'll be right 3 percent of the time.  If you trust people until they give you a reason not to, you'll be right 97 percent of the time."

It is true that by trusting people, you'll get burned now and then.  One well-known and highly respected pastor recalls that one of his most painful moments in forty years of pastoral ministry was when three of his associates unexpectedly turned on him.  This mutiny, which occurred on a day that came to be known as "Black Monday," was one of the most shocking disappointments in this man's ministry.  He testified that he never saw it coming because he is so naturally trusting towards people and assumes the best about them.  Does this mean that he should have taken a different approach and been less trusting?  Not for a moment, for this same pastor says that the most rewarding aspect of his ministry has been the wonderful, long-standing relationships that have developed over the last four decades.

B.C. Forbes said, "Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious."  It's better for you, and it's better for those you trust.  By extending the gift of trust to your youth pastor, you give him wings to fly and to reach his full God-given potential in Christ.

2.  Flexibility

By this I mean openness to change.  It's been said that the last words uttered by a dying church were, "We've never done it that way before."  God's truth is timeless and never changes, but the methods by which we communicate that truth and incorporate it into youth ministry require flexibility, if we are to be effective.  Creativity is not necessarily an indication of carnality!

Please don't misunderstand me.  When it comes to communicating God's truth, preaching must remain primary.  For "since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb--preaching, of all things!--to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation" (1 Cor. 1:21 MSG).  Still, the mechanics of ministry can also include certain styles of music, text messaging, facebook, powerpoint and the like.  Eddie Rentz writes that some of the most effective youth ministries "have not stopped praying or discipling teens--if anything, they are more committed to those elements.  However, they are creatively using whatever tools they have to preach the Word to more teenagers."  If we are courageous and supportive of such efforts, rather than critical and censorious, we will reap a harvest of souls.

3.  Finances

Churches that are growing and reaching the next generation for Christ are committed to making significant investments in their student and family ministries.  While it is important to pay our pastors well, financial stewardship goes well beyond that to include adequate funding for discipleship, community evangelism, and cross-cultural missions.  We can't expect youth pastors to "take the world for Christ," then tie his hands with lack of funding.  If we really want to reach the next generation, we have to put our money where our mouth is.  The investments we make will pay eternal dividends.  "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (2 Cor. 9:6 NIV).

Both as a pastor and as a parent, I want our church to have a thriving ministry to students and their families.  Offering these three gifts of faith, flexibility, and finances is a great place to start.

A Great Time to Serve God

Last week while preparing my sermon on 2 Timothy 1, I pulled off my bookshelf a commentary I've had for years.  On the inside cover it read, "To Matthew, God bless you!  We're proud of you.  In Christ, Pastor Wayne and family."  It was a short note, but I'll never forget the occasion.  It was my high school graduation, and Pastor Wayne knew that I had been called to preach.

It's been 25 years since my high school graduation, which was one of the last times I last saw Pastor Wayne.  But I knew the name of his church and where he was pastoring, so I looked him up and sent him an e-mail that included a copy of the note, to which I added the following comments:

It's hard to believe I've been in full-time pastoral ministry for 20+ years....  You had given me this commentary as a gift at my high school graduation...!  I just thought that you'd want to know that it's being put to good use!  May the Lord keep us faithful to Himself and the work He has commissioned us to do in Jesus' name.

A few days later I received the following reply:

Dear Matt, 

Thank you so much for writing!  It is a joy to hear from you.  I am so thankful that you are continuing faithful in the ministry.  This is a great day to serve the Lord!  Keep in touch....

How cool was it to reconnect, however briefly, for just a few moments through e-mail.  Pastor Wayne was encouraged by hearing from a former student he hadn't seen in 25 years.  No doubt he had forgotten about that gift he had given me long ago and certainly had no idea that little investment of his was still paying off today.

Of course I was pleased to get a note of reply from my former pastor.  One thing he said has been mulling over my mind ever since yesterday when I read his e-mail.  It was his remark, "This is a great day to serve the Lord!"

Isn't that the truth?  When I think of where we are in redemptive history (see 1 Peter 1:10-12), the technological advances we've made in the last century (even the last decade!) and the global opportunities these give us for sharing the gospel, as well as the opportunities before us right now at Webster Bible Church, I get amped!  I hope that you do, too.

Yesterday's correspondence has left me with two thoughts in terms of personal application:

1. Let others know how they have encouraged you, even folks from years ago.  You'll make their day, and it will give blessing to yours.
2. Amidst the hardships of life and ministry, let us remember that it is indeed "a great day to serve the Lord!"  Let us rejoice in that and give it all we've got -- by God's grace, for His glory!

Emotions May Be Idol Indicators

Not too long ago I was reading Paul David Tripp's book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands. I came across the following statement that show how our emotions can serve as "tip-offs" to idols in our lives. Tripp writes,

If we want to know what people really want, we have to learn about their emotional life. Happiness is the result of what my heart craves. Discouragement is the emotional response of my heart when the thing I live for moves farther away from me. My heart is filled with fear when I suddenly lose what I am convinced I need. In short, our emotions reflect what we worship.

This dovetails perfectly with the question the Psalmist put to himself: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" (Psalm 42:5, 11). That question could also be rephrased when I am elated over something: "Why are you so happy, Matt? Why are you so cheerful inside?" My emotions serve as wonderful indicators of what I worship. Thus the more conscious I am of my disposition, the more I'll be able to readily define and to destroy (with the Lord's help) idols in my life.

Our dispositions serve as "warning signals" for us, enabling us to fight temptation at the heart level and not just the behavioral (or verbal) level. It helps us to get to the root of the problem rather than simply attacking the fruit of the problem.

Brighter and Brighter

This morning I've been meditating on the meaning of Proverbs 4:18: "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full day." The image employed by Solomon is universal--one we all can relate to. It begins each morning at dawn. We wake up and see the first light of the sun. As the morning progresses, the sun gets brighter and brighter until it is high noon, or "full day."

Scripture compares this gradual process to the Christian experience. But in what sense? Practically, how does this play out in the believer's life? How does my life get "brighter and brighter" as a believer? As I reflected on this in the light of the context of Proverbs 4 and other correlating Scriptures, I thought of at least four ways in which the believer's life gets "brighter and brighter."

1. Direction of Life. The word "path" denoted a course or direction in which a person or thing is moving. In Scripture, and particularly in Proverbs, the words "path" or "walk" refer to the moral orientation of a person's life. While extolling the value of wisdom to his son in Proverbs 2, Solomon says, "So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous." This is in contrast to the "way of the wicked" which is "like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble." The life of the righteous person is marked by firm, sure-footed steps on a well-lit path, whereas the wicked person will stumble through life in total darkness.
2. Depth of Insight. This is really the prerequisite to #1. I listed "direction of life" first because that is the primary sense of Proverbs 4:18, but such a walk is predicated on wisdom. The psalmist testified to the Lord, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119:105). At the heart of God's self-revelation to us through Scripture is the gospel of Jesus Christ, "who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). The well-known hymn Trust and Obey begins with the affirmation, "When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!" -- thus making our life's path brighter and brighter.
3. Delight in the Lord. The religious leaders of his day assumed that because they knew the Scriptures well and observed the Law fastidiously, that they were the front-runners on the "path of the righteous." But Jesus rebuked them, saying, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40). The Christian's faith is not in a set of propositions but in a person. Christ himself is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." David knew the Lord was his light and testified so in Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation." In Psalm 37, we see an even closer connection to the truth stated in Proverbs 4:18. In verses 4-6 of that psalm, we are told, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday." In these verses we see a brightness that goes beyond depth of insight that also includes tremendous joy.
4. Desire for Heaven. The fact that the path of the righteous gets "brighter and brighter" indicates that things aren't as bright today as they one day will be. In this life there will always be a need for more obedience, more wisdom, more joy. But there is coming a day when the process of sanctification will be complete, when it will be "high noon" for the Christian, a day in which the light will never fade, twilight will never come, darkness will be no more. That is the day on which Christ comes "to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed" (2 Thess. 1:10). The apostle John wrote, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see! High noon is coming! "And night will be no more. [We] will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be [our] light, and [we] will reign forever and ever" (Rev. 22:5).

The reality of heaven is rooted in the promise, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). The apostle Peter affirms that despite all the trials and testings we endure now, the genuineness of our faith will "be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Pet. 1:7-9).

May God make your day brighter--and the whole scope of your life--as you meditate on these truths and rejoice in them.

Lottery Losers

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." - 1 Timothy 6:6-8

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/29/lotterys-biggest-losers-big-wins-dont-equal-better-lives/

"I've Gotta Be Me!"

Ziggy is a cartoon character that was created by Tom Wilson the year I was born. Ziggy has a rather unimpressive appearance. He is small, bald, and barefoot. He has been described as always being one step behind, one nickel short, one lane away from the fast lane. This guy is anything but lucky. He never seems to catch a break!

That's probably why Ziggy has so many fans. For in Ziggy they see a reflection of themselves, and the many misfortunes that come his way remind them of their own life experiences. Who, really, would want to be Ziggy? Yet in some ways, we all can relate to Ziggy.

When I was a kid, my parents got me a T-shirt with Ziggy on the front exclaiming, "I've Gotta Be Me!" Looking at that statement from a Christian standpoint, it can be viewed as either positive or negative, as true or not true.

Looking at it negatively, we can say that it is not true as it concerns sinful traits and patterns in our lives. A Christian brother who has an anger problem may say, “I can be a bit of a hot-head, but then I cool down after a while. That’s just the way I am.” Or maybe a Christian sister is known for being obnoxious. She may pride herself in her ability to “speak her mind,” describing herself as one who “tells it like it is. That’s just the way I’m wired.” In both cases these people are in sin and without excuse. God expects them to change. This is not a matter of “teaching old dogs new tricks.” The fact is, we are not dogs; we are people. And if we are in Christ, we are a “new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17). Scripture says “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life … and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:23-24).

When it comes to sinful traits and patterns, I don’t gotta be me. In fact, I gotta kill me [self] and become like Christ. Thankfully, God has made this possible by his Spirit, giving us the power to change. This is really the only way to live (Rom. 8:13).

With this in mind we can also take to heart the quote “I Gotta Be Me!” in a positive sense, stressing the blessed uniqueness of our individuality. This has to do with aspects of our person that distinguish us from others. Such features would include our personality, skill set, spiritual gifts, etc.

The apostle Paul testified in 1 Cor. 15:10, "By the grace of God I am what I am." The first part of the verse--the realization that we are who we are is the work of God's grace--keeps us from pride. The second part of the verse--"I am what I am"--should keep us from wishing we were someone else. Instead, we should become all that God has created us to be. That's why Paul goes on to say in the second half of the verse, "... and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

I think of how much time I have squandered wishing that I was different or more capable than I am, rather than going all out in God's strength to reach my full potential in Christ. Or, my attempts to sort through my own inner attitudes can go from honest self-examination to a morbid introspection. This can really screw you up mentally, emotionally, and otherwise, leading to what John Piper called

a carnival of mirrors in your soul: you look in one and you're short and fat; you look in another and you're tall and skinny; you look in another and you're upside down. Then the horrible feeling begins to break over you that you don't know who you are any more. The center is not holding. And if the center doesn't hold--if there is no fixed and solid "I" able to relate to the fixed and solid "Thou," namely, God, then who will preach next Sunday?

Piper goes on to quote 1 Corinthians 15:10 which I did above, then comments, "If, by grace, the identity of the 'I' -- the 'I' created by Christ and united to Christ, but still a human 'I' -- if that center does not hold, there will be no more authentic preaching, for there will be no more authentic preacher, but only a collection of echoes."

Praise God, we don't have to be a "carnival of mirrors" or a "collection of echoes." Rather, we can be confident about who we are in Christ.

This reminds me of one other cartoon I watched as a kid. I had to hunt this one down because my recollection was so foggy. But having rediscovered it, I believe it serves as a wonderful illustration of what I'm trying to say.

The cartoon was called "King Leonardo and His Short Subjects." It aired on ABC from 1960-63 (so what I saw were obviously re-runs that aired in the early 70s). One of the main characters was Mr. Wizard the Lizard who lived in the woods at the base of a tree. He was often visited by Tooter the Turtle (pictured below with the Wizard), who wanted to satisfy his curiosity about a number of subjects. So with a wave of his arms, Mr. Wizard would send Totter Turtle through time or space to experience what it was like to be a gunfighter, knight, police officer, sailor, or whatever else he wished to be. At the end of each adventure, Tooter would realize that there's no place like home and being simply a turtle.

The climax of each story would occur when Tooter would get himself into an awful, inescapable predicament and cry out, "Help, Mr. Wizard!" Upon hearing the cry, Mr. Wizard would utter his magical chant, "Drizzle, Drazzle, Druzzle, Drome, time for this one to come home!" In a matter of seconds, Tooter would make it back, safe and sound. At that point Mr. Wizard would give him the wise counsel that would conclude every episode: "Be what you is, not what you is not. Folks that what is, is the happiest lot."

Viewed in the light of Paul's testimony in 1 Cor. 15:10, Mr. Wizard's words are still good counsel -- a lesson I'm still learning today.

Every Member Matters

A couple of weeks ago I posted an article entitled God Is Sovereign, and You Are Significant. If you scroll down just a bit, you'll be able to see it. I would also recommend that you read the insightful comments that were posted as well.

Picking up on that theme, I'd like to share two portions of Scripture that relate in a wonderful way to each other and carry tremendous implications for us as God's people. In Psalm 68, David exults in the Lord God, who scatters his enemies and shares the spoils of war with his people. In verse 18, David exclaims to the Lord, "You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there."

Interestingly, in Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul uses this text in relation to the church. In verses 7-8 he writes, "But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, 'When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.'" This tells us a couple of things. First, the fact that Paul applied this text to Christ shows that he believed Jesus to be divine. Second, there is a slight discrepancy between the two texts. Paul says that "he gave gifts to men" rather than "receiving gifts among men." However, the verb "receive" (which is laqakh in Hebrew) can carry the idea of "receive in order to give."

So here is the picture: By his atoning work, Christ not only satisfied God's wrath against our sins, but he also conquered his enemies "and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4). The Spirit of Christ has shared the "spoils" of his victory with us, his people. These include the spiritual unity, blessings and gifts outlined in Ephesians 4. The implication is clear: Just as Christ received in order to give, so we also receive in order to give. The Lord Jesus has gifted every member of his body, so that as each member does its part, the body of Christ is built up and grows into full maturity. Let me reiterate that: The body grows only as each member does its work! Remember also that this is God's work. He is using us to bring his redemptive purposes to pass! Have you considered the immense implications of this? Paul David Tripp doesn't think we have - not really. In his book, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, he writes,

Most of the time, we are oblivious to this. We are too easily captivated by our self-centered little worlds. But Ephesians 4 propels us beyond a life consumed by personal happiness and achievement. Your life is much bigger than a good job, an understanding spouse, and non-delinquent kids. It is bigger than beautiful gardens, nice vacations, and fashionable clothes. In reality, you are part of something immense, something that began before you were born and will continue after you die. God is rescuing fallen humanity, transporting them into his kingdom, and progressively shaping them into his likeness -- and he wants you to be a part of it.

Your life is bigger than you ever imagined. You live in one moment in time, yet you stand hand-in-hand with Enoch, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Matthew, Peter, Paul, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, and generations of unknown believers who understood their place in the kingdom and did their part in its work. Only as you keep this huge world in view will you be able to live and serve effectively in the small world where God has placed you.

Fellow believer, whoever you are, wherever you're at, please take this to heart. It will change your whole outlook on life, and "you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21 NLT).

A Big Question Regarding Abortion

Today I received the March newsletter for CompassCare, a Christian-based organization that serves women facing unexpected pregnancies. Not too long ago I had lunch with Jim Harden, the President/CEO of CompassCare and was greatly encouraged by all that is taking place through this ministry. For instance, 10% of all the at-risk women in Rochester called CompassCare's Helpline over the last month! This is unprecedented in the history of CompassCare! How encouraging! Yet the CompassCare team continue to set their sights higher, striving to reach and serve 20% of all women in the Rochester region facing an unplanned pregnancy in 2012.

In this newsletter, Rev. Harden makes reference to the recent public commotion over the Obama Administration's Health Reform rules and whether they violate our religious liberty. But in addition to this there are financial considerations. Says Harden, "A big question for any medical procedure these days is, 'How much does it cost?'" Supposedly an abortion costs around $600. But it's really not that simple, according to Harden, who writes,

Several years ago CompassCare led a research initiative called "Abortion Cost/Benefit Analysis" and found that the long term increased health care costs to the community for one woman to have an abortion is $94,000.

That's a staggering figure, to be sure. Is it credible? Yes it is, according to Harden, who proceeds to share several facts from articles published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Here are just a few noteworthy statistics:

• Breast cancer incidences have increased 40% since 1973, the year pre-born children were deemed nonhuman and abortion became acceptable. 52 of 68 epidemiological studies show abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer.
• The risk of future pre-term deliveries and complications of 'wanted' pregnancies increase by 300-500% after an abortion. Abortion causes a condition called 'incompetent cervix' whereby damage is done by forcing the cervix open, weakening its ability to retain future pregnancies to full term.
• According to a 2011 study report by the British Journal of Psychiatry, an 81% increased risk of mental health problems occurs in the population of women who have abortions.

As one considers all the costs associated with medical maladies linked to abortion, a whole new financial picture emerges.

Of course, Christians know that money itself isn't the most important issue. A bigger question than "How much does it cost?" is "What does the Scripture say?" God is not silent on this issue. Human life is sacred, it begins at conception, and it must be protected at all costs.

God Is Sovereign, and You Are Significant

About a month ago I was preaching on the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4. The following week a church member came up to me and said he was troubled by something Jesus said to his disciples about the purpose of the parables:

"To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'"

- Mark 4:11-12; cf. Isa. 6:9-10

This church member remarked, "That sounds as if Jesus purposely hid the meaning of the parables to some and gave it to others." I replied, "Yes, it certainly looks that way, doesn't it? In fact, Matthew's account is even more explicit (see Matt. 13:10-17)."

"But isn't that Calvinistic?" my Christian brother queried. "I like to think that everybody has the same fair shot [opportunity] to receive Christ."

As you can imagine, this opened up the door to what could have been an extremely lengthy, in-depth conversation about the doctrines of grace, the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism, etc. But our time was short, so I attempted to convey just a few salient points on the matter:

1. We must allow Scripture to shape our theology, rather than "force" Scripture to fit our theology.
2. The Bible clearly teaches both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. These two doctrines are utterly compatible and are not contradictory, even though we cannot fully understand how they coincide. Charles Spurgeon asserted,

   "These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be wielded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring."

3. If we are to be faithful to Scripture, we must embrace and proclaim both doctrines in all their fullness. If we emphasize one to the neglect of the other, we will misunderstand and misrepresent God, the human condition, and the gospel.
4. "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Prov. 25:2). This encourages us to dig more deeply into those scriptural truths we don't understand, remembering that "we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God" ( 1 Cor. 2:12).

Currently I am reading David Powlison's book, Seeing with New Eyes. In a chapter entitled "Who is God?", the author shows from the book of Ephesians that God accomplishes his purpose for us in Christ. Powlison's comments on this New Testament letter underscores the points I stated above. Moreover, he emphasizes the spirit of the apostle Paul in expressing this truth and the manner in which we should receive it:

When Paul says that you have the hope of glory because you were "predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will," he's not trying to stir up debate about esoteric doctrines and philosophical riddles. He's not picturing an icy fate to make us fatalistic. From within the illogic of the shadowlands, we think that one must emphasize either God's sovereign will or the freedom and responsibility of human choices. But standing out in the daylight of God's logic, one needn't err in either direction. God is utterly in control. Any other view would be absurd--this God spins galaxies and holds atoms together, after all. This God raised spiritual corpses to new life in Christ. Salvation is warm and bright because God planned it. He had your name in mind in Christ. He holds us in his hand, bringing about his purposes. And we choose at every point.

Human life is absolutely significant; every fleeting thought, every choice, and every experience matter. This God calls you to faith, obedience, and responsibility. Because his purposes will not be thwarted, you can leap to the call, learning to be courageous, optimistic, persevering in love through troubles. His purposes sustain you through it all. His rule establishes the significance of our choices. Any other view would be absurd--human life counts, God's will controls. His will of control (Eph. 1:11) is to be trusted as the frame of reference behind every experience; his will of command (5:17; 6:6) is to be obeyed with all our heart.

The supremacy of God's purposes is not a debating point. It is the foundation of indestructible confidence and ravishing delight. God is in control, and you can bend all your energies to your calling, trusting that God's plans are working out.

Amen. Can we all agree to that?

A Little Bird Told Me . . .

While looking through some files today, I came across a little story I had read years ago, found somewhat humorous, and tucked away for a future time. That time is now. (No better time than the present, right?)

Anyway, this tale has to do with a little bird that was flying south for the winter. It got so cold that it froze up and fell to the ground in a large field. While the bird was lying there, a cow came and dropped manure on it. As it lay there in the pile of manure, the bird began to realize how warm it was. The manure was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm, content and happy -- so much so that he began to sing for joy! A passing cat heard the bird singing, discovered him under the pile of manure and dug him out . . . only to eat him. What are the morals to the story?

1. Not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy.
2. Not everyone who digs you out of the manure is your friend.
3. When you're in the manure, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

Of course there may be some notable exceptions to point 3, but hopefully you get the gist of the illustration! I can attest from my own experience that I've gotten into more trouble by saying something than being silent--especially when I find myself in a pile of manure (i.e. a situation that stinks!).

Proverbs 21:23 says, "Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble." Now there's some wonderful counsel for us all. So don't say it's for the birds! :)

Timely Tonic

Tonic. It's a word that you don't hear much anymore. Kind of quaint, like something you'd see Doc Baker using on a Walnut Grove patient in Little House on the Prairie. Tonic is a "medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being; something with an invigorating effect."

That's what one song did for my soul this morning. It's an old hymn that came to mind the very moment I woke up:

My faith has found a resting place--

Not in device nor creed;

I trust the Ever-Living One--

His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument;

I need no other plea.

It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves--

This ends my fear and doubt;

A sinful soul, I come to Him--

He'll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word--

The written Word of God;

Salvation by my Savior's name,

Salvation through His blood.

My great Physician heals the sick--

The lost He came to save;

For me His precious blood He shed--

For me His life He gave.

I need no other argument;

I need no other plea.

It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

It is enough. There's nothing I need to add to Jesus' atoning work. There's nothing I can add. Salvation is all of grace--God's grace. "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (Colossians 1:22). That's a truth I need to tell myself every day, lest I get discouraged over my frequent failings.

Minutes later I had made my way from the bedroom into the living room, where I sat with the Bible in my lap and a freshly-poured cup of coffee in my right hand. As the text before me came into focus, my eyes settled on Ephesians 3:7-8: "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ."

This was Paul's testimony. This is my testimony. My service to the Lord, like my salvation from the Lord, is a gift of His grace. God didn't call me to preach because I'm great; He did it because He is great--and gracious. I re-read these verses several times. I intend to print them out and post them on the bulletin board by my desk.

Finally, I picked up our family's copy of Spurgeon's classic devotional work, Morning & Evening. I turned to this morning's entry, dated February 13. The text was 1 John 3:1-2: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God." In commenting on these verses, Spurgeon wrote (in part),

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God." That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this morning? Are you in the lowest depths of sorrow? Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled under foot? Does you faith almost fail you? Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these things against us, now--in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be-- now, as much as in the valley as on the mountain, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." "Ah, but," you say, "see how I am arrayed! My graces are not bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory." But read the next: "It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him." The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall we see Him as He is.

God has got it all covered, hasn't He? His grace is sufficient, from start to finish. My faith indeed has found a resting place. Thank you, Lord, for mixing that song and Scripture, with a dose of Spurgeon, into a wonderful elixir this morning. It's just what my soul needed.

Crashing Cars and Careless Words

A few nights ago after gulping down my dinner, I jumped into the car and headed off to church for a meeting. I backed out of the garage and went through my little "steering ritual," which requires some explanation. At the base of our driveway there is a drain that is sunk down too deep, so we always back out on the left side of it. But we also park our van on the left side of the driveway, to allow room for the car to back out of the garage. If our daughter is home, she also parks on that side of the driveway, behind the van.

So I backed out of the garage as I always due, looking at both side mirrors to avoid the van on my left and the grass on my right. Once I saw that I cleared the van, I turned the steering wheel to the left so that by the time I got to the end of the driveway, I could avoid the drain.

This ritual has become so common, I don't even think about it anymore. That, however, created a problem. As I continued to back out, I suddenly heard a sound of metal crunching against metal. "NOOOOO!" I yelled. Immediately I knew what happened. I had forgotten that my daughter was home and had parked her itty-bitty Mazda behind the van!

If you have ever made such a stupid mistake as I did, you can relate to the frustration I felt. One careless move, and I created unnecessary damage.

If we are not watchful, we can do the same thing with our words. "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts..." (Prov. 12:18). Rash can be defined as "displaying or proceeding from a lack of careful consideration of the possible consequences of an action." So, here, the Spirit of God is not talking about words that are intentionally mean or destructive, but ones that are given no thought in terms of their effects. Such words include:

• "harmless jokes" (i.e. laughter at someone else's expense - see Proverbs 26:18-19)
• newsy items (gossip)
• critical or sarcastic remarks (I didn't mean anything by it)
• complaining
• arguing

The list goes on and on. Again, we're not talking about intentional words but the kind that come out of our mouth without thinking. Again, that's the problem. We speak without thinking. That's pretty dangerous when you think of Jesus' warning, recorded in Matthew 12:36: "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak." Every careless word! That's sobering! We need to wise up!

How can we do that, i.e. "wise up" when it comes to our words? First, we can ask the Lord for help. We can pray as David did, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). Then, working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, we can be purposeful in our use of words, choosing them carefully ... thinking before we speak. We can:

• Choose words of restraint. Proverbs 10:19 says, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." It's been said that a wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool speaks because he has to say something. I think of what Neal Page (Steve Martin) said to Del Griffith (John Candy), the talkative shower-curtain-ring salesman in the movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles: "Everything is not an anecdote. You have to discriminate." There's some sound wisdom in that counsel!
• Choose words of truth. "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor..." (Eph. 4:25).
• Choose words of love. One can speak the truth but in a hurtful way. We must choose to be loving in our communication with others. Ephesians 4:15 says that believers in Christ are to be "proclaiming the truth in love."
• Choose words of grace. Again in Ephesians 4 we are commanded, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (v. 29).
• Choose words of forgiveness. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph. 4:32-5:2).

As you can see, Ephesians 4 alone is a chapter filled with rich exhortations regarding our choice of words. Paul David Tripp has expounded on these more thoroughly in his book War of Words, if you would like to delve more deeply into this subject, using that as a resource.

Bottom line: Mind what you say, or you'll say whatever comes to mind -- and do a lot of damage, both to yourself and others.

Putting the Super Bowl into Perspective

Four years ago, after the Patriots lost to the Giants (shudder, twitch, convulse), I posted a blog article entitled, The Superbowl, Brady, Belichick ... and Bread. Given the rematch coming up this Sunday, I thought it would be wise to repost the article before the "big show" this weekend. Of course I'm hoping that history doesn't repeat itself, but regardless of whether you are a Giants' fan or a Patriots' fan, we would all do well to keep this game in perspective. Read on!

Superbowl Sunday was marked by black Monday – at least here in Boston – as Patriot fans licked their gaping wounds from Sunday’s Super-disappointment. One gentleman sent me the following e-mail on Monday morning, which I have posted with his permission:

Good morning, Pastor Matt.
I have to confess, I am coming off a pretty much sleepless night. It is amazing to me how emotionally involved we can become in matters such as Super Bowl wins and losses. I need to find a way to disassociate myself from sports. I get so emotionally distraught when our "home teams" lose….primarily the big games. Have winning and sports become gods to us? Pastor Matt, I don’t understand how we can get so wrapped up in these things. The winning affects my life in no way at all other than the "good feeling" that accompanies rooting for the home team. The flip side seems so unbalanced.
Anyhow, I just thought I’d send you a note and ask that you somehow put this into perspective for me. No family member died…..no one got hurt….all are healthy and there are no debt collectors beating at the door…..and yet after the game, there was this giant sized hole/pain. Why do we take these matters so seriously? It’s silly really.. Have a great day.

I’m glad this brother wrote what most others are probably feeling but perhaps wouldn’t say. He raises some good questions, like why is it that we get so "emotionally distraught" over a simple game? Why do we take these matters so seriously? And perhaps the most important and revealing question of all: Have winning and sports become gods to us?

I think they have. After all, what is an idol but the object of our desires? "Worship is basically adoration, and we adore only what delights us" (John Piper, Desiring God, p. 19). Bear with me for a moment, as I paraphrase a few verses from the Psalms:

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for the Patriots. My soul thirsts for the Patriots, the undefeated Patriots. When can I go and watch the Patriots?

"O Patriots, how sweet are your wins to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

"My soul thirsts for a Superbowl win, my flesh yearns for one, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."

My intent is not to be sacrilegious, but to engage in hyperbole for the sake of making a point. Isn’t it ridiculous that our enthusiasm and sentiments for a sports team comes even close to paralleling our affections for God?

The problem is not that we’re pursuing pleasure but that we’re trying to find it outside of God. The prophet Jeremiah put it like this:

"My people have exchanged their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate," says the Lord; "for my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that hold not water." (Jer. 2:11-13)

Like C. S. Lewis said, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

We settle for football instead of Christ. If it’s not football, then it’s something else: clothes, computer games, a higher income, the approval of others, a great sex life, etc. The tragedy is that we have seen our worship of God as something separate – and perhaps even in opposition to – our pursuit of happiness. This is what John Piper has rightly called "the moral enemy of worship." Says Piper, "When worship is reduced to disinterested duty, it ceases to be worship. For worship is a feast."

Isn’t this precisely the point that our compassionate Lord makes in Isaiah 55:2, when He says, "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." You see, "the great hindrance to worship is not that we are a pleasure-seeking people, but that we are willing to settle for such pitiful pleasures" (Piper). We think that football or sex or popularity or more money or a better marriage or physical fitness or the affirmation of others can satisfy the longings of our soul. The fact is, they can’t; only Christ can.

Even those who "follow Christ" must be careful to seek their pleasure in HIM, and not just His gifts. Remember what Jesus told the crowds when they followed Him after He fed the five thousand? He said, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval" (John 6:26-27 NIV).

Rather than seeing Jesus as the object of their desires, they saw Him only as a means of fulfilling their wants. Recently I read an outstanding lesson on John 6 by Paul David Tripp in his book, The War of Words. In a chapter entitled "Following the King for All the Wrong Reasons," he asked: "If you had to write down your dream for your life, what would you write? What is your ‘if only,’ ‘if I could just have,’ ‘if God would just give me. . . then I would be happy?’"

Think about that for a second. What would your answer to that question be?

Tripp goes on to share insights from John 6, centering on our struggle betweenphysical bread and spiritual bread: "In the middle of this struggle is the Deceiver, who would have us believe that life is all about physical bread, that spiritual things are of little consequence." Tripp then goes on to share four subtle but persuasive lies that Satan puts before us. Time and space forbid me from expounding on all four lies, but they all culminate in the fourth deception, which is: Life is found in physical bread. Read carefully Tripp’s comments on this vital point. It will be well worth your time:

This is the lie of lies–that somehow, some way, life can be found outside of a relationship with God. This was the lie told by the Deceiver in the Garden, and it is the lie told countless times again every day. Feeding on physical bread only leads to more hunger. It is only as you feed on Christ by faith, receiving his life, that you can ever be satisfied. He is the Bread. He is life! All other offers of life outside of Christ lead parched people to drink at dry wells. He is the True Bread. He is the river of life. Follow him and within you will flow rivers of living water (John 4:13-14). Without him you are dead, even though you physically live (Eph. 2:1-10).

It is so easy to buy into the lie that life can be found in human acceptance, possessions, and positions. It is so easy to have your life controlled by dreams of success in your career. It is so easy to believe that nothing else satisfies like romantic love. It is so easy to fall into pursuing the idol images of Western culture–big suburban house, luxurious car, lavish vacations, etc. When we do this, we quit feeding on Christ. Our devotional life begins to suffer. We pray less, and when we do, we pray more selfishly. We find our schedule doesn’t leave much time for ministry, and we spend more time with our colleagues at work than we do with brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Functionally, we are feeding on the world’s bread, not on Christ.

Our entire life will be determined by which bread we pursue. There are no more dangerous lies than the ones that lead us away from a loving hope and surrender to the Creator we cannot see, and toward a bondage to an endless, unsatisfying pursuit of what is passing away....

We fall into spiritual depression when [Christ] removes the physical bread so that we would hunger again for the Bread that really satisfies....

To the degree that you have based your life on something other than the Lord, to that degree God’s love and the hope of the gospel will not comfort you. You will not be comforted because you are hungry for another kind of bread. You long for a king who will give you the bread you crave....

As we look at our own lives and all that we are living for, we need to ask, Whose dream, which bread do we seek?...

Perhaps many of us, even though we have not physically forsaken the King, have lost our enthusiasm for his grace and mercy because following him has not led to the fulfillment of our dreams....

This can be something as "silly" as a Superbowl win or something more subtle but just as superficial. You can find your satisfaction in physical bread, or you can find it in Christ, the living Bread. You can pursue your own dream, what you think will make you happy – or you can pursue Christ and His dream for you -- "the good portion, which will not be taken away from [you]" (Luke 10:42).

SOHL Surfer

As most of you know, January 22 was Sanctity Of Human Life (SOHL) Sunday. I preached on this theme from several texts in Scripture. As a follow-up, I'd like to share two helpful links that would be good to check out the next time you're surfing the Web.

The first is a free download of John Piper's book, Exposing the Dark Side of Abortion. This is based on three sermons that Piper preached on this theme. Some of the statistics are a bit outdated, but God's truth is timeless, and the way Piper presents it packs a punch. To find more about this free download, go to http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/a-short-free-ebook-on-abortion.

The second link worth checking out is the home-page for CompassCare, a non-profit organization that provides expert service in helping women facing unplanned pregnancies. To find out more, visit http://www.compasscare.info/.

Thinking Some More About the Lord's Day

If you haven't read the previous post, "Thinking About the Lord's Day," you should read that before reading this, as I'm picking up here where I left off there.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the Lord's Day lately, especially considering the "buzz" over starting a Saturday night service. The funny thing is, the question I posed to the Community Groups on that subject had nothing to do with any intention on my part to launch such a service! But since many churches have gone that direction, I thought I'd throw that scenario out there in light of our study of the Sabbath, its fulfillment in Christ, and the resulting implications for believers today, both individually and corporately.

In thinking further on this whole issue of a Saturday night service, I'm mindful of what my friend, Dr. Timothy Tennent, declared at the September convocation at Asbury Theological Seminary: "Only a sustained theological reflection is able to penetrate and unmask the pragmatic, market driven assumptions which largely go unchecked in today's evangelical churches." Tennent then goes on to cite just a couple of examples that, in his opinion, lead us into the very heart of the issue. I've highlighted what I consider to be particularly striking statements.

Somewhere in America at some church meeting a decision was reached to change the name of the place they worshipped from the word "sanctuary" to "worship center" or "celebration center." Furthermore, they decided to build a space which could be used as a gymnasium during the week and a place of worship on Sunday. Having a dedicated space only for worship seemed like a shocking waste of money. Indeed, they had at least 5 reasons for doing this. What concerns me is that they probably never stopped to reflect theologically that there just might be 6 reasons not to do it. Of course, maybe there were only four and the "celebration center" in the gym would have carried the day. The point is, that reflection never happened.

Somewhere in America on some Sunday morning the first man or woman walked into a worship service with a baseball cap and a cup of coffee in their hand. It is now quite common. The pastor would surely offer three or four impressive reasons why this was the "missional" way to go, but I can assure you that when the decision was made, serious theological concerns were not invited to participate.

These examples all seem so small and insignificant. Yet, that's how all drift happens. You see, liberal Protestants never woke up on morning and said to themselves, "Hey, let's adopt an Arian Christology, shall we?" No one said, "Wouldn't it be just wonderful if we could devote the next 50 years to undermining the apostolic faith." No! I've read their writings. They were deeply concerned, as we are, to make the gospel relevant to modern people. Evangelicals have not openly abandoned apostolic Christianity. No one sets out to cheapen the gospel, diminish God's holiness or downplay the cost of discipleship. It's just happening. A baseball cap here, omitting the word "wretch" from Amazing Grace there. The pressure to bring in new members made it best to just drop the required confirmation class for membership. Besides, people are just too busy to attend a new members class and it might hurt our annual membership goals. The call to career missions slowly became short term missions which slowly became vacations with a purpose. It all happened so seamlessly. We brought in a new youth director. He doesn't have any biblical or theological training, but, oh, how the youth love him. You should see the new worship leader we have! He doesn't know any theology, but he's just picking the choruses each week, and he can really play the guitar! You see, it happens in ten thousand small skirmishes, rarely in any big. bloody battle.

Note: I think Tennent's whole article is outstanding and well worth the time it takes to read. To see the whole convocation address, click here.)

Now, you might think by reading this, that I'm opposed to Saturday night worship gatherings. Not necessarily. The issue for me is that we give ourselves first to biblical and theological reflection before pragmatic considerations.

For instance, have you ever considered why the first day of the week is so significant, from a theological standpoint? O. Palmer Robertson has. In an article entitled Why Worship on Sunday?, Palmer invites us to "consider carefully the following evidence that the redemption accomplished through Christ's resurrection determined the day for Christian worship":

1. Jesus Christ arose on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1). He entered into his rest from labor, not on Saturday (the seventh day), but on Sunday (the first day of the week). As Jesus entered into his rest on the first day, so he encourages us to begin the week by resting in the confidence that he will provide for all our needs for seven days with only six days of labor.

2. Jesus Christ appeared to his assembled disciples on the first day of the week, as well as to Mary and to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (John 20:10; Luke 24:13). By these appearances on the first day of the week, the resurrected Lord set a pattern for meeting with his disciples. They began expecting to meet with him on the day of his resurrection, which is the first day of the week.

3. Jesus appeared to the assembled disciples one week later on the first day of the week, with doubting Thomas present this time (John 20:26). Already a new pattern of assembly for worship was emerging. God's new covenant people were making it a habit to assemble together on the first day of the week, the day of Christ's resurrection. Jesus honored these assemblies by appearing to the disciples at this time, and encouraged their faith in him as the resurrected Lord.

4. The resurrected Christ poured out his Spirit on the assembled disciples exactly fifty days after the Sabbath of the Jewish Passover, which was the first day of the week (Acts 2:1; cf. Lev. 23:15-16). The word Pentecost means "fifty," referring to the fifty days after the Sabbath of the Passover. Forty-nine days would span seven Jewish Sabbaths or Saturdays, and the fiftieth day would then fall on a Sunday, the first day of the week. So it would appear that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on the first day of the week, when God's new covenant people were assembled for worship. So the pattern would be established more firmly. Both the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit occurred on the first day of the week.

5. As Paul spread the gospel of Christ among Jews and Gentiles throughout the world, the first day of the week was used as the time for Christians to assemble for worship. In Greece, Paul and Luke assembled with the people of God to break bread and to hear the preaching of God's word on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). This was the day that the people of the new covenant assembled to hear God's word.

6. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth to establish the pattern for their presenting of offerings for the service of the Lord. He ordered the Christians in Corinth to follow the pattern that had already been set with the churches in Galatia (1 Cor. 16:1). On the first day of every week they were to consecrate their offerings to the Lord (1 Cor. 16:2). This schedule for honoring the Lord had become the pattern for God's people throughout the churches. The churches were not to present their offerings any time they wished. Rather, on the first day of each week, all the Corinthian Christians were to follow the pattern that had already been set among the Galatian churches. The first day of the week was the designated time for the presentation of offerings to the Lord.

7. The apostle John, now aged and perhaps the only living member of the original twelve apostles, had been banished to the island of Patmos. In this circumstance, he could not assemble for worship with the people of God. But the apostle informs us that "on the Lord's Day" he was "in the Spirit" (Rev. 1:10). The significance of his being "in the Spirit" seems quite clear. He had entered into the presence of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, and was offering his adoration to him.

But what is the meaning of the phrase "on the Lord's Day"? In one sense, it may be said that every day of the week belongs to the Lord, and so might be called the "Lord's day." But John is referring to something more specific. He does not speak merely of "a" day that has been consecrated to the Lord. Instead he speaks of "the" Lord's Day.

That one day that may be called "the Lord's Day" was the day in which he proved to the world that he was Lord. On one particular day, Jesus made the universe understand that he was Lord of all. That day was the day of his resurrection. On that day, he conquered the last of the sinner's enemies, which is death. On the first day of the week, he showed that his power could overcome all enemies, even death itself. That day is "the Lord's Day."

So by the end of the lifetime of the first apostles, Christians knew about one day of the week that was called "the Lord's Day." On that day, they celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That day became the time for their assembly as they rejoiced in the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So it is the same today. The original commandment to honor God by worship one day in seven still holds, since this requirement was a part of the Ten Words laying down the moral standards of God for men. One day in seven must be consecrated for worship and service to him. Both creation and redemption show that God must be honored in this way.

From the creation of the world until the coming of Christ, that day was the last day of the week. People in the days of the Old Testament were looking forward to the rest that the Savior would bring.

But now Christ has come. He has risen victoriously over all his enemies. This victory he won on the first day of the week. On this day he meets with his disciples as they assemble to commune with him.

So we are to celebrate the rest he has won for us. We are to taste and anticipate his rest by offering our worship on the first day of the week. For it is the only pattern demonstrated in the Scriptures of the new covenant for the worship of God's people today.

Those sound like pretty good arguments to me as far as making a case for the church to meet on Sundays for corporate worship. But on the other hand, arguments could be made for meeting on some other day for worship:

1. Worship for the Christian is to be a way of life (1 Cor. 10:31); therefore, we are to worship the Lord individually--and can do so corporately--any day of the week.
2. Saturday evening services may be implemented for evangelistic purposes. So long as he didn't compromise Scripture, Paul accommodated his ministry to those he was trying to reach, so that he might "with more of them" (1 Cor. 9:19). Paul's custom was to attend the Sabbath synagogue service to reason with the Jews from Scripture (Acts 17:2). Many Catholics in our day are used to attending Saturday night mass. So perhaps an evangelical might be more successful in inviting a Catholic friend to church on Saturday evening than on Sunday morning.
3. God commands Christians not to forsake the assembling of themselves together (Heb. 10:24-25). But some Christians, by nature of their jobs, have to work on Sundays. A Saturday night service actually affords them the opportunity to obey the Lord in this area and to enjoy the blessings that result from being an active part of the church body.

More arguments could be stated, probably on both sides. Here's how I come down on the whole issue personally:

1. I think it's fine to host a service on Saturday (or any other day of the week for that matter), so long as such a service is in addition to and not in lieu of Sunday worship.
2. Motive matters. If a church launches a Saturday night service for the sake of evangelism or to accommodate those with unavoidable conflicts on Sunday, then so be it. But if it is simply to satisfy our idolatrous priorities, then may it never be!

This second point is one of crucial importance. I believe it grieves the heart of God when Christians make little of him and make much of themselves ... when the Lord takes a back seat to the real loves of people's lives. A Saturday night service for many people is a means of getting worship out of the way and freeing up all of Sunday to do what they most desire: sleeping in, playing sports, going to the beach, watching TV, etc.. The sin is not in these activities themselves but counting them as more important than expressing our love and adoration to the God who has created us and redeemed us.

Imagine if you had a child who spent as little time with you as possible, let's say an hour or so a week, and that hour was spent at a time that was least intrusive to the things they really wanted to do. You took a back seat to everything else, and you always sensed they came to spend time with you not because they really wanted to, but because they felt they had to. How would you feel? How do you think God feels about our worship habits as His children?

I want God to know that He is my first love, has first dibs on my schedule, has first place in my affections. I want this to be true of me personally and of us as a church corporately. Motive matters. Worship matters. "Great is the Lord; He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure His greatness" (Psalm 145:3).

Thinking about the Lord's Day

My most recent sermon was an exposition of Mark 2:23 - 3:6, wherein Jesus declares, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Put another way, the Sabbath was instituted to be a blessing to people, not to put them under bondage. The Pharisees thought they had the final word on this issue with all their extra-biblical rules and regulations, but Jesus proved otherwise. After declaring His lordship over the Sabbath, Jesus "went on from there and entered their synagogue" (Matt. 12:9). He took the battle to them, demonstrating his lordship "on their turf" by healing a disabled man in the synagogue. Yes, the Sabbath was instituted to bring blessing, not bondage.

As a follow-up to the morning sermon, we posed some specific questions in our Community Groups that evening, narrowing our conversation to one particular line of discussion which had to do with our observance of the Lord's Day. Here are the questions we raised:

• What were Sundays like for you growing up, in terms of how it was observed by your family or community? Was it considered a "day of rest"? If so, what was and wasn't allowed?
• Consider the following statement by Fred Zaspel: "For those who rest in Christ, every day is a Sabbath." Do you agree? Why or why not?
• In Scripture, the first day of the week (Sunday) is referred to as "the Lord's Day," obviously because it was on this day of the week that Christ rose from the dead. Even if one does not regard Sunday as the "Christian Sabbath," do you think there are practical considerations that should make this day different from any other day of the week? Why or why not?
• What do you think of a church's having a Saturday night service in addition to, or in lieu of, a Sunday morning service? Would this be appropriate? Why or why not?

In an effort to help the TruthWalk readership to continue to think through these issues, I recommend that you read Pastor Steve Weaver's paper, "Is The Lord's Day the Christian Sabbath?: A Biblical and Theological Examination." I do not know Pastor Weaver personally but thought that his synopsis of this issue was well-researched, pointed, and concise. (You can give the paper a careful reading within a span of 15 minutes.)

Bottom line: As Lord of the Sabbath, Christ redirects our attention from the Sabbath to himself. The Sabbath finds its fulfillment in Him, as does all the law. Therefore, Sabbath requirements are no longer morally binding on Christians. Christians should make worship of Christ alone a requirement for this day.

Whatever conclusions and convictions you arrive at on this issue, I think it behooves all of us to consider the following testimony and exhortation by Don Whitney:

One example of how the Lord has been shaping my life is to conform more to His Word has to do with my beliefs and practice on the Lord's Day. Most conservative, Bible-believing Christians I know seem to make few choices about their Lord's Day activities based on Scripture. Rather they base their choices on their culture--their family culture, church culture, or the culture of society at large. So whether they go to the mall, watch football, play golf, eat out, take a nap, work in the yard, or whatever, they do what they do more because of the traditions of their family, church, or community than because of what the Bible says. If everyone in the church talks about or watches the big NFL game on Sunday, they probably will too. Or if they do not watch the game, it's only because they don't like football or have something else they would rather do or must do. Regardless, the decision is not made for biblical reasons.

As I examined the Scriptures pertaining to this issue, my habits on the Lord's Day were transformed. The Bible has directed me on this matter in ways that are refreshing, restorative, and recreative for my soul, mind, body and family. In summary, I have understood the Bible to teach that my greatest privilege and first responsibility on the Lord's Day is to worship Him with His people. Also, because the first day of the week is called in Scripture "the Lord' s Day" (Revelation 1:10), the day should be observed uniquely for the Lord, and every activity should be evaluated by that fact. However you choose to spend the Lord's Day, I appeal to you to base your decisions and actions on the revelation of God.

- Don Whitney, Ten questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, pp. 36-37

This blog post will not be the final word on this issue. I myself continue to wrestle with some of the questions posted above, thinking through their practical implications for me personally and for us as a church collectively. May God help us to grow in wisdom, that we might walk with the Lord in the light of His Word.