Knowledge of the Holy #4

Keeping with the tribute to the incredible literary awesomeness of A.W. Tozer and Frederick William Faber I'd like to post a few more bits from "Knowledge of the Holy".  I spent several hours every Wednesday this past semester discussing this book with some awesome guys.  Here were some of our favorite portions.

This post highlights some of our favorite thoughts from the portion titled, "Something True About God".

The study of the attributes of God, far from being dull and heavy, may for the enlightened Christian be a sweet and absorbing spiritual exercise.  To teh soul that is athirst for God, nothing could be more delightful.

Only to sit and think of God,
   Oh what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name
   Earth has no higher bliss.
                         -- Frederick W. Faber

Glory thine attributes confess,
Glorious all and numberless.

If an attribute is something that is true of God, we may as well not try to enumerate them.

If an attribute is something true of God, it is also something that we can conceive as being true of Him.  God, being infinite, must possess attributes about which we can know nothing.  An attribute, as we can know it, is a mental concept, and intellectual response to God's self-revelation.  It is an answer to a question, the reply God makes to our interrogation concerning Himself.

To our questions God has provided answers; not all the answer, certainly, but enough to satisfy our intellects and ravish our hearts.  These answers he has provided in nature, in the Scriptures, and in the person of His Son.

Knowledge of the Holy #1
Knowledge of the Holy #2 
Knowledge of the Holy #3

X Marks the Spot

Have you ever seen "Merry Xmas" written on anything?  I have.  A lot.  Have you ever heard someone throw a fit about it?  I have.  Quite often.

It usually has something to do with people believing and operating under the assumption that the guilty party is trying to "take Christ out of Christmas".  Franklin Graham, a man I highly respect, has been known to spread this exact message on a number of occasions, even stating that the use of Xmas "is a direct attack on the name of Christ."

We have reached a point in our country that for some people Jesus is a taboo word, but using the term Xmas has nothing to do with that.

Without boring you with an exhaustive history lesson--the English alphabet is basically directly copied from the Latin and Greek alphabets.  The Greek letter X (Chi) is the first letter in the Greek word Χριστός and was commonly used to represent Christ.  That little pic on the right (the Labarum) that looks like a X and P together was also used.

Xmas has been widely used and commonly accepted as an abbreviation for Christmas for a long, long time.  It has nothing to do with trying to remove Christ from Christmas.  It is just a shorter way to say it.

We really need to stop demonstrating ignorance by feeding the fires of misconception and paranoia this time of year.  For believers this is an incredible season of celebration.  Celebrating Jesus really is the joy of the world.  Anger has no place in it.

Knowledge of the Holy #3

Keeping with the tribute to the incredible literary awesomeness of A.W. Tozer and Frederick William Faber I'd like to post a few more bits from "Knowledge of the Holy".  I spent several hours every Wednesday this past semester discussing this book with some awesome guys.  Here were some of our favorite portions.

This post highlights some of our favorite thoughts from the portion titled, "God Incomprehensible."

The child, the philosopher, and the religionist have all one question: "What is God like?"

God is not like anything that is, He is not exactly like anything or anybody.

We learn by using what we already know as a bridge over which we pass to the unknown.  It is not possible for the mind to crash suddenly past the familiar into the totally unfamiliar.  Even the most vigorous and daring mind is unable to create something out of nothing by a spontaneous act of imagination.

...when the prophet Ezekiel saw heaven opened and beheld visions of God, he found himself looking at that which he had no language to describe.  What he was seeing was wholly different from anything he had ever known before, so he fell back upon the language of resemblance. "As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire."

 To think of creature and Creator as alike in essential being is to rob God of most of His attributes and reduce Him to the status of a creature.

...there cannot be two unlimited substances in the universe.

When we try to imagine what God is like we must of necessity use that-which-is-not-God as the raw material for our minds to work on; hence whatever we visualize God to be, he is not, for we have constructed our image out of that which he has made and what He has made is not God.  If we insist upon trying to imagine Him, we end with an idol, made not with hands but with thoughts; and an idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.

 Left to ourselves we tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms.

If what we conceive God to be He is not, how then shall we think of Him?

...how shall we acquaint ourselves with One who eludes all the straining efforts of mind and heart? And how shall we be held accountable to know what cannot be known?

 "Canst thou by searching find out God?" -- Zophar the Namathite

 In Christ and by Christ, God effects complete self-disclosure, although He shows Himself not to reason but to faith and love.  Faith is an organ of knowledge, and love an organ of experience.  God came to us in the incarnation; in atonement He reconciled us to Himself, and by faith and love we enter and lay hold on Him.

 "What is God like?"  If by that question we mean "What is God like in Himself?" there is no answer.  If we mean "What has God disclosed about Himself that the reverent reason can comprehend?" there is, I believe, an answer both full and satisfying.  For while the name of God is secret and His essential nature incomprehensible, He in condescending love has by revelation declared certain things to be true of Himself.  These we call His attributes.

Sovereign Father, heavenly King,
 Thee we now presume to sing;
Glad thine attributes confess,
Glorious all, and numberless.
                        -- Charles Wesley

Knowledge of the Holy #1
Knowledge of the Holy #2

Christmas As It Should Be: Loud and Hectic

The following is a guest blog from my dear wife (Jamie King) on one of her favorite subjects; Christmas.

There is a Christmas song I love (okay there are ahundred Christmas songs I love if I am being honest) called “Not That Far FromBethlehem” The tune is somewhat catchy and the words very predictable so youwon’t find it on any Top 100 charts, but it really revolutionized how Iapproached the holiday season.

Now I love Christmas.  Christmas music, Christmas trees, Lights,Presents, Family Dinners, Traveling To and Fro, Hectic Shopping, Loud Homes, Ilove it all.  Most people don’t reallylove Christmas.  They love Christmasthings.  They like trees.  Or music. Or presents.  While these thingsof Christmas are grand, I am now a firm believer that the crazy holidaytraveling, loud family gatherings, and hectic lifestyles are a far betterreflection of the true Christmas spirit than the things.

So what was the original Christmas like?  Well we hopefully all read the story of Jesus’birth during this Christmas season.  Itis after all the “Christmas Story.”  Butlet’s reflect on it here.  A very roundMary and her fiancé/husband Joseph travel from Nazareth (in Galilee) toBethlehem to take part in the census. Luke (the historian/doctor i.e. Mr. Accurate) makes sure to note thateveryone went to his own town to register. So everybody is going home for Christmas. Crazy holiday traveling?Check  

Luke goes on to note that Joseph went to Bethlehem(the city of David) because he belongs to the house and line of David.  Now if you are the kind of person who tendsto skim read the genealogical portions of scriptures let me explain somethingto you: David had lots of descendents! So everyone is in Bethlehem for the census.  We know there was no room for Jesus to beborn in the inn (really? No room in any inn in the whole city? Sounds a lotlike Christmas at Mom’s where you start to wonder who is going to have to sleepon the dining table or in the doghouse because even a 4 bedroom house starts tofeel small when you get enough people there. Crowded and busy Bethlehem sets the scene for our Savior’s birth.  Hectic? Check.

Now if this doesn’t seem fun enough just yet, theangels appear to the shepherds announcing the birth of the child and theshepherds run off to Bethlehem to find him. (And you thought your relatives were loud and stinky).  Combining the newborn baby, a city so crowdedwith descendents of David there is no room in the inn, a group of shepherds, anda company of angels makes me doubt the hymn Silent Night is veryapplicable.  Loud family gathering?Check.

So?  So maybethis Christmas in the hustle and the bustle we should be thankful for the opportunityto celebrate the real Christmas.  Just asloud and hectic as it was originally.

Follow my endearing darling on Twitter.  Also, you can follow all of our ministry happenings at www.nathanandjamie.com.

Psalm 139

I share this passage with my friends, family, and students pretty often.  This is my favorite psalm.  I hope it will bless you.

Psalm 139 (NIV) -

You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.
 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.
 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.
 ¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

Knowledge of the Holy #2

For the second part of my tribute to the incredible literary awesomeness of A.W. Tozer and Frederick William Faber I'd like to post a few more bits from "Knowledge of the Holy".  I spent several hours every Wednesday this past semester discussing this book with some awesome guys.  Here were some of our favorite portions.

From Chapter 1 "Why we must think rightly about God"

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well.

 I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.

All the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us together and at once, would be nothing compared with the overwhelming problem of God: That He is; what He is like; and what we as moral beings must do about Him.

Low views of God destroy the gospel for all who hold them.

Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom is a libel on His character. 

The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.

The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.

So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and her moral standards declines along with it.

The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him--and of her.

We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them undimmed and undiminished that noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past.

O God of Bethel, by whose hand
   Thy people still are fed;
Who through this weary pilgrimage
  Hast all our fathers led!

Our vows, our prayers we now present
   Before Thy throne of grace
God of our fathers! be the God
   Of their succeeding race.
                        -- Philip Doddridge

Knowledge of the Holy #1
Knowledge of the Holy #3

Share Your Faith: Spark Spiritual Interest

Sometime ago I began to look in depth at aspects of sharing our faith.  I believe no greater model for sharing the Gospel exists than the story we have recorded in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John.  

You can click on the link(s) at the bottom to examine my other entries.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give thereason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.                                                                       – 1 Peter 3: 1,2,15 NIV

Sparking spiritual interest is not always achieved through conversation, in fact, it probably rarely is.  But it should always lead to conversation.


Here are a few ways to raise interest through your actions.

·       We can arouse spiritual interest by our example

·       By showing kindness and compassion to all, even the evil and wicked

·       By not harboring racial or social prejudices to those who are different

·       By our own example of faith and hope

Here are a few ways to raise interest through your actions.(Acts 13:16-22)

·       We can raise questions or make statements that shift conversations to spiritual matters

·       "What do you think our world is in such a mess?"

·       "Would you be interested in what the Bible says about...?"

·       The discussion should first involve matters of common agreement

·       Start with things upon which you agree, to build rapport and instill confidence

·       This was the practice of apostolic preaching 

1) Connect Socially 
2) Common Interest

Share Your Faith: Common Interest

Sometime ago I began to look in depth at aspects of sharing our faith.  I believe no greater model for sharing the Gospel exists than the story we have recorded in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John.  

You can click on the link(s) at the bottom to examine my other entries.

2) Common Interest

Tracts, billboards, street preaching, church signs, door-to-door evangelism, bumper stickers, and t-shirts all have on thing in common.  They are one-offs.  A one shot chance at impacting someone with the Gospel message.  Let me be clear, I believe each and every one of these things can, and have been, useful; but on the whole these methods are not the most successful means for impacting someone with the Gospel.

In my last post on this topic I wrote about our need to venture outside the walls of our churches and safe Christian sub-culture to impact and connect with non believers socially.  This entry further develops that with what would be a necessary next step in the efforts to connect and share the Gospel.

The natural next step in sharing your faith as observed in John 4, is establishing common interest or, build rapport.

This is not always an easy task.  It can, in fact, come off like empty small talk--something contrived merely as filler conversation--if you are not careful. Common interests can be many things.  A few topics may be; family, sports, hobbies, school, activities, or shared experiences. The key is to be meaningful.  If you have to force it, you don't mean it.

Once a bridge for communication has been established, it will be easier to discuss God's word with someone.  Don't feel that you must immediately begin talking about spiritual matters.  Take time to nurture common interests.  Yet at some point we want to reach the next stage.

1) Connect Socially
3) Spiritual Interest 

Irrational Angry Fear

We are terrified.  We meaning fundamentalist Southern believers.  Sometimes we mask it well, under the guise of anger, which is not pretty, at all.  Often we take to our pulpits and pews in a blustering fit to broadcast or imbibe boisterous messages of anti-almost-anything that might infringe upon our sanctimonious self-image.

We're terrified of pop-culture.  We are terrified of losing our religious liberty.  We're scared someone is stealing "our" holiday.  We're afraid we aren't quite American or Republican enough.  We're scared someone's notion of holiness is different than our own.

I could address any one of these irrational angry fears, or each of them in their very own blog; but what would be the point?  They each boil down to one simple idea.  Fear.  We give the enemy, that sneaky lion that Peter wrote about, or thief, murderer, destroyer, and liar, as Jesus called him, way too much credit--and in an almost paradoxically ironic twist ignore him as much as possible at the same time.

The very first message I ever preached lasted about thirty seconds, shorter than the time it would take you to read this blog.  The words God put on my thirteen year old heart all those years ago are still true...

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. -- 2 Timothy 1:7

Finally, I do want to address this fear of pop-culture.  I watched the Smurfs as a kid.  I was crazy about He-Man, Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Wizard of Oz.  I played (and still play) role-playing games.  I practiced make-believe, and fed an over active imagination.  I read all of the Harry Potter books, and enjoyed them.  Nothing about any of it ever served to influence, interrupt, or corrupt my faith.  If anything, engaging in such fantastic elements of imagining only served to better whet my appetite for the healthy reality of the supernatural . . . especially as it pertains to notions of divine miracles and the resurrection of Christ.

Of course, probably not everyone is mentally capable of drawing such distinct lines between real and imaginary; my parents did a fantastic job of coaching and instructing (parenting) in this respect.  And not everything out there should be engaged by Christians.  But NOTHING out there should be feared by us.

Regardless of your opinion on this particular subject.  Many who read this will no doubt disagree with me.  I hope all believers will learn to let go of these irrational fears we are so guilty of catering to.  Isn't it about time we recognize that our God is bigger than our fear?

Knowledge of the Holy #1

I'm a big fan of A.W. Tozer.  He was a big fan of Frederick William Faber.  It's as plain as the nose on my face (which is huge).  For the next couple of days I'm going to be sharing a compilation of various Tozer and Faber thoughts each day in addition to my regular posting.  This first bit comes from Chapter 2 of the book "Knowledge of the Holy" first printed in 1961.

Lord, how great is our dilemma! In Thy Presence silence best becomes us, but love inflames our hearts and constrains us to speak.  Were we to hold our peace the stones would cry out; yet if we speak, what shall we say?  Teach us to know that we cannot know, for the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Let faith support us where reason fails, and we shall think because we believe, not in order that we may believe.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

That God can be known by the soul in tender personal experience while remaining infinitely aloof from the curious eyes of reason constitutes a paradox best described as ...

Darkness to the intellect
But sunshine to the heart.
 - Frederick W. Faber

Knowledge of the Holy #2
Knowledge of the Holy #3

Joseph and I

We're not really sure what day and date that Jesus was born on; but Joseph celebrated the first Christmas much like I will be celebrating this one--as an expectant father.  Lately I've gotten a familiar question from several well-meaning friends; "are you nervous?"  In a word . . . no.  I'm not nervous at all.  I am incredibly excited about the impending birth of my sweet little boy. 

Jamie is now twenty-five weeks pregnant.  She has had a fairly trouble-free experience, and I fully believe these next seventy to eighty days will be equally trouble-free.  I believe our baby will be born whole and healthy, on time, and without difficulty.  I believe that he is a tremendous blessing, and will in fact be one of the greatest blessings of my life.

However, I do have a few questions.  And I can't help, but wonder if my Joseph may have had some similar questions.

What will he look like?
What will he sound like?
Will he be a mama's boy, a daddy's boy, or something in between?
Will he be respectful?
Will he be smart?
Will he be athletic?
Will he be quiet?
Will he be strong?
What will his first word be?
What time of day will he be born?
How much will he weigh?
Will he be a night owl like me?
Will he be a mathematician like his mother?

I'm sure Joseph had his share of questions as he eagerly expected the birth of the Son of God whom he was to raise.  This miracle baby entrusted to this seemingly normal man.  I can't even begin to imagine the weight of it.  We don't read much about Joseph's influence on Jesus after his birth, but one day on the other side of eternity I'd like to sit down with this incredible carpenter.  What questions do you think Joseph may have had?

Facebook Statuses are the New Christian T-Shirt

Image via CrunchBase

I am a very opinionated guy. I try to hold this in check (sometimes) but do not always succeed, ok,ok….. so I probably rarely succeed.  I’malso a college pastor.  It’s my job toshare the good news of the gospel with, well pretty much everyone.  I’m also a campus missionary, which means Iraise funds from people who believe in what I’m doing in order to support thework that I do, and that I need to communicate those happenings with them on aregular basis.

When you add all of that together you get a recipe for aconstant stream of religious content making its way onto my facebook profile.

Social networking is an interesting phenomenon.  We now have these tools at hand to postcontent, which hundreds of people can see the very moment we press [ENTER].  And pretty much everyone is doing it.  Opinions fly, poorly drafted diatribespersist, text speak abounds, and somewhere in the midst of all of that is acontinual stream of religious spam.

Amongst believers the facebook status has become thisgeneration’s equivalent of the Christian T-shirt.  It is something akin to that happy smileeveryone puts on Sunday morning when they get to church.

This new platform, which isn’t really that new anymore,gives everyone the opportunity to suddenly broadcast their thoughts into theonline arena of public discourse.  Butshould they?  When does it cease to bemeaningful communication or thought provoking engagement; and become socialspam.

I use facebook constantly. The window to my feed is open for upwards of eight hours a day, andsometimes, much, much more.  It justdepends on what I’m doing in my office on a given day.  For me, and my work, it is a constantstreaming opportunity to communicate with those who are incredibly important tome.  It is a chance to initiatemeaningful conversations, humorous exchanges, and opinionated arguments.  However, more than anything else, it is achance to keep up with what’s going on in people’s lives.

The point to this, now too long, post is that I amtired.  The constant attempts by mybrothers and sisters in Christ to one-up each other with the sheer epicness oftheir Jesus friendly broadcasts are exhausting. Truly, there are a few people who’s posts always hold relevance, insight,and encouragement; but honestly… a lot of it, most of it, I just skipover.  I’ve already read my Bible thismorning, thanks.  Or as one friend said,“anything that sounds like Lord of the Rings dialogue I can do without.”

I know.  I'm really not one to be pointing any fingers.  I'm as bad about this as anyone.  Worse even, probably; but I do try to at least weigh the worth of what I have to say.  This is certainly an area where all of us of the faith couldlearn, and apply, the old saying, “Less is More.”

Pick Up Your Sword

The large majority of Americans are incredibly spoiled. This shows in every aspect of our existence, and especially in our faith.

The simple truth is that many believers just take their faith for granted. What we believe, why we believe, and what we ultimately must do about it seems to get lost somewhere--buried by the blistering pace of a life lived for self.

This is often taken so far that we all-together ignore some of the most basic tenets of Christian discipline. One of these that is so often neglected is the reading of the Bible.

Every year my pastor initiates what he calls Bible Sunday, if memory serves me correctly it should be just around the corner. This Sunday morning service is a public challenge to our entire congregation to read the entire Bible in a year. For the last several years I've accepted this challenge, and completed it.

I've been reading the Bible for most of my life. I started reading it regularly around the age of twelve. I started studying it as well in my teens. But for these last few years, challenging myself to read and study it with such an enthusiastic goal in mind has propelled my faith into brand new territory.

My passion for the Word is higher than ever. My devotion to sharing the eternal truths contained within is stronger than ever. My hunger for understanding is more heart-felt than ever. My capacity for Christian love and the fruits of the Spirit is more authentic than ever. My faith is better than ever.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. - Romans 10:17

To be the kind of creature God created us to be; we must pick up our Sword. We must learn it. We must love it. We must live it.

Holidays

Here we go again.  The holiday season.  I love it.  I love absolutely every second of it.  I love being with my family, all of them.  I love all that it entails.  I love the religious observances we attach to this time of year.  This is a very special and sacred time of year for me.

The following is a question posed to me by a dear friend online and my response.  Enjoy.

"I'm already sick and hurt of the politically correct "holiday cheer". Seriously people, if you're not into Christ, the Saviour of the world (you) then why celebrate "Christ"mas??? --(just an after thought)-- I wanted to add to afore statement by saying, "you don't see Christians taking over other religions holidays and degrading their meaning." But then an ironic thought hit me,.... Halloween was the Druid Festival of the Dead. Unfortunately, I know alot of Christians who play along w/that satanic religious rite by diluting it and making it "ok", just like other religions do when observing CHRISTmas. hummm.....i think i may have a thought for you to follow through... i wonder how many false religion holidays christians observe vice versa...."  *edited for readability, not content

You might not like my answer, but here goes.  Please, anyone who reads this, understand that I'm talking about the observance of holidays in a historical sense, and not strictly from what I believe or practice myself.  I just felt that this approach best answers the question.  Holidays are tricky when it comes to study and trying to define the narrow lines of what is a Christian or secular observance is not as easy as most of us would like to think.  The big two for Christianity would definitely be Christmas and Easter; but even those are congruent with ancient pagan rites. People get in a big huff about recognizing Christ at Christmas, and for those of us who are believers, it is a season for exactly that; but the historical facts are plain.  Holidays happen across all cultures, each one has their own tradition, belief, history, and values they associate with those days. Concerning Christmas, we don't know the actual date that Jesus was born--through careful study we arrive at a time somewhere between late September and the beginning of November.  I just don't have time to recount all the historical data to back this up; but the gist is that early Christians (most likely 2nd to 3rd century A.D.) took the pagan holidays they observed prior to their conversion and shoe-horned their new found Christian faith onto those holiday.

As a believer, missionary, and family man I observe all of our traditional American holidays with the people I love.  I do it according what I believe, and what those holidays mean to me.  The truth is that there are few, if any, traditional holidays which don't have some kind of origins not associated with Christianity.  Does that mean we should stop observing them?  No! It means we should practice healthy communication about what these holidays mean to us and why we observe them.  A healthy understanding of the history associated with them would go a long way too in educating future generations.

We (the Church) are the worst about sending mixed signals at the holidays.  We don't want anyone to hijack Christmas and so we get in a huff when we hear "happy holidays."  Yet, we bring in all this superstition about a mythical fat man traveling around the world delivering toys.  We want to make sure that Easter is reserved for acknowledging the resurrection of Christ; but we buy our kids baskets, hide eggs, and talk about Easter Bunnies.  Most of this is done innocently enough, and I'm not writing this out of contempt, condemnation, or carelessness.  However, we need to appropriate a better understanding of our holidays.

Why would people who don't recognize the lordship of Christ in the most essential parts of their lives acknowledge or celebrate His birth or resurrection?  We don't own dates on a calendar and even if we tried to; we wouldn't really know which dates to own.  Perhaps, the Church instead should cease to regulate observance of such monumental events to such a specific window of time. Instead we should teach and disciple people to acknowledge these holy moments through a regular practice of a life displaying the fruit of one who celebrates the birth, death, and resurrection of the Incarnate One.  I wonder, is God more pleased with our militant defense of the calendar--or with our passionate pursuit of Him?

Merry Christmas.

ABC's of God

I wrote this some years ago and shared it tonight during my message.  Some folks asked me to post it, so here it is.  I hope it encourages you.

God is the

AbsolutelyAstounding Almighty Architect,

BeautifullyBenevolent,

CreativelyCompassionate,

DelightfullyDivine,

EternallyEmpathetic,

Forever ForgivingFriendly Father of Fate

Gracious Giver ofGrace.

Holy Healer ofHope and Hope for Healing.

InfinitelyIndescribable and Infallible Intercessor,

Jubilantly JoyfulJustification,

King of Kindness,

The Lone, Lamp,Light, Life, and Lord,

Mighty,Miraculous, and Moving Mediator.

Never leaving,Never forsaking,

The Only Outstanding,Otherworldly, Omnipresent, Omnipotent One

Powerful,Practical, and Priceless Prince of Passion,

of an Unquantifiable Quality.

RemarkablyRighteous Ruler,

Supernatural SoleSource of Soul Saving Sanctification,

Truly TriumphantTerrific & Trustworthy.

Upright UtterlyUnending and Unique Utterance of Unity,

Vivacious andVictorious,

Wondrous andWillful

eXaltedeXcellence.

Yearning with a

Zeal for Zion.

Stories

I've always loved stories. Once I start a good story it's really tough for me to put it down until I'm finished. Clever plot points, character development, and intriguing situations keep me glued to the story.

The best authors always make you fall in love with their characters basically by tormenting them.  I read Amazing Spider-Man for years and even though the book switched scribes numerous times, the one thing that remained constant was each writer's willingness to subject the web-head to tragedy after tragedy, heaped on happenstance after catastrophe. Most modern fiction is much the same, be it TV, novel, or blockbuster.

If you ever sat through an English or Literature class then you probably learned some of the basic elements of a story.  Notably the concept of building (or rising) action and the climax.  The most talented authors weave all of these different elements, not only into the larger story itself, but also into the individual chapters or segments of their tale.

From a theological perspective, I am so glad to know that what holds true in the realm of fiction couldn't be further from the truth in terms of our relationship with God...or more accurately, His relationship to us.  He is above and beyond sovereign.

We can not altogether understand all of the good things He has lined out for His kids.  We just can't.  And God certainly has good stuff planned for us.

I'm not the kind of preacher that will stand in front of an audience and proclaim that just because we're Christians that God will shower us in fancy cars, fine homes, and fat wallets.  I believe that is a dangerous sort of dialogue that leads to disappointment.

However, I absolutely believe in the principles passed down through Jeremiah 29:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:9.  God has great things in store for His people.

At the end of the day, every day, I rest well; knowing that my destiny is penned by the Creator of the cosmos, the Savior of the world, the author and finisher of my faith.

Excruciating

ex·cru·ci·at·ing

[ik-skroo-shee-ey-ting]
adjective - extremely painful; causing intense suffering; unbearably distressing; torturing:

We have a penchant for embellishing things. Exaggeration is just kind of in-grained into the way we talk, the way we tell stories, and our humor.  It goes pretty well with it's cousin sarcasm.  So, we say things like; "I'm starving to death," when we're barely even hungry and probably just finished a snack sometime in the last couple of hours.

One word that is definitely no exaggeration is the word excruciating.  Excruciating is quite the loaded word. In fact, it was coined to describe a type of execution so horrendously painful that an appropriate description had yet to be invented. The Greek version of excruciating literally means, "out of the cross".

That's the kind of experience Christ went through for you and I.  Something so terrible that when it was first dreamt up in the 6th century B.C. they needed to contrive a new word for just how bad it was.

Even so, the word might have come from the cross; but I'm not entirely convinced that it can altogether describe just how bad it might have been.

*For a better understanding of the agony Christ endured on the cross I suggest Lee Strobel's "The Case for the Real Jesus".  There is a chapter on forensics that specifically addresses the physiological torment Christ suffered in scientific detail.

BaRgAINS

A pseudo-theological blog might not be the best place to out myself in this respect; but I like zombie stories. I mostly blame George Romero. His "_______ of the Dead" series was already incredibly well established by the time I was old enough to know what it was really about.

BaRgAINS

It seems in recent years that zombies have finally usurped nazis as the most common cannon fodder in video-gamedom. Regardless of the media, nearly one thing is always constant where zombie literature is concerned...their insatiable desire for brains.

Yes, I know, this is disgusting and by now you're hoping I reach a point soon.

Anyways, in the movies, games, tv shows, or comics--zombies are always looking for their next meal. They are inexplicably drawn to any collection of people; regardless of shape, size, or sex by their compulsion to feed.

On our way home from my grandparent's Thanksgiving dinner we passed a local Walmart; and the sight before my eyes was much too similar to some old Romeroan film for me to be comfortable with. At 8 p.m. people were already flocking to a store that wouldn't open for quite some time. And for what? "Bargains"

Like the denizens of some subpar zombie fiction, people all across our country are pressing into the mob, chasing the elusive sales whose demands always outlast and exhaust the supply. It's true, they're not out for flesh and brains, but I can almost here the groaning sounds of, "bargains....bargains" ripple through the atmosphere.

Meaty

I like meat. Actually that is a grievous understatement. I LOVE meat. It has just always been a staple of my life. Even the prospect of not eating meat just sounds alien and untrustworthy. Yeah, I just said that I find something about vegetarians and vegans to be abnormal.

I eat pretty healthy for the most part. My wife and I try to make fairly responsible dietary decisions, and more often than not, our meals include meat of some kind. Even my salad, which I also really love, generally includes some type of meat. I like a lot of protein in my diet.

Last night I enjoyed a scrumptious t-bone prepared by my mom. Even right now as I write this I'm sitting in my tree stand, waiting for a legal deer to harvest. And, In just a few hours people all over will start celebrating Thanksgiving by diving into all kinds of meaty dishes.

We love our meat. It is sustaining, it is filling, it is wonderful.

But you don't give a infants a slab of roast when they're hungry. You offer them something more in line with what their small developing body can consume, digest, and use.

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, (1 Corinthians 3:2 ESV)

Paul, when writing to the church at Corinth, gave them what spiritual food he knew they needed, not necessarily what they wanted. He was discerning and wise, understanding that with spiritual maturity comes a greater level of understanding and revelation.

I see a lot of people these days with dangerously unhealthy perspectives concerning their spiritual health. Many think they are prepared for the meat of the Word, yet what they really are still in desperate need of is the milk. They have no spiritual discipline. Still, I've known many others, entire congregations even, that have contented themselves on the milk for so long that the things of greater substance found within the word shocks them and scares them nearly to the point of unbelief.

So, my question to you this cloudy Thanksgiving mornings is, what would best sate your spiritual palette. Are you still content to lap the milk of the Gospel, or are you ready to take on something solid? Are you meaty?

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank Him

Enter with thepassword: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise.  ThankHim. Worship Him. – Psalm 100:4 (The Message)

Worship is a powerful thing. It is a deeply spiritual thing. It is the act of connecting you to that which you adore and reverethrough unequivocal soul-baring intimacy. 

These days people worship a lot of things.  More often than not, however, I see peopleworshipping themselves.  As if we everreally did anything good for ourselves.

No, the Scriptures are pretty clear.  There is nothing about worship of self thatever can or will truly satisfy any of the deep longings of our soul.  We were made to worship Him. 

Worship is so much bigger than the box we hide it intoo.  It’s more than a series of songsthat comes at the beginning of your Sunday service.  Truth be told, it has little to do with musicat all; but music can and often is a great facilitator of worship.

The simplest acts of worship are those that involve youbaring your heart and soul to Him; not because He doesn’t already know or understandwhat resides there, but because He enjoys the effort it takes on the part of usinherently selfish creatures to such a thing. The phrase “sacrifice of praise” is right on target.  What could be harder for a creature that hasput themselves on the throne of their life, than to step down from that throneand offer it to the only One deserving of said seat.  Doing so is an act of worship.  It takes us to what the Psalmist often calledthe Secret Place.

I like this secret place we find in Him.  The only way to get there is by thankingHim.  We find ourselves at Home inworship of the One is wholy and truly deserving of all adoration, reverence,and immeasurable uplifting.  Thank Him.