The Falls

We've had some unseasonably warm weather lately, I mean like 60 degrees and bright sun. It's been a great break from the rain, snow, gray, and dreary Northwest winter. A couple of weekends ago we decided to take advantage of one such lovely day and go visit the Multnomah Falls. The falls are the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the nation dropping some 620 feet! We made the hour drive along the beautiful Columbia Gorge and arrived at a truly amazing sight.We started our climb to the top, with many other brave souls. It was a one-mile hike to the top, and another mile down. It was a windy dirt path to the top, but after a few breaks we made it, and the view from the top was spectacular. The water picked up speed in the winding widening stream leading up to the edge, rushed over the top and flowed down from Larch Mountain just as it has since God carved it out with His very hands. It was beautiful. On our drive home, I was reminded of our first drive past the Columbia Gorge, on our way into Portland, August 18, 2007. We'd been driving for three long days and were ready to finally be settled for a while. We got "officially" engaged a couple days later, married about 2 months after that, and here we are four months into our great adventure... I like life, it keeps you hoppin'.

Leia Mais…

Ask Whatever You Will

Interesting how so many things come in groups of threes. One is too lonely. Two is better, but can create a rivalry. Three seems to be the optimum. There's the Trinity of course, the durable three-stranded cord that cannot easily be broken, and the Church's duty to Christ, Community, and Culture. There are also three strikes, three-pointers, and field goals. Notice that these lists come in threes too.

Well, here's another triple-connection that I recently came across as we've been studying the book of Mark. It involves the request to, "Ask Whatever You Will." In other words, I'll give you whatever you want, if...

Here's the first situation described in the New Testament, from the book of Matthew, when Jesus was being tempted by Satan in the wilderness:

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”"
Matthew 4:8-10

Here we see that Jesus is offered a great deal of worldly riches, if only...He would bow down and worship Satan. Of course, Jesus rejects the offer, knowing full well that the riches in serving God alone far outweigh any riches that any other kingdom has to offer. Jesus was offered the greatest wealth imaginable on earth, and He refused it, for the sake of something much more enjoyable.

The second observation I made is found in the recount of Mark in his gospel:

"But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”"
Mark 6:21-25

Here's another story involving the forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist. But he's only the subordinate object of the story, not the subject. The subject of the story is the infamous daughter of Herodias, Herod Antipas' unrightful wife. In payment for her seductive dancing at the banquet, Herod makes the young girl an offer, "Ask whatever you will..." Her response is a tragic one, costing the head of John the Baptist.

First observation: When given the opportunity to take anything from the great kingdom of Herod, the young woman is unable to even make her own decision to answer the king. She apparently has an inability to make a thoughtful, conscious decision, so she consults her mother.
Second observation: In obedience to her mother's instructions, the young woman settles for a very small part of Herod's kingdom -- one that has absolutely no consequence to her whatsoever.

Bottom line: The twisted proposition of King Herod puts the power in the hands of a thoughtless young woman and her wicked mother, so John the Baptist loses his head. But more importantly for the young woman -- what a waste! She could have had anything, but she chose something so small for herself. For her, given a question such as the one proposed by Herod, with the young woman's abdication of limitless potential and the resulting lack of choice, her most extravagant dreams and desires reveal themselves to truly be deep, dark pieces of despair and hopelessness. Her dreams are not dreams at all, she's too hopeless to even think of such grandeur. A pity, indeed.

Finally, the third piece, found in the gospel of John:

"“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."
John 14:12-14

Because Jesus decided originally to reject Satan's attempts in the wildnerness (see part one), the Kingdom that He gained is one of infinite, unending splendor. For us who believe, we join Him in this indescribable kingdom. As fellow heirs with Him, He gives us a certain degree of authority to "Ask Whatever You Will." For the sake of His name, our desires can be limitless and we can trust that He will answer our requests perfectly according to His will.

We get to dream big and our dreams can count for something. And Jesus will accomplish His intended will in us and through us and for us, for His pleasure and our joy. Amen!

Leia Mais…

The Chisel (and putting out fires)

The commercialization makes me nauseous. I wonder, who came up with this idea?

Hypothetical Scenario:
"Hey Jim..."
"Yeah, Bill?"
"So after rollin' off of my wicked high the other day, I woke up from my 42-hour slumber, and check out the dream I had..."
"This oughtta be good, Bill."
"I dreamed that there were naked babies flying all around like fairies, shooting people with arrows. And then they were in love!"

The 'Reality':
"Valentine's Day wouldn't be the same without a visit from Cupid, the winged cherub with a bow and arrow which he uses to place people into love. The origins of Cupid can be traced back to the days of the Roman Empire. Cupid is a Roman god, the symbol of passionate love. (He is the son of Venus, who remember is the Goddess of Love.) Cupid fell madly and completely in love with Psyche, whom it happened was a mortal. This did not please Venus at all and she gave Psyche a particularly hard time, consistently tempting her and driving her off. Eventually, through a small series of human faults, Psyche was tempted to look into the ‘box of beauty’ and when she did, she unleashed a deep slumber onto herself. Cupid then came to Earth and searched the world for her. He found her in her deep sleep. His love for her was so strong though that he was able to take the sleep from her and place it back into the box. Then he used an arrow to pierce her heart and awaken her." (from www.essortment.com)

So, I'm not sure who would be considered more insane, Bill or the delusional mastermind of the Roman gods...

It's funny what constitutes a holiday. Especially this one: it's about love. These days, it is rare to find anyone able to rightly define or describe love. Our society will tell us that the only way to know if you're in love is if you have sex. So one idea is sex=love. I thought that, outside of marriage, sex=fornication=lust. And even inside marriage, sex is only an expression of love, not love itself.

Love is a chisel. Prior to knowing it and enjoying the benefits of truly loving and being loved, every person is a rock-solid piece of unformed hardness. It takes tools to change that. Have you ever seen Mount Rushmore?By definition, love must be a sharp tool. The hardness of our hearts makes us to judge. It makes us to ridicule. It makes us angry and hateful and condescending. It makes us full of lust for all sorts of things. It makes us unwilling to listen or to care or to compromise. But most of all, it makes us at odds with our Creator, the God of the Universe. Our unchiseled mass of hardness creates within us a deep desire to oppose God, thereby making us enemies against Him. Only a sharp tool, pounded by a strong blunt force, is able to break off all that mess.

Today, Kattie and I attended a couples workshop all day. It had some decent insights and a few quality things to take away, but for the most part, it was a very interesting experience. To us, it seemed as though the overwhelming theme of the seminar was "How to not get divorced." That seemed very strange. There were statistics detailing divorce rates and declines in marital enjoyment, followed by ways to avoid these tragic threats of "not making it." We would have thought that instead of trying to help people to not get divorced by focusing on the factors that threaten a good and lasting marriage, one might try to show the glorious riches of such an amazing journey, thereby exciting people to pursue one that would last forever. Of course, it is good to be aware of the pitfalls, but focusing on them seems pessimistic. It's a bit discouraging and negative. Like damage control. Like putting out fires. We prefer to swim in the everlasting fountain of promise - knowing that our marriage is entrusted to Jesus who makes all things new and chisels us with the refining power of His unending love.

The other night, we were in bed waiting to fall asleep and the Lord showered us with His grace. The love that He continually shows us is a love that never fails. I could tell something had been bothering my wife all day, and it often takes her a little while to process her thoughts before she shares them with me. So as we laid there, she began to share, and Jesus began to chisel. Unbeknownst to me, I had been acting very selfishly, neglecting a very important aspect of our marriage. I simply didn't see it. But she did. As she shared it, the Lord began to soften my heart. He chiseled away part of me that was unfruitful. Proverbs 27:17 has always been a mindful verse with me, even since the early days of my journey with Jesus: "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Ever since then, our marriage has been even more enjoyable, and my wife has been all the more beautiful to me. Love is a chisel.

The beauty of all this is that it chiseled Jesus all the way down until there was no more to chisel. The indescribably marvelous picture above, called la Pieta, was sculpted by Michelangelo, and now resides in the Vatican. A striking reminder of the power of this chisel called love, Jesus personifies it. He was chiseled so much, worn down all the way, that He became the most renowned and refined piece of art that God has ever shown to man. "No greater love has a man than this: that he would lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did just that. And He likewise imparts that same empowering love to us by refining us by it. Marriage is not like putting out fires. It's like becoming an intricately detailed sculpture for all to see the truly amazing handiwork of God.

Arrows kill. Love is a chisel.

Leia Mais…

Chocolate: The Indulgence of Many

I'm not gonna lie, I love chocolate. This morning, I ate more chocolate than I'd like to admit, and that's saying something for this choco-holic. Today and tomorrow mark Chocolate Fest 2008 held at the World Forestry Center here in Portland.

We decided to make a family event of it and go enjoy some of the sweetest delicacies around. And we were certainly amazed. First of all, we drove through the rain to get to the MAX (Portland's light rail public transportation system) station so that we wouldn't have to deal with the horrors of parking when we arrived at the renowned Chocolate Fest. But when we got there, it was snowing like crazy!

Now snow is not typically a characteristic of Portland - rain is. But since the Chocolate Fest was held at the World Forestry Center which is at a higher elevation, we got some snow! And lots of it. Of course, we threw snowballs and I enjoyed some of what I like to call "Extreme Walking."

We marveled at all of the festivities and varieties of chocolate that they had. There were chocolate-covered strawberries,

the world-renowned Fountain of Chocolate,

and even a new world record for a piece of chocolate: a 243-pound truffle made by this creative chef. Are you kidding me? A piece of chocolate that is almost twice my weight??? Now that's ridiculous. But cool. They had white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate-covered cherries, chocolate-covered beef jerky and chocolate beef rub for grilling (what?!?!), chocolate-covered blueberries, lots of assorted chocolate fudge, a spray paint-covered woman who was supposed to be a ladybug (what?!?!? again), chocolate milk, cocoa popcorn, exfoliating chocolate mud body wrap from a local day spa, chocolate spreads, African chocolate, South American chocolate, North American chocolate, and even a flute player for ambience. Of course, there were also wine samples and other assorted chocolate accessories, including a balloon artist wearing a balloon hat. Now that's a chocolate party! It was fun, but now my belly aches. I guess this is the prequel to the Super Bowl party, eh? Maybe. Maybe not.

Go Giants!

Leia Mais…

We Are the Breath of Each Other

Back in Morocco, we were such a close, tight-knit group. The culture of community there was like none other that I have experienced. So coming back to the Western philosophy of independence was tough. Attempting to make the transition back into "church" as it is here in the States has been a struggle for us. For the past years spent in Morocco, our lifeline was our intimate Home Group who faithfully supported each other through thick and thin. But since our reentry back into the States, it has been exceedingly difficult to connect in such a profound way. And it may be tragically true that we may never again have such a close community. The Lord only knows.

However, we are hopeful. The new group of believers that we have chosen to join gives us great anticipation in regaining this closeness that we so desire. It has truly been interesting to observe our need for this type of nearness to one another. You have heard it said that "man is not meant to be an island." Even more than that, we believe that man is meant to be a brother, and a son, and a father, and an uncle. He is meant to be part of a family. Without this, he suffocates.

God has spoken to us a lot lately through a family. This family's name is Red Sea Church, a humble group of people that have been connected deeply by the unity of Jesus. As a family, we have been welcomed with loving, open arms and are enjoying rejoicing with our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, and other relatives here in Portland.

It is such a far-reaching and meaningful truth that we are the breath of each other. In other words, without each other, we suffocate. We can no longer breathe. We can no longer grow. And we can no longer be truly alive. Kattie and I have found renewed aliveness lately in reconnecting with our family here. It has taken us over six months to do so, but the Lord has provided much grace in leading us into His loving presence with these people. By no means are they perfect. And by no stretch of the imagination are they the best. But they are family -- no matter how dysfunctional. And family is where life happens. It is good. It is good to remember this.

I think that the essence of being truly present and being intentionally living life on purpose in a place means putting down roots and finding a family to be with -- for however long life takes us wherever *here* may be. We have been reminded of that a couple of times lately. It is not good enough for us to simply look forward to our return to Africa in order for our lives to count for something. Our lives are supposed to count here and now, wherever here is and however long now takes. In Portland and in Africa. It is a sin for us to waste this time here and do nothing with all these glorious gifts that God has given us, simply for the sake of "doing good later in Africa." And so we receive the rebuke and go along with this family who have all similarly been rebuked one way or another, and we live life with them, serving the people around us, fully alive here and now.

And we breathe the fresh air of togetherness.

Leia Mais…

If I were the Devil...

I'm not a Hollywood fan, but I keep up on the news enough to know what's going on. In the past few years, several actors/actresses have died from drug overdoses, the most recent being Heath Ledger. Many people (maybe most people) aspire to the lives lived by these "stars." The lights, glamor, cars, clothing, and cash attract people into thinking that the lifestyles of these stars is what we "commoners" should strive for. And people buy into this... Hollywood, like the rest of society is plagued by abuse of all sorts (drugs, alcohol, spouses, children, men, women....), divorce, disrespect, lack of integrity, and the list goes on...and on... Our attention is drawn to it so much, magazines in the supermarket aisle are plastered with it, nighttime TV shows are centered around it, and the Internet seems devoted to it too. So why is it that society seems to be spiraling downward so fast? To many of us, sin is the obvious reason. But sin has always been present (since that whole apple in the garden thing..). So why now? Why so much? When I heard the following song the other day, it struck me as a pretty good explanation...

If I Were
by Andy Gullahorn

If I were the devil, I wouldn’t wear red
I wouldn’t have horns or a pitchfork
I wouldn’t breathe fire ‘cause it might give me away
But if I were the devil, you’d never know
I’d befriend you quick and corrupt you slow
So you don’t notice until it’s far too late

If I were the devil
If I were the devil

If I were the devil, I’d spend all day
Lowering standards of what’s OK
To think, to say, to watch on your TV
I’d break down the value of promises kept
And fade out truth ‘til there’s nothing left
Except gossip and lies popping up as thick as weeds

If I were the devil
If I were the devil

I might not be as foreign as you think
‘Cause I wouldn’t only show my evil side
I’ve got the time and patience just to wait
And steal your soul just one sin at a time
Like I would, if I were

No, I’m not the devil, but if I was
I’d take God’s people and split ‘em up
To keep their minds off who they’re called to be
So they’re no longer fighting over living or dead
It’s “is it the body or just bread?”
While all the unfed die hungry on the street

If I were the devil
If I were the devil

I might not be as foreign as you think
‘Cause I wouldn’t only show my evil side
I’ve got the time and patience just to wait
And steal your soul just one sin at a time
Like I would, if I were

I’d make moms and dads that never stick around
Pain so bad you have to drink to drown
And guilt so I can kick you when you’re down
And I would, if I were

If I were the devil, I wouldn’t wear red
And I wouldn’t breathe fire ‘cause it might give me away.....

Just a thought...

Leia Mais…

Like No Other: Sacred and Holy

Jim and Sarah

Evangelist turned and sat down on a rock beside the road. He seemed to be waiting and resting until the next conversation. From where I stood I could see a couple heading toward us. They seemed to be arguing, and not too quietly either.

Evangelist stood up as they came closer and approached them. They were so involved in their quarrel they didn't see him until he spoke to them.

"Good afternoon," Evangelist said. "May I help you?"

The man looked up, startled. "Well, yes! You could start by minding your own business."

Evangelist smiled. "I beg your pardon. There was no indication that you desired your conversation to be kept secret."

At this the woman blushed and apologized. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to broadcast our difficulties. You can't help us. I don't think anyone can help us."

"I don't know if that is true. What are your names?"

The woman responded, "My name is Sarah. This is my future ex-husband, Jim. Who are you?"

"My name is Evangelist. I travel on the road, waiting to help people in situations like yours."

Sarah glanced at her husband, who was still scowling, and asked if he wanted to talk with Evangelist. He didn't look to happy about it, but agreed.

Evangelist began by asking how long they had been married, and how long they had been unhappy together. They responded that they had been married about three years, and both agreed that about six months into the marriage things had started to go downhill. Evangelist asked them what they argued about and learned that they argued about everything.

Evangelist then asked them if they wanted good advice or good news.

At this Jim looked up, appearing interested. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that there are two approaches to take in helping couples with troubled marriages. One is to tell them what they're doing wrong. The unhappy couple is told, 'Do this, don't do that.' This is the good advice approach. The other is to tell them of someone who can help them by giving them the power to do what is right. This is the good news approach."

Evangelist looked at Sarah. "Have you read any books on how to have a happy marriage?"

Sarah laughed. "I have read so many books I can't remember them all. There have been books on finances, sex, communication, intimacy, and openness." She glared at Jim. "He hasn't read any of them."

Evangelist ignored her last comment and asked if any of the books had helped.

"Well, I learned a lot."

"But that's not what I asked. Have they helped? Are you happier or not?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you learned things in the books that were good, but that you didn't have the power to put into practice?"

"Yes, that happens a lot."

"So you have received much good advice, and no good news?"

"Yes."

Here Evangelist turned to Jim and asked what he thought of the books.

Jim said he avoided them for two reasons. "They tell me what I need to do, and I already know more than I am able to do. If I can't choke down what I already have on my plate, why should I fill it up with more?"

Evangelist asked for his second reason.

"Well, one of the things we fight about a lot is the fact that Sarah wants me to be more of a leader--to show more initiative. Then she gives me all this stuff to read. She wants me to be a leader--as long as she gets to lead me into it."

At this Sarah started to sputter, but Evangelist motioned to her, and she became quiet.

"Did you understand the distinction I made between good advice and good news?"

Jim answered, "Yes. But there is a problem with what you say. Anything you tell us would have to go into the good advice category. We are the only two people in this marriage, and if it is going to be done, we will have to do it. And we don't seem to have the ability."

Jim then turned to go, but stopped when Evangelist asked, "What would you say if I told you that the problem with your marriage is that there are only two people in it?"

Sarah began to look upset. "You're not talking about open marriage, are you? Seeing someone else?"

Evangelist laughed. "Yes, but not the way you think. I am talking about God. If God were in your lives, you would have the power to do what He requires of you."

"How can that make any difference? We have religious friends who are every bit as unhappy as we are."

"I wasn't referring to a religion empty of a relationship with God. Most religious people use their religion as a source of good advice, and the good advice only condemns them when they fail. This mistake is even made by professing Christians, who should know better."

"So how is your message any different? Are you saying that the good advice is bad?"

"Not at all." Evangelist turned and pointed to an apple tree beside the road. "Do you see this tree? Does it produce apples or not?"

Jim laughed. "Of course it does."

"Does it produce apples because it is an apple tree, or does it try to produce apples in an attempt to become an apple tree?"

"The apples are a result of what the tree is."

Evangelist then pointed to a small bush beside the road. "Can this bush become an apple tree by producing apples?"

"Of course not."

"Suppose it tried to. What would you say to it?"

Sarah interrupted. "I suppose you have a point in all this?"

Evangelist nodded. "What would you say?"

"I would say the attempt was futile."

"Would this mean that you disliked apples?"

"Certainly not. It only means that I know that apples are not grown on bushes."

"Just so. In the same way, the good advice you have received is truly good. But you do not have the power to put it into practice. You are a bush trying to produce apples."

"What can be done about it?"

"There is someone who has the authority and power to change you. He does so when you come to Him on the basis of the death and resurrection of His Son."

Both Jim and Sarah seemed to be following the argument, so Evangelist went on.

"Marriage does not change what you are. It does, however, amplify what you are. This is why so many have trouble in marriage. When they come into an intimate relationship with another person, their self-centeredness is amplified many times over. No amount of marriage counseling can change that. A marriage can only be transformed when the individuals in that marriage are transformed. You cannot have your marriage transformed until each of you as individuals come to God through Christ. Then, as a result, the marriage will be changed. The good news must come first, and then the good advice. Until then, the only value that good advice has is that it reveals to you how far short of God's requirements you fall."

Jim and Sarah stepped back for a moment and talked quietly. Then they turned and thanked Evangelist. Jim said, "There is much in what you say. We need some time to think it over, but we will be back." At this, they went on. As they left, their conversation was subdued. It was clear that this approach to marriage was not going to have the same effect as the other things they had tried. This time, things would be different.

-Douglas Wilson
(from Persuasions: A dream of reason meeting unbelief.)

It is heartbreaking to see what has become of the idea of marriage these days in postmodern society. A couple of things really bother me about how savagely so many people treat this wonderful, sacred thing that God has given us. In search of the happiness that every human being wants, the collateral damage inflicted upon the holy covenant of marriage is unspeakable.

Often times, I wonder if Hollywood may be a microcosm of our American culture as a whole. Or, at least, it's easier to see since the lives of its inhabitants are constantly in the spotlight. Anyway, I just heard the story of Eddie Murphy and his new "wife". After only two weeks of marriage, they're calling it quits. Nice. That sure does improve the image of the institution of marriage in this country. I guess marriage is just like anything else: if it gets too hard, just quit. No longer does the saying, "Quitters Never Win" hold any sort of value to people these days. Or maybe it doesn't matter so much who is a winner and who is a loser. No wait, we don't want anybody to be a loser because it hurts their feelings too much. No longer is there even a definition for loser because it is too politically incorrect to call someone that. So, more and more people these days are not even bothering with marriage, as co-habitation is the popular fad now. At the least, even if considering marriage, a couple engages in co-habitation just to "make sure he/she is the right one." Then when asked the question, "So how is married life treating you?" after they did make it official, the response is usually something like, "Well, it's not much different." Wow, what a tragedy! This first thing that bothers me so much is the delusion of the sanctity of marriage.

Then there are those that, in a quest to satisfy the appetite for happiness, search for alternative ways to be "married". For the ones who disregard God, there are civil unions that make it legal, excluding Him. For the ones who ignore God and His original design for men and women, there are domestic partnerships that make it acceptable, in spite of Him. For the ones who are simply unsatisfied with only one person, there is such a thing as Open Marriage that includes more than two people, thereby defiling the entire thing. And for the ones who look for the easy way out, there are prenuptial agreements so that no one is cheated out of his/her possessions. Adultery is a problem. Divorce is commonplace. Working things out is taboo and too hard. This second thing that bothers me so much is the weakening of the commitment and perversion of the sanctity of marriage.

Yes, it is true that God's plan for every marriage is happiness. But...

"Marriage is meant to be a miniature of heaven—a
fragment of the celestial blessedness, let down into
this world.

Marriage is meant to be a little sanctuary, into which
husband and wife may flee from earth's storms and
dangers, where in love's shelter, their hearts fed with
affection's daily bread—they may dwell in quiet peace.

Marriage is meant to be a shelter in which, covered
from the frosts of the world and shielded from its cold
and tempests—two lives may grow together into richest
beauty, realizing their sweetest dreams of happiness,
blending in whatever things are true, whatever things
are pure, and attaining the finest possibilities of godly
character.

Marriage is meant to be a holy ark, floating on the wild
floods of human life—like Noah's ark on the deluge,
bearing to heaven's gates, to the harbor of glory—the
lives which God has shut within its doors.

A godly marriage is a little nook in the very heart of
God, where faithful souls are held close to the Father's
heart, and carried safely, amid dangers and sorrows, to
the home above."

-J.R. Miller
(from The Marriage Altar)

For those who keep it pure, sacred, and holy, when asked the question, "So how is married life treating you?" the response is very different. It also is pure, sacred, and holy: "It is far better than I ever expected. I am now in a place that I could otherwise never be: in the arms of my spouse, like in the arms of my God."

Leia Mais…

Torn

We live in a fallen world. So many things are backwards these days. My wife, Kattie, was channel surfing the other day and came across a weird combination of TV shows -- imagine that! On one channel she saw two women gearing up to go fishing as professional fisherwomen. On the next channel, she saw two men dicing vegetables on their own cooking show. Odd, right? Well, that seems to be quite acceptable, and actually an increasing norm in these days of precautionary political correctness.

It seems that more and more these days, roles are reversed and we wonder why things keep spiraling downward into the erosion of our culture. In contrast to my opinion, some would say that our culture is not eroding, but rather, advancing as people are becoming more and more liberated in their own lifestyles, regardless of the roles that men and women have been designed to carry out since the beginning of time. "We are becoming more sophisticated as a people," they say. We have all of our medical and technological advances, our progressive thinking and philosophy, yet freedom of expression and speech is reserved only for those who are liberating themselves from the captivity of human design. The standard that we once had is now the opposition to the standard we now have.

The influence of the world and the selfishness within it has corrupted our minds and hearts. It has permeated us; thus, we are broken.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
1 John 2:15-17

As people live among each other, there are so many lifestyles, so many choices made, and so many different perspectives of the way things ought to be. Of course, I have my viewpoint. The guy next to me may not share it. Now, I believe that my ethical and moral viewpoints are correct since they align with the Bible, but for me to outrightly impose these views upon the guy next to me in a judgmental, harsh way is to tell him that I don't really love him at all.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.... And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."
1 John 4:7-12, 21

Someone very close to Kattie and I, a true friend, lives a lifestyle that is contrary to the teachings of the Bible, and therefore creates a feeling within us that is inescapable: we are torn. We want to love this dear friend, and hopefully we are, but our hearts break to love someone whose lifestyle is something that will never fully satisfy, no matter how much they hope it will. Their rationale for living this lifestyle is that it "makes me happy." If this is true, then our definition of happiness is far from the actual reality of it. And what's more important anyway: to be happy or to be holy?

The Way of Wisdom

"Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly

The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol."
Proverbs 9

Oh, how easy it is to be enticed by the way of fools! It seems like the world is inundated with so many outlets for foolishness, that the way of wisdom is almost totally covered by the overgrowth of the loudness of Folly. There is homosexuality, abortion, corruption, greed, lust, and the like... But whoever talks about honor, integrity, loyalty, conviction, and conscience any more? It is easy to submit to the weakness of folly, insisting on being simple and lacking sense. It is far more difficult to live in wisdom, with much insight.

But here's the tension: is it folly for a wise person to concede to the foolishness of the fool? In other words, is it okay to say nothing to our friend who is living a lifestyle of folly? Or, is it wisdom to try to convince this friend that these ways are wrong and will deserve a severe punishment if not corrected? Should we impose our convictions on our friend because "it's for your own good"? Where's the balance between standing for what's right and good and loving those who scoff at it? That's a hard question -- perhaps a mystery whose answer only God knows.

Here's what we do... We love them. And it utterly breaks our hearts that the decisions being made are foolish ones influenced by the "desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of possessions" are the fleeting and unfulfilling pleasures of this world. These things are unsatisfying and unsatisfactory. And God is not pleased. Yet He still loves, and is full of mercy. May that very mercy be poured out, so that Wisdom may one day be the way that is followed by the friends we so dearly love. We don't force the absolute standard of the Bible upon them, so as to fuel their scoffing and repulse them from the Truth. Instead, we reply to their questions with the gentleness and respect of that very Truth only when first approached by them. And we love them, praying for them with great hope.

Leia Mais…

On the Way

Another year gone, another one here. The year 2007 was a good one, full of many life-changing happenings. One chapter closed, and another opened. Our time in Morocco came to a screeching halt with the end of the 2006-2007 school year, and we began our hiatus back in the United States in June. After about six months of transitioning, Kattie and I are finally getting back into the American lifestyle -- I think. We often find ourselves nostalgic in our remembrance of great times in Morocco, with great affection for those amazing people that quickly became our friends there. Sometimes we long to be back "home" in Africa, but in the meantime we must wait and prepare to go back in a few years. they say that home is where your heart is. And the years leading up to this one have all climaxed to this point in our lives, which will surely prepare us for and enlighten us to the next steps that we must take.

Surely 2008 will be an important stepping stone in the large scheme of things, that is, the crazy plan that God has for our lives. At the end of this past year, God drew my heart very near to Kattie's and united us in marriage, a very important step in being all the more prepared to return to our calling in Africa. This year will certainly prove to continue these steps in teaching us how to be married and reveal to us where we are being led. For the time being, I will continue teaching in the Portland, OR area and Kattie will continue with the day care, while we hope to return to Texas and Adam's family for a while.

All in all, our lives are the Lord's and everything in them. This is His Kingdom and He will have His way. We just look forward to the amazing things that He will teach and show us along the way. And there will be more life-changing happenings, like the expansion of our families (Kattie's sisters are planning on having more children, Adam's niece is getting bigger, and Adam's brother is getting married in July). A major focus of our time back here in the States prior to our return to Africa will be focused toward enjoying our family. I'm sure it will be good. And then... We're on the way back to Africa. Always on the way...

Leia Mais…

The Greatest Celebration of Them All!

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many
were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God
chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the
strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the
despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify
the things that are, so that no one may boast before
Him." 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Without this effectual call—there is no going to heaven.

This effectual call, is a GRACIOUS call. It is the fruit and
product of free grace! That God should call some—and
not others; that some should be taken—and others left;
that one should be called who is of a more wicked
disposition—while another of a sweeter temper, is
rejected; here is free grace! That the poor should be
rich in faith, heirs of a kingdom (James 2:5), and the
nobles and great ones of the world for the most part
rejected; this is free and rich grace! "Even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in Your sight!" (Matthew 11:26)

That under the same sermon one should be effectually
wrought upon—while another is no more moved than a
dead man with the sound of music; that one should hear
the Spirit's voice in the Word—while another does not
hear it; that one should be softened and moistened with
the influence of heaven—while another, like Gideon's dry
fleece, has no dew upon him; behold here distinguishing,
sovereign grace!

What is the cause of this—but the free grace of God! It
is all enameled and interwoven with free grace!
Those who are monuments of God's mercies, will be
trumpets of His praise. "So that no one may boast
before Him!" 1 Corinthians 1:29
Thomas Watson, "A Divine Cordial"

The single most memorable moment of my life will remind me of this amazing grace of God tomorrow. The third day of December commemorates the seventh anniversary of my re-birthday. It was the moment that the effectual call of God became a reality in my life and His grace began to transform me. Since December 3, 2000, my life has never been the same and I have been led to do things I never imagined doing. I have been a world traveler, I have experienced the most rewarding things a life could possess, I have met and married a wonderful woman, and it all keeps getting better. In the frequent times of distress, I am continually reminded that these sufferings are so slight and small compared to the immeasurable riches that await the followers of Jesus for an eternity to come. I have been graciously been renamed as one of those and can only rejoice in the indescribable grace of God. Tomorrow's gonna be good.

Leia Mais…

Goodness

"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it."
Ephesians 3:19

"The grace of God is the unhindered, wondrous, boundless
love of His heart, poured out upon His people in a countless
variety of ways, without stint or measure--not according to
our deserving, but according to His infinite heart of love! This
I cannot understand--so unfathomable are its heights and
depths! God's love is infinitely tender, and self-sacrificing,
and devoted, and patient, and eager to lavish its best of
gifts and blessings, upon the objects of His love.


Put together all the tenderest love you know of, the deepest
love you have ever felt, and the strongest love that has ever
been poured out upon you--and heap upon it all the love of
all the human hearts in the world, and then multiply it by
infinity--and you will begin, perhaps, to have some faint
glimpse of the love and grace of God towards His people!"
Author Unknown

The reward is here and the reward is to come. I had always hoped to get married, but wasn't sure it would actually happen. Considering God's calling on my life, I often doubted that I would be able to find an equally unique and devoted woman to share my purpose in life. Now it's here. The LORD has crowned me with an amazing wife who shares my passion and zeal to live in Africa long-term. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 18:22 that "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord."

And married life far exceeds my expectations. The wedding itself was a great celebration, but I never imagined how enjoyable being married would actually be. I figured I would learn a lot about selfless living, love, partnership and communication, and cooperation, but in these past three weeks since the wedding, there are no words to describe the depths of spiritual and emotional value that my wife and I have obtained in being together and loving each other. The deepest of connections that has been formed between Kattie and I is something that I have never experienced before and will likely never experience again aside from the relationship I have with Jesus. It's times like last night when the satisfaction of our unification is truly becomes a reality: we were laying in bed together, unable to sleep, when we broke out into songs of praise simply because our God has been so good to us. It was especially enjoyable because my wife didn't even make fun of my dismal singing voice -- it was pure.

Since agreeing to spend the rest of our lives together, Kattie and I have always committed to ourselves and to God that we would be honored to worship God in loving each other. I think that's the greatest part of this whole deal: for those who trust Jesus, all of life is worship. That's why we are commanded to do all things for the glory of God. But what better way to worship than to love someone with all your heart! If this thing called marriage is to represent the way Jesus loves His people, then what an honor it is for us who enter in to such a sacred covenant! We're surely enjoying it, and, by the grace of God, it will only get better. His goodness will continue to prevail.

Leia Mais…

gospel: thrive; flourish = prosperity? huh?!?

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29

“Mysterious ways,” they say. That’s how God works. And it is certainly interesting the way that works. A few examples of creative work in His people are: the Israelites, that is, God’s chosen people, were sent into generations of captivity in Egypt just so that they could be delivered from it – and then there’s the whole parting of the Red Sea thing. Job, a faithful and righteous man lost all his possessions and his health, just so that his faith could be tested and refined. Isaiah ran around naked like a wild man for three years simply to prove a point to Cush and Egypt, and Ezekiel lied down on his sides for over a year as a symbol of punishment for Israel and Judah. Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of their own property in order to donate most of the proceeds to the work of the church leaders, but were stricken down dead because they didn’t give it all away. And there are so many more.

Often times, we don’t know what God is doing or is going to do. It’s His little secret, He doesn’t have to tell us, as He has the right to have those secrets. But the things we do know, the things we have already witnessed from Him, are ours. They are His precedent to us. We can have them, use them, and learn about the character of our God from them. The most important question to ask as the revealed will of God unfolds in our world is, “Why?” It is not the “Why?” that questions God and challenges His infinite wisdom in the way He rules all things. Rather, it is the “Why?” that longs for a deeper meaning and begs for an elaboration on the things that He’s doing and His reasons for doing them. The tone of the question asked is crucial.

The following has already been revealed, and may shed some light on some of God’s “secret things”.

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.

And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.
Deuteronomy 7:6-15

Ah, what hope and what despair! Hope for the one who obeys and despair for the one who rebels. The hopeful part is the piece that makes our hearts feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It makes us smile because it is happy and comfortable and we get a bunch of stuff. But it may be strange for some to hear that God “repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.” When asking the “Why?” question, there are typically two drastically different responses: for the one who obeys God, it is, “God, I trust you, so would you show me what you’re doing?” but for the one who rebels against God, it is, “God, how could you, a good and loving God, let things like this happen to good people?” The first response enables the questioner to possess a patient, hopeful serenity that the second questioner may never attain. Instead, the second questioner may wrestle with anger and resentment toward God. But this ought not be a surprise to us, since every person, regardless of his or her present spiritual condition, at one time has rebelled against God and perhaps asked similar questions full of anger and resentment. It is only by the grace of God alone that the aim of questioning, for some of us, has become different.

It’s far more interesting to me, however, to observe how this plays out in the Western church. The Trinity Broadcasting Network, commonly known as TBN, includes some programming that is often a grossly blasphemous portrayal of the Biblical lifestyle and it honestly makes me sick. By in large, born out of an increasing desire to be entertained through television programming, there is an interesting movement within the church that expects a sort of blessing from God that He owes us. Exploding in the 1980s with the gaining popularity of televangelists, countless people have heard sayings like, “If you’re faithful in giving me your money, God will bless you with a new house, a better car, and your dream career.” In other words, if you pay your “church rent” on time every Sunday, you’ll get rich. It’s the easy-to-understand version of the gospel. It holds all the comfort for which we so deeply long. Well, that sounds like the most ridiculous, counterintuitive thing I’ve ever heard! If we give our money away, doesn’t that mean we are less rich?

This is called the prosperity gospel. The "prosperity gospel" is the teaching that God will reward signs of faith with health and wealth. It is also called "word faith," "name-it-and-claim-it," "health and wealth gospel" and "positive confession." It is most often found among more fundamentalist and evangelical churches, but in the last decade or so has begun spreading among Hispanic and African-American congregations.

Another aspect of this type of teaching is the inherent do-it-yourself mentality. At some point along the way, as if the Gospel could not speak for itself, some so-called Christian leaders got sidetracked and felt the need to “market” Christianity, so that it could be more user-friendly. “Of course,” the underlying idea was, “we consumerist Americans are so independent of anything outside ourselves, we can do anything—alone. We don’t need X’s help to do Y. Why would we need anyone else’s help? That’s absurd!” Now, I can see the value of living an upright life in the sight of God and working hard to get all your stuff together. We don’t want to misrepresent Jesus by living sloppy lives that reflect poor stewardship with what He’s already given us. But it seems that there has been a widespread abandonment of John the Baptist’s philosophy, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Caused by the increasing value being placed on prosperity and success, there has been a lopsided, enormous demand for self-help services permeating the upper-middle class American culture. No longer do we need to be dependent on a God that can create the universe with a mere thought. He is no longer our ever-present help in time of need, because we don’t need help. In the old days of our spiritual forefathers, the Puritans, the people had a firm, solemn understanding that a sovereign God was to be trusted to accomplish all things according to His will, however He pleased. Man’s responsibility was to make much of God, and God’s responsibility was a divinely monergistic work for Him to accomplish that which He saw fit, and He didn’t need man’s assistance, as if God Almighty were somehow incompetent in some way to fulfill His job description. That trend faded into a synergistic philosophy that stated, “If you start the work, God will surely finish it.” Now, it is almost a humanly monergistic work that goes something like this: “I can do it. God wants to make much of me. He wants me to work hard enough to be a better person with a better life and better possessions. So here are my seven steps to help myself attain success and prosperity. God will surely bless that.” Bottom line: we have traded the truth of God for a lie and worshipped created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:21-25).

Needless to say, I have a real problem with this so-called “health and wealth gospel.” My grandmother, who was a faithful follower of Jesus that donated her time and money to the benefit others out of the faith-filled goodness of her heart, never for the purpose of receiving anything in return, died a few years ago when cancer ravaged her body. When I asked the “Why?” question, by the grace of God, I remained hopeful in His perfect purposes for His people, and continued to trust Him as the giver and preserver of my grandmother’s life. If I had truly bought into this prosperity gospel, then I would have been faced with a huge dilemma in my grandmother’s situation: she was faithful for a long time, yet she was dying a slow death full of disease – “God, why is this happening to her? What are you doing? Because she has been faithful, aren’t you supposed to make her rich and healthy? Why aren’t you doing that, God? Better yet, why are you letting this happen to such a good person?”

I know a man that believes in this “name-it-and-claim it” approach, who has an interesting story. He is a good man, an older man, probably in his seventies. A couple of years ago, his niece was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, like any concerned follower of Jesus would do, he called upon his fellow believers to pray with him for her healing. Prayer for healing is a perfectly Biblical thing to do, and every believer ought to do it. But for this man and his equally faithful friends, they expected a complete and total physical healing before everything was said and done, without exception. “Wow,” I remember thinking to myself, “I didn’t know the Holy Spirit could be ordered around like that.” A few months later, she died, and the man was devastated. But I could see it coming. And now this man’s health is deteriorating. I hope that His hope remains in the Great Healer, but not as a comfortable quick healing fix, but as a protector and sustainer of everlasting life, not just this earthly life. God doesn’t HAVE to do this or that for anyone but Himself. He’s God. Of course, He knows our hopes and desires, our needs and pains, but it is His choice how He handles those things. And sometimes it’s a secret to us at the time, only to be revealed in hindsight. Other times, it’s a mystery that we may never uncover. Still other times, He shows us outright what He’s going to do even before He does it. Regardless of how God decides to handle the affairs of the universe, our will can never supercede His will, and never should we have the audacity to try ordering around our infinitely wise Creator. Never will the holy thoughts and perfect plans of God be thwarted.

The most appalling part of all this, though, is the fact that such teaching dilutes the real Gospel so much that it presents a miniscule depiction of the great significance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Reducing the true Gospel to a system of self-promotion and material wealth is perhaps the most severe tragedy of all. When the Biblical version of the condition of a man’s soul is accurately conveyed, the situation in which we find ourselves is far greater than a mere poverty-prosperity paradigm. It is much more urgent, much more desperate.

See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20

To reduce the Gospel down to material riches is to diminish its power. Deuteronomy 30 doesn’t seem to care much about money or material possessions. It’s about obedience, loyalty, allegiance, and honor – to God alone. The possession to which the Bible refers is the everlasting reward that God grants to His faithful people, not the transient, fading, unsatisfying riches of this world. These eternal possessions are things that cannot be taken away by the difficulties of this life or the enemies of God. It is an unshakable Kingdom that He rules, and a faithful covenant that He keeps. To imagine our reward as faithful followers of Jesus as temporal success and wealth in this life paints such a dull, boring picture of God’s power and grace. The eternal riches that await the Faithful far outweigh any sort of riches that can be accumulated in an infinite amount of lifetimes on earth. Moses spoke with great anticipation when the Israelites were approaching the Promised Land. But he never got to taste it. He did get to taste a land far greater than that. The abundant life within the heavenly land that we are to possess is too grand and great and deep and good for us to grasp with our tiny imaginations of the good places we think God has prepared for us with Him for eternity. And it doesn’t include lots of money, big houses, and fancy cars. No self-help seminars are necessary there – we have God’s help then. And He is the one that will cure every disease, wipe away every tear, and give the best gifts we could ever hope for! Prosperity is in the Gospel, but only at the expense of the blood of Jesus, only by the grace-filled faith given by Jesus, and only for the fame of Jesus.

Leia Mais…

What's Our Response?

"Curse God and die" or "The LORD gives and the LORD takes away"? It is the crucial decision that we must make in response to tragedy. Consider the following situations...

A single mother of three earns a hard living as a teacher, often having a difficult time providing both the emotional support and financial support that her fatherless children require. At ten, seven, and five years old at the time of the divorce, many questions loomed over her at the daunting task of raising her children alone. But today, they are all adults and the personification of satisfying joy in her life. The oldest boy is a successful Boys' Basketball Coach and High School Math Teacher, the middle daughter is an incredible married mother of a beautiful one-year-old daughter, and the youngest boy is engaged to be married soon and plans on living a life of service in Africa for the rest of his life. She has reason to be proud: she has done a great job as "Mom." But all of a sudden, as she feels in perhaps the best physical shape in years, she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Why, O God, does this happen? She deserves better, doesn't she?

A faithful husband and father of three teenage boys is adored by his family. He loves his wife as God requires, he teaches his sons to follow Jesus, and displays the goodness of his God in all relationships. He leads Boy Scouts and camping trips with his sons and their friends. He handles the finances of a private American school in North Africa and leads his household well. He makes sure to take care of his wife, taking intentional time to spend alone with her. On top of all that, he's an athlete who runs and plays basketball -- in great shape for his age. And all of a sudden he has skin cancer. How could this happen to such a faithful father, husband, and worshipper of God? Or, rather, why would God allow such a tragedy happen to such a good person?

He was a wealthy family man with seven sons and three daughters, yet he shared his possessions graciously with his friends. Everyone thought him a great man in his day, as he made sure to put upright character and impeccable integrity at the top of his list of valued priorities. In his time and culture, he treated his servants remarkably well and made sure that his friends knew that they were valuable to him. Then one day, out of the blue, a band of violent rebels killed all of his servants, a wildfire burned up all his livestock, and a violent storm destroyed his house with all of his ten children inside. Everything was lost except his wife. Even as the man began to mourn his loss, he became ill with a great sickness, a skin disease that produced boils all over his body. Of all men, should God not reward this one above all? Why does punishment afflict this man instead? What a tragedy!

The preceding true stories are only a few examples of countless situations that seem to create a conflict within the hearts of many people wondering where God is in the midst of difficult circumstances such as these. The first story is the most recent: it is the story of my mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer this past week. The second story is of a friend of mine, Tony, who was diagnosed with skin cancer last month. And the final story is of Job, as described in the Bible.

In such situations, we are faced with a difficult decision to make. I have always observed that people could react in one of two ways regarding these tragedies of life. 1) Become angry with God that he would allow such an injustice to happen or 2) Turn to God as the only source of hope and comfort in such a great time of need. I have seen both take place right before my eyes. The first option is a miserable one to witness. The second option affects a demeanor in the person that is utterly indescribable in the awesomeness of it.

In the first two stories mentioned above, they are still dramas waiting to unfold in the multifaceted wisdom of God. In the final story, since it is a story that is now in the past, I believe we can learn from it.

So here's how it went down in the story of Job... After Job had lost all of his possessions and was now wallowing in the misery of his physical affliction as an outcast, his wife approached him: "Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”" Wow! What a response! A response like Job's receives commendation, as the writer of his biography states, "In all this Job did not sin with his lips." I cannot imagine how Job could have such a reaction to what had just become of his life, if it could still be called that. The only explanation is that the grace of God enabled him to make such remarks, since in and of himself, Job might seem incapable of such profound righteousness and wisdom. It would seem like his wife has a great argument -- but he didn't think so.

Even as Job went on to lament his predicament, and he received shoddy advice from his friends, never did he recant his trust in the sovereign goodness of God. Upon losing his family and possessions, perhaps the most profound and timely words were uttered from Job's lips: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." In other words, "no matter what happens to me, no matter what I gain or what I lose, I will praise God because He is worth it." Relative happiness or comfort was, to Job, of little consequence when it came to the ultimate, supreme, and absolute glory of God. God Almighty is to be blessed, regardless of the calamities that befall us.

I remember the choice that my friend, Shantra, made about a year ago when she was caring for her dying mother -- by all accounts, she blessed the name of the Lord, and it was counted to her as righteousness. Never did she sin with her lips, and God was certainly pleased, I'm sure. But now, at this very moment in my life, my family members and I have this very choice before us. So does Tony and his family, along with countless others who find themselves in similar situations. We must make this choice because a tragedy has befallen us. So I beg the question, What's our response? What choice will we make? My hope is that the same grace that God gave to Job he will also give to me and others like me, that we will bless the name of the Lord, regardless of the tragedies in our lives.

And may the healing of our God be infused into the ailing bodies of those battling life-threatening diseases. To Him be the glory forevermore!

Leia Mais…

Blood on the Altar, or Splatterings of Imperfection -- Stage Two.

Yes, it is true that the demand of righteousness from God would be satisfied by a sacrifice of some other innocent martyr of justice, instead of the guilty party. But the repetition of sacrificing animals has not become the once-for-all sufficiency needed to pay the immeasurable penalty due the sinfulness of men. There must be a necessary better sacrifice.

STAGE TWO -- "Better things have come: The Reality."

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1:17-21

Any time I share with anyone about some of the things that have happened to me in my life, I find myself awestruck at how wonderful it is to truly know God. The drastic constrast between what I deserve every moment of my life and what I am actually receiving is utterly indescribable. Like when I was chatting with a teenager about what I have been doing these last few years -- I seem to be often beside myself as if watching it all unfold in real time, absorbing all of the goodness of God as I describe it as a story. Praise God that she was also encouraged by the tale that He has so graciously woven into my life.

My imperfections, all of my sin, are splattered bright and wide across the sides of the altar of sacrifice. But it is another's blood that covers my sin and pays for it all, that I might go free. Formerly, it was the blood of bulls or sheep or goats. Presently, it has become a much more precious and enduring sacrifice: the Lamb of God. To meditate on the idea of such an act endows a humility upon me that drops me to my face in prostrate adoration of such a holy plan of an all-sufficient God.

The shadow of times past has become the noonday of a brighter existence. The precondition of true freedom, namely, animal sacrifices, has been superceded by the fully-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on His killing stone, the altar of the cross.

Although my own imperfect humanity tempts me to writhe in all of my filth, willingly time and time again, I have yet been ransomed once for all! Wretched man that I am, yet He has foreknown, as the all-wise and all-knowing King of the Ages, that Jesus would set me free. Not only because freedom is what I desperately desire, but so that I may know that He alone is the One that has accomplished it for me. Never did He "help me" to do this or to do that so that I may become a "better" person or free myself. Never could I be able to do such an impossibility! Never could I ever be able to breathe on my own, much less walk, or do anything of any sort of good. But He can. He did. And He does still. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive. No matter how many times I show how imperfect and sinful I truly am, He rises up within me with the all-atoning sacrifice that forgives even the gravest of sins. That sacrifice, Jesus willingly took upon Himself, knowing in advance that I would freely enjoy Him in it for eternity.

Blood well spilt.

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Blood on the Altar, or Splatterings of Imperfection -- Stage One.

He is a God of justice. Altogether righteous and holy, alone He stands. None can endure His presence, severed by the breach of justice that has been so treacherously passed down from generation to generation since the Sin of Adam. Enter the need for Law. Resulting from such a rampant disregard for all things right and good, an instatement of divine authoritative suppression had to be enforced as a basic requirement of men. Finding themselves in desperate need for rescuing, drowning in sin, men have passively longed for peace. So God has made a way for it, and God has given it.

STAGE ONE -- "The Shadow."

Laws for Peace Offerings
"If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar."
Leviticus 3:6-8

Back then, the animals had to pay, lest the entire human race be smitten from the earth entirely. Through that, God extended a little mercy toward men, the firstfruits of His creation. But today, animal rights activists would have you thrown in jail for such an inhumane act. More than just slaughtering animals, though, the early practice of sacrificing for the sake of peace must have had a more meaningful purpose. I think there is something to be said about the idea of shedding innocent blood for the guilty -- and that being the bridge of peace, justifying men before God regarding His righteous requirements. But I it's more than just a "take one for the team" approach...

Most intriguing to me is the rite of throwing the blood against the sides of the altar. What is the significance of that? At first glance, it may seem like shenanigans on the part of the priests in order to brighten up otherwise monotonous ceremonies. But what does such an act truly signify? I'm not quite sure, although many scholars may have their theories.

Here's what I think... I can still remember around this time of year, at the conclusion of Ramadan two years ago, when I was invited out into the hill country of Morocco to participate in the Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al Adha). I remember seeing a lot of blood. It poured from the neck of a squirming sheep, vainly struggling to keep its life. The blood first became a stream and next a pool, then at once it was swept away, gone from that once vibrant life forever. So it was with the sacrifices outlined in the book of Leviticus. But the blood was kept for a reason: a life had been taken, but not without purpose. A remembrance of what once was, but had to be taken, needed to be displayed. A life once existed, but now had been snuffed out by the injustice of another -- and the payment was in blood. So it was kept and splattered across the killing stone, the altar. Smeared in crimson red was the stain of sin, atoned for by the innocent life of an animal. But not without the reckoning of justice in God's hand. God was satisfied, and man was justified -- at least, until the next life would be taken and blood once again thrown against the altar.

So what is the cost for me? How much do I have to pay in order to at least get a glimpse into the righteousness of God? Something has got to give, because God requires justice from me. I mean, that horribly judgmental attitude I had toward that beggar the other day must call for recompense. The constant grumbling and complaining about the details of life require an answer. The outright, blatant disregard for the commands of God and the deliberate sin altogether require a severe penalty on my part. What blood must be thrown? It ought to be my own. But it isn't. By the matchless mercy of God, a substitute has taken my place. But blood has been thrown against the altar nonetheless. The animal rights activists won't let me slaughter an animal, so from whom does the bloodguilt come?

The stain of my sin glares deeply and darkly upon the walls of the altar. Revealed by the confession of my broken and contrite heart, it has been splashed upon those stone blocks time and time again at the beckoning call of God Himself. The list is long. My sin is great. But the burden has been lifted and I have been justified by another's blood.

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