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Posted in Blogroll, Faith, General, God Thoughts, Grace, Remembering, Strength, tagged , , , , , on February 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Last week I was asked to film some running and interviews and be interviewed about exercising. After challenging students to come out for a set of couch to 5K training sessions to be sponsored by the track team, I gave them my challenge: “I have been exercising for over 40 years and here is what I’ve learned: Start now, start small, and start again.” Start now, because if you don’t you probably won’t. Start small and progress slowly or you will probably be overwhelmed and give up. Life is challenging. You get injured or sick or you have responsibilities that prevent you or old habits overtake you and you just sit. Don’t give up; start again. And the next time it happens start again and again until the habit makes it hard to quit.

When I walked away from being interviewed I realized that what I said could readily be applied to many areas of life. The spiritual application is one of perseverance and diligence in the pursuit of relationship with God. Our life with God begins and continues by grace through faith, but we are also urged to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”. (Philippians 2:12-13) God’s work in us results in us working. Our salvation is secure in Him but our sanctification is progressive. If it is reading the Bible regularly or studying it, or praying, or witnessing, or going to church for worship and fellowship: Start now, start small, start again. You’ve given in again to that sinful urge. Your old self wants it and that’s why you did it, but your new life in Christ wants to please Him and wants to break the slavery to sin. It is not just a matter of stop. You need to replace the sinful urge with a godly urge. Practice righteousness. Start now. Start small. Start again. You neglect the best for the alright and easy. Set your priorities in order which includes the best and down time to recuperate from intense activities. Start now. Start small. Start again. Getting in shape spiritually is not so different than getting in shape physically, though really it is because “…discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;  for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (I Timothy 4:7-8) And furthermore, though you should “work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” simultaneously “…it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13-14) And “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Other than that (haha!) they are the same, so start now, start small, and start again. Coupled with the many promises that we “can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) and “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13) and “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1) and “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence,” (2 Peter 1:3), and more, then the least we can do is start now, start small, and start again.

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My God, How Wonderful Thou Art

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Grace, Poem, Song, Work of Jesus, tagged , , , , , on January 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »

The hymn by this name has become one of my favorites over the years because it conveys the holiness and glory of God by transporting the mind to the mercy seat both in the tabernacle and in heaven. The version I have has 5 verses. The original, written by Frederick Faber, has 8 verses: (for a choir rendition, albeit too slow for my liking, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4VtpEu3CDQ)

My God, how wonderful Thou art,
Thy majesty, how bright;
How beautiful Thy mercy seat
In depths of burning light!

How dread are Thy eternal years,
O everlasting Lord,
By prostrate spirits day and night
Incessantly adored!

How wonderful, how beautiful,
The sight of Thee must be;
Thy endless wisdom, boundless power,
And glorious purity!

O how I fear Thee, living God,
With deep and tender fear;
And worship Thee with trembling hope,
And penitential tears!

Yet, I may love Thee, too, O Lord,
Almighty as Thou art;
For Thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart!

No earthly father loves like Thee,
No mother, e’er so mild,
Bears and forbears as Thou hast done,
With me, Thy sinful child.

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.

Father of Jesus, love’s Reward!
What rapture it will be
Prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
And gaze, and gaze on Thee!

As I sang this wonderful hymn, and others, and mused on Psalm 103, more verses came to me. They are not of a quality of the original but I do intend them as worship to God:

He righteous deeds each day performs
Judgments for the oppressed
Compassionate and gracious He 
With love for the distressed

As high as heaven above earth
So great His steadfast love
Is toward all those who fear their God
The God who dwells above

As far as east is from the west
Transgressions He removes
A Father who compassion on
A child who his God fears

For all is peace, my soul at rest
Submitted to His will
Our God is good and great and kind
To know Him is a thrill

One day in heaven we will be
Adoring face to face
But now we see His glory great
Through His redeeming grace

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“The” Prophet

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Grace, Remembering, Work of Jesus, tagged , , , , on December 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »

“But In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.” (Hebrews 1:2) When one spoke for God in times past He was considered a prophet. Jesus taught about God. Jesus revealed hidden things about God. Jesus spoke miracles into existence. For the people who observed these things “Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and, ‘God has visited His people!’” (Luke 7:16) By late in His ministry they were convinced: “And the crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:11) It was certainly true that they were anticipating a prophet. Messianic fever had been rife for many years. When a Roman commander and his cohort seized Paul the Apostle he wanted to know the cause of the riot forming. Knowing the tendency of Jewish people to look for prophets and messiahs he responds to Paul’s request to speak in Greek: “Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” (Acts 21:38) This question also suggests that the people were perhaps looking for a revolutionary, political savior rather than a spiritual one. The spiritual leaders participated in this anticipation and probably incited it, even if not intentionally. When they asked John the Baptizer about who he was, “They asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, No.’” (John 1:21) (underline mine) This phrase, ‘the’ Prophet, arises again: “Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’” (John 6:14) They were most definitely looking for one certain prophet who would come for a specific purpose. The crowds were evidently weighing the evidence for this being the one: “Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, ‘This certainly is the Prophet.’” (John 7:40)

But what specific prophet were they anticipating and for what reason would he be special? Moses was a one of kind prophet, as the Scripture says: “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) But Moses looked forward to an even greater prophet than himself when he said: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. This is according to all that you asked of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ The Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) The Prophet would be similar to Moses but superior in that refusal on the part of anyone to listen to him would be fatal. The people of Jesus’ time were anticipating The Prophet, the great Prophet, who Moses said would come.

Jesus fit the description. He claimed to be the one: “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us. Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’” (John 4:25-26) Jesus did miracles of provision and healing and raising from the dead. He revealed the mystery that He was in fact God and had authority to explain who God is. He had the authority to condemn though He says that He was not the one who would do it: “And Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.’” (John 12:44-50) God said that the one who refused this prophet He would require it of him. Jesus says that the result will be judgment at the last day for not receiving words He pronounced from God the Father. The Prophet has come about 2020 years ago. A mere 30+ years later He died so that we may live and rose so we might rise. This Christmas season receive His words from the Father so that God may require your disobedience in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross rather require it of you for eternity.

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Effort and Empowerment

Posted in Faith, General, Grace, Strength, Work of the Holy Spirit, tagged , , , on November 27, 2016| 1 Comment »

He said, “Do your best and let God take care of the rest.” I had heard this and similar phrases many times, but I went off on a mental tangent of evaluating it in the light of Scripture. I think that I understand the intent of the saying, namely that we have an active part to play in growing righteousness in our life and God completes what is lacking in us. Thus far I have no problem, but I think we may do better in our understanding and representation of the interplay of our effort and God’s empowerment. Toward a theology of effort and empowerment consider the following diagrams with their perspectives on the topic:

effort-empowerment-arrows

The arrows are somewhat self-explanatory, but I want to clarify them for my own benefit and yours. Though, as I said, the #1 was stated with right intentions, I believe that at face value it is really saying that I exert effort to the extent of my ability and then God kicks in for the rest. But the Scripture says,“for in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28), and “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) We cannot even breathe apart from the grace He provides, but the “nothing” here seems to me to be ‘nothing of eternal significance’. As Paul teaches in I Corinthians 3:11-15, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 

I think that #2 is closer to the right perspective. God wants us to be involved and tells us through Paul to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12b-13) Our part is working with God by faith that He provides all we need to obey Him. He is actually the one willing and working and He receives all the glory as only He should. We receive no glory for effort, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (II Peter 1:3-4) The “magnificent promises” and “divine nature” afforded believers far exceed our efforts. For this reason I have the ‘me’ arrow inside the ‘God’ arrow. God is in, through, and around all that we do and amplifies it to a magnificent and divine level, “abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Ephesians 3:20).The result is that “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11) and “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:21)

#3 is not only lazy but detracts from the glory of God by not proving His purpose and plan as revealed in such passages as Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” We are not to be idle. Our flesh will consume us the moment we stop clinging to God and moving forward in the strength He provides, for “the heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Conversely, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

#4 may seem like a statement of working with God, but I have seen consistently that the people who use this phrase are just trying to be good in their own right and have little concern for godliness or God’s glory. He intends and expects of those whom He is saving and the whole world as well that they acknowledge Him in all things: ““Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” (Revelation 14:7) 

Our hearts tend to be lazy when it comes to spiritual disciplines, but I believe that God has ordained that His will is frequently accomplished and His kingdom built by enabling the efforts He orchestrates within us (#5), as we said above from Philippians 2:12-13. So we work hard and bring God glory as you see Paul and the Thessalonians did: “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (I Thessalonians 2:9-12) It is right and proper that we should work hard at spiritual progress in the strength God provides in order that others might be drawn to God and God be glorified.

And with all of this effort, remember that God needs nothing from us and can accomplish His will without us whenever and however He pleases (#6). “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) But He has made us involved in so much of what He is doing, “for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19) For  “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

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Life is Good

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Grace, Strength, Sustaining, Work of Jesus, tagged , , , , , , on November 11, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Yeah, man, my life motto, “Life is Good”, “livin’ the dream!” Good vibes, positive outlook, need plenty of that, right? Not so fast. What about when you are sick and you just lost your job and the dog got run over and taxes went up and there is another war and…you get the idea. So, does that mean life is bad then? Is that what I’m saying? Let’s take a closer look. If the phrase, “Life is Good” was the end of the thought, it has limited utility to help us along in life perhaps, but as used in our society at this time it has modifying thought that follows. This implied extension of the thought is also explicitly stated in places like the “Life is Good” Facebook page. It goes something like this: Life is good because I’m doing what I like and liking what I do. The implication is a totally self focused or humanist view of life and it doesn’t work on several levels. First of all, you can’t always do what you want to. Secondly, in a more narrow sense, if doing what you want to do refers to your vocation, it is an economic impossibility for everyone to have the job of their dreams. And as just pointed out, many times life is hard. The idea may well turn into life is good for some subset of the population for whom everything is falling into place, but that must surely imply that I don’t care what happens to the other half or I think they just need to get their life together, think positive, and make it happen. Or maybe we are being urged to follow blind optimism: Let’s pretend life is good and that will somehow make it better. All of these possibilities seem a bit depressing unless you happen to be riding the wave, and even then it probably won’t last.

Rather than just burst your bubble and leave you hanging, I would like to suggest a more meaningful and purposeful phrase and explain why it is not just wishful thinking: “Life is good because God is good.” Stated this way the fact that life is also at times hard is not ignored or denied. God is working blessings deeper and more lasting. In the midst of hardship God is training us to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6,12) and look for what is honorable, pure, and good (Philippians 4:8). He is building, reserving, and guaranteeing future blessings (1 Corinthians 2:9) that outweigh these present difficulties (Romans 8:18). Through His gifts of goodness to us and as we praise Him we are given value, comfort, and provision (Psalm 34). Our lives are filled with meaning (Romans 8:28) and purpose (Psalm 67:7); He is given glory (John 15:8). These reasons that life is good will seem foolish to those who do not know Him (1 Corinthians 1:18), but I invite you to find the peace, joy, and purpose in serving God through the knowledge of His Son, Jesus (Psalm 34:8; Colossians 1:9-13), for He is the way to God (John 14:6). “Life is good because God is good”, which means that all of life is life gained from God and lived unto God (2 Peter 1:2-4), to His glory and for our benefit.

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Poison Fruit and Root

Posted in General, God Thoughts, God's Word, Grace, Sustaining, tagged , , , on October 2, 2016| 3 Comments »

My pastor taught on Jesus’s warning in the Sermon on the Mount concerning false prophets found in Matthew 7:15-20. He asked, given the teaching of 7:1, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged“, and theme of how to live in the Sermon, why is this passage about false prophets (and teachers) here? He concluded that there is a balance to not being condemningly judgmental in 7:1 that emphasized being discerning and discriminating. False Prophets destroy the church from within frequently before their presence is detected. They must be recognized and ousted. The pastor showed from the passage that they have three characteristics: 1) Inwardly Corrupt (outward appearance with no inward experience), 2) Bad Fruit (coming from deeds of the flesh), and 3) Destined for Destruction (true belief includes growth in righteousness). On the second point the pastor describe a bad tree with bad fruit. As happens on occasions my mind drifted off into a parallel illustration.

Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra (I actually remembered that without looking it up, but I can’t remember people’s names. I have poor skills at people name association.)) is an easy tree to identify in the woods. As you approach it you know what it is before you can discern leaves or bark. Very little grows under a walnut tree. The fruit (really the hull of the fruit surrounding the nut) has a poison that prevents other trees and many herbaceous varieties from growing under it. A tree given wide berth by other trees in the eastern forest is rare. More frequently trunks are quite close and roots intertwine each other if sunlight is sufficient for both. When I arrived home I found that the leaves and twigs, but especially the roots, also have the poison,“juglone” (5 hydroxy-1,4­ napthoquinone) (https://hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-193.pdf). The information I read says that many trees and plants are tolerant to juglone, but my observation in the woods tells me that though tolerant in the sense that their leaves don’t turn yellow or the plant die, the plants do not evidently sprout well under walnut trees since the ground most usually looks almost as if it is mowed.

 The spiritual metaphor here is the same as that of a fruit tree but more caustic perhaps? Green, developing walnuts look nice enough and are certainly abundant. The False Teacher may have the appearances of fruitfulness in quality and quantity, but they inhibit life and growth. And the source is the roots which one source said can poison the ground for several years after the tree is removed. Wow! This happens in churches so that they are still reeling years after the false teachers has been run off. “You have seen their abominations and their idols… so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. (Deuteronomy 29:17-18) And Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (Matthew 12:33-34) May God multiply to His Church the grace of discernment to recognize and biblically deal with false teachers in their midst so that the sheep are not led astray and poisoned. May He strengthen and refresh those churches who have fallen prey to the poison root and fruit of false prophets that have inhibited growth among its members. May God purify us and build us up in the knowledge of Him so that we may worship Him in spirit and truth and share His glory accurately in the world.

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Finish the Race

Posted in General, Grace, Poem, Work of the Holy Spirit, tagged , on July 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

In danger of living as mere men
Calling survival a win
We were meant for more than bear and grin
In our fight with self and sin

But the mundane creeps in day by day
And we lose sight of the way
To walk in the Spirit and to stay
In His Word and ceaselessly pray

To be bold in witness to the lost
Kind, no relational frost
Not by every wind of doctrine tossed
In holy living count the cost

Recall we’re not the vine but the limb
More than conquerors through Him
Each dead work from the vine He must trim
The source of all life is the stem

Walk by the Spirit, quit the flesh race
All of life is lived by grace
At God’s behest and at His own pace
With His help we finish the race

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Testing, Testing

Posted in Faith, General, God Thoughts, Grace, Poem, Sustaining, tagged , , , , on March 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

How could I not be thinking about testing with the situation I was in. But my thoughts went to a different, more significant and substantial type of test- the test of faith. Some days I am trusting fairly well but others I am failing miserably. The thoroughly up side of this type of test though is the guaranteed perfect grade at the end of the term for those enrolled in the class.

Mark it well, this is only a test
Heaven comes after, eternal rest
Now prove the metal of who you are
It's faith in God will carry you far

It's not by works you enter the rest
Nor by your goodness you pass the test
Your goodness comes by God's work in you
Obtained by faith in the Savior true

Not one temptation can overwhelm
When you cling to God who's at the helm
Storms, wind, and hail will batter your boat
The trusted Master keeps you afloat

Saved by grace through faith in Christ alone
Scripture instructs, by this you are grown
God receives praise as only He should          (Solae Quinque)
For God passed your test, He only could

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The Prize of Trusting

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Grace, Poem, Sustaining, Work of Jesus, tagged , , , , , on January 16, 2016| 2 Comments »

I listened to a youtube video as I often do, and this one was titled “Self-Efficacy”. The intent of the video was kind but the result was mistaken and really sad. It explained that “self-esteem is this idea about how you see yourself, how capable you think you are, how happy you are with yourself, but self-efficacy is something kind of different, and its rather important. It’s how you perceive your ability to accomplish something.” The video went on to explain how one must develop self-efficacy to accomplish anything and that no one else can really show you how but only inspire you to try. It went on to say that there are people that use self-efficacy for evil to gain confidence to hurt people. A sad part to me was the realization that all self actualization is bad because it emphasizes and exalts self and ignores or even rejects God. We should have Christ-esteem which then provides us with value because He created us and died for us and enables us. And we should bless His efficacy that enables each one of us to “do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) The most sad part of the video, however, was the inadvertent admission later in the video that the speaker did not know how to bring about world peace even though he thought that it must be emphasized. I can’t bring about world peace either but I know from whence peace comes and whence world peace shall come. We may have peace with God and within ourselves now by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross. That enables us to pursue growing peace with those around us and will one day result in world peace when Jesus returns and sets the world right.

As I mulled over some difficulties within my family recently I concluded that even though life may be difficult at times, it is right and good and beneficial for us to trust God. The following poem came to me as I thought on these things:

Each new day God provides our need
He our bodies and spirits feed
Sometimes it feels like we are starved
It is then we are apt to plead

To call on Him for our supply
Is His command, He will reply
Of delay that seems not answered
Glorifies Him when we rely

Emotions raw so often we cry
Relationships have gone awry
All hope of healing seems removed
Then must we trust Him though we sigh

Good health eludes us though pursued
Accidents happen though we cared
For these struggles so unprepared
Faith does not mean we will be spared

It is then we trust God so wise
Know Him more as each moment flies
Submit, expectations altered
Temporal and eternal prize

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Laying to Rest Thoughts

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Grace, Remembering, tagged , , on December 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

(First Draft, since starting with the completed version might not happen in time)

I am prepared and even enthusiast about living for however much longer God has in mind for me, be that 50 minutes or 50 years. However, the longer I live the less likely I am to live substantially longer. I do participate in some risky behaviors, albeit, thoughtfully, cautiously, and frequently with prayer. And additionally I most fervently hope that me writing this blog just now is not an indication that God is getting ready to take me soon, though I will not object in the least if He does. Rather, I see this blog entry as a bullet on my to do list that has had a few red flags inserted by recent personal events. I want to mention my wishes for my funeral.

The most expensive item first: Bury me wherever is cost effective and convenient for those dealing with my loss. God can resurrect whatever parts and pieces He has ordained to be transformed into my new body from anywhere in this old world from mountain top to ocean depth and a whole lot of less glorious places than that. We respectfully plant bodies (good terminology given what I Corinthians 15 says about perishable seed) because they contained spirits made in the image of God and because those of believers will be resurrected to be in His presence, which is comforting to the mourning loved-ones. An inexpensive casket and what not is sufficient; I’ll assure you it won’t impress me.

I would like to influence several aspects of the service, however.

Primarily, focus on the Savior; I certainly will be. I have too few earthly accomplishments of merit with which to praise the Holy One. I do have this: grace. God has imparted grace to me in salvation, in living, in family, in provision of every talent, possession, happiness, pursuit, safety, knowledge, or any other thing you can think of He provided me with. Speak of His grace, sing of His grace, pray about His grace, urge hearers to partake of His grace.

One area of grace in my life was a love and desire to know and live by God’s Word (you can argue later about how I didn’t do either; the point is God gave this poor sinner so much). So please sing “How Firm A Foundation”. I have sung all 7 verses with a congregation before. They are very appropriate for this situation. Why are you in such a hurry, I’m not going anywhere? At least sing the first two, please.

If you think you are leaving this place (Earth, I mean) without the help of Jesus, you are headed the wrong way; reconsider now. I know where I’m headed and why, and I want you to hear about it at my funeral. Please sing all four verses of “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less”. If you cry, let it be because you understand just how deep His grace is reaching to secure your eternity. It is not your effort, not your rock solid faith or piety; it is the rock solid faithfulness and power of Jesus on your behalf, enabling you to believe, continue to believe, and improve in your living.

If you will tolerate singing yet a third hymn, let it be “My Hope Is In The Lord”, or a fourth hymn, sing “Praise The Savior”. These complete my list of most favorite hymns, though my children should know that I had many “favorite” hymns.

Read from I Corinthians 15. If someone is available who can or will, preach on it, especially the depth of witness to the event of the resurrection (verses 3-11), the reason it matters (verses 12-18), and Christ’s resurrection (verses 20-28). If time allows speak about the first and second Adam (verses 40-49) where you cannot neglect to bring in Romans 5 about justification by faith. If you see nodding off or rolling eyes, just tell them that I was dying to hear one more time about all that Jesus has done for me and them. No, actually, don’t mention half of what I’ve said in this blog. It may be a solemn occasion even if a celebratory one, owing to my home going.

If you want to read other Scriptures, some suggestions include Genesis 1 since by God’s grace I have always believed that God created the heavens and earth in six literal days, all the more as the scientific evidence pours in. Read from Revelation 21 and/or 22. The last chapter fortifies the weakest of faith. He is coming again; we can persevere by His enabling power and faithful Word through the Spirit we are given. Hold on.

A good call to worship to God, for that is what I hope my funeral will be, one of my favorite passages is Hebrews 1:1-4, though you don’t have to stop at verse 4.

I know this is getting a bit long and will have to be cut down, but I so love Hebrews 4:9-16. Please don’t be afraid to give a bit of commentary on each of the verses I have suggested so that God might powerfully move in the hearts of the faint-hearted and the lost. I am at my rest because Jesus didn’t rest until He had finished His work on my behalf (II Corinthians 5:21). How could you neglect to read a few verses from II Corinthians 5 at a funeral? Maybe I should just write the sermon and put it in a blog entry for you to print off and read. Perhaps, but probably not, because it would be better if the Spirit spoke to that crowd on that day. At some point I may well organize this rambling list of desires for my funeral into a more coherent service. I hope that you (the organizer) will not neglect this list out of hand. Blessings to you in the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord.

If you want to read something I wrote, perhaps one of my better poems about God and our life in Him would be in order. Pick as you may, but here are some suggestions based on appropriateness or value: “Trust Is Your Rest”, “The Why”, “But a Few of His Benefits”, “Our Demise”, **”Ichthus Rhyme”, “First Cause”, “A Servant’s Ambition”, “Just Sayings”, **”Eyes on Things Above”, **”A Need To Create”, “Advent Colors”, or

God’s grace is my comfort and rest

My strong tower in the midst of test

While I trust Him I shall prevail

Raised from the dead without fail

Man, did that list get carried away. Pick one or none, but read Scripture and sing hymns.

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Work With God

Posted in General, Grace, Poem, Strength, tagged , , on December 12, 2014| 1 Comment »

A third grandchild has arrived. It is time to praise God and plead mercy for the child. I pray that God might graciously answer my prayer:

Matthias gift of a gracious Lord

Come early to know your Savior God

That He may mercy to you afford

In the life ordained you run and trod

Knowing the path He gives to you

 

Spurgeon a flower of healing be

As the Prince of Preachers know God’s Word

Live it and speak it so others see

The Gospel and God’s glory be heard

That others taste His goodness through you

 

Francis a freeman by Providence

A slave to righteousness may you be

Soldier in step with Master’s cadence

To challenge fly, from temptation flee

The Lord’s will and work be done in you

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Ritual or Relationship

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Grace, Remembering, Sustaining, tagged , , , , on August 30, 2014| 1 Comment »

It is a common response among some Christians these days to say that their faith is not a religion as the other belief systems have it but a relationship with the Creator and Savior. I heartily agree with this distinction  because God has initiated relationship with us through the saving blood of His Son, Jesus. Other faith systems are religions whereby the adherent attempts to acquire some semblance of relationship with a deity by acts of ritual. Therefore, religion is marked by ritual, most notably rituals of appeasement. Any casual observer as well as the skeptic will be quick to point out that Christianity also has ritual. A little reflection will quickly reveal that most of that ritual is human generated. But even apart from that there is the prescribed ritual of the Lord’s Supper and  Baptism. So how is it that I am claiming that  Christianity is different? 

In many respects related to the topic at hand I must confess that it is no different though it is supposed to be. What I ambitiously desire to do in a few words is describe how it should be different, how it is not, and how it may regularly be transformed into different when it falters into same ‘ole, same ‘ole. My thesis is that unbelievers among the skeptic, disinterested, and nominal Christian, as well as the carnal Christian and devoted believer are constantly in danger of practicing religion through ritual because they are deceived (some as a persistent condition and others as a periodic pitfall) into believing that we must appease the gods or God in order to gain their or His favor.

True relationship must have forms and norms, which may be seen as ritual, but the point is not the ritual or any attempt at controlling or appeasing the one with whom you are interacting (for if it is the relationship has problems which will appear now or later). For instance, we say hello and good-bye, shake hands or hug, address our elders as Mister or Missis, and any number of things to be polite and show respect as demonstrations of love in order to build up the relationship.  Formalities keep relationships appropriate and prevent misunderstanding and hurt.

As regards relationship with God, we must approach Him in reverence and in appropriate ways both because He is worthy and because He is not to be trifled with at peril to ourselves. But He has initiated the relationship and provides all that is needed to maintain and grow it. We can do neither and should cease trying both because we never can and because it is an affront to His provision of grace, an act of unbelief.

So as it should look, the Lord’s Supper or Baptism are relationship building activities that draw us and onlookers closer to God, not through appeasement but by focus on Him, listening to what He communicates to us through prayer, and His word and what we communicate to Him through worship and obedience. Other forms of worship like listening to the Word preached, singing or hearing singing, musing on His Word or His beauty as revealed in Creation, confessing sin, interacting with others about the things of God in fellowship are forms for getting to know God better, telling others about Jesus, and serving others.

Here is where the ritual may creep in or always be present. At any point we believe the lie that we must appease or control God or get lazy (complacency!), we counterfeit relationship by doing ritual. The activities we are involved in may be the very ones God commands and may be the very ones that brought blessing by growing our relationship with God last week or yesterday, but we have fallen back on the way that is easier for the flesh, that old sinful nature within, going through the motions- ritual! The unbeliever knows no other way; the carnal believer knows too little of the blessing of relationship with God; the devoted follower is blind-sided by inattention to the things he knows to do and avoid that build or destroy intimacy with God, respectively.

The solution for all comers is the same. Repent! Your sin is unbelief. No amount of ritual will ever draw you closer to God. If you do not know Him, then meet Him through the introduction of faith in what Jesus did on the cross to forgive you for your sin. Getting to know Him is wonderful. If you know Him already quit trying to manipulate the relationship by performing ritual; repent and again seek to know Him. It will bring peace to your beleaguered soul.

Then be alert for the Lie that you can make a go of it on your own, a lie nearly as old as the Garden of Eden where Satan proposed it. Better to pause from spiritual activity rather than continue in ritualistic persistence. Don’t use this as an excuse to continue in an undisciplined way, not pursuing relationship with God. Pause instead to regain passion for the pursuit through the prayer of repentance. Then seek the ancient paths that Jeremiah speaks of  to follow after your God.

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Always Free?

Posted in Cultural commentary, General, God Thoughts, Grace, Poem, Remembering, tagged , , , , on July 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Worked, played, napped, read, ran, and just now I sat on this cool, exceptionally clear summer night listening to the distant fireworks of my small town. How could freedom not come to mind, but I’m concerned. As the rockets burst 10 blocks away my thoughts went to how freedom is abused and misused:

Always free to do what is right

In dungeon dark or Main Street bright

Don’t take license and act the fool

For righteousness use God’s gracious tool

Or else He’ll take it from us all

And great will be this nation’s fall

Which once so brightly shone for good

Frequently for justice it once stood

Not without fault or blemish there

But most citizens gave a care

Whereas now we say right is wrong

Parade evil in our law and song

Oh, once free land turn back to God

Give freedom more than a yearly nod

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That’s What I’m talkin’ ’bout

Posted in Beauty, General, God Thoughts, Grace, Sustaining, Work of the Holy Spirit, tagged , , , , , , on June 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It was what church should be: lively discussion about the truths of God’s Word, challenging preaching that conveys God’s truth, hugs and handshakes, words of encouragement, a little extra effort to reach out to the hurting among us, words to get one thinking and rethinking, offers and procedure for help, appointments to get together later in the week to further the effect. God used my brothers and sisters to bless my wife and me both in terms of ministry offered to us and ministry offered for us to do. Was it perfect? Certainly not. Was it Spirit-led? More than I’ve seen in quite a while. Was it encouraging? Very. Was it an indication of things to come? Hopefully and in the longer term, absolutely. Was it a fluke? Not if we continue praying as I know for a fact was happening this past week. It reminds me of a quote we heard in VBS this past week: “Our good is for God’s glory; God’s glory is for our good.” I give Him the glory for all that He is doing at His church in this locale and know that it will in turn be for our best. May it draw others in to hear and taste the Gospel.

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Of His Grace

Posted in General, God Thoughts, Grace, Sustaining, Work of the Holy Spirit, tagged , , , , on June 6, 2014| 1 Comment »

Partakers of grace by God’s decree
Participators in grace freely
Profoundly touched by His sovereign grace
Provides, motivates to run the race
 
Manifold grace for every challenge
Manifest grace on Spirit’s works hinge
Modeling character of God’s grace
Molded by His image we embrace
 
God’s grace worked out through His providence
Good gifts and guidance in evidence
Gone is condemnation and sin’s rule
Goal Christ’s likeness as with flesh we duel
 
On God’ grace through each day we will rest
Onslaught in the battle of each test
Ongoing refinement of this jewel
One day glory when Christ comes to rule
 
Philippians 1:3-14 seems to me to be saying that partakers of grace are participators in grace.
The God who decrees and predestines us to receive grace also enables and guides us in the living out of grace.
 

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