oasisCHURCH

Jesus' Seven Statements from the Cross

One thing we know about the crucifixion of Jesus from reading our Bibles is that while he was hanging there during those 6 hours on Friday, he spoke a few words. We often talk about a person's dying wishes, or their last words just before death. Usually a person's final words before death are important, key moments to remember.

Likewise, it has been a tradition in some churches to use the seven statements of Jesus from the cross in Good Friday services, where the members will take some time to reflect on the particular aspects of what Christ said during the last hours of his earthly life (or better said, the last hours before his death by crucifixion; as we know and believe, Jesus died but he returned to life again).

So this week we are going to do something similar. We are going to reflect on those seven statements made by Jesus during his time on the cross. I have invited seven different Oasis members to read, ponder, study, and write a few brief thoughts about one of those words in particular. Every day this week there will be a new post here, focusing on the word of the day, and leading us to the culmination of what is known as passion week, the greatest event in human history, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We hope you will be inspired, challenged and edified by each of these daily devotional thoughts this week.

Taking Jesus With Us

I was reading an article online and wanted to share it with you all. Like many of us, I often over-analyze how I come off to people with my faith. Sometimes I get in a word. Sometimes my intent is to get in a word with a stranger or an acquiantance or co-worker. Most of the time I either don't intervene or maybe just pray for someone thats on my heart. Should I always sit back and let Almighty God bring 'em to me? Should I always be trying to influence others verbally that I come into contact with? These are all struggles that Jesus followers can have when trying to put our "obedience from faith" (Romans 1) into practice.

Take a look:

http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1857

I can relate to the author's final thoughts of questioning whether he said or did enough. When I think of the people I feel that I had no impact on in my feeble attempts to be a witness for Christ, I am reminded of Paul in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthains 3:6

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."

If we shut our eyes in fear, shame, or apathy even, we are not being the salt and light of the world. Paul understood that in his passion for lost people, he had limits. He needed to stay balanced and stay prayerful; yet he did not refrain from boldness when called upon. Most important, he let God lead him in his encounters. In every moment, we need to depend on God for his leading with strangers, our co-workers, our friends and relatives--our spouses and our children. Even those people we measure against our silly sense of justice and conclude that they aren't really deserving of our time or prayerful consideration. Its my prayer that I can see people more clearly as Christ does.

All-Stars Baseball vs. Church

This weekend begins a 4-week season of All-Stars Baseball for our 8 year-old son. Brock was actually selected to play on an All-Star team last year, but this year we have had more time to prepare and discuss all of the issues of being on a traveling all-star baseball team. The first and most obvious issue for a Christian family is the dilemma of every tournament being played on weekends. Typically the way an all-star tournament goes is like this: on Saturday all the teams play one another in a "round robin," and according to their records from those games they are seeded in a tournament, which is played on Sunday. The reason this can be a dilemma for Christian families is because tournament games are often played out of town, or could even be scheduled during the morning hours, the same time as most church worship gatherings.

I have chosen to title this article "All-Stars Baseball vs. Church" because it states the tension that so many Christian families have faced over the years of playing sports, taking vacations, going to band or cheer competitions, or any number of different community activities family members have been involved in. Traditionally, whenever anything caused us to consider missing a worship gathering or church meeting many families have been made to feel as though the event they were considering and the church meeting were two things that were against one another. Thus the title "All-Stars Baseball vs. Church." This brings up a very interesting conversation. One that I have been having for several weeks as this year's all-stars season has approached. There are a few other Christian families on Brock's team this year, and together we have been discussing this "dilemma," which has caused us to come up with some very creative ideas for how to help alleviate the felt tension among families who desire their children to be able to participate in other community activities while also honoring Christ and glorifying God in all they do. Here are some thoughts to consider.

Probably the most common answer to this dilemma is to simply state a hard line of right and wrong when it comes to church attendance. For instance, in my youth this question seemed to be a no-brainer: where a person was on Sunday morning was the ultimate test of their loyalty to Christ. Everyone who was truly committed to Christ was expected to be at church regardless, and would be considered a hero of the faith for making the choice to miss a baseball game in order to attend the church meeting.

The problem with that line of thinking is that it puts "being at the church meeting" at such an elevated proof or evidence of faith in Christ, when in fact there are many who attend church meetings faithfully yet have no faith. Therefore we must be careful of saying there is only one right answer to this so-called dilemma. To do so would be dangerously close to a legalistic view of church attendance, and could possibly lead someone down a similar path of the Pharisees, who praised such acts over true and living faith. As you have heard me say many times over the past 4 years, we are called to BE the church, and to live out our faith and glorify God wherever we happen to be, and in whatever we happen to be doing. I would rather see a person of active, living, daily faith in Christ miss a church meeting than see a person come to every meeting of the church but show no evidence of faith any other day of the week.

On the other side of this discussion is the fact that while it is important to live and be part of the world as believers in Christ, it is vitally important that we regularly gather with other believers in a community of faith for our strengthening, encouragement, and spiritual nourishment. To habitually neglect this at the expense of community activities or personal vacations is just as wrong.

As those of you who know me know, I am not interested in old legalism. I have missed church meetings here and there in order to attend games I am coaching or to be with my kids who are playing. But there is also something about the discipline of church attendance (actual participation in a family of faith—the kind of thing that gives Hebrews 10:24ff life!) that is vital. We believe that we’re forming a certain kind of person through such disciplines as this. And it is our hope that our children see our regular attendance at church meetings as not a ritual we keep, but a healthy part of the formation of our lives as believers in Christ.

Someone once attempted to quote me a couple years back and said they heard me say: “God doesn’t care whether or not you attend church.” I never recall saying exactly that, and I hope none of you have ever processed anything I have said in that way. The fact is, I do believe God is very interested in our commitment to be with other believers in a community of faith. What I do not believe is that He is keeping a record of church attendance, from which we will be rewarded as heroes of the faith.

I understand the frustration we have all experienced with old legalism. But we must also be just as careful to not say that this spiritual discipline, this matter of community, this place of being intentional about regularly worshiping and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in the faith, does not matter. It most certainly does.

I know that April and I want to be sure that the message we are sending to our children is that God is a priority in ALL of our lives, whether Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or etc. Church meetings are obviously a priority because we have created a regular habit of attending. But more importantly, they know that God is a priority because we have created regular habits of honoring God in a variety of ways: at meal times, at bed times, while driving in the car, while going to school, while on the gymnastic floor, while on the baseball field, etc. and etc.

We are most certainly thinking about priorities, and we are also thinking about the larger understanding of spiritual formation. Our deepest hopes for our son and daughter have nothing to do with playing baseball, cheerleading, or even going to church. Our greatest hopes for our children is that they will develop genuine, living faith in Jesus Christ.

Just 15 years ago, the decision to “miss church” for a ballgame would have been a no-no for me. As I have continued growth in age and in the Lord, I have grown to see church through the lens of relationship—being a way of life, a people—rather than a meeting that happens once a week at a particular place or building. BEING the church means that we are the church—and not a time slot on Sunday morning—which means being the church could happen at the baseball game just as well.

IMPORTANT: do not hear me saying, “Everything is church,” because I am a firm believer in attending regular assemblies with a common Christ-community for worship, Bible teaching, and communion. But these kinds of activities in our lives that we often deem as “in conflict” with church, I believe actually provide us opportunities to teach a deeper lesson about the essence of “church.”

This Sunday morning before I come down to our Oasis worship gathering I will be hosting an All-Star team worship gathering/Bible-study/prayer meeting at the shelter house in the park in Athens at 7:45am. Then, the team will play a game at 9:00am, which I will attend for the first hour. Then I will leave the rest of the game to my assistant coaches and drive down to be with my Oasis family and preach from James chapter 1. After that gathering I will go back to Athens and be with the team for the remainder of the tournament.

Choosing to be involved with the All-Star team the way we are (as a coach and having our son play) has provided us with some wonderful conversations with other brothers and sisters in Christ (who also have kids on the team) regarding church and faith in Christ, and it has even given me the opportunity to answer questions from some who are not yet believers in Christ. I am looking forward to how the next 4 weeks may in fact provide our family with an opportunity to be a witness for Jesus.

I pray that this article will be helpful as you process these kinds of things in your own family. I know that there are a number of varying opinions on these issues, and I respect others who may stand in a different place. Not everyone faces these kinds of issues. But if your family is one that is involved in sports or any kind of community, school activity or group in the world there is a good chance you will be faced with the same "dilemma" at some time or another. Just fill in the blank: "__________________ vs. Church." My hope is to convince you that it does not have to be a hard line one way or the other. Remove the "vs." from the title of this article, and replace it with an "AND." And... "whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

A Word about Virginia Tech

All week I have been thinking, pondering, contemplating, and praying about how I should respond to the dreadful evil events that unfolded on Monday morning at Virginia Tech University. Like you, I have probably asked many of the same questions: Why? Did God allow this? If so, why would He? How does this fit with a biblical worldview of a Sovereign God? These are all good questions. And we ask them because they are desperately needed by our human minds in order to try to piece together some sort of rationale for what took place. But in the end we will undoubtedly be left with the conclusion that these kinds of acts are purely irrational. There are no “reasonable” explanations. And the conversations and various responses we hear and see all around us are very revealing of the worldviews we hold. Your response to tragedies like these reveals your worldview, and your view of God.

Perhaps the oldest and most asked question of Christian theology is “Where was God during this tragedy? How could God allow evil like this to happen?” It always comes up at times like these. And it always has come up throughout history whenever evil, tragic events rock our world. In fact these questions go all the way back to the Bible. The questions are asked all throughout the book of Job. And they are asked throughout the gospels in conversations Jesus had with his disciples. It is an age-old question. It is the question of evil. And it always rears its head whenever evil manifests itself in such a dramatically horrifying manner such as at Virginia Tech.

As with any evil that manifests itself in our culture, the terrifying evil of the killings at Virginia Tech bring us face to face with the reality of all human evil. Biblical Christianity does not duck the question of the problem of evil. Christianity faces this challenge honestly, and acknowledges the horror of moral evil and its consequences. The Bible never shies away from assigning responsibility for moral evil. Human beings are capable of committing horrible acts of violence, wickedness, cruelty, and killing.

Here is a paraphrased summary of Dr. Albert Mohler’s On Faith article in the Washington Post from this week that I thought was very insightful and on the mark:

The Bible locates the problem of moral evil, and points directly to the human heart. As the prophet Jeremiah reflected: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). In taking moral evil seriously, the Bible affirms that we (human beings) are responsible creatures. Our Creator will hold us fully accountable for our actions. All are sinners. Some sinners embrace evil more explicitly than others—leading to horrors such as these killings on a university campus.

As author C. S. Lewis so powerfully reminds us, we must trust that God's perfect justice will destroy evil and reset the moral equilibrium of the universe.

A central principle of the Christian faith is the claim that, on the cross, Jesus Christ willingly suffered the full force of evil, even unto death—and that in raising Christ from the dead, the Father vindicated Christ's victory over sin, death, and evil.

The Virginia Tech horror reminds us all what human beings can do to each other. The cross of Christ reminds us of what Jesus did for sinners in bearing the full punishment for this evil.

Christianity does not deny the reality of evil or try to hide from its horror. Christians dare not minimize evil nor take refuge in clichés (i.e. “God is in control”). He certainly is, but we must be willing to acknowledge how God is in control and how God has responded to human evil. Additionally, we cannot accept that evil will have the last word. The last word will be the perfect fulfillment of the grace and justice of God. We know this promise from God’s Word. And we trust in it and live by it.

In the meantime, we are witnesses to the true nature of moral failing and tragedy such as the killings at Virginia Tech. We mourn with those who mourn, and weep with those who weep.

None of us can truly know the pain and suffering of these victims and their families? Even now as I pray for those who grieve and suffer, I place my confidence in the assurance that God will bring all things to the perfect conclusion of his judgment. Without this confidence, how could I make sense of what certainly appears to be senseless evil and violence?

Does this still not answer your question of how can I believe in a God who would allow something like this? What answer will satisfy that question? One thing I know for sure, and I will stand by this regardless of what evil I see in the world or even experience personally. And that one thing is: God is GOOD. He is so good that it’s not as if he measures up to some external standard of goodness—He actually determines what goodness is just by being who He is. God is love. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. And you may even hear some Christians try to wiggle out of this question by suggesting that God is not omnipotent—meaning, God did not have any control over this circumstance. He is omnipotent. He is in control of all things. God is the creator and He is ultimately responsible for all things, either by making it happen, ordaining it to happen, or allowing it to happen. He is omnipotent and sovereign.

So if He is truly omnipotent, then how can He be good? It would seem, in our minds that a truly good God who was also omnipotent would never allow something like this to happen. I will again say what I said above. The Bible hits every single one of these issues head-on. On every issue that deals with this problem of evil, the Bible never flinches. It tells us that God is omnipotent and in control of His creation. It tells us that God is good and in Him there is no evil at all. And it tells us that we (his creatures) are responsible and will be held accountable for the evil we do.

There is such a clash of worldviews out there, and you have undoubtedly seen, read, or heard them. For instance, the Christian scientists say that there is no evil at all. There is no sickness. It is all just an illusion. Well, those students and families in Blacksburg, VA know all too well that evil is not an illusion. I remember hearing one preacher address the question, why do bad things happen to good people by saying this: “Look, God is good, but He is not in control of all these evil events (translation: God is not omnipotent). He is doing the best He can under the circumstances. He tries his best to make good come out of the evil we choose to do, but it is not always possible. In that case He is always ready with ‘plan B’ whenever ‘plan A’ fails.” Open theists offer similar answers: “God is ultimately resourceful; He’s just not completely sovereign.” In other words, we cannot blame God for this because God could not have prevented it.

All of these are efforts to keep people from blaming God for evil events. For many, the only way to make sense of the answer that God is not to be blamed is to suggest that God could not have done anything about it. For if He could have controlled it, then He would be to blame. And if He is to blame, then He is not good.

The problem with all of this rationale is that it is completely antithetical to the Bible. The Bible says He is in control. The Bible says He is good. There is no “Plan B.” The Lamb—who was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8)—is, was, will be, and always has been “Plan A” for the problem of evil. God is not shocked or surprised by the events of this world. God is not stunned or taken aback by our actions. And God’s plan is not thwarted by evil. God’s will has never been thwarted by man’s evil. The story of Joseph teaches us that clearly. God did not just use the evil actions of Joseph’s brothers, the Bible says that God “meant” for Joseph to be sold for “good” reasons according to God’s redemption plan (Genesis 50:20).

So, God ordains and/or allows all that comes to pass. Within that omnipotent sovereignty you will find man doing evil. The distinction that we must make in our understanding of biblical theology is that God did not ordain the evil but “allows” it because it is going to bring about the good will of God. This is consistent throughout the full counsel of God’s Word.

For example, Judas was not forced by God to betray Jesus. But God allowed Judas to act like Judas (an evil sinner) because God’s will of the cross would be thus fulfilled. In order for Judas to act like Judas all God had to do was cease from restraining the evil in Judas’ heart. Thus, God did not create the evil, Judas did.

As you can probably see by now, I for one believe that God is not a casual observer in His own universe. He does not sit idly by with His hands tied and watch the events of His creation unfold, wishing He could do something about it but either not having the ability to or restraining Himself from interfering. That is not the God that is described in the Bible. He is the Lord of all that He has created.

But, He has done something very interesting with human beings. He created us as moral creatures. If you go back to the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis, you will see that God created Adam and Eve as moral creatures, in His image. What it means to be created in God’s image is to be creatures who have moral capacity—to do good and to do evil; to obey and to disobey. The whole story of the fall of humanity had to do with this very issue of evil: they did evil rather than good. They disobeyed rather than obeyed, and it came with consequences. One of the consequences of their sin (Adam and Eve) is that for all of us in the human world, sin is a very real threat, evil is an all too real reality. And the fact of the matter is that we do not have to look very far to find horrific acts of this evil.

Just looking at the many photos and video captures of the faces on the campus of Virginia Tech University tells us that human beings know all too well the face of moral evil. The biblical Christian response to this, as well as to any tragedy, is to affirm that God is sovereign and Lord over all; that God is good, absolutely righteous. And that God has made us as moral creatures, capable of doing great good and great evil. And the sad story of human sinfulness is that we so often choose the evil rather than the good. The Bible doesn’t say that some people are sinners, but that all are sinners. But there are some sinners who give themselves unreservedly with abandon to their sin, and that is the only explanation for what took place on Monday morning in Virginia.

And the only HOPE to find in what took place is that God, who is ultimately good and sovereign, is working together in this evil—as well as in all the evil we experience—for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.

Whenever something like this happens in our world it tends to put Christians on the stage with onlookers saying, “Okay, how will you respond?” It certainly puts us on the spot. And so my word to you is this. Respond with truth. Respond with grace. Respond with the compassion of Jesus Christ. Respond ultimately with the Gospel. And most of all I would exhort you with this: to respond with a theology that is honoring to God rather than with one that simply makes us feel better. Do not be quick to rationalize in order to make sense of evil. Hold fast to the timeless truth of God’s Word. To me, the theology of a sovereign, holy, omnipotent, loving and good God is the most comforting thing there is. To know that we have a Lord of lords and a King of kings, whose supremacy reigns over all people, all events, and all circumstances; that is what helps me rest and have joy even in times of tragedy. Because I trust Him; even when it is difficult to accept the events and the results of the evil in the world. I trust Him.

Even if just a little, I hope you feel more equipped to converse with your friends and co-workers on this. Do not overlook the incredible opportunity you may have to be a witness to the truth of the Gospel as a result of this event.

May God bless you this week, church.

"Good Friday" - What Makes It Better Than Other Fridays?

Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! That is why we must look at the crucifixion with eyes to see a dimension deeper than the surface. On the surface it looks merely like a brutal beating and a cruel, undeserving death. But as believers, we know why the events of this day are called GOOD. Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

This morning I was talking to my son Brock about Good Friday, explaining what it means to us. He asked me, "So, where would Jesus be around this time of the day when he died?" It was 9:00am, and so I replied, "He would be hanging on the cross, with people gathered around looking up at him, some yelling insults, some spitting in his direction and mocking him. But his mom and his closest friend were right there watching. Can you imagine watching someone you love very much die like that?" Hardly seems "good" doesn't it.

In contrast to all of the GOOD that has come as a result of Christ’s obedient and selfless death on the cross, this Friday was certainly the darkest day the world has ever seen. And while our hearts are heavy because Jesus had to die this day this way, (as a victim of capital punishment, abandoned by his friends, betrayed, mocked, etc., all of which stands to remind us of our fickle faith), we are full of awe of the love that God has for us. And we approach Good Friday with thankful hearts because we know that THE DEATH WE COMMEMORATE THIS DAY ENDED IN RESURRECTION.

I look forward to celebrating this event with you at this Sunday’s Oasis gathering.

Backseat Bible Lesson

Normally on their way to school each morning April prays with and for the kids, but this morning their trip came complete with a drama and live sermon illustration along with their prayer. Here's how it went down.

Just down the road about a quarter of a mile from our house in The Plains there is a new home being built, and this morning the concrete was being poured. The concrete truck was in the road, taking up the lane April was driving in. But because it is not a busy road, April checked to see if any cars were coming, and when she saw there wasn't, she slowly began making her way around the concrete truck. Suddenly, she began to hear a man screaming and yelling his head off, using profanity and all sorts of colorful language, so she stopped. Apparently this fellow was on the sidewalk and he was there to direct the traffic, in plain clothes, with no flag or any signal whatsoever to indicate he was there to direct. So April rolled down her window and began apologizing, saying that she did not realize he was directing traffic. But this man continued his rant, calling my wife a barrage of inappropriate names while my 8-year old and 6-year old were sitting in the backseats listening. Finally, she drove off (albeit remembering the company name on the side of the concrete truck).

When she called me to tell me about it I asked her how the kids reacted. She said they were a little freaked out that he was calling her the names using the "F word" and "S-H word" as Brock put it. April herself wasn't affected much. She's become pretty resilient. After years of ministry she has learned to take insults well, so she's had plenty grains of salt. LOL.

The best part is what just happened a few minutes ago. When we went upstairs to read the Bible and pray with Brock and Kaylee I asked them to tell me about what happened this morning. Brock told me his version of the story, and then he said, "Mom prayed for that man on the way home from school today."

I asked, "Do you know why she did that?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Because of the Golden Rule?"

"Well, sort of," I said. Then I opened up to Matthew chapter 5 and read these words:

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."

I told him that the reason why his mother prayed for a man who shouted profane words at her and called her all kinds of awful names is because his mother loves Jesus and desires to honor him. And the way we can best honor Jesus is to do what he tells us to do in the Bible. If we really love Jesus then we will do what he says. It is common for everyone else to yell back, or to call names, or to try to have such a man fired from his job. But we are called to live and to behave differently from everyone else in the world. And when people see our actions and ask why, it gives us an opportunity to glorify God even more by sharing with them that He is the motivation for our desire to bless even though we have been persecuted.

So my kids learned a new word today (well, actually several new words, LOL). But the word I am talking about is "persecution." I know what they saw and experienced this morning is nothing compared to the persecution so many are facing in the world for Christ's name. But what they experienced did provide us with a lesson. And hopefully this little backseat Bible lesson will stick with them the rest of their lives, so that if and when they are faced with even stronger persecution, they will remember their mother's example.

God's Providence (Part 2)

In an email to a friend yesterday I had the privilege of sharing some insight that I have gained from reading Dr. John Piper's newest book, What Jesus Demands from the World. The chapters are actually a list of 50 different demands Jesus spoke, found in an exploration of the four Gospels. In doing so, Dr. Piper assumes first that the Gospels are true and they are unified. It also assumes that Jesus is not just someone who sets an example for us or does something for us, but he is God and has authority to make demands of us.

In this post I will be taking some words from one of the chapters, Demand #18: "Do not be angry—trust God’s Providence." It is based on Matthew 5:21-22 and Matthew 10:28-31. Because his outlook in that chapter was so encouraging to me as I read, I would like to share some of it here in light of yesterday's post on God's Providence and also in light of anything you may be going through at the moment which causes you to be angry, frustrated, confused, anxious, or concerned. When we say the words, "God is in control," do we really believe what we are saying? Or perhaps we believe it but only to a certain extent. The question I want you to ponder is: How much control does He really have over His creation and over the circumstances His creation encounters?

Below is a portion of the email, with the quotes from Dr. Piper's book.

One of the greatest truths that Jesus taught to help us be free from sinful anger is the truth of God’s all-encompassing providence—His wise and sovereign control over all things for the good of His children. The rise and strength of our anger should be governed by our trust in God’s providence—that He is ruling over the evil that makes us angry and will not let anything occur with us that is not ultimately good for us (even though it often does not seem as such).

The rage that could rise in our hearts when we are treated unjustly and when we watch loved ones treated cruelly is natural and strong. Interestingly, Piper points out, that when dealing with these kinds of threats, Jesus spoke directly to our fear, not our anger. But the implications for anger are plain. He said in Matthew 10:28-31, And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

The point here is, first, the smallest details of life on earth are governed by God—not a bird falls to the ground apart from Him. And the second point is that God is near, and His acquaintance with our situation is total—even the hairs on your head are all numbered. The conclusion is: Nothing will come to pass apart from His wise and loving providence over your circumstances. Don’t fear. And don’t be angry in a way that contradicts your confidence in God’s care over your life. God’s providence should change the way we experience circumstances that would otherwise be totally infuriating.

We have the assurance that God’s providence will govern all the evil that comes against us so that His good purposes are fulfilled. Yes, evil is being done. But it does not have the last say, and in the end even serves God’s hidden designs.

Rejoicing In Persecution

One of the clearest illustrations of how God's Providence overcomes the controlling effect of anger is Jesus' command that we rejoice when we are persecuted unjustly. He says, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12). Few things would ordinarily make us angrier than unjust treatment. Not only are we being hurt by this reviling and persecution, but Jesus emphasizes that it is "evil" and it is "false." These are the factors that tend to infuriate us.

But Jesus transforms that ordinary, understandable emotional experience of anger. Although he recognizes that the normal response of any human being would naturally be anger; meaning that we all have the "right" to be angry about this, Jesus demonstrates what happens with our "rights" when he is Lord of our life (my added thought). Instead of saying, "Be legitimately angry" or "Try to control your anger," he says the most incredible thing imaginable: "Rejoice and be glad."

Rejoicing does not mean that we approve of the treatment. It does not mean that we stop thinking it is unjust. It probably does not mean there is no anger whatsoever. Some kind of holy anger--strong emotional disapproval--may be emotionally compatible with joy. The human soul in the image of God is that complex. And we know, from all that Jesus taught us about God, that God experiences anger and joy simultaneously because he sees and responds perfectly to all evil and all good at the same time.

Our joy in the presence of persecution is possible because of God's Providence. Not a hair of your head will perish (when they kill you). Not a bird (or a hateful blow to your head; or a hateful word of slander to your name) falls without the will of the Father. Providence governs your suffering. And in the end, "Your reward is great in heaven." That is Jesus' argument why joy and not anger can dominate our experience of persecution: "Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12).

Last night these things came to mind as I was singing with Brock and Kaylee before their bedtime. The song we were singing was "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman. Whenever we sing songs together I usually like to take time to explain the words to them, where it is found in the Bible, and why we sing them (side note: this practice has certainly helped me to discover songs that are more biblically grounded and speak truth as well as move our spirits to worship).

Anyway, when we were singing the line, "You give and take away, you give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name," we stopped and talked about what that means. I explained to my kids that Matt Redman borrowed that line from the book of Job in the Bible. I told them the story of Job, how he was wealthy and felt very blessed by God. But God allowed Job to be used, perhaps as a reminder to Satan for how strong the relationship of faith in God is and how man's loyalty to God does not reside in the number of earthly blessings we are given. I told them about how in an instant all of Job's earthly blessings began to be removed from him one by one.

His sons and daughters, and property, and animals, and servants, and nearly everything he cared about on earth was taken away in the most amazingly treacherous set of circumstances one could ever imagine. And Job's response was why we sing the song. He cried out, "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" (Job 1:21). And the author of the book then gives us this incredible reminder. I wonder if we truly understand the significance of this added line at the end of chapter one? He says, "In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong."

He did not charge God with wrong? But he recognized that God was still in control of the situation. That God can give (which we usually always attribute as a blessing to us), and that God can take away (which we usually always attribute as evil toward us). And we can recognize that both of those things come from God without being in danger of accusing God of wrongdoing.

How can that be? It must be because when we are seeing things as "wrong" and "terrible", God is using those very things for good, and He is accomplishing His good purpose in us, even when our circumstances are awful.

When Job became physically sick, with sores all over his body, he responded by saying, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" Then the author of the book again tells us that in saying this "Job did not sin or curse God with his lips."

So I reminded my kids that even in their most awful times of trial and pain, God is still involved and he is working in it for good. Do we always know how exactly that is happening? Nope. Can we always see clearly what He is doing in our times of pain? Nope. Job couldn't see it either. He did not know what was going on behind the scenes. He did not know that countless millions would still be reading and being edified by his story to this day.

The bottom line is this. I believe in God's Providence. My trust is not in a God who has no control over his creation. Nor is it in a God who may have control over his creation, but chooses not to exercise it because he would rather we do everything down here on our own. My trust is in a God who can and does have control over the most minuscule details as well as the most significant ones. And because of that I sleep well.

God's Providence

In Book One, Part IV, Chapter 16 of John Calvin's Institutes of Christian Religion (abridged version), a book I have been working through lately, he says some very insightful and magnifying things about the Providence of God. Below I have quoted a few snippets. The language may be a little dated, but see if you can work through it and notice the riches of what he is saying:

It would be cold and unfeeling to picture a God as a temporary Creator, who completed his work and then left it. Here we differ from the unbeliever in asserting that God's power is obvious in the ongoing world situation as well as in creation.

Without reference to God's Providence we cannot understand the full force of what is meant by his being the Creator, however much we may seem to understand it with our minds and confess it with our mouths. The carnal mind, when it has glimpsed the power of God in creation, stops there. At most it considers only the wisdom, power and goodness evidenced by the Author of such work, or some general factor on which the power of motion depends and which keeps the world going. To sum it up: it imagines that everything is maintained by the divine energy infused into them at the beginning (emphasis mine). But faith must go far deeper.

After realizing there is a Creator, it must then infer that he is also Governer and Preserver, not just because he can produce a kind of general motion in the machine of the universe, as well as in each of its parts, but because by his special Providence he sustains and cares for everything he has made down to the smallest sparrow!

God claims omnipotence for himself, and wants us to acknowledge it. God's omnipotence is not futile, idle, and inactive as some theologians pretend, but caring, effective, energetic, and always active. It is not an omnipotence which can only serve as a general influence in uncertainty (like ordering a stream to stay inside a prescribed channel), but one which focuses on specific and definite events. God is accepted as omnipotent, not because he has power whether he acts or not, nor because by some general instinct he maintains the order of creation, but because, in controlling heaven and earth by his Providence, he so overrules everything that nothing happens without his approval.

The believer's comfort in trouble is that everything they endure is ordained and commanded by God and that they are in his hands. If God's rule is over all his works, we would be foolish to restrict it to the natural order of things. Those who keep God's Providence within narrow limits, as if he let everything be carried along by some constant law of nature, not only deny him his glory but deprive themselves of a valuable doctrine. Nothing could be more pathetic than the thought of man at the mercy of unpredictable elements.

Knowing that God is in control of his creation, and knowing he is always GOOD in all that he does and allows; this causes me to sleep well and to trust him in all circumstances, that everything he decides to do or allows is ultimately going to work toward his good purpose.

Hebrews 1:3

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,"

The most recent new worship song that has been introduced to our fellowship has been "Hebrews 1:3", a song written by Chad Dodson. I know Chad would never write a post like this himself, so I decided to write it. I also know that I can write this post, which praises Chad for giving us this amazing song, and have no fear that it will go to his head or that the glory will be misplaced. We know that Chad's heart is to glorify God in his song-writing and worship leading, and there is no question about that whatsoever.

Hebrews 1:3 is an amazing verse because it proclaims an essential truth about Jesus Christ, and it reminds us of why he is the center of our affections and our worship. It says that when you see Jesus, you see God. He is the exact imprint of His nature. If you take out a quarter from your pocket, how do you know it is a quarter? Because it is the exact imprint of other quarters you have seen and held in your pocket. The Hebrew writer tells it's readers that what they saw in the human being named Jesus was actually the radiance of the glory of God, an exact imprint of His nature. Want to know what God says? Listen to Jesus. Want to know what God does? Watch Jesus. They are one and the same.

Most analogies for this (such as my quarter analogy above) are quite imperfect and can even distort the real truth of the radiance of His glory if pressed too far. But let's try this one: Jesus relates to God the way the rays of sunlight relate to the sun. There is no time that the sun exists without the beams of radiance. They cannot be separated. If you put a solar-activated calculator in the sunlight, numbers appear on the face of the calculator. These are energized by the sun's radiance, but they are not what the sun is. The rays of the sun however are an extension of the sun. We see the sun by means of seeing the rays of the sun. So too we see God the Father by seeing Jesus for they are one God.

So how important is Jesus? Hebrews 1:3 answers that for us.

I know Chad does not have the song "Hebrews 1:3" recorded for us to post here yet, but I am beginning a campaign for that to be his next recording project. I have been singing this song for 8 days now (ever since the first time I heard it), and I can't wait to have a copy of it in my iPod.

In the meantime, here are the lyrics:

A dying son birthing righteousness
For the Father, for His Father’s renown
All have fallen low
All have failed to see
But mercy through grace
From the Father, to honor Him as He

Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
All the universe stands by the power of His word
When He died He brought all I could not see
Without Him

For all You are
All in joy should raise all the praise that you deserve
For Your splendor, Your immaculate renown
Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God
All the universe stands by the power of His word
When He died He brought all I could not see Without Him

All hearts open here
See the grandeur, greatness, vastness of the King
You’re astounding; breathtaking
You’re astonishing; awe-inspiring
That’s You, I love you Lord, that’s You
That’s You, I love you Lord, that's You

I love singing this song. It's melody is so inviting. There are certain songs that when they get into your head you just cannot stop singing them ("You Make Everything Glorious" by David Crowder is one of them). Hebrews 1:3 is one of them. I don't want to stop singing it. Right now my top two favorite songs to sing in worship to God are both written by our own worship leader: "Sovereign God" and "Hebrews 1:3".

So let all boasting be in the Lord. Because He is the one who puts the new song in our hearts. He is to be credited for the lyric, the melody, and most importantly, the purpose and reason behind why we sing them. And thanks to those whom He calls to be faithful messengers so we can share in what He has given us.

Thank you, Jehovah God, for giving us Hebrews 1:3.

Thank you, Chad, for giving us Hebrews 1:3 to sing back to Him as praise and acknowledgement of our thankfulness and awe for what He has done.

How Hard a Hit Can You Take?

Rocky Balboa certainly didn't disappoint, at least not for an old Rocky fan like me. I give it a thumbs up. In this movie the character Rocky is more likable than ever. My favorite line in the movie:

Life will bring you to your knees and keep you there. Permanently, if you let it. It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit, and still keep moving forward. Keep moving forward. If you know what you're worth, go out and get it. But you have to be willing to take the hit.

I'm sure there's a sermon or an article hidden somewhere in that quote.