About Love or Why I Hate Attraction

Here is a great article about the relationship between love and attraction.  There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings pervading our culture on these subjects that inevitably lead to train wrecks in relationships.  

This article does a great job of describing what people do with and what they feel about, "attraction."  It then goes on to show how attraction can destroy love.  Finally, Mr. Welch focuses on the true remedy - which brings both together in a gospel-centered context.   Enjoy.

About Love or Why I Hate Attraction by Ed Welch

Will Tax Payer Funds Pay for Abortions Under Obamacare?

This is a video that explains how tax payer dollars could eventually end up paying for abortions in America.  The thought of this becoming a reality is devastating and extremely worrisome - that law will siphon money from our pockets to fund murder.

May I suggest that a downward economy pails in comparison to this.  May I also suggest that financial recession is an indicator of our present moral corruption?  As a secular historian told me one time over a cup of coffee, "When you see a country accept and even legalize immorality, you see a country that is not standing, but falling.  This has been the case in history." 

This is why the gospel must ravage our lives.  And this is why it must mobilize us to ravage the lives of others.  I think "ravage" is a good word.  That which can be shaken must be shaken so that that which cannot be shaken will stand (Heb 12:28). 


Thanks Zach for posting this video.

Should We Repent to Our Children?

I have three children now.  Emma is five years old; Jude is two; and Camille is three months old.  Needless to say, the house gets a little crazy at times.  Coming home to a quiet and peaceful "refuge" is something that just doesn't happen.  Rather, I come home to the greatest screams ever, "DADDY!!!!!"  They run and grab my legs, making it difficult to get to Katie for a little  "shugga."  (Note:  If she reads this she will call me a dork...and I'm okay with that - because of the gospel, of course :)

After things settle down, reality sets in.  Kids start doing what kids do.  Jude likes to ignore Emma while she screams, "Get off of me, Jude!!!" Emma then begins to kick him in the side.  Jude then proceeds to produce this horrible screeching noise, while he retaliates with punches.  Camille sits in her little bouncy seat sucking away on the passy, waiving her hands back and forth (I call this "rapping.").  So, as the dad, I walk over to the UFC match that is going down on my couch and say, "What's going on here?"

I might as well have said, "Let's play the blame game!!!!"  I quickly put a stop to the tattling and send both to their rooms for a little "tap-tap" (Prov 23:13-14).  After the "tap-tap" I try to guide them in repentance and reconciliation.  Then we guide them in prayer and repentance to God.

This goes on many times a day.  My kids repent to me and Katie very often for disobedience, disrespect and other sins.  But I have realized something.  I hardly ever repent to them.  I hardly ever come down to their level and say, "Kids, Daddy is sorry for not being a real good Daddy."  After thinking this through a little, here are some reasons why I think it is essential that we, as parents, repent to our children often.

First,  repentance makes us human and not God.  Our children have amazing capacities to put up with our junk.  After we have pitched our fits right in front of them, they come right up to us and treat us like royalty.  Amazing.  If we do not repent to our children for our sins, they will think that our sinful behavior is okay.  Most children don't have their devotions every morning in the Ten Commandments.  Whatever instruction they receive, they receive from us, the parents. 

But as the old expression goes, "more is caught than taught."  This is why we have to repent of those nasty things they "catch" from us.  If we do not appeal to a higher Authority, we will remain the authority.  We will be a god to them.   A sinful god is devastating to a small child.  Therefore, we must repent.  This directs their attention toward our Righteous Lord.  It makes us subordinate to Him...it makes us human.

Second, when we repent to our children, we let them know we, too, need a Savior.  We need the light of the Gospel just as much as they do.  But when we remain silent about our own sin and fallenness, we become Pharisaical.   We teach them that there is an age, or a time in life, when repentance is not necessary.  We, parents, have reached that point, and they, the children, must reach it too!  

On the other hand, when we repent to our children, and in front of them (typically I do this during our family worship/prayer times), we are showing them what the Christian life is about.  Being saved is not about being sinless.  Walking in light is not about perfection, but about confession.  The kindness of God leads us to repentance.  When we repent, we show our children the freedom that we have received from our kind Savior.  When a person's lips are shut to repentance, it shows their heart is shut to the gospel.

Third, if we communicate to our children about our own sins, hopefully they will communicate to us about their own as they grow older.  I think every parent that I have spent time with desires a great relationship with their children when they grow up.  Katie says it all the time - how she wants Emma to be able to talk to her about her (Emma's) struggles and failures.   Humble parents make approachable parents. 

Last, as we humble ourselves before God, others, and our children, we show that our trust is not in ourselves, but a Wonderful Savior.  If we never show them repentance, we communicate all we need is rules - all we need is law.  We can do this thing called life - a Savior is not needed.  However, if we repent often, we show that we need to hear the good news about Him daily.  When our kids have grown up seeing our need of Him (through repentance) and our receiving of Him (through faith), when they sin they will be inclined to come to us for the Gospel! 

 

One of My Idols Identified and My Attempt to Murder It.

So there is this thing called Google Analytics.  This blog feature tracks traffic to a person's blog and reports it on a daily basis.  It also tells you how many people are currently subscribed.  I can see how this tool would be useful to a company or a blog that was drawing revenue.  If no one is coming to the site, modifications and changes need to take place.  However, my heart has taken these tools and used them to feed one of the major idols in my life.

Today, my conscience is burdened by my desire to see just how popular I am.  I frequent the 'page view counter' to see just how many people have looked at this site.  This, in itself, is not bad.  But for me, it is.  I have found that a page view is just like a complement - and I do not do well with complements.  Give me a few and I am drunk for days with pride and arrogance.  I hate this about life.  I must do something. 

Through much prayer and consideration, I do not feel that canceling the blog is the right thing to do.  As an elder in the church and a pastor, my passion and duty is to teach, preach, encourage, edify, and communicate the gospel of God's grace.  I believe this site is a great avenue for doing such.  The problem is not the site, but my heart.  I praise God for showing me this now.  And I pray that He will aid me in ridding me of this illness. 

So here is my strategy.  

As of today, I am canceling Google Analytics.  I believe this is a practical strategy that will guard me from temptation.  But this strategy, I understand, must be supported, founded and rooted in the Gospel of grace...it must be Christocentric through and through.  Therefore, I am praying (and asking you to pray for me!) and meditating on my identity in Christ. 

I am eternally and ultimately accepted before the Father, not because of anything I have done (including this site), but because of Christ alone.  I believe this extinguishes my longing to be approved and accepted by man.  I also believe that this will enable me to accept both complements and criticisms in a godly way.  Complements will not take me higher than God, and criticisms will not condemn me to hell.  Rather, both of them will edify, encourage, and rebuke - all to the glory of God.

I would also like to repent to you, the reader.  I am sorry for using you.  I am sorry for not being entirely honest.  I am asking for your forgiveness and prayers. 

I am thankful for the opportunity to write and communicate the gospel.  It is something I really enjoy doing.  I need help however, so that I will not take a good thing and make it an Ultimate thing.  I pray that ministry never exceeds Christ in my heart.  I am thankful for the grace that has preserved me this far, and am thankful for the promise of God to finish what He has begun in me.  Grace and peace to you all. 

Scott

Why Music is Popular and Preaching is Not.

Every now and again I turn my radio to the station that is playing the "new, popular stuff."  My motivations for doing this have changed over the years.  I used to be tired of Christian music, so I would go there to hear something with a cool beat or whatever.  Now, I go for different reasons.  These songs are on the radio for a reason.  People like them.  I want to know why.

After listening to a few songs, the answer is clear to me.  The artists are connecting with a message that attractively falls, not only on the ears, but also on the hearts of our present day culture.  Many of the artists are just being real, telling what they feel, experience and desire.  They are communicating the reality of the present human experience.  But here is the tragic note.  Though they are giving a true account of what life is like, it is a far cry from what is right.  Just because they can accurately describe what a life of broken relationships, drug addiction, life struggle and pain looks like, they provide no  true way out. 

Allow me to use an example in an attempt to make the point clearer.  Let's just say that the human condition is cancerous.  Most can feel the effects of the cancer.  Some even know they have it.  But let me ask you this:  Who do cancer patients want to listen to?  They want to listen to those who have cancer as well.  They want to have someone sit with them and tell them about their life and struggles with the disease.  Hearing what is real in the life of another often triumphs over what is right.  Here is where many sermons disconnect.

Many sermons, and many Christian messages for that matter, only speak of what should be, often to the exclusion of what is.  The Christian culture today is really good at standing next to the cancer patient while giving a proper diagnosis.  We may even be able to tell the cancer patient what to do with their condition.  But as we all know, once the doctor diagnoses problem and prescribes medication, we want them out.  They may know how to see cancer, but they don't know what its like to feel cancer.

So here we have the Christian on one end of the spectrum and the artist on the other end.  The Christian listens to Nelly's song "Just a Dream" and can quickly say, "Man, if he would only do this or that...or, If he would just realize that relationships go down hill if they don't have Christ in the center then...yada yada yada."  But Nelly looks at the Christian and says, "Man, do you have any idea what I have been through!  Yeah, you talk about this perfect life, but this is MY life...this is what is happening to me NOW.  What do you know about struggle anyway - it looks like you've got it all figured out!"

So what are we to do?  We have to get real and stop being afraid of looking like we actually know what its like to sin.  We have got to get messy.  We must communicate and live the gospel.  We must enter the hospital room as a doctor who is battling cancer.

Our message must be real...like a song.  The sad fact is, most of us are so unsure of our standing in Christ, that we are afraid to communicate that we, too, are all jacked up in fear that some may reject us.  We therefore remain the doctor who has the answers, and not someone who needs the answers ourselves.

We must be willing and able to empathize with the person who is struggling through life.  Willingness comes from a true love for them.  Empathy comes from a true knowledge of our own sin, a true humility in confessing our sinful condition, and a true love of what Christ has done to remedy that condition.  

As Christians, our life and message is more than a song.  We can weep with those who weep; but with hope.  Not only must we be real, we must place our faith, love and hope in He who is the Ultimate Reality and Righteous One.  Christ is more than merely human (being able to empathize with us); but He is God (being able to save us).

As Christians our life and message is more than a doctor's diagnosis and prescription; once doing his job he is off to the next patient.  Though he provides help for ones physical health, he is unable to provide true healing.  Christ not only commands us in the way we should go, but He is with us!  While being the Great Physician, He understands and is there, during our painful circumstances.

So, I challenge you Christian.  How do you communicate the gospel.  Does it connect with others...like a popular song?  Does it give the remedy and hope that we are all so desperately looking for...like a good Physician?  Let us proclaim the excellencies of our Great Savior!  Not only because we believe He can heal others, but because we know that He has healed us!  

The Gospel is Free...So is This Book!

Over the past year, I have been completely changed by the gospel of God's grace.  Sure, I learned a lot in seminary.  I also made some wonderful friendships there; ones that will undoubtedly last forever.  I am thankful for the grace that was given me to preach through the book of Colossians during my first year and a half at GRACE Community Church.  And I am overwhelmed by the mercy of God I see each day when I wake up next to my beautiful wife and three children (I don't actually wake up next to the children though.  Jude usually starts yelling at 6:30am, "Daddy!  Where are you!"  Emma and Camille typically follow close behind him).  By 7am we are all in one bed having a blast!

I am learning that it is not so much what I do, or what others do; but why we do what we do.  What we do surely matters, but to have our lives directed in a godly direction, we must ask "Why?".  The gospel grows well in this soil, and produces much fruit there. 

Tim Keller calls this the sin beneath the sin.  If my little girl lies to me, I must address more than the act of lying.  I have to ask why she lied.  What was the sin beneath her sin?  Was it self-preservation?  Was it that she didn't trust the Truth?  What was it that she wanted so badly that she was willing to break God's commandments to get it?  Answer this question and you will find an idol (or a few) hiding in the shadows.  Kill the idol and watch the lying die with it.  Addressing the lie only may get rid of the sinful act, but it won't ultimately bring the sinful heart to life.

I have also learned that sin is dark, ugly and murderous.  Not only does it like to hide, but it does so with a knife in its hand.  Simply put, if we go looking for "the sin beneath the sin" we just might get cut.  So be it.  Cut away.  The gospel takes the sting from death.  For us, Christian, dying is gain.

Well, enough of the rambling.  I have been so encouraged today by a dear friend of mine from seminary.  He sent me a card just to encourage me and tell me he was thinking of me.  I was floored.  What kind of God are we dealing with?!!  I praise God for JR.  I have learned more from him than he could ever learn from me.  So, all that to say...I want to give away a book about the Gospel.  What better book than, "What is the Gospel?" by  Greg Gilbert.

All you have to do to win the book is leave a comment.  Any comment will do.  Thursday morning at 10am, I will draw from the names of those who left comments.  And just so you know, if you leave a comment, your odds are pretty good!  So, have a wonderful day.  Live and love the gospel with everything you have.  In Christ, you are free to do so!  Isn't it amazing!  Peace to you all!

The Humanity of Unborn Children

The tendency and popular opinion in our day is to think of an unborn embryo as simply that, an unborn embryo. The terminology, though technically correct, brings more of a medical tone than a personal one. As one who is outside of the medical community however, I use words like "unborn child" when describing the image below. 

These words bring a sense of responsibility and reality to the unborn situation.  When we see images like this and use the word "children" to describe them, we understand more how there is no essential difference between the unborn and the born.  They are children.  They have names.

Follow this link to read an article about this little child.  The mother had cancer of the womb and was therefore unable to carry the pregnancy to full term.  For her, this was a tragic circumstance - she already had six other children and was undoubtedly excited about this one too.

Just as I would use the word "child" to describe the unborn, I would also use the word "murder" in place of the medical term "abortion."  I do understand that there are very few difficult (and tragic) circumstances where an abortion would not be considered "murder" - but the majority of cases deserve such a judgment.  For those who are wondering about the ethics of my previous statement, you can email me and I would be glad to give you my case. 

I am convinced that the Lord will use us all in different ways to battle the injustice in our country called abortion.  If you would like to learn more about how you can contribute to the cause, you can visit sites such as, Abort73, Live Action, and Save-A-Life.

What About Repercussions?

Sin is so nasty, not only because it is a transgression against God, but also because it always affects another person. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, "there is no sin so secret that does not act out against the Body of Christ." I believe this.

Again, sin is nasty. It has fingers that reach into the hearts of those we love and care about. And once it sinks in, it rips and tears those hearts apart. Simply put, our sin hurts...and it hurts bad.

Most people understand this. We know that we have done a lot of damage. We have sinned against others and thus permanently altered their lives. In other words, we know and understand that the life of another person is different today because of a sin we committed yesterday.

Parents are perhaps more keenly aware of this reality than most as we see our sins working out in our children's lives. What are we to do? How can we escape and remedy the tragedy that we have initiated in the hearts of others?

We must understand the gospel. We must understand that we CANNOT remedy the pain and hurt that we have caused in others. Sin is an assault against the image of God, and once done, we are immediately in over our heads. We incur a debt we can never repay.

Again, we must understand the gospel. Jesus Christ bore our sins upon the Cross! What was that? He BORE our sins upon the Cross. Why didn't He simply wipe them away? Why didn't He simply say, "Ehh, they don't really matter...I won't remember them any more..." He didn't say that because He knows that sin is more than just a single act committed in time. He knows that sins begin and continue until death.

Again, we must know and understand the gospel! Our Lord is sovereign. He has paid our debt. To those in Christ, our anthem is this: "Christ alone has taken our wrath upon Himself on the Cross! The Father is thus satisfied, and accepts us as sons and daughters! Christ is Risen!"

And we must know the gospel truth that when Christ took our sins upon Himself on the Cross - they were paid for. Not just the act itself, but the repercussions as well. Only the Lord can repair the scars we have made. Only the Christ can heal where we have wounded.

And because we know the gospel, we can go to those we have wounded and let confession and repentance drip off of our tongue - from our wounded hearts. We say, "because of Christ, I understand I have hurt you. Because of Christ, I repent and confess my sins to you. Because of my Lord, I would like to say I am sorry. Please forgive me..."

His goodness leads us to repentance. And repentance, rooted in History, brings healing to those broken places we have made. The Lord who was strong enough, perfect enough, worthy enough, and Divine enough, to forgive our sins, is the same Lord who can also heals the repercussions of those sins.

He is alive Christian. He is working Christian. Is is able Christian. He handles repercussions Christian. Repent therefore and believe in the Gospel of God's grace.

Yet Another Reason I Listen to Christian Rap...Enjoy the Gospel.

Meet Shai Linne, who raps on the Lampmode record label.  He is yet another reason why I hardly listen to anything other than hymns and Christian rap.  Shai Linne proclaims the gospel clearly, passionately, and unashamedly.  Here is just a snap-shot of his ministry.  I would highly suggest buying all of his albums.  Not only will they encourage worship, but they also communicate theology and doctrine in a lyrical way.  Enjoy!

Dodge Ball only Leads to Death.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they immediately responded in at least four notable ways.  First, they felt shame.  They “knew that they were naked” (Gen 3:7).  Second, in order to alleviate the shame, “they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (3:7).  In other words, in independence, they tried to fix what they had just broken.  Third, they hid from God (3:8).  And fourth, they blamed someone else for their actions (3:12-13).  Adam blamed Eve (and even God!).  Eve blamed the serpent.

Ever since the fall, humanity has been inclined to the same shame, independence, hiding and blame that our first parents practiced in the Garden. If we think about it, these four actions are not too far from our own everyday human experience.  And since we all do these things, it makes that human experience all the more difficult. 

Have you ever broken something valuable and instead of confessing, you tried to superglue it back together?  See the “try-to-fix-it-shame-game.”  Have you ever been wronged by someone only to have them never return your calls, or answer your texts?  See hiding game.  Can you remember a time when you were late to a meeting because you overslept only to tell your boss that “traffic was horrible” or “my wife didn’t leave me any gas in the car” or “when I stepped outside, I was met by a swarm of killer love-bugs, who then proceeded to torment me for the deaths of all of their distant cousins…and I couldn’t deny it…the evidence was on my windshield!” See the blame game.

These tendencies make relationships flat out hard.  How many times have arguments lingered for hours because one spouse (or both) blames his sin on the other spouse?  My counseling buddy in Jackson used to call this marital dodge-ball.  When one spouse points out sin in the other, the other then proceeds to point out the other’s sins. We dodge the real issue by trying to fix it ourselves.  We dodge confronting the issue by hiding and refusing to repent and confess our wrongs. We blame others for our trespasses and refuse to take ownership of what we have done. 

And on and on it goes, each person “dodging” the issue altogether.  Sin is never dealt with – it is never killed.  This is dangerous as all four of these are like fertilizer to sin.  Shame, independence, hiding and blame all make sin stronger, not weaker.  The longer it lingers, the more power it gains to destroy.

The only remedy is the gospel.  How so?  First, the gospel makes us unashamed.  Knowing that we are fully accepted before God, and that Christ has forgiven all of the trespasses that brought us shame, we can look our neighbor straight in the eye and say, “I am ashamed of my sins.  I tried for so long to fix them; but I couldn’t.  I’m sorry.  Christ, has taken my sins and has given me his righteousness.” 

Second, the gospel liberates us from trying to fix our problem with God – namely, our own sin.  Christ has taken our sin upon Himself.  God has punished that sin upon the Cross.  It is finished.  I cannot do more to remedy my situation than what Christ has already done.  This is Christian liberty.  This is grace.

Third, the gospel empowers us to walk in the light and not hide in the darkness.  Sin is best dealt with in the light.  We cannot remedy it ourselves (see above).  We need help.  We need a Savior.  So when a brother or sister in Christ confronts our sin, we confess it and get it all out on the table.  We then see what it looks like to have someone bear with us; to have someone forgive us; to have some one accept us, while we are yet sinners.  The gospel gives us courage to confess; for confessed sin give more occasion to grow closer than farther away from the Body of our Lord.

Last, the gospel puts an end to the blame game.  When we understand that sin is ours, then we can understand more fully that Christ died for US and for OUR sin.  When we blame, what we really say is that the other person needs a Savior, we don’t.  But when we take ownership of our sin, through repentance and faith, then we are owned by Christ.  

Saying More Than, "Stop That!"

Most of us have lived with addiction, either being an addict ourselves or having an addict relationally close to us.  We have experienced the roller coaster of "being clean", binging, lying, stealing, forgiving, rejoicing, and falling again.  How many times do we forgive is a significant question, along with how we forgive.  We want to see the person restored, but we do not want to enable either.  And when the tension becomes to much for us, we scream, "Stop doing that! Please!"

To our minds, the addict is afflicting so much pain so that they can experience whatever high they are living for.  Justice makes the verdict simple - they are selfish.  Mercy is almost impossible.  To introduce both (justice and mercy) is to introduce the Cross of Christ...sacrifice...selflessness...and even death.  So what are we to do?  The gospel is the only answer.  Death to addiction in another demands death in us.  We must loose our life.  

Our expectations must place in relation to Christ our Lord.  The gospel does not deliver according to our "fast-food" demands.  Patience is not a common strength in our day.  We cannot expect to share the gospel with someone enslaved to sin and see an immediate life change.  Sin lingers.  The gospel, remember, grows from the inside out; and it does so slowly.  If we would like to see a good example of this process, we need only look in the mirror.  And we must also remember that trees that grow quickly also break easily.

Understanding sin must be seen in the "gospel-light."  We plant seeds, trusting that God will bring His work about.  But the seed is sown deeper than the person's actions.  The gospel is deeper than, "Stop that."  It rather, goes into the heart, saying, "Why are you doing that?"  Sure, they may stop.  But as an old theologian once said, "Satan will gladly relieve a cold in order to give cancer."  The gospel doesn't replace idols, it slays them.

If sin is like a cold, bringing a remedy is more complex than saying to the person, "Stop sneezing!"  That would be ridiculous.  Rather, we find out what is going on inside.  There is an infection.  There is a distortion and deficiency in their immune system.  We dive deeper...to the root...and work to have it out. We don't like doing this.  Digging to the root demands getting dirty.  It demands strength, patience, and endurance.

And when the root is found, the gospel must be applied there.  It is at the root where the throat of sin must be cut.  But you cannot expect the tree to fall immediately.  It may continue to live for a while.  Other roots may need cutting.  The root may even regrow.  As Christians, we stay close, waiting, watching, relentlessly killing sin in ourselves and others.  We are a people with dirty hands, but with hearts cleansed by grace.  We are not afraid to get nasty.   We live to look like our Master, who first became gross before He was glorified; Who died in order that we may live.

Understanding why a person sins is costly.  We must get to know them more (not less).  We must understand their heart more (not less).  We must be in their life more (not less).  We must die to ourselves more (not less).  We have to understand that we, too, are just as sinful (not less).  We must understand that they need grace (like us).  We must feel the life-giving liberty of Christ (before we can give it).  The Gospel is for every person (not a few).  We are all in the same boat.  We are all addicts and are in need of more instruction than merely, "Stop that."

Do I Have to Have Sex with My Spouse Whenever They Ask?

Here is a great video that answers (or begins to answer) a question that is asked by many spouses.  I personally love the ministry at CCEF.



(HT: Challies)

Full of It.

It is a simple truth we all are familiar with.  If you are not busy living, you are busy dying.  Every January, memberships in local gyms almost quadruple, only to see a drastic decline by March.  We've all done it (probably).  We work out for a few weeks, begin to see some changes in our quality of life and physique, only to see it all go away the second we take a "break."  Life almost seems to afford no breaks.  If we stop breathing...we die.

Essential to the biblical worldview is the denial of a neutral ground.  Modern (and Post-modern) man hates the sound of this tune - as his fabrication of neutrality affords him life without responsibility and accountability.  He is a "blank slate" you see...and must approach the "idea" of divinity with an open mind.  To him, there are many gods (or not); and it would be irresponsible not to give them all an equal look.  Once gaining enough evidence to be reasonably convinced, he will decide which god is worthy of trust and belief - or, if the concept should be rejected altogether.

John Locke (an empiricist from Britain...not from LOST!) may still influence the air our world breaths, but as Christians, we have long stopped breathing - we are dead to this world.   We breath the fresh air of Scripture, which, with profound clarity and authority, states that there is no such neutral ground.  Man, by his very nature, is a worshipper.  He either worships (through joyful glorification) the God who created him; or he worships the creature/creation.  It is impossible not to worship.

Again, there is no neutral (non-worshipping) ground.  Man is not created as a "blank slate," but as the very image of God - endowed with knowledge, righteousness and holiness.  Man doesn't need to gain more facts to make a decision about God, he needs God to understand and make right decisions regarding facts!  As St. Augustine said, "We must believe in order to understand, not understand in order to believe."

Just as human is born male or female, so is he born a worshiper of the Triune God.  If he does not, he lives contrary to nature (which is the height of unrighteousness), and thus dies.

So, as we live, we live unto God.  Sundays will not do as the only times we set aside for the worship of God.  Christ is the Lord of our life - all of it.  I love this quote from Lovelace:

One of the first effects of spiritual decline among the people of God is destructive enculturation, saturation with the godless culture of the surrounding world as we saw in Judges 2:11-13.  When men's hearts are not full of God, they become full of the world around like a sponge full of clear water that has been squeezed empty and thrown into a mud puddle.  Only the fullness of Christ's life and the transformation of our minds by the renewing action of the Holy Spirit illuminating the whole counsel of God can effectively prevent this conformity to the world (Romans 12:2).


What does all of this mean?  It simply means that if we, as a people, are living segmented lives, treating Sundays or even personal devotions as our only "God-time" (all other times being spiritually neutral), then we are like men and women who decide to eat only a few healthy meals per month.  The rest of the time we are consuming donuts at best, while fogging our minds with any narcotic we can get our hands on.  We are famished, lethargic, unreasonable, and even criminal.

It is my prayer that we all understand the truth behind Lovelace's words.  As sponges, let us be absorbing the pure water of the Word, and not the muddy puddles of the world.  Life so that the preacher who offers your eulogy will do so with deep conviction saying that we were full of God, and not that we were full of "it" - whatever that "it" might be.

Buy It...Now! REHAB.

Rehab

Nostalgia, Depression, and the Day...How Christian Hope Changes Everything!

As I was leaving Starbucks this morning, I stopped for a moment to entertain a fond memory.  For some reason, the chill in the air coupled with the taste of my favorite coffee took me back to my seminary days when some of my best friends and I would study long hours at the “Bux.” I wanted to laugh again with Adam.  I wanted to talk apologetics with Stevo.  I wanted to hear El’s voice and just give him a hug.  I wanted to watch Jeremy’s face as he savored a Pumpkin Spice Latte (those who know Jeremy know what I’m talking about). 

Those were some really good days, and for a moment, I wanted them back. And for another moment, I felt a depression in my gut after coming to grips with the fact that those days are history – never to be experienced outside of my memory again.  I can’t have them back.  They must take their right place in my life and savored as great blessings from a good God.  They are shadows (Col 2:17) – a mere taste of what awaits us, the saints, in glory.

I think it is human to cherish the best of what has been and to long for the great things that await us in the future.  It’s the reason we take pictures.  It’s the reason we get excited about that upcoming vacation.  There are periods of time that bring peace and comfort to our being; and while we are in the midst of them, we typically busy ourselves with the dread of knowing that this, too, will end.  Soon, it will be a picture…a memory.  Soon, it will be history. 

There are reasons why “all good things come to an end.”  There is a reason why good things are like bites of chocolate cake – hitting the tongue, savored for a moment, and then gone into the belly.  Here are a few reasons that come to mind:

First, good things are merely shadows; and all shadows change and relocate being dependent on the position of the Sun.  In other words, we are a wilderness people, on the move, and forbidden to settle down.  Sure, we set up shop for a time, but the Sun will soon move. We must follow. Seasons change.  If we stay where the shadow was, we will experience great discomfort, viz. sunburn.  If we stay in the winter, the summer heat will get the best of us.

Those who “over-desire” the past or future, settle there or “set their minds” on such things.  People who live in the past are usually depressed.  Why wouldn’t they be?  What they long for is impossible to have!  And those who live in the future are usually anxious and ridden with fear.  Why wouldn’t they be?  What they long for is contingent upon things that are outside of their control and thus may never happen!

Second, shadows are not to be cherished, but only the Substance.  The depression that I felt this morning, and often feel after being drunk with nostalgia, drives me to Christ, my Ultimate Satisfaction. Those who find comfort and protection in the shadow shouldn’t love the shadow (though they enjoy it), but the Tree that provides it.  Similarly, it is okay to remember the past with great joy.  Its okay to find pleasure in the present, and to get excited about future events.  But we must never love them more than the One who provides them.  The Giver gets the glory – the gift does not.

Third, over-desiring things (and times) that are not designed to last produces misery.  The good news is that misery drives us to movement and will only be relieved by Christ.  I cannot be separated from my Lord.  Time or geography does not have the power to produces statements like, “Remember when I used to live with Christ in Mississippi?  Man!  Those where the good days!”  Rather, He is with us always in a loving relationship that will never end!

Fourth, I can honestly say that I don’t really long for things that I had in the past.  I do, however, long for the relationships.  Therefore, this leads me to cherish the relationships in life rather than things or possessions.  This must be why “storing up treasures in heaven” is directly correlated to “loving your neighbor as yourself.”

Last, this makes me long for glory.  Christian hope makes the fleeting nature of good things bearable.  Our hope is what makes earthly (or wilderness) relationships worth the effort and investment.  When we pour our lives into another human being, we do so with a certain knowledge that this relationship will never end!  Have you ever thought of that? 

Those who have no hope find little reason to love at all.  They avoid relationships and lovers because they know all too well the inevitability of the end.  But Christians, though they die – they live (John 11:25-27).  There will be no end to the friendships which are founded upon the Rock.  By faith, we set our minds on a past Event – the Cross of Christ.  And in hope, we set our minds on that Day when we will appear with Him in glory.  Until then, we love God and neighbor – under the shadow of His benevolent wing. 

So, as I was driving to work, I thought to myself, “I’m going to laugh with Adam, learn with Stevo, talk to Elbert, and savor Pumpkin Spice latte’s with Jeremy (I think – why wouldn’t something so delicious be in heaven!), in Christ, forever.  I have no idea how that’s going to work itself out – God does.  And when that Day comes, “we will have no less days to sing our God’s praise than when we had first begun" - in Jackson, Mississippi, at the Bux!