Joy Increased (1): Contemplating grace

As I wind down this series over the next 4-5 days, I want to suggest ways to increase joy in our lives, joy that will spill over into our worship, our fellowship, our ministry. I'm going to offer six or seven joy-increasing tips for our reflection.

First, I'd suggest that a growing awareness of forgiving grace will increase our joy. Jesus said of the woman who had been forgiven much that it was that very awareness of her great forgiveness that made her affections (love and certainly joy, too) great (Luke 7:47). She loved much because she was forgiven much. Surely she also rejoiced much because she was forgiven much.

Cultivate an awareness of sin and the ruin and sorrow it deserves, and then an even greater awareness of the atoning work of Christ which has purchased not only your forgiveness but also "all things" good (Romans 8:31, 32), and you will feel joy unspeakable and full of glory!

In recent years many of us have become familiar with a phrase--"I'm doing better than I deserve" which has impacted our daily awareness of grace. I have been heard often to say: "If I smile even once today, it is better than I deserve!" That is absolutely and humblingly and joy-givingly true.

And do you know what? It's 11:00AM as I type, and I've already experienced at least 50 smiles today. Tell me that isn't grace. Considering that all I deserve is never- ending tears, one smile is mercy. Considering that I'll experience 1000s of smiles in coming days is astonishing mercy--mercy worth singing and shouting and celebrating.

Think long and deep over forgiveness and all the new-every-morning-mercies of God, and you will be full of joy; have no doubt about it.

A Dose From The Doctor

In view of Tim's recent posts dealing with joy, it seemed that a dose of medicine from "the Doctor"-----Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd Jones that is------- may be beneficial, and serve to reinforce the importance of joy in the Christian life that Tim has been pressing upon us. From the classic book that helps to bring joy by addressing the opposite of joy, "Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and Cure", we find these words from "the Doctor":

In a sense a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms, and he is a very poor recommendation for the gospel. We are living in a pragmatic age. People today are not primarily interested in Truth but they are interested in results. The one question they ask is: Does it work? They are frantically seeking and searching for something that can help them. Now we believe that God extends His Kingdom partly through His people, and we know that He has oftentimes done some of the most notable things in the history of the Church through the simple Christian living of some quite ordinary people. Nothing is more important, therefore, than that we should be delivered from a condition which gives other people, looking at us, the impression that to be a Christian means to be unhappy, to be sad, to be morbid, and that the Christian is one who 'scorns delights and lives laborious days'. There are many indeed who give this as a reason for not being Christian, and for giving up all interest they may ever have had in the Christian faith. They say: look at Christian people, look at the impression they give! And they are very fond of contrasting us with people out in the world, people who seem to be so thrilled by the things they believe in, whatever they may be. They shout at their football matches, they talk about the films they have seen, they are full of excitement and want everybody to know it; but Christian people too often seem to be perpetually in the doldrums and too often give this appearance of unhappiness and of lack of freedom and of absence of joy. There is no question at all but that this the main reason why large numbers of people have ceased to be interested in Christianity. And, let us be quite frank and admit it, there is a sense in which there is some justification for their attitude, and we have to confess that their criticism is a fair one. It behooves us, therefore, not only for or own sakes, but also for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the glory of the Christ in Whom we believe, to represent Him and His cause, His message and His power in such a way that men and women, far from being antagonized, will be drawn and attracted as they observe us, whatever our circumstances or condition. We must so live that they will be compelled to say: Would to God I could be like that, would to God I could live in this world and go through this world as that person does (pgs. 11-12).

I wonder what impression is being given to those who observe my life? Is it implying "that to be a Christian means to be unhappy, to be sad, to be morbid, and that the Christian is one who 'scorns delights and lives laborious days'"? Or, is it as described in 1 Peter 1:8 - "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy inexpressible and filled with glory"? I hope it is increasingly the latter.

Joy Expressed and Noticed

I know I said yesterday that I'd not have a post today to give you time to process all the info offered in my last post, but I want to add just a short testimony by way of further reflection, and hopefully inspiration.

A short time ago someone said to me that he has noticed a distinct increase in my joy in recent months, and he feels it has been used of God to increase the joy of the flock I pastor. My example of joy--he suggested--has led others into joy. This was a great blessing and a humbling moment for me. I was overjoyed and grateful!!

Later as I reflected on this brother's observation it hit me that it suggested something very interesting. I have long been a very happy and joyful man in Christ. By grace I have been able to experience joy--real and pronounced--even in the deepest trials of life, and burdens of ministry. Despite much sorrow, I have had very very few days (don't get me wrong: there have been some) in the past 25-30 years when I have not felt a real and deep joy in the Lord, in people, and in ministry.

Despite moments and occasional days of sorrow and burden, I have been a happy man and pastor for a very long time. Now, I will grant that as God has taught me the priority of joy in Him, I have grown in this even more, and I'm thankful to say that my joy has increased. But here would be my read on things: while my joy has increased it is my expressiveness of joy that has increased even more. I have seen the need more and more to express the joy that's within: in song, in tears, in verbalized praise for what God is doing in others and in the church, in clapping, in smiles, in greetings of people expressing my sheer gratitude for their presence and God's grace in their life, in lifting hands, and more.

I believe that what has impacted people,and led them into greater joy is the increase of my joy expressed, at least as much as the increase of my joy. It always confused me when people used to tell me that I was a melancholic, when inwardly I was rejoicing greatly in God and in what He was doing in people's lives. Now I have a better sense of what was going on: I was failing to show what I was tasting within. Inwardly i was singing and smiling, but outwardly I was serious and staid and subdued in emotion.

The more I have let out what is within, the more others have felt it and gained some of it themselves. All this is to say that expressiveness in joy is not only good for my soul; it is good for others'.

A bit more to think about.

Joy Expressed (2): Obeying the Imperatives

As I proceed to some imperatives regarding expressiveness of joy (and other spiritual affections) in worship, I do so mindful of three concerns:

1. Please take a close look at yesterday's 10-comment conversation on this blog; it is loaded with significant interaction. I'm concerned that no one move ahead in this thinking without seeing those matters clearly.

2. I'm concerned that our discussion about joy make no one sad! There's a danger in considering the matter of joy, that those not experiencing or expressing it may feel even less joy, either out of guilt or fear (either of man or of excess), or envy or confusion or despair. I don't want to make the melancholic even more so! Please hear my heart in all this: it is to encourage joy, not quench it. I do not wish to rebuke anyone who is not getting fully what I'm discussing.

I have no desire to imply that if you are not experiencing the fulness of joy to which I've been calling attention, that you are experiencing no joy at all. You may well be rejoicing daily in God--and maybe more than me! Besides, remember the gospel: if there is any way in which you are not experiencing the joy of the Lord in full measure that is no reason to feel condemned, for Christ died even for our failures to rejoice in Him!

3. I am also concerned that as we move to imperatives, there be a spirit of Christian obedience as we do. One thing that has burdened me a bit through the years as I discuss these types of things (as well as commands like: "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts") is that people can be convinced theoretically that they should have more joy or that the Bible commands expressiveness of that joy (or that spiritual gifts are promised for today), but because such do not come easily to them or because they are afraid of excesses, they never actually get around to obeying the command of Scripture to pursue them. Their fears or temperamental struggles regarding such things keep them from actual obedience.

I remember when I first saw the repeated Bible imperatives re expressiveness in worship that my conscience would not let me go, even though temperamentally, culturally, and even theologically, I had been trained and entrenched in an entirely different way. So I had to force my hands up or my hands together or my knees to bend. Obedience required a "beating of my body into submission" to the will of my God.

I say this, not to burden the struggling, but to remind us all that whenever the Bible calls on us to do anything--no matter how hard, no matter how different, no matter how counter-intuitive or cultural, we must yield and do, even if by taking one baby step at a time. My first times lifting hands in worship amounted to a mere action of the wrists. I bent them upward around my waist, lifting my hands at waste height, until I could muster courage and faith to raise them higher!

Obedience starts somewhere, and keeps going from there.

Now that said, it may remain for me to convince that expressiveness is a matter of obedience, rather than temperament or style or culture. To do that let me simply garner a series of texts and stats for you (I'm going to have the following be my post for today and tomorrow, since it includes a lot and many texts you may want to check; I'll pick up on the question of how to grwo in joy next week):

1. Key texts include: Psalms 95, 149, 150 (for that matter, the Psalms are full of commands to worship and to do it with all manner of expressiveness. Being the inspired manual for worship that it is--and one we are commanded to make a part of NT worship in such passages as Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16--I think we can quite safely conclude that the themes, forms, and postures for worship that it commands and commends are ours to follow, unless the NT clearly says they are to cease).

2. Kneeling/Bowing: Genesis 24:52; 1 Kings 8:54; 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Chronicles 6:1; 29:29,30; Ezra 9:1; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 95; Isaiah 45:23; Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; 9:40; 20:36; 21:5; Ephesians 3:14; Philippians 2:10; Revelation 5:8,14; 11: 16.

3. Shouting/Joyful Noise (sometimes translated “sing”): Psalm 5:11; 32:11; 33:1-3; 35:27; 47:5; 65:13; 66:1ff; 95:1ff; 98:4(1-9); 100:1; 132:9,16; Ezra 3:11-13; Job 38:7; 2 Samuel 5/2 Chronicles 15.

4. Clapping: Psalm 47:1; 98:8; Isaiah 55:12.

5. Lifting Hands: 1 Timothy 2:8; Genesis 14:22; Leviticus 9:22; Exodus 9:29,33; 2 Chronicles 6:12, 13, 29; Ezra 9:5; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalm 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 119:48; 134:2; 141:2.

6. Dance: 1 Samuel 6:14,16; 1 Chronicles 15; Exodus 15; Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:6, 21:11; 29:5; Jeremiah 31:4,13; Psalm 30:11; 149:3; 150:4

7. Texts with multiple physical activities in worship: 1 Chronicles 16: 1-42 with 2 Samuel 6 and 2 Chronicles 15.

If one puts all of the Biblical references to standing, kneeling, bowing, clapping, dancing, shouting and enthusiastic singing accompanied by instruments together, one will compile an impressive list indeed. The length of the list should convince any student of the Bible that physical activity and expression in worship is considered natural, normal and praiseworthy by God.

Lord, help us to know and to feel both the majesty of Your being and the magnitude of Your love. So much may we feel these, dear Lord, that we will soon join Ezra on his face and David in the dance!

Joy Expressed (1): Imitating Heaven

I hope you won't mind if I delay the how to gain more joy posts for another day or two so I can connect us first to a few more thoughts regarding joy; thoughts touching on how joy is expressed in God's house in heaven, and in God's house on earth.

One thing I have learned is that joy needs to be expressed, and that often with exuberance, both in order for it to be biblical, and in order for it to be maximized. I think it was C.S. Lewis who observed that joy is not complete until it is expressed. We see this in our irresistable human urge--whenever we experience something happy or joyful--to tell someone about it. Joy is maximized and completed when it is released into the ears and hearts of others. This is worth pondering.

What is even more worth pondering is that biblical joy is consistently visible, outwardly manifested, and talked and sung and danced about. This is true even in God's eternal house, heaven itself. We know that joyful singing is the sound of heaven, joined in by all present, even by God, with a loud voice (Zephaniah 3:17; Hebrews 2:11, 12).

I think a pretty good case can be made that the joyful singing of heaven is attended with dance as well. I would base this case first on the general biblical encouragements we have to include dance in worship (e.g.-David's model in 2 Samuel 6:14, plus Psalm 149:3 and 30:11), and second on two descriptions we have of heaven's joy.

The first is in Luke 15 where in the story of the prodigal son returned home, we see the young man's father (who represents God, the One who welcomes repentant sinners home) throwing a huge party complete with music and dancing. Since Jesus' point in this and the preceding stories of Luke 15, is to show the joy of God and of heaven when sinners repent (see Luke 15:7, 10), there is at least good reason to conclude that every time a sinner comes to Christ, heaven breaks into celebration! The joy of heaven is loud, celebratory and effusive.

This is further supported by another text in Revelation 15:2-4 where we read that the inhabitants of heaven will sing Moses' song. What's instructive about this is that Moses' song which followed the deliverance of Israel from Egypt (found in Exodus 15:1-21) is in fact the Old Testament's most well known dance song (Exodus 15:20, 21)! That's one of the songs chosen for heaven.

If the Israelites could not help but sing and dance when delivered from Egypt into the promised land, how much more will heaven's throngs not help but sing and dance when delivered from hell into God's eternal home! So at the very least the Bible seems to connect joyful singing and dancing to heaven at least these two times.

So I conclude that for joy to be complete it must be expressed, and for joy to be heavenly and heaven-like it must be expressed exuberantly and effusively. We will see that this conclusion matches up with actual imperatives as we move forward tomorrow.

Of course we would be going too far to say that joy must always be effusive, but we would not be going nearly far enough if our joy is never or not very often effusive. Part of God's will that we are to pray is done on earth even as it is in heaven, is that our joy be so strong, so real, and so free, that it gets released in loud singing and celebration on earth, even as heaven's joy is.

And folks, take it from me (a guy who was as conservative and restrained as anyone--I was actually trained and taught not to be expressive because emotion was seen as dangerous and unspiritual): all of us can gain such a level of joy in God that we can learn to sing loud, and do at least a little leaping and dancing for joy.

Are we all ready to aim that high?

Nuancing Joy: Discerning the Paradox of Christian Joy in a Sorrowful World

I've often said that when I'm asked how I'm doing, the answer depends on what aspect of life and ministry one wants me to talk about. This is because there is always much to rejoice in and always much to weep over. In fact, I do not think it's an exaggeration to say that if you were to engage me in deep conversation in either direction, I would probably be weeping within five minutes; weeping for sorrow or weeping for joy; quite possibly for both in the same situations.

As we consider the matter of Christian joy we need to nuance the conversation a bit by pausing to think about the call to Christian sorrow. A call to Christian sorrow?! Surely I'm overstating it. No; not at all. Part of godliness is weeping.

Jesus wept (as the Bible's shortest verse, John 11:35--as well as other texts--tells us). Jesus told us that mourning is blessed (Matthew 5:4). Jesus makes the call to weeping vs. laughing even more stark in Luke 6:21-25. God grieves over our sins (Ephesians 4:30). We are commanded to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). Paul experienced "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" over the lost condition of his fellow man (Romans 9:2). In fact Paul, while always rejoicing, was sorrowful (2 Corinthians 6:10). James turns the call to mourning into a stark Old Testament-prophet-like thundering plea (James 4:8-10).

What are we to make of this? We are to make of it that as Christians we must never forget that while we are drinking deeply of the joys of God and the blessings of the age to come, we are still here in a fallen world with remaining sin within and without. We are to weep over our own sins, and we are to grieve the sins of others. We are to mourn over human loss and grief, and we are to grieve the state of a fallen world in which "evil men go from bad to worse" (2 Timothy 3:13). We may rightly grieve bad illness and the terrible enemy called death (Philippians 2:27; Acts 8:2).

There is the now which is a perpetual mix of sorrow and joy, and there is the not yet, the reality that the fulness of our joy is reserved for a time to come when all tears will be wiped away. If a Christian can live in this world without ever crying, indeed, without crying often over the sins and sorrows of a broken world, he is simply either a hard-hearted man, or Pollyanna, a naive child who imagines that everything is happy when it's not.

Christians are called to weep. No believer can be truly a God- and people- and holiness-loving man or woman whose heart never breaks with sorrow. Weeping frequently for sorrow does not make us a melancholic; it may simply mean we are holy.

But this in no way negates my previous calls to joy. It only makes them more mysterious and might I say it, more profound. Ours is not a grief without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), therefore it is a grief with joy! Paul was perplexed, confused, sorrowful, and cast down--but never in despair, and always rejoicing! We are to rejoice in the Lord always and again--I will say it with Paul--rejoice (2 Corinthians 6:10; 4:7-11; Philippians 4:4). We know in experience what the song-writer calls "pleasing grief and mournful joy"; a mystery and a profound paradox to be sure, but true nonetheless.

The joys of having tasted of God and grace and the powers and joys of the age to come need to be so strong in us that every tear of sorrow is mixed with tears of hope, and joy and sheer exhilaration in the glories of our God. This is clearly the experience of the apostle, and of the Savior who went before him.

Will it be ours?

I will write tomorrow of how we may gain more of such joy, even through the tears.

A Tale of Two Sermons

I'd like to reflect on 2 sermons I recently heard.

The first sermon (I caught less than 3 minutes of it), was on a TV in a hotel room two Sundays ago. It was preached in what appeared to be a stadium, but I think it was the regular church building. The man who gave the sermon seemed sincere-- He's quite popular... he is "America's Pastor." He assured the worshipers that "God would take them places they never dreamed of going" and that He could "fulfill their wildest dreams." As the camera panned the neatly dressed crowd I saw smiling faces. The crowd was huge! I'm guessing that one Sunday's offering/collection from this place could meet the annual budget of the church I attend. It would seem that the dubbing of this man as "America's Pastor" is an apt one... America's pastor, keeping the "American Dream" alive.

And I heard a sermon yesterday. This man too was sincere. The subject was vastly different, as was the size of the crowd... several empty seats in the sanctuary, and an offering that barely keeps up with (and ocassionaly lags behind) a modest budget. This pastor began his message with a scripture text: "Put to death... Put to death... Put to death therefore what is earthly in you." The crowd wasn't smiling. The pastor then proceeded to step on the proverbial toes of many of us, myself included. He lovingly challenged us toward holiness (without which, no man will see the Lord.)

My take on the two sermons? The first one left me shaking my head in disbelief. Did the Father send the Son, Jesus, to the cross so that my wildest dreams could be fulfilled? And yet, here was a packed stadium hanging on the words of this "pastor." Perhaps a man left there feeling hopeful--- maybe that dream of a million dollar home at the shore wasn't out of reach after all... ?

The other sermon, from this relatively obscure pastor, left me convicted about the sin in my life, and aware of the dangers if I refuse to change course. My particular sin is laziness. I've been aware of it for many years. This morning, however, I was up at 5:30, meeting with the Lord... just as my pastor recommended. I took his warning seriously... I must put laziness to death, and for me, it will be a daily killing.

Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. In the days of Israel false prophets abounded. Remember the cleverly devised set of horns used by Zedekiah to prophesy to Ahab and Jehoshaphat exactly what they wanted to hear (1 Kings 22)? "Thus says the Lord, with these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed!" What hopeful words! "And all the prophets prophesied so and said, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." This brought a smile to Ahab's face.

But then there was Micaiah, a faithful prophet of the Lord. He never cheered the king's heart. His word did not leave a smile on their face--their "dream" was to triumph in the battle--Micaiah's word was this: "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd."

Thank you pastors of Trinity Fellowship... for speaking the truth in love... so that WE will not be scattered sheep, wandering on the mountains.

The Doctrine of Sin and the Christian Life

In the recent preaching series at church on the Christian life and the pursuit of holiness, one of the recommended resources that Tim encouraged us to get hold of and read is the classic study of this central Biblical theme entitled simply, Holiness, by J.C. Ryle. This book is indeed one of the most powerful and helpful treatments of this vital subject available. It is Biblically faithful and piercing to the heart, and in the midst of a lot of confusing ideas about sanctification floating around the Christian world these days (and past days for that matter), listening to Ryle teach the Bible (and of course applying to ourselves the truth of God he so effectively explains) will help keep us pressing on along the road to the Celestial City, growing ever more like our Lord along the way.

I find it interesting and significant that he begins this study of holiness with the entire first chapter focusing on the doctrine of sin. How often have we heard the complaints whenever sin is taught or preached, that this is a dreary subject (and I suppose it is) that makes us feel bad. Stop beating us up and making us feel bad--we want to feel good about ourselves, or so it goes. And while, for the follower of Christ, I would be quick to add that for every time we look upon our sin we should look ten times upon the sinless Savior and his righteousness imputed to us in the gospel (now that is a matter for great joy I might add!), nevertheless we will not be faithful to Biblical revelation, and we will not grow spiritually as God intends, if we ignore or avoid the foundational importance for our lives of the doctrine of sin. Certainly Ryle would seem to agree--here's how he starts off:

He who wishes to attain right views about Christian holiness must begin by examining the vast and solemn subject of sin. He must dig down very low if he would build high. A mistake here is most mischievous. Wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption. I make no apology for beginning this volume of messages about holiness by making some plain statements about sin.

The plain truth is that a right understanding of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity. Without it such doctrines as justification, conversion, sanctification, are "words and names" which convey no meaning to the mind. The first thing, therefore, that God does when He makes anyone a new creature in Christ is to send light into his heart and show him that he is a guilty sinner. The material creation in Genesis began with "light," and so also does the spiritual creation. God "shines into our hearts" by the work of the Holy Spirit and then spiritual life begins (2 Cor. 4:6). Dim or indistinct views of sin are the origin of most of the errors, heresies and false doctrines of the present day. If a man does not realize the dangerous nature of his soul’s disease, you cannot wonder if he is content with false or imperfect remedies. I believe that one of the chief wants of the contemporary church has been, and is, clearer, fuller teaching about sin. (Holiness, by J.C. Ryle, Fleming H. Revell, pg.1)

One wonders, if what Ryle describes as "one of the chief wants of the contemporary church.... is, clearer, fuller teaching about sin", concerning the 19th century period in which he lived, what would he think of the state of affairs in the contemporary church in our day?

More importantly, what does God think? And how clear is our understanding of this foundational truth? Might I suggest, paradoxically, that the fullness of our joy depends on it.

Defining Joy

I think we need to pause and try to get our minds around the idea of joy: just what is it? This is no easy task (as is the case when trying to define any of the emotions/affections of the heart; what is love, or anger, or peace?). But it's a worthy exercise to try to wrap our minds around the very nature of joy--though I'm not sure how well I'll do.

Dictionaries say things like: "Joy is an ecstatic or exultant happiness" or "Joy is great pleasure", "the emotion due to well-being, success, good fortune, or possessing what we desire." Often joy is defined simply by synonyms, which helps but doesn't get us all the way there, it seems.

It occurs to me that maybe a look at the roots of various Hebrew/Greek Bible words for joy might point us in a good direction. One Bible word for joy has its roots in the idea of brightness; that which shines. Joy connects to a shining experience of the soul, and often look on the face. Another Bible word finds its roots in the word for leaping and springing. Joy is that which makes the heart leap, dance, bounce. It creates a lightness on the feet of the soul.

Another word is rooted in the idea of exultation--triumph and success and the thrill of victory. The idea of desire is connected to another word. Joy is the experience of and satisfying of desire (this connects to C.S. Lewis' take that joy is "the intense longing of the heart for God" that will only be fully satisfied in "another world.")

A primary Greek word for joy is closely related to the Greek word for grace--which refers to a gift freely given, undeserved. I've often defined grace as a "free gift that brings joy". Joy is connected to receiving, in this case to receiving what we cannot otherwise obtain, receiving what we long for but do not deserve, receiving a free, unmerited favor.

Still another word for joy--normally translated blessed, connects to the idea of fullness and wholeness. It speaks of that emotion that arises from an experience of being full, having all, receiving much, being satisfied and satiated.

I'm not sure I can really define joy but I'd say that biblically joy is that inward state of well-being and fullness of soul--that despite circumstances and sorrows to the contrary, and because of relationship with God in Christ--feels good, feels content, feels exultant, feels on the undeserved receiving end of fullness and wholeness and the heart's truest desires.

Having paused in my blogging to take a three mile walk with the dog, I'd like now to revise the previous definition a bit (walks do that for me). Joy is the shining of the soul and leaping of the spirit that flow out of tasting freely of the fullness of God.

Joy is when, despite encroaching darkness, the soul shines, and despite sorrowful burdens, the spirit leaps, because one has tasted freely and undeservedly of the fullness of God's glory and grace and goodness. Joy in the heart is that which feels and perhaps says the familiar words: "it is well with my soul" and "I'm doing better than I deserve"--because I have tasted the free goodness of God.

This is not the final word to be sure; it may not even be a very clear word at all. But it's been a good exercise for my soul to ponder it. I wonder how you'd define it. Give it a shot, and let us know what you come up with. I am very anxious to see what God gives you.

The Happy God: Tracing Joy's Roots

1000.

That's about how many times joy is either commanded or commended in Scripture.

Perhaps surprisingly, this means that joy is commanded or commended four times more often than reverence (yes I've tabulated both). Don't misunderstand: I'm not pitting these two against each other as if one is better than the other. Indeed Christians are to be always marked by both. Theirs is to be a reverent joy and an exuberant fear--similar to the frollicking reverence that Susan and Lucy tasted with the recently risen and suddenly roaring Aslan (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)

The point I'm making is that while reverence is to be constant and while (as long as we live in a sin and sorrow cursed world) tears will be ever present, joy is to prevail. We are to be reverent and sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10; Philippians 4:4).

And might I suggest that one reason why this joy is to be so pronounced in us is because it is so present in God? I've counted up 90+ biblical references to the joy, the pleasure, the delight, and the blessedness of God! More than 90! Luke's two-volume history mentions God's happiness on several occasions: Luke 3:22; Luke 10:21 (see footnote); Luke 12:32; Luke 15:7, 10, 22-32 (where Jesus chooses a feasting, singing and dancing party image as a metaphor for the joy of heaven's God when sinners repent).

God is the happy God, blessed and pleased in all He is and does, and sharing that joy with us (for any wanting to look deep into the happiness of God, I recommend heartily John Piper's The Pleasures of God, and Sam Storms', The Singing God). God is so content in Himself and so sure of the outcome of all things that He is "blessed (i.e.-happy) forever" (Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 6:15).

Neither space nor time permit further development of this soul-awakening reality. I leave it to you to flesh it out in reflection and study. But here's one implication for life: since the Bible clearly teaches that we become what we behold, might I suggest that one of the surest ways to become full of joy is to behold with steady gaze the One Who is so filled? We can do few things more transforming than to gaze at the happiness of God and all that makes Him happy, if we would be happy ourselves.

While God grieves sin and weeps over the Jerusalems of this world, His tears are the tears of pure sorrow and compassion, not of fear or helplessness or defeat or weakness or despair. His are the tears of One Who is fully assured of full and final victory in all things, and of great good even in and through the grief. Joy triumphs over sorrow in God every time.

That's why He sings and breaks out the tamborines whenever a sinner repents and one more part of His perfect plan falls into place. And that's why He wants us to do likewise, even when life hurts. Weep? Yes. But always rejoice. Why? Because God does.

Man of Sorrows or King of Joy?

Forty-five references to joy in 52 total chapters; that's Luke's Luke/Acts emphasis. Pretty impressive I'd say.

And one of the more stupendous statements about joy is found in Acts 2:25-28. This is a Messianic prediction about the resurrected and ascended Jesus. Notice the words: "my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced" (Jesus' joy was both felt and expressed; what his heart felt his tongue sang). Also the risen Messiah is "full of gladness with the Father's presence"! Not somewhat happy or mildly pleased, but completely and thoroughly joyful!

But isn't Jesus the "Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief"? He was, but I don't think He is. As touching His first coming, which was a coming to die, He knew much sorrow; indeed a seemingly disproportionate part of each gospel is taken up with His passion and griefs. But this was but for a time, that time, the time appointed for death. He came to cry and die in behalf of sinners.

But that said we must make two observations:
1. That He was a Man of Sorrows does not mean that He was joyless. It is hard to imagine a sinner-befriending, wine-drinking, food-enjoying, child-hugging Savior being joy and and humorless. If He was, He'd be about the only human ever who could make people feel comfortable with a constant sad and serious look on His face. It seems apparent that he was full of joy; otherwise nobody would have wanted to hang with him the way they all did. So it seems that all those observations I used to hear in childhood, that Jesus is never recorded to have smiled (by implication, He was a very serious and sad man, and we should be like that, too) were both wrong and sadly mistaken.

2. We should also note that if Jesus was not full of glad-hearted and often expressive joy while on earth the first time, He failed to obey hundreds of Old Testament commands, and therefore was not a perfect Savior! If He never sang and danced and clapped His hands and celebrated the goodness and grandeur and glory and sheer kindness of God while on earth, He disobeyed countless OT commands to do so. That would mean he sinned, and that, my friends, would be the end of the gospel.

All that said, let's be sure to conclude with this: though a Man of Sorrows Jesus was full of joy while on earth the first time, and now--as the risen Lord--He is not a Man of Sorrows at all; He's the King of Joy!

We should take a cue from this: no matter how many may be our sorrows we should be full of joy. And on this side of the cross and the empty tomb we should reflect our Savior by having hearts permeated with joy and tongues that sing and tell and shout it everywhere! We should be pervasively and persuasively happy people. After all, we're called to be like Jesus.

Lemon Juice Faith or Joy Unspeakable!

As promised a few days back, I am beginning a series of posts on the topic of joy. Joy is a distinct mark of biblical faith in relationship with the living God. I heard it said recently that "a joyless pastor seriously misrepresents God." It is true. It's also true that a joyless Christian does the same.

Someone has said that judging from the faces and lives of many Christians, one could get the distinct impression that they were baptized in lemon juice. This simply ought not to be--and if I have my way about it the reflections of the next few days will help us be full of joy in our God who is Himself full of joy!

I'm going to confine myself mainly to the writings of Luke in this series since that is where my devotional times have been of late and since joy seems to be a major theme of the historian. The fact is that if we looked at all the Bible we'd see that there are many hundreds of joy texts, maybe even a thousand or two. I'm not at all hesitant to say that joy is one of the most prominent themes in the whole Bible. It simply is everywhere!

This may surprise some of you since your take on faith may be more austere and melancholic. But let me say it: Lemon juice faith is simply unbiblical. A faith that is not genuinely, visibly and, yes, expressively joyful is simply deficient faith at least as the Bible defines and describes it. It is biblically safe to say that if our joy is not noticeable and pronounced, then we simply do not have enough of it.

I've found it interesting, convicting, and transforming, that Luke--as he aims to recount for us the history of the coming of Jesus and the birth of the church in Luke/Acts (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3) reveals that joy was prominent in the hearts of those connected to these great events. By implication, he intends for us--who remain connected to those great events, by faith--to experience that same joy. I count up at least 45 joy texts in Luke's two-volume set.

One reference that is somewhat defining for the early church is Acts 2:46. Others include Acts 8:6-8 and 13:48. As I begin can I ask of each of us--and of the churches we represent: "Would observers of our lives say of us what observers of the NT churches said: 'They have glad hearts and they have much joy?'" Is joy a distinctive mark, a defining characteristic of our life as the church?

If this cannot be accurately said of us, then we have some soul-searching to do. Will you join me in the exercise? And if you're inclined why not ask a few friends who don't normally read the blog to follow along as we pursue joy together?

The Point of Reality and the Finished Work of Christ

The gospel is not only for the unbeliever; it is for the believer as well, even as we press on to live for the Savior in this fallen world. In this battle-royale that is the Christian life we must preach the gospel to ourselves each and every day----we never escape our need for it.

Some thoughts, then, to encourage us in the battle and to help us preach the gospel to ourselves, from one of my mentors in the faith:

Let us say now that I have been living in the light of what God has been giving us for the present life. As a born-again child of God, I have been practicing the reality of true spirituality, as Christ has purchased it for us. As such, I have been walking according to the biblical commands. And then sin reenters. For some reason my moment-by-moment belief in God falters; a fondness for some specific sin has caused me at that point not to draw in faith upon the fact of a restored relationship with the Trinity. The reality of the practice of true spirituality suddenly slips from me. I look up some morning, some afternoon, some night--and something is gone, something I have known; my quietness and my peace are gone. It is not that I am lost again, because justification is once for all. But as far as man can see, or even I myself, at this point there is no exhibition of the victory of Christ upon the cross. Looking at me at this point, men would see no demonstration that God’s creation of moral, rational creatures is not a complete failure, or even that God exists. Because God still holds me fast I do not have the separation of lostness, but I do have the separation from my Father in the parent-child relationship. And I remember what I had.

At this point a question must arise: is there a way back? Or is it like a fine Bavarian porcelain cup, dropped to a tile floor so that it is smashed beyond repair?

Thank God, the gospel includes this. The Bible is always realistic: it is not romantic, but deals with realism--with what I am. There is a way back, and the basis of the way back is nothing new to us. The basis is again the blood of Christ, the finished work of the Lamb of God: the once-for-all, completed work of Christ upon the cross, in space, time, and history....

I picture my conscience as a big black dog with enormous paws which leaps upon me, threatening to cover me with mud and devour me. But as this conscience of mine jumps upon me, after a specific sin has been dealt with on the basis of Christ’s finished work, then I should turn to my conscience and say, in effect, “Down! Be still!” I am to believe God and be quiet, in my practice and experience. My fellowship with God has been supernaturally restored. I am cleansed, ready again to resume the spiritual life, ready again to be used by the Spirit for warfare in the external world. I cannot be ready until I am cleansed; but when I am cleansed, then I am ready. And I may come back for cleansing as many times as I need, on this basis.

This is for many Christians the point of reality in their Christian lives. All of us battle with this problem of reality. Men go to strange extremes to touch reality, but here is the point of it: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” So naturally the call is not to sin. “And if any man sin, we (including John himself, who puts himself in this category) have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

This is the point of reality for me personally. If I lay hold upon the blood of Christ in faith, reality rests here--not in trying to live as though the Bible teaches perfectionism. That is no basis for reality; that is only a basis either for subterfuge or despair. But there is a reality here: the reality of sins forgiven; the reality of a certainty that when a specific sin is brought under the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is forgiven. This is the reality of restored relationship. Reality is not meant to be only creedal, though the creeds are important. Reality is to be experienced on the basis of a restored relationship with God through that finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. (The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer: A Christian Worldview, Crossway Books, 1982, pg. 291, 297-298)

Random Thoughts on the Way Out the Door

In a couple of hours I'll be heading out the door to go to youth camp with 7-8 of our teens and a few parents. As I exit NJ (and am away from my blogging for a few days) let me leave you with a few random thoughts and joys:
1. I go to youth camp with Gayline, David and several teenagers I love with full expectation of meeting God. Last year's camp was simply life-changing for David. In supernatural ways, he met God and God came after him, and a chain reaction of grace has been going on ever since!

2. I come off of an experience last Friday in which I had the joy of partnering with the Lawtons in their mission work to international students at Johns Hopkins Univ. I got to preach the truth of God our Creator, our reason for Existence, our Savior and Redeemer--to 15-20 Chinese folks, many of whom had never heard any real truth about God before. One said at the close of the evening: "We have never heard these things about God!" This group of first time hearers was simply gripped with eager hearing as I got to preach. Truth captured their minds and I trust will win their hearts! Powerful. Joygiving. And I think eternally fruit-bearing.

3. I feel fresh amazement and joy over the provision of God. Some of you will know that Gayline and I have pledged in giving a substantial increase to help God's work flourish here in TFC. We have already seen (in the 2-3 weeks since we made that pledge) God provide 45% of that increase for the coming year through a stunning reduction of costs in an budget area we least expected it! In the past two or three days I've heard similar accounts from others who, giving in obedience to the call of God, have once again found out that God will never be out-given!

4. Finally, I'm preparing a series of posts on the topic of joy as seen through the ideas of Luke in his two books, Luke and Acts. If you want to experience a sweet study read through Luke and Acts and notice how often joy is referenced. His clear message is that with the coming of the Messiah and sending of the Spirit, joy is now a hallmark of true faith. I can't wait to share some perspectives on joy with you, beginning next week, God enabling.

There you have it; some random sharings from the heart of a pastor and friend.
See you in a few days. In the meantime keep commenting and sharing. i hope to check in while I'm away.

Using the World

In 1 Corinthians 7:31 there is an interesting concept. It's missed in the translation I use, but is captured more accurately in several others. The NASB translates the verse: "...and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away." This "full use" seems to imply an abuse, as other translations make clear.

It is this concept of using the world without abusing it that intrigues me. Today there will be many aspects and benefits of the world that will come across my path. I have at least three options when they do:

1. Non-use. This option is often chosen by the ascetic types among us. These are those who view the stuff of this world as being bad. They may not realize it but they have more in common with pagans in this point of view than they do with Christians. The idea that created things in this world are bad; things like food and work and making money and sports and music and drink and sex and the internet and TV and whatever else might have made the various taboo lists people have, is simply a bad idea. It's not true. God made all these things or gave man the ability to make them. So unless you're ready to say that God makes bad stuff, you'd better recant any notion that stuff is bad. It's as simple as that. (Let me qualify just enough to say that if you are one who has a hard time with addictions/bondage to stuff or pleasures or drink or food, the rules are a bit different for you. The Bible says things like "Flee temptation" and it means it. Stay clear and don't play with fire.)

2. Abuse. This option is often chosen by the free-spirited types; those that are allergic to rules and boundaries, and just feel that they can do what they please when they please. These too are more pagan than Christian and need to repent of their lawlessness real soon or find themselves on the wrong side of heaven's gates.

3. Right use. The Apostle advocates the right use of the stuff and pleasures and good things of the world .

But what is the right use of the world? That, I think, is a very good question; a question worth pondering. The right use of the world's stuff and pleasures obviously includes a use of them in compliance with God's Law. That's a given, or at least ought to be.

But in addition to that I'd suggest that a right use of the world's stuff and pleasures is any use that:
1. Increases joy, gratitude and love for the Giver more than the gift (Psalm 104:1-31; 1 Tim 4:1-5).
2. Balances out the tasks and duties of life with glad-hearted enjoyment of earth's simple pleasures (Eccles. 5:18, 19)
3. Builds bridges to the world for evangelism (1 Cor 10:27; Jesus ate and drank with sinners)
4. Adds spice and pleasure to married life. (Proverbs 5:18, 19; Song of Solomon; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5)
6. Makes a profit in order to be able to give more! (Eph 4:28)

I'm sure more could be added, but I'll, leave it at that. Interesting that in the middle of a joyful austerity month-long experiment in which I'm simply trying to get close to a need-only way of life, God should lead me to think on the right place and use of the things of this world. These things may not be needed for mere physical survival but they may be part of an over-all healthy life on planet earth, as God defines that.

Any thoughts?

"Walk in the Ways of your Heart!"

"Rejoice O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment." (Ecclesiastes 11:9)

You know what I'm learning as a father? Sanctification cannot be legislated into the life of my children. It's been difficult for Theresa and I to watch our oldest son take the inevitable steps toward independence. When Peter John was little, he was happy batting wiffle balls with an oversized bat, or falling asleep before a Beatrix Potter video, or watching planes come into Chicago's O'Hare Airport in daddy's arms. A promised ride to McDonalds for lunch (along with jumping in those colored balls) was something to look forward to the entire previous day!

Things have changed.

This summer (besides work), it was the beach, Applebee's, and a Fried Chicken Wing Joint down in Beach Haven that was all the rage.

As a man very close to 50, I find myself more suspicious than ever of a world I feel I know less and less. Too often I transfer that suspicion to my son, who seems to enjoy being out and about, engaged in "things of the world." When I let these fears and suspicions (which aren't rational) lay hold on me, I'm always proven wrong. PJ returns home on time, cheerful, and, (I know him well enough to say this), innocent. I then reproach myself for my untrusting heart, feeling foolish that I was very nearly ready to yank the car keys out of his hand, and reprimand him for his sin and guilt.

My son is not "seeking the Lord" with all his heart. He's the first to acknowledge it. The sports, the friends, and the sunny beach-- followed by a bowl of spicy wings afterward-- this has his attention now. And aside from a very short devotional time in the morning, I am not likely to find him meditating on scripture in his room, or praying.

The verse from Ecclesiasties has always intrigued me. "Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes." It seems to encourage a carefree, honest, "grab for the gusto" kind of existence. The kind of life my teenage son is living now. One thing I find in this verse is a healthy safeguard against hypocrisy. Enjoy yourself, young man, and do what you like! Don't pretent to be something you're not! But there is a caveat. The last phrase (which seems to support the meaning I have inferred above), is a warning. "But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment."

I suppose I understand why our 18 year old son prefers frivolous dinner table banter with his friends, and being at the beach more than pondering a portion of holy scripture. He doesn't seem to realize that we live in a fallen world. He hardly notices the suffering all around him.

But God knows how to deepen young men, and we leave it to Him. I suspect difficult circumstances, and assorted sorrows will drive him eventually to seek the Lord more than he does at present. In less than a week he will leave his comfort zone. We're dropping him off at a school near Pittsburgh, in unfamiliar surroundings with 640 other college freshmen, and leaving him there. This begins a new chapter, filled with joys, and hopefully a sufficient dose of sorrow too. In the end, whatever it takes, he must come to know the Lord, and to see all else as child's play.

Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit... and only God can do the work of God.

Love God With All Your Mind (3)

One final selection from Edward's on this theme of the importance of the mind in the Christian life I think is worthwhile. Once again I draw from his sermon "Christian Knowledge", in the book "Jonathan Edwards On Knowing Christ". In this quote Edwards speaks concerning the Biblical role of teachers, the Biblical role of learners, and the relationship between the two. Listen and drink in his holy logic:

"It may be argued hence, that God hath appointed an order of men for this end, to assist persons in gaining knowledge in these things. He hath appointed them to be teachers, 1 Cor. 12:28, and God hath set some in the church; first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers: Eph. 4:11-12. 'He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.' If God hath set them to be teachers, making that their business, then he hath made it their business to impart knowledge. But what kind of knowledge? Not the knowledge of philosophy, or of human laws, or of mechanical arts, but of divinity.

If God have made it the business of some to be teachers, it will follow, that he hath made it the business of others to be learners; for teachers and learners are correlates, one of which was never intended to be without the other. God hath never made it the duty of some to take pains to teach those who are not obliged to take pains to learn. He hath not commanded ministers to spend themselves, in order to impart knowledge to those who are not obliged to apply themselves to receive it.

The name by which Christians are commonly called in the New Testament is disciples, the signification of which word is scholars or learners. All Christians are put into the school of Christ, where their business is to learn, or receive knowledge from Christ, their common master and teacher, and from those inferior teachers appointed by him to instruct in his name."

O my---what application can be drawn from these thoughts!

Let me just say that the observation concerning teachers and their God given role within the church, indeed as gifts to the church for its strengthening (yes, even in their fallibility), at the very least should keep us from the all too popular notion among Christians in our era that all we need to grow and to learn and to guide us is the Bible and ourselves. This is not the historic, classic and Reformation truth of Sola Scriptura (i.e. the Bible alone is our sole ultimate and infallible authority for what we are to believe about God and how we are to live before Him, with various offices under Scripture having God ordained authority in our lives), but rather a contemporary distortion that can be more properly called Solo Scriptura or Nuda Scriptura (i.e. the Bible all by itself is our only authority, with the practical result that each Christian is an authority unto him or herself; pastors, teachers, creeds, confessions, church have no real authority). The Reformers would have rejected this second view outright, by the way, and so should we-----it is not Biblical and it is not the historic view of the Christian church.

Besides the vital role of teachers in the church, our role as students in Christ's school is something that it seems to me we really need to see as applying to each one of us, whatever our level of intellectual capacity may be. And we need to really take it seriously---it is a calling for each one who belongs to Christ, not just for certain "elite brainy Christians". Listen to Edward's once again: "The name by which Christians are commonly called in the New Testament is disciples, the signification of which word is scholars or learners. All Christians are put into the school of Christ, where their business is to learn, or receive knowledge from Christ, their common master and teacher, and from those inferior teachers appointed by him to instruct in his name".

We must realize that being students in the school of Christ never ends-----there is no graduation in this school. Yet, there is a "degree" conferred for faithfulness in the Savior's school at the end of this life---- it comes with these words: "Well done, good and faithful servant........Enter into the joy of your Master" (Matt. 25:21,23).

Yes, part of being a faithful student in this school involves each and every one of us loving God with all of our minds, to the best of our own individual God given capacity. The Savior expects nothing less.

Faith and Folly (2)

Today's post is my last comment (expanded) from yesterday's conversation. I want to make sure that those who may have missed the comments interact with these thoughts.

I think that it is commendable to have strong faith and trust in the healing grace of God and I would even commend making prayer for healing a matter of first resort (yes I wrote "first" so that we show by our actions that we trust God more than doctors, or whatever our own traditional or alternative treatment of choice may be).

But the great concern I am expressing is over the very bad theology that treats medicine as if it is bad or healing by miracle in this life as if it is an absolute birthright of every believer. To treat medicine as bad is to deny both the goodness of God's creation (which provides cures for disease) as well as the creation mandate of Genesis 1 (which commands us to have dominion over the earth--which includes dominion over disease through whatever ethical means we may discover). Those who despise medicine unwittingly disobey that mandate.

And to treat healing by miracle in this life as an absolute birthright in this life is to confuse the "not yet" (what is a birthright to be given us when heaven dawns) as a "now" (something we can name and claim for here and now all the time). This confusion has led countless sincere but misguided Christians into grave disillusionment and doubt when their namings and claimings have not materialized.

Such teachings are usually what is behind the tragedies such as we're talking about here. The ideas that we can name and claim such things, that we can create miracles by "word-faith", that to go to a doctor when prayers for direct healing have not rendered healing is an evidence of unbelief--are all ideas that are serious distortions of the Word. And they have led to untold grief.

I saw a short video recently by John Piper--(google John Piper, prosperity gospel video)--in which he expresses his very strong feelings against the prosperity gospel (which is part of what we're talking about here). He despises these false teachings because they are misleading and destroying souls. Evangelists and missionaries are promising health and wealth to get converts. In so doing they are not offering people God, the Giver of Life and Savior of souls. They simply are offering people an idol: good health and wealth. This destroys souls in the name of faith.

In this particular case it destroyed a body too.

I admire the faith and the apparent sincerity of this man; I simply grieve the error, ignorance, and irresponsible shepherds that lead people to pursue folly in the name of faith. The costs are catastrophic, both for this life and the next.

Tim

Any more thoughts?

Faith, Folly, and the Hatred of the World

I had another post planned for this morning but this emailed question just came in and as I was answering it I thought i'd include you in the conversation. A friend sent me the following:

Hi Pastor Tim,

What are your views and/or our churches view on "tests of faith" regarding the healing of sickness in people through faith and prayer alone ?

I site the case in Wisconsin where a man (Dale Neumann) was charged with second degree reckless homicide in the death of his daughter who had undiagnosed diabetes. He refused to take his daughter (Madeline) to a doctor even though she had symptoms. She eventually became gravely ill and died on the floor while a prayer group stood over her. The father later testified that " If I went to the doctor, I'm putting the doctor before God". The father had once studied to be a Pentecostal minister. Doctors who testified in the case said that there was a good chance Madeline would have survived if she had gotten the correct meds. including insulin.



What a shame and very sad. I pray that the girl is in heaven and I pray for her parents who are now being persecuted. I personally don't think that going to the doctor is putting a doctor before God. I think doctors were given their expertise, talent and knowledge by God and are tools to be used by him in the healing of sickness. Not everyone can be a doctor, I know I couldn't do it. The other question is: Should this man be put in jail for testing his faith ? I believe his wife was already found guilty and jailed. I feel this gives the liberal media and government another reason to attack fellow Christians. I feel that we as Christians are stereotyped by non Christians and that the results of this mans decision feed that stereotype. I feel a need to defend myself and my faith to people who think that I am another "Dale Neumann". I did not have a chance to talk to Dr. Joe about this but I'm sure he would probably get fired up and have some strong views of his own. I'm just looking for some comfort in your thoughts about this. This has been troubling me the past couple of days.

thanks

My reply was;

Great questions brother.

I only have time for a brief answer bro, but here goes.

I believe in healings, but I also believe God uses doctors at times to bring about that healing. This man’s faith, while sincere, is sadly misguided and as you suggest, almost embarrassing to the testimony of Jesus. This family is clearly the victim of some very bad teaching and theology. They don’t know their Bibles very well, and the result has been tragic.

However, I’m not sure the man should be put in jail for acting on what he honestly believes. But I also know that the world will seize every chance it gets to mock and persecute Christians. This is where the world is so hypocritical. On the one hand if Christians really live what they believe and do daring things for God in that faith, the world calls them fanatics and weirdoes. On the other hand if we don’t live to the max what we believe, or if we somehow fall short, they call us hypocrites.

Jesus addressed this in Luke 7:31-35 when he tells the world of His day: “You can’t make up your mind. If someone comes from God being really “holy” and separated from worldliness (like John the Baptist) you reject him, but if Someone else (like Jesus) comes along who seems worldly—he eats and drinks with sinners-you call him a hypocritical glutton and unholy drunk. The world will condemn Christians no matter what they do.

I grieve for the misguided faith of this now grieving and assaulted father, and I pray for him to see greater light and to have great comfort as he has to face himself and his grief for the rest of his days. I'm afraid he may receive harsh treatment for doing a wrong (however sincere his intent); something Peter warns us aboutin 1 Peter 4:13-16.

At the same time, the way the world is reacting is typical of the ungodly; they simply cannot be pleased—which goes to show that in the final analysis, humans will always find an excuse not to believe. The reason the world condemns Christians no matter what they do is because it is trying to hide from God behind finger-pointing hypocrisy. The world figures that if it can label Christians as either ungodly hypocrites or weird fanatics, it won’t have to face the claims and truth of Christ Himself.

It’s weak, wimpy, and cowardly, but it’s the way the world is.

There’s a perspective for the moment my friend. A lot more could be said, but that’s all that time allows. Keep asking questions.

Your brother,
Tim

What do you think?

Stuff-Stuffed and a Joyful Austerity Experiment

One of the woeful effects of the evolutionary theory that Peter wrote about yesterday (isn't it good to hear that the peddlers of folly are at least squirming a bit under the weight of having no proof?!) is that it has given a pseudo-intellectual credibility to the age-old philosophy of materialism. It has made the idea that all there is and all that matters is matter. The realm of the spirit and the supernatural has been denied even more openly and brazenly than ever.

One effect of this has been an emergence of crass hedonistic materialism. We're told to love money and what money can buy, because after all there is nothing but the body and the present to live for. Even though our world's woeful condition of unhappiness (I saw a report just this morning that 27 million stuff-stuffed Americans are on anti-depressants!) would surely imply that stuff doesn't bring happiness, and life disconnected from the Living God and connected only to matter, is bankrupt, the blind still don't know they're blind.

A few weeks back I told you I wanted to do a 30 day experiment in joyful austerity; a commitment for one month to live as close to a need only existence as I can get. It has begun. For one month I'm going to eat, drink, shower, spend, relax, and simply live with need rather than mere pleasure or habit in mind. I started on Saturday. Three days in I'm learning some things about what we really need and what we don't. I'll try to keep you posted.

BTW this really isn't inteneded to be something like a fast; it's not really a profound spiritual plan so much as an intentional learning experience. I want to learn a bit more what God sees as my needs, what others have and don't have, and just how happy and contented I can be without all the stuff that money buys.

As one stuff-stuffed American to others, I'm hoping to learn some things that'll change my life.

Darwin's Tree of Life...Dying!

It seems the theory of "Common Descent" is in serious trouble. The journal New Scientist has released an article titled "Why Darwin was wrong about the tree of life." The article candidly discusses the tremendous obstacle faced by evolutionary biologists who try to use DNA to construct trees showing hypothetical evolutionary relationships. According to the article, "the problem was that different genes told contradictory evolutionary stories."

"For a long time the holy grail was to build a tree of life," says Eric Bapteste, an evolutionary biologist at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, France. A few years ago it looked as though the grail was within reach. But today the project lies in tatters, torn to pieces by an onslaught of negative evidence. Many biologists now argue that the tree concept is obsolete and needs to be discarded. "We have no evidence at all that the tree of life is a reality," says Bapteste. That bombshell has even persuaded some that our fundamental view of biology needs to change.

I suppose it's no wonder that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) steadfastly opposes any critical analysis of the evidence for evolution. The deeper the research goes, the more difficult it becomes to prop up the theory of common descent; and evolution doesn't work without common descent. In addition, the molecular trees (based on DNA) and the morphological trees (based on anatomical traits) do not resemble each other as they should. The alternative explanation, and the one that seems increasingly to fit the DNA evidence, is common design. But, Mother Nature forbid it! We cannot let this tidbit leak out to the school children!

And so, when this debate comes into public view, scientists "put on a united front and hold to the bluff that there are no weaknesses in their position." (Salvo Magazine, Summer 2009).

Recently the Texas Board of Education adopted science standards that require students to "analyze and evaluate" core evolutionary claims, including "common ancestry." The National Academy of Sciences would be horrified at the prospect, but still, imagine... an new generation of students who are permitted to analyze evidence once again. There is still hope for science education in the good old USA! Way to go Texas...

(Full Story in Salvo Magazine, Summer 2009 Issue)

Love God With All Your Mind (2)

Following up my post of a couple of weeks ago on the vital importance of the mind in the Christian life, I thought it beneficial to share some thoughts I enjoyed in my reading expressed by my friend Jonathan Edwards relating to this foundational issue. These comments are found in his sermon “Christian Knowledge” (you can find it, along with a number of other sermons by Edwards, in the Banner of Truth publication--“Jonathan Edwards On Knowing Christ”). The sermon is based on Hebrews 5:12, where the admonishment is given that “though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food."

Edwards says:

...The heart cannot be set upon an object of which there is no idea in the understanding. The reasons which induce the soul to love, must first be understood, before they can have a reasonable influence on the heart.

God hath given us the Bible, which is a book of instructions. But this book can be of no manner of profit to us, any otherwise than as it conveys some knowledge to the mind: it can profit us no more than if it were written in the Chinese or Tartarian language, of which we know not one word... Such is the nature of man, that no object can come at the heart but through the door of the understanding: and there can be no spiritual knowledge of that of which there is not first a rational knowledge. It is impossible that any one should see the truth or excellency of any doctrine of the gospel, who knows not what that doctrine is. A man cannot see the wonderful excellency and love of Christ in doing such and such things for sinners, unless his understanding be first informed how those things were done. He cannot have a taste of the sweetness and excellency of divine truth, unless he first have a notion that there is such a thing.

God hath given to man some things in common with the brutes, as his outward senses, his bodily appetites, a capacity of bodily pleasure and pain, and other animal faculties: and some things he hath given him superior to the brutes, the chief of which is the faculty of understanding and reason. Now God never gave man these faculties to be subject to those which he hath in common with the brutes. This would be great confusion, and equivalent to making man to be a servant of the beasts. On the contrary, he has given those inferior powers to be employed in subserviency to man’s understanding; and therefore it must be a great part of man’s principal business to improve his understanding by acquiring knowledge. If so, then it will follow, that it should be a main part of his business to improve his understanding in acquiring divine knowledge, or the knowledge of the things of divinity: for the knowledge of these things is the principal end of this faculty. God gave man the faculty of understanding, chiefly, that he might understand divine things.

There seems to be no question that our mind matters greatly to God. Perhaps the question that can be raised is what we are intentionally and consciously doing, unlike animals, to discipline and strengthen our minds, so that we are using them chiefly for the purpose God intended--to grow in our understanding of the things of God, tasting of the sweetness and excellency of divine truth, and then to live coram Deo--before the holy gaze of God, under His authority, and for His glory.