When the Immortal Die

Posted on May 8, 2023 | Leave a comment

The last time I saw him was over 40 years ago.

Jon was 21 years old with that thick neck and quick twitch of a college football player. He had a great smile and was tough as nails. For my last two seasons, we lined up next to each other in the huddle between every play. Football was the closest I’ll ever get to battle and Jon was the perfect soldier to have at my side. We rejoiced together in victory and agonized together in defeat. The bond of blood, sweat and tears made him feel like a brother on the field.

I graduated and moved a thousand miles away to start seminary. Jon was a class behind me and so I never saw him at class reunions. In fact, I never saw him again at all. He stayed, in my mind’s eye, 21 years old and full of life and vigor and energy. He was, in my memory, immortal.

And then I found out he died.

I learned that he was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 30 and given months to live. I learned that he asked God to allow him to see his children grow up, and he welcomed three grandchildren into the world. I found pictures of him as a middle aged man, with a normal sized neck and thinner hair. I read of his death surrounded by family who loved him, and that powerful body ravaged by cancer.

I was reminded that, if we live long enough, we grow old. Our bodies wear out and our minds fade. I remembered that we are but dust and to dust we return; that are lives are but a vapor and our years but a moment. I recalled that time moves forward relentlessly and death is part of our human experience.

But I was also reminded that God made us for something more; that the empty tomb is evidence of Christ’s victory over death and hell and the grave. I remembered that Jon’s trust in Jesus as his Savior meant he knew the promise of God for his eternity; that death is not the end for the child of God, but the transition into his presence and the home he has prepared for his children.

I have felt the reality of my own mortality more acutely since learning of Jon’s death. The immortal, it seems, die. But I’ve also understood another truth more fully.

In Christ, the mortal live.

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I Don’t Go to Church

Posted on September 5, 2022 | 2 comments

One of the recent trends among those professing faith in Jesus as Savior is an increasing number who aren’t active in a local church. While this has been trending for some time, it seems to have increased during this time of pandemic isolation and cultural hostility to faith.

Two reasons for not being active in a local church seem to be most prominent. One reason believers give for not attending church is, “I can worship God on my own.” A second reason is some version of, “The church has so many problems.”

Do you know what? There is truth in both of these statements. Each of these reasons given have some points worth examining more fully.

“I can worship God on my own.” We can and should worship the Lord at times and places other than Sunday mornings in a church building. There is power in worshipping the Lord in the beauty of the outdoors and in other settings. Believers should marvel at God’s design of the heavens as did the Psalmist. We do well to see worship as an activity we engage in at any time and place. And, worship can be intensely personal and private.

Need we make this an “either/or” proposition? Can’t we worship the Lord both privately and publicly? Ought not we consider doing both? Aren’t we able to worship God both at the beach and in the auditorium? Might we better see this as a “both/and” proposition?

“The church has so many problems.” It is true that the church has problems. This is a point worth the church’s attention. The problem, of course, is that the church is made up of people and all people are fallen, sinful and broken. But, churches have sometimes masked their fallen nature, excused sinful behavior and allowed harmful attitudes and activities in their midst. Though we profess Jesus as Lord, we sometimes fail to live that out well and fall into the very hypocritical behavior Jesus criticized so harshly.

Does the imperfect nature of the local church mean we should trash the institution itself? Ought we neglect the church because it has hypocrisy even though Jesus must have known this when he instituted it? Do we paint with brushes so broad that the improprieties of one church justifies us painting the whole with the worst of motives and, therefore, unworthy of our attendance? An important question to ask is, “Might the local church be both imperfect and valuable?”

I am reminded of God’s word in Hebrews 10:23-4 which speaks to believers who might have these same doubts about being active in a local church. These are God’s words to us and not just the words of the pastor or a parent or a fellow Christian. This is God’s instruction to us, reminding us of the value and the importance of attending and participating in a local church.

“And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-4

I want to encourage you to listen to God’s reminder to “not neglect to gather together”, even though many have made that their “habit”. The culture, even the Christian culture, says the local church is unimportant and unnecessary. But God’s word says otherwise and that is important to recognize.

Maybe you will consider these things and reexamine the role of the church in your life. Maybe you will see God’s design and plan for you and the church. So, I’m attending my local church this week and I hope you will too!

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Why I Read the Bible Every Year

Posted on May 11, 2022 | Leave a comment

During a break from seminary, I stopped by to see my sweet, elderly grandmother. Grandma was not only the greatest baker of peach cobbler it has ever been my delight to consume, she also taught a Sunday School class for older women in her church. Seizing the opportunity at hand, she began to ask me, her young seminarian grandson, questions about the bible in the hopes of improving her skills as a bible teacher.

Between bites of heaven’s goodness clothed in flour and sugar, I tried the best I could to answer her questions. And, I must admit, I knew some things Grandma didn’t know. She had never taken Greek or Systematic Theology or Church History. But, I began to realize in the course of our conversation, that Grandma knew the bible in a way that I didn’t. Her years of faithful bible reading had allowed God’s word to penetrate her soul in a way no seminary class could replicate. I left her home that day saying, “I want to know the bible like that!”

That episode began in me a renewed commitment to bulk reading of the bible. I committed to reading the bible through in its entirety at least once every year. That was many years ago and I have followed that practice ever since, sometimes supplementing it with more frequent reading of the New Testament. Here are some reasons I continue to read the bible through each year and commend the practice to you.

1. Reading the bible through each year allows me to see the big picture of God’s work. A surprising number of Christians have never considered the whole of God’s word. While they may know some of the stories and perhaps have heard sermons and lessons on various parts of the bible, they have missed the forest for the trees. They haven’t put the Old and New Testaments together or seen the full narrative well. After reading the bible through six or seven times, the big picture gains clarity in our minds.

2. Reading the bible through each year helps me to assimilate the message more fully. Grandma had God’s word deep in her soul. It bubbled to the surface when she spoke and percolated in her thoughts. Reading it each day allows the word to be more than an occasional guest in our minds; it becomes a resident in our lives.

3. Reading the bible through each year teaches me to see important themes. The themes of redemption, judgement, holiness and grace have major roles in God’s word. Bulk reading helps us see the value God places on topics like these and others. Through this, we begin to see what matters to God and should matter to us.

4. Reading the bible through each year causes me to deal with difficult or obscure passages. I already knew the story of Samson in my early years, but I wasn’t so aware of Ehud the left-handed Benjaminite. Bulk reading forces me to consider hard passages that might need more of my study or subjects that I rarely consider. Some of those lesser known scripture passages have been greatly used by the Lord in my life to teach and mold me.

5. Reading the bible through each year keeps me disciplined and consistent. One doesn’t finish the entire bible in a morning. It takes discipline and consistency; traits which are in short supply in many lives. But many of the greatest blessings of life come more slowly than quickly. A daily recognition of our need for the Lord is essential to serious discipleship.

6. Reading the bible through each year reminds me of my sins, shortcomings and blind spots. I more easily notice the sins of others than my own. But reading God’s word can help me to see areas where God wants me to change and grow. God has often used his word to teach me about areas of personal weakness that I might not otherwise consider.

7. Reading the bible through each year guards me from complacency, apathy and stagnation. We never arrive at the end of our discipleship journey until reaching the end of our earthly one. Reading the bible each day reminds me to continue to learn, grow and obey. This daily practice reminds us that we haven’t reached our destination yet and there is more to learn on our journey.

Consider reading through the bible in the next year. If you haven’t read the entire New Testament, start there and maybe read through it several times first. You can read a book in the Old Testament and then one in the New Testament or read them in any order you choose. Use a One Year Bible or any other method you choose. But, read the bible all the way through over and over and gain the benefit that comes with this healthy practice!

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God Speaks… Even There

Posted on December 24, 2021 | 1 comment

Good word from my sweet wife!

A baby born in a stable

an animal feeding trough for a bed

Straw and hay… and filth.

God chooses this place.

It will be a reminder that He provides…

just not always in the way we might expect.

He speaks… even there.

A frightened teen mother

a hesitant young father

raising the Son of God.

Not quite qualified,

but called.

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The Church Still Matters

Posted on July 29, 2021 | 2 comments

I’ve never seen the idea of the church so marginalized in all my lifetime. The secular world mocks the church and the Christian world devalues the church. The local church is seen, even by believers, as unnecessary and antiquated and optional.

You can kind of understand the issues perhaps. After all, churches are filled with imperfect people. Churches often have a well earned reputation for being argumentative. They frequently get side tracked by secondary issues. They sometimes lose sight of their purpose. Critics can accurately point out all the problems, failures and imperfections of the church.

But, with all of that said, the church still matters. There is great inherent value in the work of the local church. There is value and purpose and potential in this institution. Here are three reasons why the church still matters.

1. God made the church. If the church was man’s idea, we might rightfully ignore it. But it isn’t. God formed the church and he did it for his own reasons. He knew that the church would be made up of imperfect people. He knew every pastor and every small group leader would be “frail as dust and feeble as frail”. But he formed it anyway. We ought not easily turn our backs on something God created.

And, I note that God’s word admonishes us that we ought not be in the habit of “neglecting to gather together”. (See Hebrews 10:24-25) This isn’t the word of your pastor or your grandmother. God is the one who calls us to gather. God’s command is reason enough to connect with an imperfect church filled with imperfect people.

We might not understand why God formed the church, but we can’t escape the fact that he did. We may not see the value of the local church, but God apparently can. We need to remember this important truth: the church is a God idea.

2. We need each other. I don’t think every Christian believes that. I think many believe they can be just fine on their own- no need for fellowship or accountability or encouragement from other believers. But the longer I live, the more I see the importance of other believers in my life.

Don’t underestimate the enemy. He loves to divide and conquer. He wants you to be spiritually isolated. He knows the Bible says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another”. (Prov. 27:17) He tells you that you don’t need anyone else because he wants you to be vulnerable and ineffective.

But, the Spirit of the Living God reminds you of the value of other believers. We disciple others and are discipled by others. We benefit from the wisdom and zeal and encouragement that comes from worshiping and learning with others. Never have believers needed each other as we do now!

3. We are stronger together. I had a friend who lost his little finger in an accident. He told me how amazed he was at how much grip strength he lost just from that tiny digit.

The church is described as the body of Christ. We all have different gifts and backgrounds and personalities and perspectives. But, we function best when we work together. We are stronger in missions, evangelism, discipleship and worship when we are connected.

The church separated is weak and ineffective. The church connected is powerful beyond the sum of her parts. The church can prevail against the very gates of hell. You will benefit from others and others will benefit from you. You need the church and the church needs you.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy connection to a local church. God will use this institution made up of imperfect sinners who have found the perfect Savior to impact you and your world. Find a church, plug in fully and participate actively.

The church still matters.

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Revival Still Matters

Posted on July 28, 2021 | Leave a comment

Perhaps the greatest need of our day is revival. I’m not talking about a series of revival meetings, though that might be needed as well. I’m talking about a genuine revival in the lives of Christians that brings spiritual renewal, vibrancy and power. What a difference it would make in our day if revival was stirring in individuals and churches and beyond!

I’ve experienced touches of revival in my own life and church and it whets my appetite for more. Christian, wouldn’t you like a fresh touch from God in your own life, your own church and your own ministry? Wouldn’t you like to see a move of God that changes the hearts of believers and impacts beyond to our culture?

Here are three reasons why revival still matters.

1. We tend to drift from God. I’m not much of a sailor, but I do know that drifting doesn’t take any special effort at all. It is easy to drift from the shore. And, it is easy to drift from God. We get busy, distracted or preoccupied and drift away. We get rebellious, sinful or selfish and move away from God. It is easy to do and can happen with us hardly noticing.

Note that we drift from God, not towards God. Getting closer to the Lord involves intentionality. Drifting away from God can happen without any recognition or premeditation at all.

In revival, believers come back into right relationship with the Lord. In revival, there is a recognition of our sloth or sin or self-centeredness. We need revival because we tend to forget about what matters most. We tend to lose sight of God’s perspective. We tend to grow stale in our religious activities. Revival draws us back to a close, intimate relationship with the Lord.

2. Revival brings new life, joy and effectiveness. Getting right with God is not to our detriment. Though there is sorrow in recognizing our sin, repentance doesn’t result in our loss. Revival involves the recognition of judgment but it leads us to restoration. Revival is in our best interest and leads us to the fruit of the Spirit and the joy and peace that comes with walking with the Lord. Though revival can start with pain, it leads to healing and purpose.

Many Christians have come to see the Christian life as drudgery. They see faith as good, but boring. They think of obedience as right, but tedious. Revival corrects that wrong thinking. It reminds us of the joy of our salvation. It gives us new meaning and purpose as we see God’s glory and goodness. Revival leads us to new effectiveness and enthusiasm. Revival is what our soul is longing for!

3. Revival impacts our churches, communities and culture. One of the reasons we need revival so much is because of the impact revived Christians have on those around them. When churches are revived, they are more effective and focused. The revived church is more committed to evangelism and discipleship and fellowship. But, revival has an impact beyond that.

We often decry the state of our culture, and rightly so. Our culture is increasingly coarse and crude and rebellious to the truth of God. But revival has an impact on the surrounding culture. Revived Christians and churches can be used by God to bring a spiritual awakening to the culture at large. It can open the eyes of the lost to the realities of sin and the priorities of faith. It can cause the lost world to see their need for the Lord. Often, revival has even resulted in large scale recognition of the need for biblical morality in the culture at large.

Perhaps you have recognized your own need for revival. Will you join me and others in praying for revival in our lives and churches in this generation? Ask the Lord to send revival to your own life and to change you where you need changing. Be willing to repent of any wrong activity, attitude or motive. Join with others in praying for a sweeping revival in our generation.

Revival still matters!

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Holiness Still Matters

Posted on July 27, 2021 | 1 comment

Every generation tends to fall off the horse on the opposite side. If the previous generation emphasized God’s holiness to the exclusion of God’s love, the next generation emphasizes God’s love to the exclusion of God’s holiness. Sitting straight in the saddle requires us to recognize both aspects of God’s nature.

Grace is an amazing gift from God. But it doesn’t negate God’s call to holiness. Freedom is a beautiful truth. But it doesn’t exempt us from the teaching of God’s word to live holy lives. Many Christians have acted as though holiness and obedience are out of date concepts and unnecessary encumbrances to the life of the believer. Holiness is mislabeled as legalism. Obedience is ignored as an unneeded vestige of the law. What a tragic misunderstanding of God’s word and way!

Holiness is spoken of often in scripture and not only in the Old Testament. Obedience is a common theme of God’s word for those who would follow Jesus. We ought not ignore this in a misguided attempt to improve God’s plan of grace or provision of freedom.

Let’s note three reasons why holiness still matters.

1. Holiness matters because sin harms us. Sin’s result is never to our benefit. It won’t give us more peace or joy or life. The goal of the enemy isn’t for our good or our gain. Ultimately, sin kills, steals and destroys. It is important for Christians to be aware of this truth.

While sin is packaged well, its substance is poison. God’s call to holiness is, therefore, to our benefit. It is in our best interest to obey the Lord and to our great detriment to disobey. The better you see God’s perspective instead of the world’s, the more you will see this truth that holiness keeps us from harm and blesses our lives. God calls you to obedience because it is in your best interest.

2. Holiness matters because discipleship demands it. Discipleship is all about following and obeying Jesus. It means we go where Jesus leads and do what Jesus wants. If we do what we want, we aren’t following Jesus. If we go the world’s way, we aren’t obeying Jesus. A way to think about the importance of holiness it to note this simple truth, “You can’t obey Jesus by disobeying Jesus”.

Jesus asked the question, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46) If we call him “Lord” we must obey him. If we don’t obey him, how can we call him “Lord”? At the heart of discipleship is our obedience to the Lord and there is no way around this simple truth. Obedience is the pathway to our spiritual growth and dynamic walk with God.

3. Holiness matters because love leads to it. There is a common view in our culture that says it is unloving to say anything is wrong or sinful. But is it unloving for a parent to keep their child from playing in the street? Is is unloving for someone to warn others of a defective bridge? Instead, aren’t these things a result of love itself?

The Bible tells us, “This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey his commands. For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands.” (1 John 5:2-3) Love and obedience are deeply connected in scripture. God’s holiness and love cannot be separated. Love leads us to obedience and holiness, not to licentiousness and immorality. Living a holy life is the natural result of loving God.

Holiness should matter deeply to God’s followers because it matters deeply to God. Don’t miss this important truth and the blessings that come with it.

Holiness still matters.

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Inerrancy Still Matters

Posted on July 26, 2021 | 6 comments

“Is the Bible inerrant?”, my professor wrote on the board, and a spirited discussion in my first Ph.D. seminar began. Some classmates said the Bible has errors, some said it doesn’t matter and I, and a few others, argued that the Bible is inerrant and it matters very much indeed. I am more convinced of the inerrancy of the Bible than ever and it has affected my personal life and ministry tasks greatly.

Every generation of theologians, pastors and Christians has to deal with this doctrine. Inerrancy, at it core, says “The Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching”. (Geisler) Is the Bible true or not? Is all of it true, or are only parts true? These questions must be grappled with in every age and by every serious Bible teacher.

Does inerrancy still matter and, if so, why does it matter? Here are three simple reasons why the doctrine of inerrancy still matters for this generation.

1. It describes the nature of the Bible. When we say the Bible is inerrant, we are recognizing that it comes from God and not just from man. While God used human authors, God himself is the ultimate author. Scripture is “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and not just man conceived.

Inerrancy notes that the Bible is perfect and perfectly reliable and only perfect God can do that. God is able to use imperfect men to give us exactly what we need and to do this perfectly. God is by nature sovereign and perfect. He is able, therefore, to use imperfect people like Moses and Paul to accomplish his purposes and to give us his perfect word.

If the Bible is just the ideas of people, well the world is full of ideas from people. And social media often suggests that the ideas of people can be less than edifying- some of the things I see on social media seem downright crazy! But if the Bible is truly God’s word, then we can trust God to give us exactly what we need and to give us his perfect word. We have, in the Bible, the perfect thoughts of God and not the imperfect ideas of people.

2. It defines the importance of the Bible. If the Bible is just another imperfect book, we might be inspired from it, but we are unlikely to transformed by it. If it is just another imperfect book, we take the parts we like and leave the parts that we don’t much care for, like those old beets in the buffet line.

If, however, the Bible is inerrant, we see that it is the source of truth. It teaches us the truth that we need even if that truth may be unpopular or difficult.

Truth transcends culture. Popularity and public opinion is not what should guide or instruct us. Truth is what we need and God teaches us the truth by giving us the Bible so that we know how we ought to live and what we ought to do. The Bible becomes the arbiter or right and wrong, not elections, polls or pragmatism. We are reminded of how much we need to know God’s word and how valuable it is for us for life and eternity.

3. It delineates the arguments about the Bible. Arguing about the Bible, and pretty much everything else in life, seems to be a pastime for Christians these days. But what determines if our arguments are right or wrong? Is it determined by who talks the fastest or the loudest? Is is based on feelings or personal sensibilities? Is it determined by what is currently popular or acceptable?

Inerrancy suggests the argument is defined by what the Bible teaches, not what man says. We know whether the arguments made are accurate by how well they match the scripture and not by how winsome or influential the arguer may be. The world’s way of arguing is to shout louder. The Christian way should be to study scripture more deeply.

Inerrancy does not end the argument, but it does delineate how that argument should be made. Imperfect people can still disagree about what the perfect word of God says. But at least we begin to formulate the parameters for how we should seek to know the truth and to help others know the truth.

I’m glad I argued for the inerrancy of scripture all of those years ago. This doctrine has helped me to be more obedient to God’s word in my personal life and more faithful to God’s word in my ministry life. But every generation needs to reaffirm the importance of inerrancy because every generation has to grapple with what is good, right and true.

Inerrancy still matters.

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Pursue Peace with Everyone

Posted on April 13, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Pursue peace with everyone.” Hebrews 12:14

God just wrecks our thinking sometimes! I was reading along in my devotional time, minding my own business, and these words came out of nowhere to knock me over. Pursue peace with everyone? Really?

This does not seem to be the way to do things. Everything in our culture seems to cry out for us to be at war with others. Battle them, conquer them, hammer them into submission! Isn’t that how it’s done? Has not social media taught us that this is the way? Do our cultural, political and media leaders not demonstrate this to us each day?

And yet, I read God’s word, doing what Christians are supposed to do, only to stumble onto this truth that seems so counter cultural. I am confronted again with the fact that God’s way is often different than our way. I’m reminded that God has some hard tasks and big expectations for those who would follow him.

Three things about this command call for our close attention.

1. Our goal is peace. We are tempted to think our goal towards others is conquest. We are tempted to think we are to defeat them, subdue them and crush them. But the goal God gives us in our relationships with others is peace. We are reminded that our enemy is not our brother or sister. Our adversary is not the lost and confused of this world. Our true opponent is not the one who mocks or even persecutes us, but the evil one who has enslaved him and his thinking.

We should never compromise truth for peace. Peace isn’t found in error. We should never mistake the approval of this fallen world for peace. Darkness never approves of light. We can’t ultimately even ensure peace as it involves someone more than just ourselves. But peace is the goal. Winning the argument, talking the loudest or being the angriest are poor substitutes for what God wants from us in our relationships with others. God calls us to peace.

2. We are to pursue this goal of peace. We like the idea of others pursuing peace with us more than of us pursuing peace with others. But there it is, right there in the text. That stubborn, difficult, challenging word- pursue. We are told to make the pursuit of peace with others.

Pursuit means taking the initiative and being proactive. It means the goal of peace isn’t just a wish, but a calling. It means we do something about peace, just as we might do something about war. Battles happen because we engage in them. Peace can happen when we engage in it, when we seek it, when we do something to bring it about. While we can’t change the hearts of others, we can do our part by making the pursuit.

3. We are to pursue this goal of peace with everyone. This might be the most challenging part of the entire command. We are told to pursue peace and we might be willing to do that- with some. But with everyone? With the guy who is wrong? With the fellow who is combative? With people who are hard to like?

Pursuing peace with everyone means we will have to think about others as the Lord thinks about them. We will have to see the value of others even when we don’t agree with their values. We will have to choose to love even those not so lovable. This part of the verse is what knocks us over and wrecks our thinking. Everyone is a big, big word.

This command from Hebrews is going to take some work, some prayer and some attitude adjustments. But it is right there in God’s word. So, let’s think about relationships more as the Lord does than as does the world. Let’s put this one into practice, difficult as it may be. This command is desperately needed in our lives, churches and world. This age needs this word and this spirit more than ever. Never have we had a greater opportunity to shine in our dark world than this verse provides the opportunity for us to do.

Pursue peace with everyone.

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The Woman In The Garden

Posted on April 13, 2021 | 1 comment

Good word from my sweet wife!

The beauty of all things created is not lost on the woman whose eyes light up with pleasure

at the colors so brilliant, the uniqueness of every plant, every bloom.

Creator God has not disappointed.

What she sees as she walks through the spectacular display

is but a reflection of the One who delights in His creation.

Her countenance displays peace.

Contentment.

Pure joy.

Seeing the fruit of the vine and the fruit on the tree,

her hand reaches out to enjoy the bountiful pleasure.

Though her senses are satisfied, her heart is not.

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