The Goods of the Right Hand

I really shouldn't post this quote, for, to take it out of it's context (Luther's lectures on Romans) is to strip it of much of it's power. However, I found this little quote so true and convicting, that I thought I should post it. Read through it all very slowly, especially towards the end where Luther talks about the right and left hand (see the footnote to understand what he is talking about) and be humbled.

Luther on the Book of Romans

But now Christ wants our whole disposition to be so stripped down⁶ that we are not only unafraid of being embarrassed for our faults and also do not delight in the glory and vain joys of our virtues but that we do not feel called upon to glory before men even in that external righteousness which comes to us from Christ. Nor should we be cast down by sufferings and evils which are inflicted on us for His sake. A true Christian must have no glory of his own and must to such an extent be stripped of everything he calls his own that in honor and in dishonor he can always remain the same in the knowledge that the honor that has been bestowed on him has been given not to him but to Christ, whose righteousness and gifts are shining in him, and that the dishonor inflicted on him is inflicted both on him and on Christ. But to obtain such perfection we need much practice, to say nothing of the special gift of grace. Even though a person with all his natural and spiritual gifts may be wise before men and righteous and good, God will not on that account look upon him as such, especially if he regards himself so. Therefore we must in all these things keep ourselves so humble⁷ as if we still had nothing of our own. We must wait for the mercy of God, who will reckon us righteous and wise. This God will do if we have been humble and have not anticipated God by justifying ourselves and by thinking that we are something, as we read in 1 Cor. 4:3–5: “I do not even judge myself.… It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, etc.” To be sure, there are many who for God’s sake consider the goods of the left hand,⁸ that is, temporal goods, of no value and gladly give them up, as the Jews and the heretics are doing. But there are few who for the sake of obtaining the righteousness of Christ consider the goods of the right hand, the spiritual goods and righteous works, worth nothing. This is something the Jews and heretics cannot do. And yet, nobody will be saved unless this takes place. For people always wish and hope that their own works will be accepted and rewarded by God. But this statement stands firm (Rom. 9:16): “It depends not upon man’s will or exertion, but upon God’s mercy.”

6 Expressions like “to strip off” (exuere) and “to be stripped of” (nudus) were commonplace in the language of various medieval writers whose works Luther studied. These expressions signified complete separation from everything objectionable. The Weimar editor cites a number of instances in which Luther adopts such phrases.

7 “Humility” is the nt note throughout these lectures and the early lectures on the Psalms as well. In fact, Luther is ready to say that “humility” is the theme of all of Scripture. “What else does all of Scripture teach but humility, in which we are subject not only to God but also to every creature!” he writes below on Rom. 2:11. A typical statement is humilitas … est nihil aliud nisi obedientia et tota iustitia (W, IV, 406, 5). “Pride” (superbia) is the very opposite, the root of all evil. Cf. n. 2 above. See also Luther’s comment on Is. 40:3: “Prepare the way of the Lord,” Luther’s Works, 17, pp. 8–9.

8 The phrases “of the left hand” and “of the right hand,” in the general distinction of “unfavorable” and “favorable” or “mundane” and “spiritual” respectively, were among Luther’s favorite devices, and he used them in a variety of ways.

Luther, M. Luther's Works, Vol. 25 : Lectures on Romans. Ed. J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann. Luther's Works. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999, c1972.

The words of Paul in Romans are, when you really think about it, stunning. Paul is completely stripping us of all worth (or, more accurately, he is merely telling us what we really look like) and is commanding us to totally forsake any reliance on our own merits. What could possibly be more unnatural for us? This is unheard of!

It is only when God, by His grace, reveals the worth of Himself to us, that we then can truly see what we and all our righteous works are - worthless.

But praise be to God for showing us to be worthless! For when we are weak, Christ is strong. When God humbles us, it leaves us with no place to go but into the arms of Christ. And when we run to Christ and are saved by Him, we cannot help but praise and glorify God for His mercy and grace!

And that is what it is all about.

Pslam 51

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
(Psalm 51 ESV)

The Parable of the Forgiving Father

The Parable of the Forgiving Father? Where is that found in the Bible? Well, turn to Luke 15:11-32 and you will see.

Most likely, your Bible has entitled the section something like, "The Parable of the Lost Son" or "The Parable of the Prodigal Son." I don't like this title. It doesn't fit. Don't get me wrong - there is a prodigal son in this parable. He is a main character. However, I don't think that the son is THE main character.

If you take a look at the context surrounding this parable, you will see that Jesus was telling this story in response to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who were muttering, "This man [Jesus] welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Jesus’ first parable in response to this was the parable of The Lost Sheep (or, as I would have entitled it, “The Searching Shepherd”). The whole point of the parable is to highlight God’s love and devotion to His “sheep.” He loves His “sheep” so much, that he leaves the “righteous” ninety-nine and goes off searching for the one lost sheep. When He finds His sheep, He “joyfully puts it on His shoulders” and calls to His friends saying, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”

The next parable that Jesus tells is that of the Lost Coin (or, as I would have entitled it, “The Searching Woman”). In this parable, a woman has lost one of ten silver coins. She scours her house for that one lost coin, and when she finds it, she calls her friends and rejoices, just as the Searching Shepherd did.

I believe that there are two purposes for these parables. The first, and possibly major purpose, is to rebuke the Pharisees pride and elitism by declaring that salvation is now open to Gentiles. This is especially clear in verse 7, where Christ says that there will be more rejoicing when one sinner repents than over the ninety-nine “righteous” people who do not need to repent (i.e. the Pharisees). This fits nicely with Jesus’ comments in Matthew 9, where, in response to the Pharisees questioning of His disciples as to why He was eating with “sinners,” He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” This is also clearly displayed at the end of the Parable of the Forgiving Father, where the older brother (who represents the Pharisees) is angry that his father has so easily forgiven his younger brother (repentant “sinners”).

The second purpose for these parables is to demonstrate the great love and devotion of God to His “sheep.” I really love the first parable that Jesus tells because I think that the characters are so fitting. First, we are all like sheep. Dumb and ignorant. Helpless. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” But God is our loving shepherd, who does not forget His sheep.

God, in His great mercy and grace, seeks out His lost sheep, and when He finds them [us], He puts us on His shoulders – He carries us! – and takes us to His home. Then He gathers His angles around Him, exclaiming, “Rejoice with me (He is rejoicing over us!); I have found my lost sheep.”

This extravagant grace is even clearer in Jesus’ parable of the Forgiving Father. It would have been infinitely gracious of God to forgive our sins and make us His servants or slaves (which is exactly the thinking of the prodigal son in verse 19 where he says, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men”). His salvation of us rightly demands our whole life. Offering our bodies to Him as “living sacrifices” is merely our “reasonable act of worship.”

However, God doesn’t merely make us His servants or slaves when He saves us. His love and grace is so vast that He calls us His sons. He clothes us with His best robes. He puts rings on our fingers and sandals on our feet. He prepares a feast for us, to celebrate the homecoming of His child! Paul tells us in Galatians that because we have the Holy Spirit within us, we can approach God as our loving Father, calling Him our “daddy.” And because we are His children, Christ says that we are His “brothers” (See Mark 3:31 and Luke 8:21).

These parables are not about the lost sheep, the lost coin, or the lost son. No, Jesus was telling us about something much more important. He was telling us about God. He was telling us about the love of God! He was telling us about the love of God for His children!

God loves His children more than we will ever grasp. And because he loves us, we love Him and sing:

My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me! (Psalm 108:1-6)

Psalm 32

A Maskil of David.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32 (ESV)

Holy Affections

"God has given to mankind affections, for the same purpose which he has given all the faculties and principles of the human soul for, viz., that they might be subservient to man’s chief end, and the great business for which God has created him, that is, the business of religion. And yet how common is it among mankind, that their affections are much more exercised and engaged in other matters than in religion!

How can [man] sit and hear of the infinite height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of His giving His infinitely dear Son, to be offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of men, and of the unparalleled love of the , and holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in His dying agonies, His bloody sweat, His loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved, eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory – and yet be so cold and heavy, insensible and regardless! Where are the exercises of our affections proper, if not here? What is it that does more require them? And what can be a fit occasion of their lively and vigorous exercise, if not such a one as this? Can anything be set in our view greater and more important?"

- Jonathan Edwards

Psalm 63:1-8

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Ezra 9:6-15

"O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.

But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.'

And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? O LORD the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this."

Ezra 9:6-15 (ESV)

A Person at Conception

Mat 22:37-40 (ESV) And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (38) This is the great and first commandment. (39) And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (40) On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

With hundreds of thousands of abortions performed in the United States alone every year, there has never been a time when humanity needed the Gospel of Christ more than it does now. Hitler killed nine million people in about twelve years. Stalin killed twenty million people in about twenty-five years. The United States killed thirty-four million, three-hundred and nine thousand, five-hundred and sixty-six babies between 1973 and 2002.

Jer 17:9 (ESV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Our massacre of babies is a testament to the depravity of man. We are "desperately sick," rivaling the pagans of old who sacrificed their children on altars to their idols. Today we do the same thing. We sacrifice our children to our own idols - convenience, money, relationships and most of all, ourselves.

The only hope for the human race is Jesus Christ. He alone can change the heart, filling us with Himself and covering our sins with his blood.

2Co 5:14-15 (ESV) For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; (15) and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Click here to read a paper I wrote about this atrocity that we commit everyday; this sacrafice to the worste idol ever devised by sinful man - Self.

Aus tiefer Not

Aus tiefer Not
Martin Luther

I cry to thee in direst need.
O God, I beg thee hear me.
To my distress I pray give heed.
O Father, draw thou near me.
If thou shoudst wish to look upon
The wrong and wickedness I've done,
How could I stand before thee?

With thee is naught but untold grace
Evermore forgiving.
We cannot stand before thy face,
Not by the best of living.
No man boasting may draw near.
All the living stand in fear.
Thy grace alone can save them.

Therefore in God I place my trust,
My own claim denying.
Believe in him alone I must,
On his sole grace relying.
He pledged to me his plighted word.
My comfort is in what I heard.
There I will I hold forever.

Romans 7:15-25
The Apostle Paul

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

On the Third Day

Click here to download "On the Third Day" by Matt Maher. It is a great song of worship to our Risen King!

1Co 15:1-4 ESV Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, (2) and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Be Reconciled to God

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Only Grace

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
There's nothing left now
There's only grace

You're starting over now
Under the sun
You're stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back up
Get back up again

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
There's nothing left now
There's only grace

Lyrics from Only Grace by Matthew West
Click on the "Music" tab to download Only Grace for free.

I love this song. What other word is more cherished by God's children than the word "grace"? It is by grace that we have anything that is of any worth. It is by grace that we have the One who is of infinite worth.

Phi 3:8 ESV Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

1Pe 5:10-11 ESV And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (11) To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

God the Sovereign King

I am currently involved in a discussion about how we, as finite beings, can speak about an infinite God. The big subtopic right now is the use of analogies in religious conversation. Analogies are very common in the Bible and Christian language as a whole. I tend to prefer biblical analogies (Father-Son, Shepherd-Sheep, Great Physician etc.) but I don’t think that human analogies are inappropriate. I definitely see the value of both. Analogies can be very helpful to us finite beings, in our quest to comprehend the infinite. Analogies have been used by God, so I think that it is ok that we use them, however I think that we must be careful not to make the mistake of thinking that we are "capturing" the whole of God in our analogy (or in any of our finite words for that matter). God is beyond description - He is indescribable.

However, I do think that there is lack of analogies highlighting the awesome, sovereign and just power of God, compared to the multitude of “nice” analogies highlighting God as our “Father” and “friend.” These are certainly not wrong but I just think that there may be an imbalance. Where are the analogies helping us to understand the glory of God, or the wrath of God, or the holiness of God? I’m not saying they don’t exist, but they certainly don’t get as much “coverage” as the “nice” ones.

Pro 19:12 ESV A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Pro 20:2 ESV The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given, and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose?

The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. - Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

We of course, should not dwell only on this "side" of God, for He is also a God of love - in fact God IS love. However, I don't really think that we are in danger of this. It seems to me that much of Christianity has turned God into merely a loving and infinitely gracious father and friend, who looks the other way when we sin because He loves us so much....and that's it. Where is the awesome fear of the glory and power of God? Where is the recognition of God's great holiness and righteousness? If we leave these CRUCIAL attributes out, then we are no longer talking about the God of the Bible, but instead we are talking about a man-centered, man-made God.

A Dull Farewell

Well, after almost a year of active participation, I have called it quits with Sharper Iron. It was a good year, but I feel my time is up. I have been thinking about leaving for quite some time now, for a variety of reasons. Recent events have just confirmed those feelings and so I decided that the time had come to say goodbye.

First, I will just say a few good things about Sharper Iron. I most definitely learned a lot at Sharper Iron. There are many really awesome people there, who have helped me greatly in my study of God and the Word. The last year has really been a time of growth. Sharper Iron has really helped to expose me to other ideas about God that I had never heard before - some were good, some not so good. I have had chances to interact with much older and wiser people than myself, which has been both humbling and invigorating. I have been challenged in my beliefs and ideas, continually being driven to the Word to find support for my beliefs. Sometimes, what I had previously believed was reaffirmed. Other times, I had to reevaluate what I believed. I have certainly been sharpened by the people at Sharper Iron.

unfortunately, I cannot stop there. Not everything has been so "shining." Lately, there has been a trend of negative threads, directed at other brothers and sisters in Christ. These threads have gone past constructive criticism and loving rebuke, instead becoming judgmental, slanderous and just plain ungodly. I strongly believe that we should speak up about sin - we must! However, many of these threads have gone way past this point, calling into question motives and in some cases, even questioning a brother's salvation. First it was with certain CCM artists. The latest victims of these attacks have been movie makers. Of course, I cannot really just blame Sharper Iron for this. Sharper Iron is just a website. It is some of the members of Sharper Iron that have done this.

However, I do think that some of the blame falls on "Sharper Iron" and the administrators because of their tolerance (and sometimes promotion) of these "dulling" threads. I am not saying that they should have gotten overly strict, censoring anything that was negative, but I think a little more vigilance was needed.

Despite this, by and large, the administrators at Sharper Iron have done a commendable job in moderating discussion (however I thought the 20 page rule was very illogical and unnecessary). They did a good job keeping threads on track and productive. The theology threads have been particularly good (though there have not been many lately, primarily because of the overblown End of the Spear controversy). Though there are many differing opinions, most people are respectful and intelligent in their posts.

Probably the main reason that I have decided to leave Sharper Iron is because I don't really feel that I belong. I have found that my definition of the "fundamentals of the faith" differs from the definition that many of the people at Sharper Iron hold to. In my opinion, too much emphasis is put on human reasoning and teaching (Teetotaling? Doesn't seem like a fundamental issue to me). This sometimes has gone so far that the Word has been completely ignored and/or contradicted. That doesn't seem to bother some people, but it is a big problem for me. Also, their ideas about biblical separation do not line up with mine. I see too much division over "non-essentials." Many times, I wonder how the world will ever know that we are Christ followers. They are supposed to know by seeing how we "love one another" ...but I'm worried.

I also disagree with many people's beliefs about being "in the world and not of it." I look at Jesus and see a man who conversed and ate with the "worst" sinners (as if anyone is "less" of a sinner than anyone else). He lived amongst them! When He looked out on the world, He was filled with pity and compassion, not judgment and condemnation. What a blind and lost world we live in! Then I compare that to the "clean hands" of this "fundamentalism"...

I know that some people will just write all these "faults" off as the immature complaints of a hot headed, young fundamentalist. That may be true - I know that I have much to learn. Please pray that I continue to seek God's guidance and wisdom. I trust that He will freely give me whatever I ask in His name.

Unfortunately, I feel that I am leaving at a low point. I have not seen much sharpening lately - on the contrary it has been rather dulling, and I already have too many dulling things in my life...

That is why I am leaving Sharper Iron. As I said already, it has been a good year. I won't forget it! Thanks!

---------------------------------------------------------

It always amazes me that we can study God and talk about Him with others. We have had our eyes opened and been allowed to gaze upon the great "I am"; the Master and Creator of all! We all, who are in Christ, have received such an honor!

However, when I gaze upon the great "I am", I feel so ashamed. I am shocked and appalled by my own sin. I find it everywhere in my life. I am utterly unworthy to gaze upon that great and glorious Face. My sin seems to consume me, creating a immeasurable canyon between me and that Thing that I so long to be united with.

Isa 6:1-7 ESV In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (2) Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. (3) And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (4) And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (5) And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

But then Christ comes to me! How great is the love of Christ!

(6) Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."

Wow! What a God we serve!!

End of the Spear - The Only Post

I'm sure many of you have heard of the new movie that is in theaters right now called "End of the Spear". It is the story of Nate Saint and his fellow missionaries and their d eaths in the jungles of Ecuador. The men were killed by the Waodoni indians, the group of people they had been working to create a relationship with in hopes of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After the men's d eaths a few of their wives, led by Elizabeth Elliot, returned to the Waodoni indians and were able to share the Gospel with them, resulting in the salvation of many in the tribe, including some of the men involved in the kil ling of Saint and the other men.

This new movie has caused some controversy (mostly with Christians) mainly because a homosexual man named Chad Allen was cast as Nate Saint, the lead role. Many Christians also think that the creators of the movie purposely watered down the Gospel, distorting the real reason the missionaries gave their lives, in hopes of appealing to a wider audience.

This controvery found its way to Sharper Iron a couple weeks ago (or was it started there?). At one point a man named Evan Derrick signed onto the forums and began to discuss the issue. He worked alongside Steve Saint (Nate Saint's son who was the chief person behind the film) and the others involved in making the film. I emailed him with my concerns about the movie and he provided a very thoughtful response so much so that I thought it would be cool to post it here. Well, he gave me permission, so here is the conversation!

My first message to Evan:

Hey,
I'm sure you are being flooded with messages right now, as you are the new "expert" on the block, so I won't expect a reply (though I would love to get one!). I didn’t want to post on one of the many threads that are out there right now because I feel that they all have descended to slander and and I have no desire to be a part of that.

First I will just give my opinion (not that it really matters much) - I have not seen End of the Spear. I do plan on seeing it sometime in the near future. I did see Beyond the Gates of Splendor and was impressed by it.

Since I have not seen the movie, I have to rely on what I have heard about the Gospel presentation contained in it. At first I heard that it was non-existent. Then, as time went on and more people had a chance to see the movie, I heard that it was there, but in a "less than clear" form. After seeing your post where you quoted what the actual dialogue in the film was, I have to agree with those who said that it was “less than clear”. Let me explain. I do believe that there is more to the Gospel than what was presented in the film. Others have outlined what they believe is contained in the Gospel (though they have not been kind or loving) and I tend to agree with them. There is nothing contradictory to the Gospel in the movie, but it is not complete. I know you have said that you disagree with this, but I am not sure that this is an area that we can (and should) disagree on. The Bible is clear that we must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” to be saved. It is more than just “believing in Christ” – we must accept all the teachings that Christ taught, and at least have a basic understanding of what actually happened at the cross. The movie does speak of Jesus and his humble d eath, but it does not speak of what that really did. The movie says that His d eath was an example to us of how we should not fight back (which it is), but that is not what the cross REALLY was! The movie does not speak of atonement for sins and that is a problem because THAT is what the Cross was all about. We get salvation because Christ atoned for us on the Cross. Merely setting us an example for how we should live would not have been enough to save us. On the Cross Christ took on our sin and imputed to us His righteousness. Without having at least a basic understanding of this, I do not believe that someone can be saved. The ultimate purpose for the cross was not to give us an example of how to live – it was to atone for our sins and give us Christ’s righteousness. From what you quoted of the movie, this is not there; therefore I cannot say that the message given in the movie is the Gospel. I don’t see how you can disagree with this (please understand, I am not attacking you. I am just wondering if I am missing something.)

Now on to Chad Allen. Of much higher concern to me was the Gospel presentation in the movie – Chad Allen was a distant second. I will not pretend to know the inter workings of making a movie. The casting process is completely foreign to me. I will not question Steve’s motives for casting Chad; I believe him when he says that it appeared late in the game and that he thought it was the right thing to do. However, I do disagree with his decision to cast him once he found out that he was a homosexual. Indeed, it does (in my opinion) give the wrong message to the world – that Christianity and homosexuality can mix. I know that neither you nor Steve believe this, but the fact is that this is happening. You have to look no farther than Chad himself, who has said that he would like this movie to bridge the gap between Christians and gays. In my opinion it was unwise to cast Chad, however, in this instance, I think that it is ok that we disagree. I do not question the sincerity of Steve or anyone else involved. However, I do believe we can be sincerely wrong and I think he was in this case. But again, we can disagree here.

So overall, I am much more concerned with the presentation of the Gospel (or lack of it). I do not believe that what is contained in the film is the Gospel. It misses the whole point of the Cross.

I really want to thank you for jumping into the fire and shedding some much needed light on the discussion. I am ashamed by some of the things that some people have written – they were not speaking like people who have been regenerated by the Spirit. I will pray for you and Steve and Chad and all who were involved in the film. May God bless you all!

-Matt Tully

Evan's response:

Thanks so much for your response, Matt. This issue provokes so many knee-jerk reactions from both sides that it is good to hear from someone who isn't prowling through forums and blogs with an axe to grind.

You made some great points, ones that even challenge me in my thinking. You are right in that the film does not explicity state the gospel in John 3:16 terms. I can agree with you on this. I have some thoughts on why this is.

Firstly, I know that Every Tribe views their films as long-form parables. When you read the gospels, Jesus constantly talked in stories. There's the man who built his house on the sand, the prodigal son, the parable of the talents, etc. etc. The parables were never explicit. Jesus never said, "The man who build his house on the sand was a sinner who refused to believe in me and have eternal life." He did make such statements elsewhere, but not when telling stories. No, the parables were meant to illustrate a point and eventually draw the hearer closer to Jesus. The parables were not meant to save people in and of themselves.

Try viewing "End of the Spear" in terms of a parable. No, its not 100% explicit. No, the gospel isn't presented in clear, unequivocal terms. It is an incredible story that points people towards truth and challenges them to examine their notions of forgiveness.

I know that the story involves missionaries who gave their lives to share the gospel with a people who had never heard. I know that begs the question, "Given the context, couldn't the missionaries' purpose been stated more clearly?" I can give you a reason for why the filmmakers didn't make it cyrstal clear, although not a justification.

Christian films in America have a bad rap, and not simply because they have Christian content. "Left Behind" and "The Omega Code" are the ones that immediately spring to mind. These are horrifically made films in almost every way. These movies are almost universally disdained within the filmmaking community at large, but not because they share the gospel. No, they're disdained because the acting is bad, the story structure is bad, the lighting is bad, the special effects are bad, etc. etc. The gospel is not served by people making sub-par movies, no matter how often it might be shared. Its almost like (and this is a bit of an extreme analogy, I admit) taking a dump in a bag and writing John 3:16 on the outside and saying, "See? I shared the gospel!" 1 Corinthians 10:31 comes to mind: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That includes making films and making them excellently. Christians have done a wretched job of this so far.

I know the filmmakers for "End of the Spear" despearately wanted to break that trend. They wanted to create a quality Christian film that wasn't "Christian," if you get my meaning. In doing so, I think they may have swung a bit to the opposite end of the spectrum. I'm not providing a justification, but a possible reason. Did they make the best, clearest, most amazing movie ever? No, perhaps they didn't. Perhaps the gospel should have been a bit clearer. I don't know. You have some valid points. Does that mean that the movie is anathema and should be flung to the bottom of the deepest pit? No, it doesn't. And I know that isn't where you're coming from.

Thanks for the dialogue, Matt. Its encouraging to get such a kind, thoughtful response. Hope to hear from you soon.

Evan Derrick

I am planning on seeing the movie and am excited to do so. The story is incredible! Though maybe not clearly shown in the movie, these men gave their lives for the glory of God. They were completely sold out to Him and were willing to follow Him to their d eaths. What an encouragement to us today!

Heb 11 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen....These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Where No Man Has Gone Before...

Yes, that is a quote from Star Trek. Yes, I have watched Star Trek. Yes, it can be good some of the time (the old ones suck, but the Next Generation isnt bad). We all have had dreams of going to outerspace and exploring around (Come on! Don't deny it!). Well, I have at least. Space has always fascinated me. Mostly it was because of the size of everything. The planets are huge, stars are even huger and galaxies...

Another thing that has also always amazed me are the distances. Everything is so unbelievably far apart. Did you know that the closest star to the earth is 24,689,699,200,000 miles away (2.4 lightyears)? That is a long way away and that is the closest. The whole Milky Way galaxy is 529,064,983,000,000,000 miles across (90,000 light years)? It takes light 90,000 years to go from one side of the Milky Way to the other! Those distances are unfathomable.

There are over 200 billion stars in the Milky Way. That is a big number. Though we can't really know this for sure, it is estimated that there are over 50 billion other galaxies out there in "space". That is fifty billion other Milky Way size galaxies. That would be 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars (1x10^22). Thats a lot of "big balls of gas burning billions of miles away."

What got me into this stuff again was a program that I stumbled upon called Celestia. It is a free program that lets you view the universe in a 3d world (uh...I mean...universe). You can go anywhere and see anything. It has all the stars in the Milky Way and a few hundred other galaxies, but that is enough to keep you busy for a lifetime. You can look at our solar system and go see Pluto (its pretty boring looking though). Its just an awsome program that everyone should download. It helps you to get a sense of just how big this universe is.

When I think about this stuff, I just can't help but be drawn back to God. Who is this God who created so much? The scale of all this is unfathomable to us...yet God holds it all in the palm of His hand. Think of that - the palm of His hand.

Psa 8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, (4) what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

What are we? Insignificant. But thats just it. We're not insignifcant. God, in all His glory and all His power and all His unfathomable might, thinks about us. But He doesnt just think of us - He cares for each of us personally. He truly and deeply loves us, more than we will ever know. God, who has a name for all 1x10^22 stars (Psalm 147:4), actually cares about our lives. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place; to take on our sin and give us His righteousness. The almighty, all knowing, all holy God of the universe, sent His own Son to take our place, recieving the full measure of God's just punishment of sin, but giving us life. The maker of the Universe died for us. He came down from his throne above the stars and walked on this little, insignificant place we call Earth to save these little insignificant, sinful things called humans; things that h ated Him and even killed Him. Who is this God?

Mat 8:23-27 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. (24) And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. (25) And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." (26) And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (27) And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

Thank you God for your very Self. I praise you, first, because of who you are. You are the almighty, uncontended Lord of the Universe. I am awed by you. Second, I praise you for what you have done. Thank you for giving us your Son. Thank you for being mindful of us...little insignificant humans, completely undeserving of You.

Lord thank you.

An Argument for Honesty in All Situations

When you ask most people, “Is it ok to lie?” you usually get the same answer: “No.” Overwhelmingly, most people value telling the truth over lying. This is understandable. But what if you are lying for a good purpose? Most lies are selfish – they are told to protect the individual from something uncomfortable. But what about lies motivated by “good” intentions. The classic example is of the Jews during the Holocaust. – Suppose you are hiding Jews in your house during the Holocaust. Then one day, N azis come to your door, asking if you have any Jews hiding in your house. What do you say? You can either say “Yes”, which will mostly likely end with you and the Jews being killed, or you can say “No”, which may save you all (physically at least). This is where people’s resolution against lying breaks down. Many are willing to grant a “pass” to lying in this situation – the good that would come from lying would outweigh the bad. But would it? That is the question that I want to ask. I will try to present the case for honesty in all situations, even ones as extreme and horrible as hiding Jews from the N azis.

First, it would be helpful to establish where we get this general principle/command that telling the truth is right and lying is wrong. Exodus 20:16 says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This, of course, is one of the Ten Commandments. This verse only directly opposes bearing false witness against your neighbor (lying about someone else), however many people do use this verse in support of their condemnation of all lying in general. If we take the strictly literal approach to this verse, than it would be ok to lie to your mother when she asked you if you stole a cookie from the cookie jar. But we all know that you should not lie to her, but this is still not the same as “bearing false witness against your neighbor”.

Proverbs 12:19 says, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” Truth will stand firm for all eternity, but lies will fade away and be found out.

Just a few verses later Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” Here lying is clearly condemned and the very strong word “abomination” is used to describe what God thinks of those who lie (abomination meaning God feels “extreme disgust and hatred” towards them). However, take note of how God responds to those who are faithful (and we can logically assume “faithful” to mean “those who speak the truth” because of the context) – they are His delight! He loves it when people speak the truth but h ates it when people lie.

Zechariah 8:16-17 says, “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; (17) do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I , declares the LORD." Here God clearly commands that we “speak the truth” and tells us that He “hates false oaths”. Verse 19 goes on to say, "Therefore love truth and peace.”

Paul tells us in Romans 1:8 that the wrath of God has come upon those who “suppress truth”. Later in Ephesians 4:25 Paul tells us to “put away all falsehood” and “speak the truth” to our neighbor.

Thus far we have looked at verses that specifically deal with how we should act. Now let’s take a look at what God says he is like in relation to truth:

The most famous verse that deals with God is John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Here Jesus clearly says that He Himself is Truth - God is Truth itself. John 1:4 further supports Jesus’ claim to be Truth – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Next I will just list a few other verses that speak of God’s truth:

Isa 45:19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.

Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Psa 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

Psa 45:4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

Psa 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

I think that we can see that Scripture does condemn lying and praises those who speak the truth. It is also clear that God, by His very nature is Truth. He loves the truth and is Truth in Jesus Christ. However, some passages in Scripture seem to contradict the seemingly clear overall message from Scripture that lying is wrong. The most common example is probably the story of Rahab and the Israelite spies, found in Joshua 2.

Jos 2:3-5 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land." (4) But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. (5) And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

Here Rahab clearly and intentionally lies to the guards, telling them that the Israelites had left her house, when they were in fact hiding in her roof. No where in the Bible is this lie condemned and Rahab is cited in Hebrews 11:31 as having great faith. Of course I cannot claim that the Bible specifically says that Rahab sinned in her lie, because the Word does not say this. However I believe, based on the multitude of verses present throughout the rest of Scripture that condemn lying, that Rahab did indeed sin with her lie. Some say that because Rahab was not specifically condemned for her lie (and was in fact praised for her faith in Hebrews 11) that she did not sin. Matthew Henry writes this in his commentary of this passage:

It is plain that she deceived the officers that examined her with an untruth - That she knew not whence the men were, that they had gone out, that she knew not whither they had gone. What shall we say to this? If she had either told the truth or been silent, she would have betrayed the spies, and this would certainly have been a great sin; and it does not appear that she had any other way of concealing them that by this ironical direction to the officers to pursue them another way, which if they would suffer themselves to be deceived by, let them be deceived….But God accepts what is sincerely and honestly intended, though there be a mixture of frailty and folly in it, and is not extreme to mark what we do amiss.

To this I ask you a question - “Does the fact that lying about stealing cookies from the cookie jar is not specifically condemned in Scripture mean that it is ok for you to lie about stealing cookies from the cookie jar?” Of course not. We apply biblical principles and commands to our lives everyday, without needing direct commands from God for every situation that we face. Just because it was not specifically condemned in Scripture does not mean that it was right for Rahab to lie. Silence does not prove innocence. Lying is clearly condemned throughout Scripture. I think this also applies to God’s praise of Rahab. Yes, God did praise her, but for what? It was for her faith. By faith she let the Israelite spies into her house and believed them and that was what she was praised for, not her lie. She showed a great deal of faith when she risked her life to protect those men, but showed a lack of faith in God when she didn’t trust Him enough to protect them from harm if it was His will. Despite this lack of faith in one area, she did show great faith by even letting the men in and believing what they had to say, and therefore she is rightly praised in the Bible as a great woman of faith. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary puts it this way:

This was a palpable deception. But, as lying is a common vice among heathen people, Rahab was probably unconscious of its moral guilt, especially as she resorted to it as a means for screening her guests; and she might deem herself bound to do it by the laws of Eastern hospitality, which make it a point of honor to preserve the greatest enemy, if he has once eaten one’s salt. Judged by the divine law, her answer was a sinful expedient; but her infirmity being united with faith, she was graciously pardoned and her service accepted (Jam 2:25).

Many will consider this view extreme. “Are you really saying that you would tell the N azis the truth and face almost certain d eath?” they ask. To that I would say, “I don’t know”. I say this not because I do not strongly believe that it would be wrong to lie, but rather because I question my own strength to do what is right. It would only be by God’s amazing grace that I would have the power to do the horribly difficult thing of telling the truth. Without His enabling grace I would fail miserably. I know some would say that it would be worth committing the small sin to prevent the larger one from happening. To this I say, “No!” It is never right to counter sin with more sin, no matter how “good” the consequences may be. If you accept that lying is sin then you must not say that it is ever a permissible action – sin is always wrong and to be avoided at all costs! God hates sin and as Christians we are to live as new people, m odeling Christ who was sinless and Truth itself. Our ultimate purpose in life is to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). One major way that we glorify God is by obeying Him (in fact I would venture to say that all we do to glorify God would fall under obedience). We are never glorifying to God when we break His commands and cease to be like Christ. This is not to say that there is no forgiveness, for there is an inexhaustible amount for God’s children, but that does not mean that we have liberty to sin (Romans 6:1-2). When I hear the “lesser evil” argument, I shudder. No where in the Bible is choosing the “lesser evil” permitted because all evil is wrong and not to be done.

Some may ask, “What if it is God’s will that you lie to them? What if you’re lie is the way that God planned to save you?” This question demonstrates an incomplete view of who God is (His holiness, perfection, righteousness) and the seriousness of sin. God never “wills” that we sin against Him (here we could go off on another super long tangent about God’s will of decree and our free will etc., but I will not do that here. God’s will of decree is something that we, as humans, cannot affect or change, but His will of command is what He has told us to do through His Word. For more information on God’s two wills go here.). God detests sin and desires that His people live righteously all the time.

Yes, it would be horrible if you and the Jews were killed because you told the truth. But it would be far more horrible if you lied and defamed the name of God by sinning against Him! Our primary responsibility is to God, not man. Abraham knew this when he placed his son Isaac up on the alter, preparing to kill him in obedience to God; his love for God exceeded his love for his only son. Jesus knew this as well when He said, “Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Thus it is clear that our primary responsibility is to God and God alone. If He commands us to do something, it does not matter what the outcome is, for He is God and is to be obeyed.

However, we can have assurance that God is not a cruel and unjust God. He is a God of love who works all things for His glory and the good of those who love Him.

Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Rom 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

We can rest in the truth that God is in complete control of every situation and that He loves us at all times. This trust in God allows us to obey God’s every word (see Hebrews 11) and do it joyfully – which includes telling the truth in all situations.

P.S. - If you disagree with me, feel free to leave a comment. Or, if you feel so inclined, start a thread in the W.C.2.M. forums, where you can discuss this issue in a little greater detail.

Bold I Approach the Eternal Throne

As many of you know, I love C.S. Lewis. He has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time - in Christian and non-Christian literature alike. I just finished Surprised by Joy which was a very interesting and thought provoking autobiography of sorts about Jack's (as his friends called him) early life. It's main focus is on his initial rejection of God and Christianity and then it goes on to describe his long journey back to God. Jack says in his book that perhaps he was the "most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England." He describes his conversion as more of a fight against God, with God slowly reeling him in, patiently allowing him to struggle but never letting go.

I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The prodigal son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape? The words compelle intrare, compel them to come in, have been so abused by wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.

Jack is right when he wonders (not merely in the inquiring sense, but in a sense of awe and amazement) about this great Love that would accept sinners such as us. It is not as if God comes to us and sees us waiting excitedly for Him to save us. Before God saves us, we detest Him and want nothing to do with Him. He is our enemy; One who we fear and loath above all others.

Joh 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things h ates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

1Co 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

It is a great testimony to God's indescribable and uncontainable love that He chooses to save us at all.

Joh 3:16-17 ESV "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1Jo 4:15-19 ESV Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (16) So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (17) By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (19) We love because he first loved us.

Because of God’s great demonstration of His love for us, in the sacrafice of His son Jesus Christ, we now do not have to fear God! He is no longer our judge, our condemnation, but now is our Father and Savior! The curtain in the Temple was torn and we no longer must shield our faces from God with a veil.

2Co 3:12-18 ESV Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, (13) not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. (14) But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. (15) Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. (16) But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. (17) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (18) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

The Martyr's Song

Sing O son of Zion.
Shout O child of mine.
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind.
I’ve been waiting to dance with you in fields full of colors you have never seen…

This is the beginning of The Martyr’s Song by Todd Agnew. He co wrote the song with Ted Dekker to go along with Ted Dekker’s new book with the same name: The Martyr’s Song.

The Martyr’s song is one of the most powerful books I have read in a long time. It opens with a mysterious lady named Eve, who desires to make a plain and in all honesty ugly, beautiful. Soon Eve begins to tell us the story of a small Bosnian village and their struggle with evil. The story is brutal and violent but it is also beautiful and filled with hope. People are beaten and killed but their deaths are simultaneously enormously sad and wonderfully joyous occasions. This book looks at the face of death but then masterfully demonstrates how Christ defeated death when He died on that cross and then rose again.

1Co 15:53-57 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (54) When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." (55) "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (56) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dekker said in an interview that he started writing this book after a death in his own family. He began questioning how real his belief in a life after death really was. I think that is a question that we must all ask ourselves. Do we truly eagerly await the day that we will die; the day that we will be forever united with our Father? Paul believed this with all his heart which is why he said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21).

Now, let me be clear. Death itself is not what is so great. Death was the result of sin; it is a curse. Jesus wept (not just cried but wept) when His friend Lazarus died, but not because He was sad for Lazarus! As many of you know, Jesus later raised Lazarus from the dead. As the great Christian author C.S. Lewis put it after he went into a coma and almost died, “Tho’ I am by no means unhappy I can’t help feeling it was rather a pity I did revive in July. I mean, having been glided so painlessly up to the Gate it seems hard to have it shut in one’s face and know that the whole process must be some day gone through again…Poor Lazarus!”

Many times I seem to forget the wonderful life that awaits me when I die. Death should not be dreaded – why would we dread our homecoming?! Death is merely the door to a new life. It is the new and wonderful life that comes after death that we, who are in Christ, look forward to. Indeed death for the sinner and the saint is the same. It is that which looms after death for each one that causes one to fear death above all other things and the other to eagerly await it above all other things. Lewis stated this very well when he said, “If we really believe what we say we believe - if we really think that home is elsewhere and that this life is a ‘wandering to find home’, why should we not look forward to the arrival?”

Lord, help us to faithfully look forward to the day that we are perfectly united with You for all eternity.

Sing O son of Zion.
Shout O child of mine.
Dance with all the strength that you can find,
For you are finally home.

A few verses that were on my mind

Yes, I realize that I promised to leave this stuff to Matt, but I need to break that promise. I just had some verses I wanted to share because they are what I believe, and I think it is important to share those things that I believe. First off, I would like to share with you the base of my beliefs from the book of Titus.

Titus 3:4-7 "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

I believe this whole-heartedly. We did nothing to save ourselves other than accept the gift that he gave us. For those of you who struggle with sin in your life, I would like to encourage you with this verse.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

This is encouraging, is it not? No matter how much you are tempted, there is a way out. You just need to ask God to show you the way out. But be sure to take an active role in that escape from temptation. For those who purposefully stay in their sin I share this verse.

Galations 6:8 "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

Now I don't know about you, but I definately don't want to stay on the road to destruction. And eternal life sounds pretty good. I think I would rather have that any day. To close off my thoughts, I would like to give my brothers in Christ these final verses.

Galations 6:9-10 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

My Venezuela Testimony

I have wanted to go on an overseas mission trip for a long time. When the youth group finally decided that we would be going to Santa Fe, Venezuela, this summer I was glad but at the same time nervous. The trip that I had been waiting and praying for had finally come.

I can honestly say that the work that we did in preparation and the actual work and difficulties (heat, no running water, stress etc.) we experienced in Venezuela was pretty much what I had expected. Jenny and Dan did a great job preparing us for what we were going to be doing, especially with regards to traveling down and back and the “inconveniences” we would encounter in Santa Fe. So I was reasonably prepared for all that “work”, however I was totally caught off guard by the thoughts, feelings and desires that God put in my heart while I was there. Intellectually I knew that I would be seeing kids that had absolutely nothing except the dirty, raggedy clothes on their backs, but when I saw them I was affected in a totally unique and powerful way. For the first time I understood that they had absolutely nothing, including Jesus Christ.

Immediately when I got down there, I felt a great desire to help these children with their physical needs. This feeling did not go away as the week progressed, but instead another, greater desire slowly crept into my thoughts. As I watched these kids listen to the Bible stories and songs that we taught them, and saw their eyes light up and their beautiful smiles every time I looked at them, God began to give me a strong desire to help these kids not just physically, but more importantly, spiritually. They were hungry for the Gospel and the hope that it brings, and I had that Gospel to give them!

These feelings grew throughout the week and then finally culminated on Friday night, when we had a large rally to end the VBS, with the kids and their families and anyone else who would come. After the program part of the rally was finished, we all went off in pairs (one Beautiful Feet kid and one NISI kid) and began to share the Gospel individually with anyone who would listen. The NISI kids used these flip books that had outlined the salvation message. They would flip through these books and share the Good News with the people of Santa Fe, young and old alike. It was amazing to see the crowds grow when you started talking through the book. A few people left midway through, but most stayed, listening intently.

I don’t know too much Spanish, so I couldn’t really contribute too much to the actual preaching. Joyce (my partner from NISI) would read through the book and I just stood there, half understanding what she was saying. I was just beginning to get discouraged that I couldn’t do more to help when I decided that I would start praying. At first I did it because it was the “right thing to do”. But very quickly God put in my heart this un-explainable burning, passion for the people we were witnessing to. It was like I was desperate to see them saved. I remember thinking to myself that I didn’t know what I would do if they did not believe. This just made me pray even harder. I begged that God would lavish His grace on them and open their eyes. I was almost in tears but I kept my eyes held tightly shut. This happened every time we talked to people. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was not of me, but was solely God giving me His passion and His love and His heart. I felt immense, sweeping happiness and joy when people professed their faith in Jesus Christ! It was as if their salvation was my only care in the world and when they accepted Christ it was the only thing that I desired in the world, so I was completely joyful! God heard my prayers and He answered them with a resounding YES! Over twenty people that Joyce and I witnessed to, professed faith in Jesus Christ! It was amazing to see God save so many lives.

Matthew 9:36 - When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

I had never before earnestly prayed like I prayed that night. I have never felt that ache and longing for the unsaved before. God blessed me with His heart that night. There is nothing more fulfilling than being used of God to spread His Glory to the unsaved. I am so thankful that He saw fit to use me and I pray that He does it again…soon.

God's Sovereignty in Salvation

I think that knowing that God is sovereign over ALL things, including every salvation, will definitely affect the way that we preach and evangelize and pray. Specifically in regards to how we live, God's complete sovereignty means that we totally depend on God and recognize His complete control.

Jam 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-- (14) yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (15) Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." (emphasis added)

I think that this verse illustrates God’s complete control in each and every situation.

The Bible says that those who are not children of God “hate the light”. They fear It and will run from It. Therefore a non-Christian (without God’s grace) will NEVER accept Christ and put their faith in Him. They him and indeed are BLIND to Him. To them, it is all foolishness. They cannot choose Him.

1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

After realizing this first part (Total depravity) we then can see that the only chance for this person is if God intervenes…God is needed, not just to have died on the Cross to provide a way but also to give us the ability to even see the way that He has made for us. Our faith is also a gift from God. He gives us the grace to have faith in Him because we would NOT otherwise. John 1 talks of the “Light” and how the world “hates it” and will not turn to it. That is total depravity.

With regards to evangelism we will recognize that it is solely God (the Holy Spirit) that opens the eyes of the sinner and gives them grace to have faith. Therefore, the burden does not rest on us. God says that He has ordained the Word to be the agent that reveals grace and salvation to men. Therefore, our responsibility is to preach the Word and that is it…after this is where God takes over. If it pleases Him to open the eyes of the person and save them He will, and if it does not he won’t. It also gives all credit to God and none to the preacher or the listener.

Now I am not saying that we can go out to the World and lazily and sloppily preach the Word to the world. God tells us to work as if we are working to Him, and indeed in this case we directly are working for Him! But the salvation of the person does not rest on the witness. They can’t “screw” up the Message. This is why Paul rejoiced even when people were preaching the Gospel out of selfish reasons. Jesus Christ was being proclaimed!

Phi 1:15-18 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. (16) The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. (17) The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. (18) What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Paul also said this…

1Co 2:1-5 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. (2) For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (3) And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, (4) and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, (5) that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (emphasis added)

Likewise, the listener cannot resist the Gospel, if God indeed has elected him to salvation. They cannot refuse Christ. This truly shows the IMMENSE power of the Word!

So I think that our view on salvation and how it is accomplished is very important to our lives and the way we evangelize.