Why all this talk about giving thanks? Part 2

Well, I figure since I had a “Part 1″ I had better have a “Part 2.”  Life sure does seem to have a way of frustrating my goals and aspirations.  Well, here goes my conclusion to what I started on Nov 27.  After all, Christmas gives us good reason to give thanks, too, right?

Joking aside, I’m afraid we do neglect our responsibility to give thanks all throughout the year and not just on the 4th Thursday of November.  With that in mind, Psalm 107:1 not only gives us God’s goodness for which to be thankful, but also God’s steadfast love.  Again, the verse reads, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”  People all around us fail us, yet God’s love is perfect and eternal.  Again, consider some biblical proof of this truth.

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.  Psalm 86:5

The LORD appeared to him from far away. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”  Jeremiah 31:3

The steadfast love of God depends solely on Him, not at all on us.  No matter how ugly we are, no matter how inconsistent we are, no matter how good we are, no matter how limited we are, God’s love is eternal.  His goodness of which we are the recipients of day in and day out is the fruit of the eternal tree of God’s love.  God’s steadfast, eternal love is climactically demonstrated “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  We as humans were made for relationships.  We yearn for love.  Our obsessions and deepest struggles point often times to broken relationships, especially a broken relationship to our Creator, the primary One we were meant to relate to in a peaceful, pure, satisfying way.  However, as creatures designed to fellowship, we are “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places.”  Though it is right to pursue right relationships with our family, friends, and neighbors, we cannot set our souls on these relationships ultimately.  God, Jehovah, the Lord of all is the only one whose love is steadfast and unfailing.  When nothing or no one else in our lives gives us reason for thanks, we can always turn to God’s steadfast love and see our source of eternal thanksgiving.

So, Psalm 107:1, in the form of a declaration of thanks, teaches us essential truth of who God is.  He is good.  His steadfast love endures forever.  The more you know God and experience a relationship with Him on a day to day basis, the more thankful you will become.  In fact, unthankfulness is characteristic of those who have rejected God and His Son Jesus Christ.  Consider these verses.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful . . .  2 Timothy 3:1ff

So, please, don’t sing the song of those who have rejected God.  Instead, sing the song of the Psalmist – the song of the redeemed.  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Why all this talk about giving thanks? Part 1

Because I complain far too often, I wanted to add my voice to all those giving thanks this Thanksgiving week here in the US.  In contemplating the idea of thanksgiving, my attention was drawn to a common Old Testament expression.  It occurs many times in the Psalms and also in other segments of the OT.  Psalm 107 is a great psalm to see it expressed and illustrated.  Verse 1 states, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”  This is the song of the redeemed.  In fact, verse 2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble . . .”  If you are one who has known redemption through Christ, your theme should be thanks, not griping.

“Redemption in Christ?  What is that?”, you may ask.  According to the Scriptures, Christ died for your sin.  He paid the penalty that was yours when he was crucified on the cross.  He was buried, and three days later he rose again from the dead, conquering death and the grave.  By trusting solely in Christ and what he did you too can be redeemed.  Christ will forgive your sin and declare you righteous and accepted before God.  This is redemption, and this is reason for thanks.

So, think with me about this common OT expression of praise.  First, we are to be thankful because He is good.  John Feinberg simply yet effectively defines God’s goodness when he states, “God is concerned about the well-being of his creatures and does things to promote it.”  This is universally true in the whole created realm.  Man and beast alike enjoy God’s goodness.  In fact, as the crowning glory of God’s creation, we as humankind must realize that all we have is from God’s hand.  ”Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

God’s goodness is seen in His concern for our physical well-being.  According to Scripture, it is God in His goodness that gives us the essentials of daily life and breath.  Consider some verses.

Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.  Acts 14:17

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  Matthew 5:44-45

That’s right.  The rain I am hearing now outside my window is a gift of God’s good hand.  Even the uninterrupted, rhythmic beating of my heart and the repetitious exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in my lungs tell me that I have a good God.

Not only is He good in the physical realm, but also God is concerned for my spiritual well-being.  You see it evident in Psalm 107 as it testifies that when the people “cried to the LORD in their trouble,” He heard their cry and delivered them.  In fact, Romans 10:13 tells us assuredly, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Those of us who know and trust Christ’s redeeming work know this well.  For when we call on the name of Jesus Christ with dependence, He saves us forgiving our sin and enabling us to live for His glory.  I plead with you — if you haven’t, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Notable and Quotable

This from Jeff Purswell of Sovereign Grace Ministries,

“Your church is one authentic manifestation of the entire people of God that right now is worshiping before the throne of God. That is the reality of new covenant worship.”

See the whole blog post here.

Shut it, know-it-all!

Please don’t let my title startle you.  I’m talking to myself.  Through a number of recent experiences, I have been realizing that I often act like a know-it-all.  When it comes to my marriage, my parenting, my relationship with God, my responses to circumstances in people’s lives, etc., etc., I so readily respond with the spirit of a smarty pants.  Most significantly, I was communing with God this evening (an ashamedly infrequent occasion of late) and realized that I go about my day-to-day life so regularly without acknowledging God.  “After all, I went to seminary, I preach and teach the Bible week in and week out.  I’m ordained (OoooAhhh!), and I’ve read all sorts of theological books.  If anyone knows God and what the Bible says of Him, I do” . . . Umm . . . No!  But that is how I treat God and my daily need for Him.  The truth is reflected in Paul’s Romans doxology,  “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom 11:33).  But instead of crawling to Jesus in humility at the start of every day, I trample over top of Him and determine to have a successful day in my own earnest efforts and pretend wisdom.  Lord, rescue me from my humanistic, self-determined flesh!!

Another situation in which this know-it-all, loud-mouthness came to my attention was in a conversation with a friend.  I was sharing with him my struggle to be patient with my children.  He pointed me to James 1:19 and following, “¹⁹My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”  Quick to listen, slow to speak – that has not characterized me recently.  Instead, with steam-rolling high self-esteem, I squash those impeding my determined path with angry, impatient words.  For example, I am guilty of the classic response to my son’s appeals, “BECAUSE I SAID SO; NOW DO IT!!!”  O, God, work righteousness in my children through a patient, Word-saturated father!

This slow-to-speak mentality was further reinforced this evening as I delved into my reading of the Book of Job.  I am in the midst of the back and forth between Job and his friends and noticed something that applied to my life.  Now, I’m not sure you could accuse Job’s friends of being slow to listen and quick to speak, because 2:13 says they came and sat with him for 7 days and 7 nights without anyone saying a word.  Of course, in that day there were no high-speed societal pleasures like Twitter, microwaves, dual core processors, and hair dryers; so, what were they going to do?  I digress (more on modern progress later hopefully).  Back to Job’s friends; when they did speak, it became evident they didn’t shut up for long enough.  Their know-it-all mouths spoke with great clarity (in their own minds).  “Job, it seems clear. You must have sinned.  Why else would you be suffering this way?”  Job responds, as John Piper poetically puts it, “O spare me now, my friends, your packages of God.”  Gulp . . . I’m afraid I am guilty of the same high-mindedness.  “Yes, I have an answer for that struggle, Dear.  Let me just pull out a package from my great inventory of God-knowledge and give you an answer,” I may be found saying to my wife in private conversation.  But, do I really know God if I am not ever increasing in my knowledge and experience with Him in private communion on a regular basis?  Even if that were so, I have no right facing decisions and making responses in every day life with out depending on God for wisdom. The depths of His love are fathomless. His holiness is beyond full comprehension.  “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?” (Rom 11:34).  Gracious God, fill me with the humility of Christ!

Quick to listen; slow to speak . . . Maybe a down side to our fast paced world is that we don’t have time to listen and feel we have to speak.  We have to do something, right?  If I would take James 1 and apply it to my relationship with God, I would sit, and sit, and sit some more.  I would listen to Him by praying, meditating on His Word, and seeking His wisdom.  Proverbs emphasizes this painstaking search for wisdom with words and phrases like the following: acquire, diligently seek, search, receive, give attention, make your ear attentive, incline your heart to, seek as silver, etc.  Knowing God and His will takes time – time listening and time searching.

I hope my self-directed tirade helps you as it has me.  Feel free to join me in pummeling my person.  I would love to see more Scriptures that apply to my failures.  But if you are like me, you too need to tell yourself, “Shut it, know-it-all!”

The Fear Factor

I have been thinking a lot about fear lately.  I have recently been preaching a message from 2 Timothy 1 where Paul calls Timothy to tell and live the Gospel boldly without fear.  Plus, the issue of fear in my own heart and in the hearts of people around me has come to my attention a lot lately.  I think, if you were honest, you would agree that fear is so prevalent in our daily lives.  Have you ever stopped to realize how often you see fear demonstrated in your life and in the lives of others?  Lately, I have taken note, and it’s a lot!

Here’s a smattering of what runs through my brain when I think about fear:

• fear to speak the Gospel
• fear someone will harm my children
• fear of financial crises
• fear of sickness, injury, and death either in me or someone in my family
• fear of God
• fear of looking bad/incapable in others’ eyes
• fear of what a pastor or fellow missionary thinks of me
• fear of messing up as a parent
• fear of terrorism
• fear of failure
• fear of rejection
• fear of embarrassment/humiliation

There is a time to fear and a time not to fear.  Fear brings pain and profit.  Fear paralyzes, hinders, and plagues us; yet we also seem not to want (or are unwilling) to rid ourselves of it.  So, as a Christian, this emotion called “fear” has important significance to me.

According to the Oxford American Dictionary, fear is “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.”  I emphasize “belief.”  I am beginning to realize that this is what it all comes down to.  What do you believe?  In fact, you could say the opposite of fear is faith.  Faith is the “conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  This is where going through life without fear is so difficult.  To rid ourselves of fear, we need to believe.  We need to believe in what we can’t see – God and the fulfillment of the promises He makes to those who are His (Hebrews 11:6).  Yet, before we consider more the antidote to fear, let’s consider two sides to fear in our lives.

1. When we should not fear and do
Most of the examples mentioned above would fall into this category.  These are negative expressions of fear.  There are those fears that relate to the physical realm – fear of physical harm, injury, illness, even death.  In fact, have you ever noticed how much American economics depends on fear.  This is why I say that it seems we are unwilling to rid ourselves of fear.  If Christians would forsake fear and simply trust, how would this change the American commercial world?  Don’t get me wrong.  I realize we can’t be ignorant and act like we’re invincible.  Some choices would hinder us and our effectiveness for Christ (choosing not to buy health insurance, not protecting ourselves from harmful germs, etc.).  However, perhaps we need to rethink what is common sense and what is simply a demonstration of ungrounded, faithless fear.

So, there is fear in the physical/material realm.  But what about fear in the social/relational realm?  I’m talking about what the Bible calls the fear of man.  I mentioned several fears above that would fit in this category like speaking the Gospel, rejection, appearing incapable in another’s eyes, embarrassment, etc.  This is probably a more prevalent fear in my heart than fear of physical harm or the like.  This is also where our previous definition from the dictionary is not adequate.  It would be more accurate to say  fear is “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is physically or socially dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.”  However, whether it is relational fear or physical fear, it’s still fear and demonstrates a lack of faith.

2. When we should fear and don’t
Perhaps you caught the one example of fear I listed above that stood alone.  It is the fear of God.  The fear of God is one of the most predominant themes of the Scriptures, especially the OT.  So, we shouldn’t rid ourselves of this emotion completely.  It just needs correcting.

How the knowledge of God corrects our fearing
Our perspective on this present world should be shaped by our knowledge of the One who made it and is working out a plan in it.  Our sovereign God “works all things after the counsel of His will.”  So, even things we see as “problems” lead us perfectly to the course God intends and superintends.  Not only should the knowledge of God’s sovereignty shape our thinking, but also understanding the many other characteristics of God and His promises. In many of the “fear not’s” of Scripture, the command was followed by a reminder of the promises of God.  God’s “fear not” to Abraham was followed by “I am your shield, your very great reward” (Gen 15:1).  To Isaac, God said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you.  I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, for the sake of My servant Abraham.”  The reasons Isaac should not fear were the truths of God’s presence in his life and the faithfulness of God to fulfill His covenant.  Another “fear not” (my wife’s favorite) goes, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).  Again, God’s people are called to look to their God and His pleasure (and unshaking plan) to do what He promises.

Christ’s words directly address the reality of threats we face in our lives on earth. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).  This leads us to the proper placement of our fear – God Himself.  Fear and knowledge of God go hand in hand.  As Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”  God’s character demands our fear.  And fear is not simply reverence, but actually fear.  Why should we fear or be afraid of God?  As Christ says, because He is “able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Consider Proverbs 14:16, “A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.”  The wise person sees evil (in his own life or in others’) with a knowledge of God, namely that “He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7) and that “when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:15).  Because of his knowledge of God and His Word, the wise man fears and avoids sin.  The fool, on the other hand, imbibes carelessly in sin with great confidence.  You put God into the picture and the object(s) of fear drastically change.  The fool fears all sorts of physical and earthly threats, but not the eternal One.  The wise man is not afraid of temporal harm, both physical and relational, because he knows, fears, and answers only to the Beginning and the Ending.

So, I challenge you to pay attention to what/who you are fearing.  I know it has been revealing to me to consider this the past few weeks.  I pray God will continue helping me to believe what I cannot see.  I desire to stop fearing man and to start fearing God.

Introducing – Rough Draft

I’ve been mulling over this opportunity for some time.  Most of my good friends have blogs.  Part of my daily surfing includes regular stops at their WordPress or Blogger sites.  I have had a desire to add my two cents on many occasions.  Potential blog posts have been written in my head many mornings (and even afternoons) in the shower.  In fact, this post has been in process for the last several mornings during bath time.  However, I have just not felt right about pursuing this venue.  I struggled with my motivations.  I felt that I simply wanted to be recognized for contributing to certain arguments or that I desired praise for pulling heart strings with my words.  I liked the idea of having my blog linked to on someone else’s facebook.  All in all, I felt I wanted to have a blog for the wrong reasons.  I also feared that blogging would cause me to waste too much time, when I often feel I don’t have enough time for what I already have to do.

But for some time, my wife and I have discussed my desire to write.  I enjoy writing.  I feel I am much better at expressing myself with a keyboard (or pen) than I am with my mouth.  I don’t “think on my feet” very well and need time to think things through.  I guess this is why I enjoyed seminary so much.  We had plenty of writing to do.  I think it was there that I discovered my desire to write.  Interacting with theological issues, historical debates, and interpretation of Scripture invigorated me.

My wife has encouraged me in this passion.  She thinks that I will one day write a book (we’ll see).  I began to rethink starting a blog, looking at it as an opportunity to hone my writing skills.  The interaction with readers and the ability to put my thoughts down will greatly help me not only to write better but also to think through issues more completely.

Therefore, I think the title, “Rough Draft,” is appropriate.  Being a perfectionist I rarely feel ready to call something “final.”  So, this blog will be made up of posts covering a variety of topics about which I am thinking, but by no means have reached conclusions.  My confidence and certainty with some issues will be evident, I imagine.  After all, I am a Christian fully persuaded in and passionate about the Gospel.  The truths of sin, wrath, substitute, resurrection, faith, forgiveness, and eternal life all explained in the One, Jesus Christ, I will affirm till death.  But many issues we face in our modern day take some working out.

My goal to start with is to write once per week.  This is manageable in my mind and will not allow me endless babbling that will negatively affect my family and do no one any good.  So once per week I will write on topics of interest to me or issues on which I desire feedback and clarification from you.  I trust that here you and I will find opportunities to hash out matters of greater or lesser importance.  From Nobel Peace Prizes to church polity, from special moments shared with my son to the Gypsies of Romania, Rough Draft will be a place to consider, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Eccl 3:1).