On Halloween

Where I am, Halloween is nearly over. We never have much traffic. It is usually about 10 kids. I feel bad for all the kids who skip my house. We give out good stuff--full size candy bars. We tried giving out 1 pound Hershey bars one year, but that didn't increase our numbers. Then we tried giving out "Scarrots" (carrots in spooky bags), which only seemed to hurt our numbers. Note: not even vegan children want carrots for Halloween.

As a holiday, Halloween used to mean a lot to me. I loved the costumes and the macabre decorations. I really loved the candy. I still love the candy. But somewhere along the line, I didn't see it as important anymore. It probably happened when I had to start buying the candy.

A lot of Christian parents wonder if they should allow their children to dress up for Halloween. I don't think it's wrong, so long as the costumes are appropriate. Halloween as we practice it here in America is a cultural experience, not a religious one. People will go to a patriotic rally without ever questioning the morality of it, but Halloween throws them for a loop. I hope you had a safe and happy holiday. Pace yourself with the candy.

Here is a holiday light show for you.

Spiritual Songs: Behold Our God

Here is a beautiful song. I hope it raise your spirits. Enjoy.

A Precious Truth

May this truth saturate you heart and mind:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens

--Jesus the Son of God--

let us hold fast to the confession. 

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, 

but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. 

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, 

so that we may receive mercy and find grace 

to help us at the proper time 

(Heb. 4:14-16, HCSB).

Sunday Recap 10-28-12

Morning: The sermon, "No Retreat, No Surrender," focused on Colossians 2:6-15. In this passage, Paul urges us to continue to live in Christ. In these verses, Paul begins to address the false teaching plaguing the Colossian church. It appears to be a mixture of philosophy and legalism with a basic premise that stated Jesus isn't enough. As with many early errors in the church, the false teachers seem to have a problem with Jesus' deity and/or his humanity. Based on Paul's language, the philosophy most likely promised to bring adherents into the fullness of knowledge. Paul reminds us that Jesus is more than enough, and calls us move forward and stand our ground.

1. Our faith must be living and growing.  We are to be rooted in Christ and built up in him. We are to be strengthened in the doctrines of the faith, and overflowing with gratitude.

2. We must not allow ourselves to be taken captive false belief systems. Paul calls the false teaching an empty (hollow) and deceitful philosophy. He warned against its reliance on human traditions and basic principles of this world (possibly a reference to demonic spirits).

3. Our focus must be on Christ. Paul tells us to focus on who Christ is--God in the flesh and head over every power and authority. Paul explains that in Christ the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form. Warren Wiersbe, pastor and commentator, tells us term means, "the sum total of all that God is, all of His being and attributes." We also need to focus on what he has done: spiritual circumcision or regeneration, given us life, and forgiving us of all our sins.  He did this by dying in our place and disarming those spiritual powers that rage against the will of God.

 Evening: We had our Fall Fellowship. Everybody had a great time.

Ready, Willing, and Able

"Daddy, can you hold me for a minute?" It seems like such a simple question, an innocent question. And yet the question itself suggests doubt on the part of the child. Maybe daddy's too busy. Maybe he's angry. Who knows which of our actions will cause a child to doubt their value?

These kinds of questions demonstrate a child's growth in understanding. They show a growing awareness of responsibility and priorities. These questions hint a fear and uncertainty. Children who asks these questions know their parents have responsibilities and priorities, but they aren't sure where they fit into those. They want to know they still count.

Sophia's question made me think. At first I just wondered how she could even think I wouldn't hold her. We had spent better part of the afternoon cuddling on the couch, watching movies. Maybe she feared I didn't want to hold her anymore. Maybe she just needed me to hold her a little tighter or little longer.

Something hit me as I pondered on the question. My mind turned to prayer and the struggles I am having at the moment. I approach God with the same sort of timidness Sophia approached me. "God, can you help me?" The words are earnest and hinting of fear. I'm afraid that he is too busy or that my most recent struggle with sin has angered him.

As I scooped up my little girl in my arms, I couldn't help imagining my heavenly Father scooping me up in his arms. I felt him saying, "Abba's here, my little one." Jesus once told a crowd to consider the reality of parenthood. Human parents are fallen, frail creatures with sin prone hearts, yet they know how to love their children. How much more does our heavenly Father love us, especially when we consider that his holy, perfect, and compassionate.

 I think I need to mediate on God's willingness to love, and more importantly his willingness to show it. He has made us his children and given us the task of having and raising children, so that we might better understand what his Fatherhood means. We don't have to ask "if" he will hold us, only that he will. He is ready, willing, and able.

Euthanasia

Today, I watched an episode of Cold Case that centered on euthanasia. The audience was duly informed that the term meant "good death." Those watching were also informed that pain and suffering stripped a human being of his or her dignity. The episode was packed full of emotive force. It created a great springboard for a discussion.

The arguments for euthanasia make sense in a culture that views death as an end or at least an end to suffering. If we die and that is it, then allowing a human being to suffer seems needlessly cruel. The same can be said if we believe that almost everyone who dies goes to heaven. As one of the characters said, "Hell is a place for those who have forgotten how to love." It sounds poetic and beautiful. But is it right? If we take the biblical teachings on death and life after death seriously, death isn't the end. The human soul lives on beyond the death of the body, and only those who have turned from sin and put their trust in Jesus Christ go to heaven.

What about human dignity? Maybe we shouldn't measure dignity in terms of being able to keep a stiff upper lip or responding to pain with a stoic resilience. What if tears in the midst of suffering isn't undignified? What if surrendering the will to live is undignified? Are human beings no different from a dog or a cat? Should human suffering be ended with a dose of death?

The arguments for euthanasia usually assume that suffering is, without exception, evil. Those fans and friends of "mercy killings" do not appear to believe that pain and suffering can have a positive result. Is it possible that suffering can have a redemptive element. I don't mean to imply that we can be saved through suffering. I mean that sometimes good things can come out of bad things. Even in the episode, the man whose death was being investigated had a change of heart and tried to make amends before his death.

The dilemma was presented in moral terms without theological context. In other words, the show informed the viewers this was a good thing, but it never presented God's opinion. They suggested that death should be left in the hands of the individual, but I just don't buy it.  We have dignity because we bear the image of God. The soul of each person has value, and suffering cannot diminish that value.

Thursday Humor: Kid's Birthday Parties

Here's a funny little clip. I hope you enjoy it.

The Names of God the Spirit: The Spirit

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Rom. 8:9, NIV).

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 in Article II, part C, "God the Holy Spirit," states,

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

As Baptist, we are confident and comfortable talking about God the Father and God the Son, but I think we are less confident and comfortable talking about God the Holy Spirit. I offer a helpful warning: the Spirit is a real person, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, and we should address the Spirit as he/him, and not as it.

There are three truths in Romans 8:9 at which I want to look.

1. The Spirit is simultaneously God's and Christ's, yet distinct from both. Paul stated, through contrast, that Christians were controlled by the Spirit. By referring first to the Spirit and then adding the expressions "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ, Paul demonstrates that the Spirit is both one with God (the Father) and with Christ, while at the same time distinct from both. George W. Knight states, "The first dramatic truth emphasized by this verse is that the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. This is a bold affirmation that Jesus was one with the Father, yet distinct from him at the same time" (The Names of God, pg. 213).

2. The Spirit is our life. The verse teaches us that the Spirit is both the source of our life and its driving force. The Spirit is our life because apart from him we are spiritually dead. His presence brings us to life spiritually, so that we can obey God. Paul tells us that we are "controlled" by the Spirit.  He moves us beyond sinful natural inclinations to pursue the glory of God.

3. The Spirit lives in us. Simply put, to have the Spirit is to have Christ. Or we could say that if we have Christ we have the Spirit. This should surprise us because Jesus said as much in John 14:15-21.

These truths are heavy and wonderful and worthy of contemplation. May they give you comfort.

Spiritual Songs: Calling Out Your Name

This song begins with a slow introduction, but it's worth the wait. Rich Mullins captures the wide-eyed wonder in which we should view our world. The glory of God is visible all around us, if we have the eyes to see it. I hope this song encourages you to open your eyes to see where the world around you is calling out the name of God. Enjoy.

Beautiful Monotony

I find myself at the end of a long, monotonous day with a cacophony of thoughts slamming around in my head. I spent my day slogging through the minutia of everyday life. Humdrum. Much of what gives life its rhythm dulls its tone. The sun grinds its way through our day dragging night behind it, and all the while we yearn for some piece of excitement to illuminate our day.

Well, we long for the right kind of excitement. A broken leg would certainly fill our day with opportunities. We would get to see new (or visit old) places. We would have the opportunity to meet new people. We get to share our story. We might get a scar (useful in the future as a conversation starter). Yet, most of us don't long for a broken leg. It's the wrong kind of excitement.

So what is it that we want? It depends on the person, but it is often something new or novel or strange or out of the ordinary. We want a brush with greatness or an opportunity to shine. We want our words to move mountains and change minds. We look for something on a grand scale--something that will challenge the "norm."

This kind of thinking makes us miss out on what makes our lives unique. This life is the one we have. It isn't a trial run. The opportunities we miss while searching for better opportunities are lost. There is no getting them back.

We can spend our time dread here-and-now while we wait for something better to come along, or we can learn to find excitement in the moments we are given. I hate to do dishes. I grumble and complain the whole time (it's silly, I know). However, I am fairly certain that if I lost my hands, I would miss being able to do the dishes. My point is simple: if I'm not careful, I'll find myself complaining about things that I would wish for under different circumstance.

When a tempest of life is battering me from every angle, I long for humdrum. When my life is so frantic I don't know which way is up, I miss my routine. I haven't perfected the art of being content where I am or with what I have, but I'm learning.  Sometimes, the kiss of sunshine on a fiery orange autumn leaf or the uninhibited cackle of my little girl is enough to fill me with wonder that God would permit me to know such beauty. Maybe my life isn't so humdrum after all.

Sunday Recap 10-21-12

Morning: The message, "A Servant of the Gospel," focused on Col. 1:24-2:5. In this passage, Paul explains that a servant of the gospel labors to bring people to maturity in Christ. The Colossian Christians were facing a struggle. False teachers had infiltrated their church in the absence of their leader Epaphras. Paul was writing to them to keep them on course, but he needed to remind them of his role and authority. He goes on the explain what a true servant of the gospel looks like. A servant of the gospel:

1. Joyfully endures hardship for the church's sake. Paul isn't saying Jesus death wasn't enough, but that God has appointed us to suffer. We need to accept it and rejoice in the potential good that can come from it.

2. Is commissioned by God to present the word in its fullness. It means to clearly present  the message of Christ.

3. Proclaims Christ with admonition and teaching. What was his purpose?

a. To present them perfect in Christ

b. to encourage them in heart

c. to see them united in love

d. that they may know Christ in the fullness of understanding

e. to keep them from being deceived

f. so that they may continue on with order and faithfulness.

What do we do?

1. We ask if we have ever responded to the gospel.

2. We honor servants of the gospel.

3. We apply their teaching to our lives.

Evening: Movie Night

Seeking God's Help

"Lord, I call on You: hurry to help me. Listen to my voice when I call on You. May my prayer be set before you as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering. Lord set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing or perform wicked acts with men who commit sin" (Psalm 141:1-4, HCSB).

This is a psalm of David. David was a man after God's own heart. He would do whatever God asked of him. David was a man who wanted what God wanted more than what he himself wanted (most of the time). Yet David prays this prayer.

It is hard to imagine a pursuer of God's heart needing to pray this prayer. Typically, our culture views genuinely faithful people as a class apart. Our instinct is to see them as having it all together, and having altogether different struggles than our own. But David challenges that perception.

David fervently worshiped the Lord. He faithfully pursued the glory of God, and yet we read of David committing adultery with the wife of a close friend, ordering the execution of that friend, and giving himself over to his pride.

If we allow this passage to challenge our perceptions, it may teach us an important truth: those who most diligently pursue God's heart are, most usually, those who have ceased from trusting their own. To put it another way, those who recognize the evil that exists in their own hearts look to God to change them.

Here David speaks with urgency. He desperately needed God to show up, and keep him from doing something he would regret forever. Apart from the Lord's intervention, we are incapable of pursuing his heart or heeding his will.

David probably knew the craftiness of the human heart better than most today. Yet, even he could be taken it by it. But he knew the Lord could not, so he asked him to shield his heart. Hopefully, we'll wise up and follow David's example.

Our Shepherd and Guardian

"For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of you souls" (1 Peter 2:25, HCSB).

Usually, people don't like to think of themselves as animals. When the lines of comparison point squarely at a herded animal, the impulse to reject such comparisons becomes stronger. We don't want to see ourselves as cattle. If you know much about sheep, you don't want to be compared to them either. Sheep are not very intelligent and lack a defense mechanism.

Peter's words here pull no punches. He not only compares us to sheep, but tells us we are the kind that wonder off from safety and protection. Does that make us brave, curious, or stupid? If it softens the blow, we'll use the term foolish. Curiosity can be fatal, just ask a cat. Doing dangerous things doesn't necessarily make us brave, we could just do them because we don't know any better.

Do you ever look back at events in your life and wonder how you made it out alive (and mostly sane)? Peter tells believers that it is their Shepherd and Guardian, Jesus Christ, that has brought them through.

Did you ever have the feeling someone was watching over you? It is popular in our culture to speak of guardian angels and deceased relatives as those who watch over us. However, Peter says we have the best Guardian: Jesus.

He is the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep. He does not flee from danger, but guards his sheep with vigilance, so rest easy little lamb. Your Shepherd won't fail you.

Thursday Humor: David Pendleton on Bananas

Here's a bit of humor. Hope it brightens your day.

Names of God the Son: Lamb of God

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world'" (John 1:29)!

The language John chose to use here is powerful. He speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God. The term Lamb must be understood in the context of the sacrificial system. It is hard to say how John's hearers would have understood what he meant.

The image is closely related to the Passover. In Exodus 12:1-7, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and smear its blood upon their door posts. When the angel of death passed through Egypt, he would spare those whose houses were so marked. Paul links Jesus to the passover lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7.

The term Lamb was a term of substitution. The Lamb was offered in the place of the guilty. It was also a term of sacrifice. The lamb's blood was shed; it's life was ended. Lamb came to be a term of sovereignty. In Revelation 5:5-6, John sees a heavenly vision of Jesus in which he is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but John sees a Lamb. Throughout the remainder of Revelation, the Lamb is seen as Sovereign.

John the Baptist didn't just call Jesus, Lamb. He called him the Lamb of God. The expression "of God" means that Jesus was God's. He belonged to him, and was being offered by God on behalf of the world. Isaiah makes this clearer in Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

John the Baptist also informed his hearers that Jesus was the Lamb that "takes away the sin of the world." What does it mean that Jesus "takes away sin"? It means that he removes the penalty of sin by exchanging his life for the lives of those who will come to him in faith. It means that he has power over sin and death, so that those who believe in him will live, even if they die.

The expression, Lamb of God, is a beautiful one, but it is also a bloody one. As Peter said, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

Spiritual Songs: The Chasing Song

Here is another good one by Andrew Peterson. I hope you enjoy it.

Growing in Gratitude

Why me? Why do I have to have a headache right now? Isn't what I'm doing super important, why let a headache ruin that? These are the kind of whining questions I asked God earlier today. I have become so accustom to the blessings that flow in my life, that I despise any deviation from my routine. I act as if I am entitled to a trouble-free life.

In reality, who am I to complain? I am truly blessed. I was reminded of how blessed I am, as I strolled through the nursing home earlier tonight. I don't know what my future holds, but right now I my life is full blessing. Everywhere I look, I see another reason that I should be grateful.

I don't say this to boast. I say it because I am so frequently reminded of my ingratitude. I'm learning to be grateful for all the small things. The process is slow, and punctuated with failure on my part. Even when I do feel gratitude, I'm not always sure the best way to show it.

The good thing about gratitude, it is contagious. The more you begin to think about what you have been blessed with, the more you blessings you begin to see. The more you see, the more you begin to thank God for. The more you thank God, the more people begin to see God at work around them. They begin to see, and the process begins again.

I'm grateful for the growth I see in my life, even if I complain it isn't as much as I wanted. Growth is a sign of life. And that is worth giving thanks.

Sunday Recap 10-14-12

Morning: The sermon, "The Supremacy of Christ," focused on Colossians 1:15-23. Paul had prayed for the church to be filled with the knowledge of God's will, so that they would be fruitful in pleasing God. Paul transitions from his prayer for the believers in Colossae, to speaking about Jesus with these words, "For he [the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin." Paul's transition makes it clear that it is impossible to have knowledge of God's will apart from a knowledge of God's Son. In this passage, Paul demonstrates the supremacy of Christ over all things.

1. Jesus has supremacy in relationship to the Father. Paul is only saying what Jesus and others have said. Responding to a request to reveal the Father, Jesus said, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?' Don't you believe I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work" (John 14:9-10). Hebrews states, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being," (1:3a). Commentator, Richard R. Melick said, "Paul was stressing that God was present wherever Jesus was. He was the personal manifestation of God."

2. Jesus has supremacy over creation.

a. He is the "Firstborn"-refers to rank.

b. He created all things- in heaven and on earth; visible and invisible (thrones, powers, rulers, or authorities); all things were created by him and for him.

c. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

3. Jesus has supremacy over the church. He is head.

4. Jesus has supremacy over death. "Beginning and Firstborn" is about the resurrection.

5. Jesus has supremacy in pleasing God. God was pleased to have "all his fullness dwell in him"

6. Jesus has supremacy in reconciliation.

a. Through him, God reconciles the world to himself.

b. He made peace through his blood (shed on a cross)

c. He ends our alienation.

d. He presents us holy, without blemish, and without accusation.

What do we do?

1. Yield to his supremacy. Stop fighting him, start trusting him.

2. Worship him.

3. Cling to him in Faith.

4. Tell others about him.

Evening: The message, "Somebody is Praying for You," focused on Hebrews 7:23-25. In this passage, the author of Hebrews reminds us of three important truths: Jesus has an eternal priesthood, He is able to completely save those who come to him, and he is lives forever interceding for his people. 

Not as Our Folly Deserves

"Therefore, [Jesus] is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them" (Heb. 7:25, HCSB).

I was reminded of this truth as I finished the book of Job today. Job's friends are ordered by God to take a sacrifice to Job, which he would offer up on their behalf with prayer. God told them, "Now take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you. I will surely accept his prayer and not deal with you as your folly deserves. For you have not spoken the truth about Me, as My servant Job has" (Job 42:8, HCSB).

As this verse seems to indicate, Job points to the work of Christ. As intercessor, Job would mediate between his friends and God. It was not a role assumed by Job, but one appointed to him. If his friends obeyed the Lord, Job would then pray for them. If Job prayed for them, then God would forgive them.

Forgiveness is defined with a beautiful word picture in Job 42:8. God says, "I . . . will not deal with you as your folly deserves." Stop. Reread that description. Let it bounce around in your head a few times. Say it out loud. Repeat it. Allow your heart to open to it and let it in.

How many times have you wished your foolishness would be overlooked by the Lord? If you are like me, it is probably as many as acts of foolishness of which you are aware.

How do we find such forgiveness? Bulls and Rams? No, the blood of bulls and goats could get the job done (see Hebrews 10:4). We need someone to mediate for us. Paul tells us, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human" (1 Tim. 2:5, HCSB). The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is both our priest and sacrifice (see Hebrews 9:12-10:14).

In essence, we live because we were obedient to the Word and trusted Christ, and now he intercedes on our behalf. Because Jesus intercedes for us, the Father will not treat us as our folly deserves. What a precious promise that is.

The Choice

Do you ever find yourself torn between drawing nearer to God and clinging to a self-destructive habit? You may have not noticed at first, but something or someone makes it clear that this is exactly what is happening. What do you do?

Theologically, we know that when we pick something before God, we are plunging into idolatry. It may seem like a petty, victimless crime, but God certainly does not see it that way. He will share his glory with no other.

Intellectually, we may recognize that the behavior that is pulling us away will eventually cost us dearly. However, we might assume, for the time being at least, we will escape the consequences.

Yet, in spite of what we know to be true, we are often pulled along by an emotional tug that defies understanding. It may well be the principle of sin that resides in our mortal bodies and wages war against our flesh.

We are left with a choice--God or our habit. It seems like such a simple choice, but I have witness several people exchange the glory of God for their destruction. Everyday the battle wages within me. Everyday I have to make the choice.

What about you? How do you handle the struggle?

Thursday Humor: Military

Here is a little military humor. I hope it brightens your day.

Names of God the Son: Son of Man

Of all the names (or titles) Jesus bears, I find the Son of Man the most mysterious. The expression is used primarily by Jesus in the New Testament. It occurs 86 times in New Testament, but only four of those occur outside of the Gospels. It also occurs 100 times in the Old Testament, but 93 of those occurrences are in Ezekiel. I recognize that there is a correlation between some of the Old Testament uses for "Son of Man," and Jesus' usage. However, I keep wondering why a name used so frequently by Jesus wasn't used more often outside of the Gospels.

George W. Knight in his book, The Names of God, lists three ways in which Jesus used the expression during his earthly ministry. First, he used it as a replacement for the pronoun "I." Second, he used it when he spoke of his suffering and death. Third, he used it to convey authority.

In Luke 9:58, Jesus states, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Here we see Jesus using the expression "Son of Man" instead of saying "I."

Luke 9:22 is a passage where Jesus addresses his suffering and death. He states, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Luke 9:18-22, sets the context. Peter has just confessed the Jesus is the Christ. Jesus warns them to be silent. It appears he uses the expression "Son of Man," so he could speak about his mission as the Christ without having to unpack cultural baggage.

Mark 2:28 is an example of where Jesus used "Son of Man" as a way to convey his authority. He stated, "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

As Knight demonstrates, it is easy to demonstrate how Jesus used the title "Son of Man." But why he used it is harder to explain. There are several theories:

1. Some think he was trying to identify with humanity.

2. Some think he could have used it to express humility. The quote of Psalm 8:4 in Hebrews 2:6 makes this a possibility, but doesn't necessarily imply that he used it this way.

3. Some think it refers to Daniel 7:13-14. Where one "like a son of man" is given dominion and power over the whole world. Jesus' own words makes this connection clear. Matthew 26:64 states, "'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied, ' But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'" The expression "Son of Man . . . coming on the clouds of heaven" parallels Daniel 7:13.

4. It may have been a way for Jesus to express the reality that although he was more than just a man, he was not less than fully human. He is fully God, and fully man.

Thinking about Jesus the Son of Man helps us to think in terms of our shared nature. He was tempted in all the ways we are, yet without sin. Therefore, he is able to sympathize with us. It makes us able to think about humility, in terms of what it truly is and how it is best displayed. Jesus as the Son of Man reminds us that he has an everlasting dominion that cannot end nor can it be taken away, and that is certainly something worthy of thinking about.

Spiritual Songs: In the Night

Here is another beautiful song by Andrew Peterson. May it increase your hope.

Successfully Becoming What You Want to Be

If you could be anything in the world, (this world--not some fantasy world, so you can't say something like "Batman," or "a dragon," or "a unicorn," or " a dragon rider," etc.) what would you be? Could you be the thing you want? Or are you lacking something that would make it possible? What do you lack? Is it money? Time? Physical ability? Intelligence? Could you make sacrifices and be what you want?

What if the formula of success was as simple as:

determination + hard work + perseverance

Simple, yet complicated you might say. When I say determination I mean the will and affections working in synergistic harmony. By hard work, I mean that one works with both intelligence and effort. Perseverance is the ability to bear up under a heavy load for a long time.

Simple, yet difficult. If something truly has value, it will be worth the price you pay in effort, time, and expense. Otherwise, you squandering your precious resources. So you have to ask:

What do I want to be?

Why do I want to be that?

What will it cost me to become it?

Is it worth the cost?

If you have made a thorough and honest assessment in answering the first three questions, then you can honestly answer the fourth question. If you answer in the affirmative, there is an additional question you need to answer.

What will it take to achieve?

A good analysis of the cost will go a long way in helping you answer this question. Cost is never simply about the money. It is the sacrifice of time, energy, sleep, missed moments, and other non-quantifiable costs. It's about losing who you are to become who you want to be.

If the thing you want to be is possible and worthy of pursuit, why aren't you pursuing it? Do you lack determination? That is are you're heart and mind divided on it? Are you unwilling to do the work? Do you lack the strength the persevere?

Pursue who you were made to be. I like what John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him." Make up your mind, get to work, and hang in there until you're living your dream.

 

Sunday Recap 10-7-12

Morning:  The sermon, "A Prayer for Fruitful Christianity," focused on Colossians 1:1-14. In this passage, Paul reminds us to ask God to increase the "fruit" in our lives. Paul is writing this letter to a church he didn't start. Although they didn't know him personally, he wanted them to know he was praying for them. Their leader, Epaphras, was likely one of Paul's converts in Asia Minor and went on to found the church. Now, Epaphras was in prison with Paul, and sharing his concern for the church. Epaphras has planted good seed and was seeing fruit come forth, but weeds were beginning to grow. Paul shows us how to pray for fruitful Christianity.

1. Thank God for the fruit you see. Every good gift comes down from the Father in heaven, so every expression of gratitude must be aimed upward to the Father. Paul points to 4 "fruits" in the life of this church. Paul expresses thanks for their faith in God, their love for all the saints, their hope in the gospel,and for the fact that the gospel is spreading and growing among them.

2. Pray that God would increase the fruit. Paul expresses the substance of his prayers: that God would fill the believers with knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He goes on to express his reason: we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. What does that look like: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, and being strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might.

Paul wanted them to be strengthened so that they could have great endurance which is the ability to bear up under hardship, patience which is self-restraint under trying circumstances, and joyful gratitude to the Father.

They should have gratitude to the Father because he qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light, he rescued tem form the dominion of darkness, and he brought them into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

What do we do?

Examine your fruit--Are you a believer in Christ? Do you have faith in God through Jesus Christ? Do you have love for all the saints? Is the Gospel your hope?

If you answer no to those questions: Ask the Father to qualify you to share in Christ, ask him to rescue you from the dominion of darkness, ask him to grant you redemption and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If you answer yes to the above questions: Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Pray this for each other.

Evening: Business Meeting

How to Pray for Fellow Believers

For this reasons, since the day we heard about you, 

we have not stopped praying for you

 and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will

 through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord 

and may please him in every way: 

bearing fruit in every good work, 

growing in the knowledge of God, 

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that 

you may have great endurance, 

patience, and 

joyfully giving thanks to the Father, 

who has qualified you 

to share in the inheritance 

of the saints of light.

Colossians 1:9-12

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

I have spent a lot of my life in a car, usually driving away from people I care very deeply about. I remember it most in the trips between St. Louis and Bowling Green. We would pile in the car after my dad got home from work and drive five hours "home" to St. Louis. We would spend time with my grandma and other family members. Sunday would find us back in the car headed back to Bowling Green.

Every few weeks we repeated this pattern. At some point, my mind began to see us as leaving for St. Louis and returning "home" to Bowling Green. We always went back to see family. It was the people we loved and longed for, not the place. Stores and streets that were familiar to my parents, and discussed frequently in reminiscences, were strange to me. But I knew the people.

Eventually, even the people became strangers to me. Time and distance eroded the bonds of affection that held us together. Cousins who were like siblings have become strangers. Many of those I loved so dearly have passed away.

For years the overwhelming sense of loss kept me developing relationships. I knew in time, I would pile in a car and drive away. Maybe the roads I traveled would bring me back again, but maybe they wouldn't. And I knew that if they did, it may be that the people I met were different people, even as I had become different through the journey.

For years, I resented having to go back to St. Louis. Not all of my memories are happy ones. But after I became a father, I started to realize why my parents took us back. The interaction with family gave us a sense of identity, a sense of continuity. I reminded us that no matter where we went in the world, we had family waiting at home.

I'm trying to give my little girl the same sense of identity, that same sense of family. I know when we go to see family there will be laughter and hugs and memories, but there will also be tears. I have never driven away from someone I loved without my heart breaking a little. The act of saying goodbye leaves me enveloped by a cloud of sadness. So I'm never surprised when Sophia cries after we leave a loved ones house.

I have learned that her tearful sobs accurately express the words I cannot say. I have learned that love is worth the risk of losing. I think there is some truth to that old saying: it is better to loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. So I'll keep piling in cars and driving to see the people I love, even though I dread the long, sad road home.