It's A Wedding!

When we think of weddings pictures like this one (yes, that is My Beloved and me on our Wedding Day) come to mind with all of the attached images of wedding cake, birdseed being thrown, flowers, candles, and the long awaited "I now pronounce you man and wife!" This is only natural as this is what we have come to know as a wedding.

A conversation several years ago with a member of the flock here led me on a journey of discovery concerning what came to mind when the Jewish people thought of weddings. It was arresting to realize the differences and stunning to consider the implications of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony. As I learned more about the process of the ancient Jewish wedding (which is still practiced to this day) I was awe-struck by the fact that God had placed into the social fabric of the Jewish people a vivid picture of what He was doing in salvation.

Before I proceed here a couple of disclaimers are in order. First, I am no expert on Jewish wedding customs. I consulted several sources including The Everything Jewish Wedding Book (I get comments on that one when it is spotted on my shelf - so far no requests to perform a Jewish wedding ;-)) and The Ancient Jewish Wedding by Neil and Jamie Lash. Secondly, what follows is a synopsis of 9 weeks of preaching. These are just the high points. I believe you will readily see the meaning filled significance of each of these "steps" in the ancient Jewish wedding.

The steps in the ancient Jewish wedding (somewhat simplified):

1. A Bride is chosen.
2. A price is paid.
3. Promises are made by the husband to the Bride.
4. The Bride must agree.
5. A cup of covenant is shared.
6. Gifts are given.
7. The Bridegroom departs.
8. The Bride makes preparations for the Bridegroom's return.
9. The Bridegroom returns.
10. The Bride is taken to the place prepared for her.
11. The marriage feast takes place.

A Bride is Chosen - Jesus told his disciples, "You did not choose me, but I chose you..." (John 15:16). It is an humbling thought that He has chosen us as the ones He loves!

A Price is Paid - Scripture affirms the great worth of women. "An excellent wife, who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." (Proverbs 31:10). This is quite astounding in view of the ancient world these wedding practices were instituted where women had no rights. For those of us who are in Christ we remember the price paid for us every time we celebrate Communion, recalling His body broken for us and His blood shed for us - simply because we were, and are, the objects of His love.

Promises are Made - Interestingly the bride doesn't make any promises. This portion of the Jewish wedding ceremony is decidedly one sided. The husband makes it clear all that he promises to do for the bride. Here enters a marvelous opportunity for discussing the issue of salvation! It's not based on anything we do - it is simply our acceptance of what our heavenly Bridegroom has promised!

The Bride Must Agree - I call this the "Yes Factor." The Bride has been chosen, a price agreed upon, and promises have been made, all initiated by the Bridegroom. Yet for the wedding to proceed the Bride must say "Yes." In similar fashion, God initiates the relationship but we must respond to His most marvelous offer. After all, a gift not received is worthless to the recipient.

A Cup of Covenant is Shared - We re-enact this moment every time we celebrate Communion. It was stunning to consider the fact the Jesus' disciples understood His words "Take and drink, all of you, for this cup is my blood of the new covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." in the context of the Jewish wedding. I was amazed to learn that many Jewish rabbi's still teach that the Passover in terms of God wedding His people.

One other note of interest here is that Jesus is waiting to drink this cup again with his Bride. Matthew's gospel records these words from Jesus concerning the cup, "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fahter's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29) What a moment that will be at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb!

Gifts are Given - Usually the Bridegroom would give gifts to his bride to remind her of his love for her and to help her remember that he would soon be returning for her. As believers we recognize the "promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance" (Ephesians 1:13-14) as the gift that our Bridegroom gave us upon His departure.

The Bridegroom Departs - This really struck me as an oddity in the wedding ceremony. How many weddings have you been to where the 'I do's' are said and then the Bridegroom leaves? Well it's part of the Jewish ceremony and it has a wonderfully practical purpose. The Bridegroom has to get a few things ready for his Bride. Sound familiar? Jesus told his friends, "I go to prepare a place for you...And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." (John 14:2-3)

The Bride Gets Ready - Her preparation is a gift given by the bride to the one she loves. There is a time when it is too late to prepare. Are we ready for our Bridegroom's return.

The Bridegroom Returns - This would often happen in the middle of the night. His return would be announced by a blast from the shofar and a loud shout, "Behold, the Bridegroom comes!" Amazingly, this is paralleled in the descriptions of the return of Jesus, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God." (I Thes. 4:16)

The Bride is Taken to the Place Prepared for Her - For a mental picture of the place being prepared for the Bride of Christ take a look at Revelation 21 and 22. Our Bridegroom has outdone Himself!

The Marriage Feast Takes Place - Jewish weddings are not quiet and reserved events. They are exuberantly joyful. Simcha describes one such feast like this, "The amazing all-out joy at such a wedding is hard to describe. It can, in fact, be quite wild, with people juggling fire, dancing in big hora circles, the bride and groom up on chairs in the middle, and so much more. The entire atmosphere is one of extreme joy, all done in fulfillment of the instruction to give joy to the bride and groom."

Here's how Revelation 19 describes it...

"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
'Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almight reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready!...

And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."

How about it? Have you been invited and have you accepted the invitation? If not, why not?

Monday Morning Message - Getting Your Feet Wet

Faith has a starting place. There is a moment when we first believe.

Faith has an end. There will come a day, for those who have placed faith in Jesus, when faith will no longer be needed. We will see Him face-to-face.

There is a middle place. It is in the middle where you find the action, the tension, the events that make a story worth telling.

We are in just this kind of place - the middle. This is where the story gets interesting.

Scripture is full of these kinds of stories but we all too often rush right by the middle to get to the resolution of the moment of faith. I hope to explore just a few of these over the next few weeks. Today we simply need to get our feet wet.

In Joshua 3:1-6 & 14-17 is this wonderful story of faith in the middle. The beginning of the story we are familiar with, we're even acquainted with the ending of this chapter of faith, but it is this moment on which it all depends. Decisions are made at this point that set into motion everything that follows. It required a few priests to get their feet wet. Be sure to take a moment to read the story.

Taking a quick look back we recall that at this moment in the biblical story we are keeping company with the second generation of those who had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. These are the children of the folks who experienced the Passover and crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. These are the children of those who woke up each morning to find bread on the ground and who had seen water come from a rock at a moment of great need. These kids have grown up on the stories of God's faithfulness and probably went to bed many nights thinking, "I wish I could see God do something like that!"

This people of faith had a destiny to fulfill but there was something standing in their way, namely the Jordan river at flood stage. This 2nd generation had ample proof of God's power from their past, however their past tense faith was not adequate for their present tense needs. They needed someone to put their toes in the water.

Mark Batterson, in his book Wild Goose Chase, makes this statement "You know why some of us have never seen God part a river? Because our feet are still firmly planted on dry ground. We're waiting on God while God is waiting on us."

The question standing smack dab in the middle of this story is, "Would the priests trust God?" These guys took a risk. They laid in on the line. You see, if God doesn't come through here, these guys carrying the ark of the covenant are just going for a swim. Pretty foolish looking possibility for a dignified priest. They took the lead with everybody watching them.

Think about this for a moment. The first priests socks get wet and nothing really noticeable happens. It takes a little bit for all that flood stage water to drain off. It took a lot of faith to step into that river in the first place. I believe it took even more to keep on standing there. The question the priests had to answer standing there with their wet socks was not whether or not it made sense for them to be there with wet socks but the question they had answer was, "Has God instructed us to do this?" They answered in the affirmative. Their actions clearly display this truth.

A little while later in the story the last person from the people of Israel walks across the Jordan with their dry shoes and socks. The only ones who have not crossed all the way over are the priests standing in the now dry river bed with soggy socks and soaring spirits. They, like no one else in all of Israel, had one incredible story to tell. The story about the day they were the only ones who got their feet wet. Sure, everybody experienced the walk across the Jordan, but there were only a few whose faith made a difference on that day. After all, it doesn't take much faith to walk on dry ground. Getting your toes wet while expecting God to dry the water up is a different story.

Anybody out there ready to get their feet wet?

Monday Morning Message - The State of the Church

Rather than rehash the photos and observations about our local church family from yesterday I want to share some thoughts on the state of the church in a broader sense. This is a totally off the cuff, stream of consciousness post. What follows has not been thoroughly thought out or researched. These are simply my thoughts and observations about the state of the church as a whole.

We've gotten side tracked and in so doing have been hijacked by our own thinking. Secondary issues have taken on primary importance. This must be corrected. The world knows what we are against, they are not so sure what we are for. We spend more time and energy bashing the latest beast to appear in the culture war than we do loving the smallest and the least among us. I fear we reflect the character of the Pharisees of Jesus' day more than we reflect the character of Jesus. Perhaps it is time for the church to drop its weapons and embrace a fallen culture with the love of Jesus, remembering that we too were once enemies of God.

This in no way implies we should apologize for the truth we uphold. Sin should be revealed for the destroyer that it is. We should never apologize for speaking the truth. However, I believe we have many apologies to offer for the times we have spoken the truth in anything but a loving manner. As the writer of Hebrews states, "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." (Heb. 4:12). Handle it carefully. It cuts both ways.

There is a marvelous renewal of missions. Our Baptist missions sending agencies report an increasing number of individuals engaged in short and long term missions, both close to home and far away. The world has shrunk and I can now be in contact with all kinds of people from all kinds of places. Exhibit A, this humble blog has been accessed in 34 nations recently. From the Philippines to France people have had the opportunity to have an encounter with an unapologetic follower of Christ. I have had the privilege of personally watching individual's view of the world change as they worked side by side with believers from another country. Suddenly the family of God becomes a little bigger in their minds and foreign countries don't seem quite so foreign. They are nations of people who need to hear that Jesus offers them salvation, free of charge!

The 'Emergent Church' has emerged, and surprise, surprise, it looks a lot like a lot of other churches. Physically, sure it's different with very little stained glass and nary a pew bench in sight, but structurally its not much different at the end of the day. There is a pastor (teaching, senior, vision, lead, etc. - a pastor by any other name is a pastor), some staff members with some wonderfully creative names (Associate Pastor of Prayer and Desperation Ministries), a group which has responsibilities of accountability, and a veritable army of volunteers to carry on the work. After a whole lot of semantics wrangling we've arrived back at church.

Opportunities abound. I have shared with the flock I shepherd that the culture in which we live looks like and sounds like the culture in which the early church existed. Does this list sound familiar? "Repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved;divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable additions; ugly parodies of community." It's Paul's description of the world found in the letter he wrote the church in Galatia. Kinda' eerie isn't it?

Rather than fall prey to despair and become angry over the changing culture let us rejoice that now, more than at any time in our lives, the world stands ready to listen to good news, euangellion, the gospel. In a world seeking meaning the church offers purpose for living. In a world weary of death the church offers life. In a world worn and torn by hatred the church has the opportunity to offer grace filled, unconditional, Christ-like love. May it be. May it be.

Monday Morning Message - Thoughts Count

"The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow our require our minds to dwell upon. We are not totally free in this respect. But we do have great freedom here." - Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

The first, and according to Jesus, the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) This may be the most disobeyed commandment in all Christendom, particularly that last bit about loving God with all our mind.

I fear we have entered an era of lazy Christianity which is content to let others do their thinking for them. A believer who does not think about their faith is in danger of believing just about anything. Some prime examples of this kind of lazy thinking are:

1. "God wants everyone to be healthy and wealthy." - How do you reconcile this with the fact that Jesus had no place to lay his head?
2. "God hates fags." - How about the liars, the arrogant, the immoral, the gossips, and the hypocrites, just to name a few?
3. "It doesn't matter what I believe, just as long as I believe something sincerely." - Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).
   

Dr. Fisher Humphries states in his book Thinking About God, "The single most important thing about an individual is what they think about God." I must agree wholeheartedly as one's thinking about God shapes everything they do. If we insist on being lazy in our thinking about God we will likely insist on being lazy in our living for God.

The thoughts count. Many will say I've thought about God and there's just not much there. May I invite you to take a second look? Mark Batterson relates an experience one of his church members had in thanking God for the miracles he was receiving at that moment. With a degree in biology this member's list began to run long with things like the unique properties of the amino acids which form the basic building blocks of life. He says, "By the time I was thanking God for the fact that all organisms that form amino acids have the same chirality so that my body can reuse the mutrients and cellular building blocks of the food I break down, I found myself in absolute awe of His creation."

J.B. Phillips wrote a now classic work entitled, Your God Is Too Small in which he states, "We can never have too big a conception of God." It is time to put our minds to work, as those sainted ones before us have done, and consider again the greatness of God and the marvel of His grace toward us. It will result in a life of continuing praise and purpose.

Monday Morning Message - The Reason

Joy! We hear it in children's voices. We see it on faces at family gatherings. We hear it sung in the familiar carols "Joy to the World!" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." We will see it broadcast at every commercial break and advertised in every publication. It is a season for joy.

My sermon series for the month of December will center on this joy-full theme with this, perhaps unexpected, verse as the centerpiece. "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

It is easy to find joy in the birth of a baby. Just ask anyone who has experienced such a moment lately. Grandparents will immediately whip out photos and gladly bend your ear ad nauseum about the marvelous happening. Parents will smile with tired eyes and tell you about the latest accomplishment of their unique darling. Even total strangers will stop and coo at small child.

Yes, finding joy in the birth of a child is easy. Looking to a cross and sacrifice and blood and beatings and sin makes it difficult to find joy. Maybe this is why we so readily celebrate the birth of Jesus and so tacitly speak of His death. I find it interesting and instructive that the Bible speaks very little about His birth but testifies at length about His death and resurrection. Could it be that we have the focus out of focus?

The next four weeks I will offer messages designed to refocus our attention in this season of joy.

• November 30 - "The Reason" Luke 19:10 - The joy of Christmas is not found in the cradle. The joy of Christmas is found at the cross.
• December 7 - "The Heart" 1 Samuel 16:7 - The joy of Christmas is not found in the externals. The joy of Christmas is found in the internal.
• December 14 - "The Call" 1 Timothy 6:12 - The joy of Christmas will not be found at the mall. The joy of Christmas will be found in the call.
• December 21 - "The Coming King" Revelation 22:12-21 - The joy of Christmas is not in the coming of a child. The joy of Christmas is in the coming of the King!

So, with all this celebrating and all this joy and all this singing, what is it all about? It is about the coming of Christ. It is about the birth of a child. But this is no ordinary birth. Three words, three big words, three theological words tell the story.

Incarnation. A Latin word meaning "in the flesh." In Jesus, God becomes one of us. Eugene Peterson beautifully, and memorably, phrases John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood." Imagine that! God moving in just down the street from you. In Jesus, that is exactly what happened.

There are some who would say Jesus was just a man who exhibited godly qualities. Others would say He was just God who took on some human qualities. This simply is not an option from the Biblical witness. Scripture is abundantly clear that Jesus was God in the flesh. The creator come to the creation. Or, as W.H. Auden wrestles with this mystery, "How could the Eternal do a temporal act,/ The infinite become a finite fact?" (For the Time Being, W.H. Auden)

Let's be clear, God did not take on human flesh in order to better understand us. He took on human flesh so we could better understand Him! Our understanding of Him is clarified once and for all at the cross, which leads us to another big word...

Substitution. We all understand the concept of substitution. We've experienced substitute teachers or been a sub in a basketball game or accepted a substitute item at a restaurant that was out of what we wanted. A substitute takes the place of another and that is just what Jesus did for us. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For our sake He [God] made Him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God." He takes our place. Jesus pays a price He does not owe. The price you and I owe.

Again, let's be clear, Jesus did not take our place because He owed some sort of debt. He took our place because we owed so great a debt we could never pay it. He took our place because He loved us. The incarnation was necessary for Jesus to become our substitute. And in His substitutionary death we discover the third big word....

Salvation. Jesus made it abundantly clear that He was here for one reason, "to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10) In case you are wondering just who the lost are, it's us. Every single one of us.

"We never outgrow the fact that we are sinners still, totally dependent each day on the grace of God to the undeserving. We do not come to offer in the first place; we come to receive...We are the hungry, coming to be fed. We are the undeserving welcomed freely at the Lord's table." (Michael Green, "His sacrifice and ours")

Monday Morning Message - Needing Jeremiah

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." So goes one of the best known opening lines from any novel ever written. Dickens captured the spirit of the age in those now immortal words. Jeremiah would have nodded his head in knowing sympathy with such a sentiment. He was one who had known the best of times under the leadership of a young king named Josiah. He also understood the worst of times as he endured the undoing of his nation. His broken spirit is poured out in ink through the pages of Lamentations.

Jeremiah stood at the gate of the temple as people were coming and going to worship and declared a singularly disturbing word from God. Many passed by with disdain, others simply ignored, but surely some paused to hear what this man had to say. The words he spoke were not, and are not, easy to hear.

People were coming to worship but with wrong headed and wrong hearted intentions. Hear Jeremiah's words...

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God Israel: Amend your wyas and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'"
(Jeremiah 7:3-4)

It seems that in generations past Jerusalem had been miraculously spared and the people began to believe it was because Jehovah dwelt in Jerusalem. The people got caught up in the trappings of worship and missed the whole point of worship. They lost sight of the fact that deliverance does not come through a place or a pattern of worship but through an individual's relationship with the LORD.

In addition to this mistaken notion the people were pairing unacceptable conduct with their religious experience. Hear again these woeful words from Jeremiah...

"Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swwear falsely, make offerings to Baal and go after other gods that you have not known and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!' only to go on doing all these abominations?...Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 7:8-11)

Sadly this is not a condition limited to Jeremiah's day. The church today is, without question, guilty of the same conduct. David Kinnaman, in his book UN-Christian, states, "among young outsiders, 84 percent say they personally know at least one committed Christian. Yet just 15 percent thought the lifestyles of those Christ followers wer significantly different from the norm." There are other, equally disturbing, statistics but suffice it to say that Jeremiah's words apply here and now. We are guilty of saying one thing and living another.

These misguided choices in worship have dire consequences. The lack of an inner moral qulaity flowing from a relationship the LORD destroyed the nation of Judah in Jeremiah's day and it threatens to destroy our nation today. As Alexis de Tocqueville observed, "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." God, through Jeremiah, declares the timeless truth, "Were they ashamed when they commited abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush." (Jeremiah 8:12) Blazon that across the news feeds of the day and see if it doesn't have the ring of truth about it.

In seeking to salve the many ailments of our nation we have a tendency to look to the human achievements of wisdom, might, and wealth for answers only to find that all of them, in and of themselves, are wholly inadequate to meet the need of the day. Only as these remarkable human potentialities are brought under the sovreign leadership of God can they be rightly applied to the needs of the day.

"Let not the wise man boast in his widsom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righeousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

The one, over-ridding, need of our lives is to know God.

You may be thinking, "I need someone to fix my financial woes." May I suggest that they are temporary in light of eternity? More than a financial fix, you and I need a correction of the heart.

You may groan due to a devestating physical ailment. Again, I would point you to the singular need of your life; to know God.

You may be struggling under a burden of guilt or grief and desperately need relief. The one thing you need is not an immediate lifting of the burden but the assurance that there is one who is with you in the midst of it.

I do not say these things to minimize or make light of the situation in which you find yourlself. I simply point out the painfully obvious fact that in most practical matters we have forsaken God for lesser things.

We need a renewal. Not one led by a dynamic celebrity like Josiah resulting is a showy but shallow turning. We need a renewal of the heart. We need Jeremiah.

Monday Morning Message - Looking for Josiah

Here's the short version of much more involved set of thoughts surrounding this remarkable King of Judah. You can read his story in 2 Kings 21-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-34.

Josiah is commended in 2 Kings 23:25 with these words, "Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his hear and with all his soul and with all his might, according to al the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him."

This young king led a reformation of his nation that was, and is, unparalleled. It was a time of national renewal that, though remarkable, was insufficient. While Josiah was apparently pursuing the reformation with a pure heart it is evident that the people were simply "along for the ride." Josiah made it "hip to be holy" and people joined in with zeal. It is saddening to realize that the people of Judah were "doing all the right things" but their hearts remained far from God.

Sounds painfully familiar. We live in culture that is obsessed with looking good. I assure you that if it became the fashionable thing to be "holy" people would be lining up to be among those counted as "holy." We would love to have a Josiah arise in our day; someone with rock star appeal who genuinely pursued God. We would love to have someone like this champion our pet causes and who would lead our nation to return to its spiritual roots. As much as we would love to have that happen it is not what we need.

Josiah brought about public renewal that did not result in personal renewal. We need personal renewal that will result in public renewal. We are looking for Josiah but we need Jeremiah.

I will explain further next week.

Monday Morning Message - The Strength of Hope

In my former days as a minister to students I had the privilege of working with two outstanding young men; one was built like a dump truck the other like a toy truck. They were an entertaining pair to observe as the smaller of the two was always pestering the larger. I vividly remember one particular day when the dump truck had endured more than any patient person should have been asked to endure and he simply grabbed the toy truck by his ever so slight shoulders, effortlessly picked him up and sat him down with the instructions not to move. Never a raised voice. Nary a show of anger. Nothing to outwardly indicate the inward boil that had peaked. He simply, gently, and directly dealt with the issue confronting him. It stands out as a picture of strength under control.

We, as believers, are called to exhibit this kind of strength as we communicate the message of hope to a desperate world. There is no need for shrill shouting matches or angered protests over the compelling issue of the day. I believe there is a clear and hope filled road map for us to follow in difficult days like these. Take a look at it with me as we continue this brief journey through 1 Peter.

Read 1 Peter 3:8-17

Notice first that this hope is a generous hope. It is a hope that gives. It is a hope that stands in contrast to the ways of the world. In verse 9 Peter gets specific as he speaks of the appropriate response of the believer to being "reviled." Rather than give as good as we get, believers are called to a higher standard. We are to give better than we receive. If spoken evil of we are to bless. If trashed in the media we should speak well of them. If despised we should return admiration. Granted, this strategy probably won't lead immediately to the top of the heap but it is the very strategy God employed in bringing hope to this world through Jesus.

This generous hope offers blessing to a blessing starved world. It offers living water to a people parched by the dessicated wilderness of sin. It is a hope we didn't earn in the first place and therefore, we are able to freely offer to others. Perhaps the greatest problem the church of God faces is our holding too tightly His blessings. God never intended for us to keep them for ourselves but to share them freely with others. We are blessed to be a blessing.

This hope is also a genuine hope. It is the real deal. It is not built on some lofty cloud that will burn off in the heat of the noonday sun. It is not a fantastical notion without any foundation in reality. Indeed, it is a reasonable hope which we communicate to this world. Many will ask how faith in Christ as Lord can be a reasonable proposition. I say, ask those who saw Jesus after his resurrection if it is reasonable to believe. Certainly they are dead and gone but we have their eyewitness accounts marvelously (dare I say miraculously?) preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament.

Some will, no doubt, raise questions about the reliability of the New Testament. Can it be trusted as a document? Note the following facts about this most remarkable ancient document.

• There are 5300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament
• There are an additional 10,000 copies of the Latin Vulgate (the Latin translation of the Greek)
• There are 9300 other early versions
• This give us roughly 24,000 copies of the New Testament
  
• The earliest of these dates to within 50 years of the writing of the originals.

Compare this to other ancient documents considered "authoritative"....

• The 2nd place finisher is Homer's Iliad with 643 copies available. It's earliest copy dates to +/- 500 years from the writing of the original.
• The 3rd place finisher is Ceasar's Gallic Wars with 10 copies available. Likewise it's earliest manuscript dates to +/- 500 years after the original.

Which of these documents, all considered authoritative by scholars, has the best textual evidence to insure that the document we have is as close as is possible to the original? Kind of a no-brainer don't you think? (For more see this paper.)

When Peter says "be prepared to make a defense...for a reason for the hope that is in you. (v.15)" he is talking about the logical, defensible nature of faith placed in Christ Jesus.

Furthermore, this hope is a grounded hope. It is built upon the solid, immovable, unchanging cornerstone of Jesus Christ. But this is not simply an affirmation of propositions about Jesus it is, first and last, a relationship with Jesus. Note what A.W. Tozer said about this.

"Tens of thousands of believers who pride themselves in their understanding of Romans and Ephesians cannot conceal the sharp spiritual contradiction that exists between their hearts and the heart of Paul.

That difference may be stated this way: Paul was a seeker and a finder and a seeker still. They seek and find and seek no more. After 'accepting' Christ they tend to substitute logic for life and doctrine for experience.

For them truth becomes a veil to hide the face of God: for Paul it was a door into His very presence...Many today stand by Paul's doctrine who will not follow him in his passionate yearning for divine reality."

It is a grounded hope that is based on much more than empty facts. It is built upon the very presence of Christ in the life of the believer.

This leads to an understanding of the strength of hope. Peter makes a most unusual statement in verse 16. He instructs his hearers to express this reason for the hope that is in them with "gentleness and respect." This hope is a gentle hope. But be careful not to confuse gentle with weak. It is a gentle hope born of the great strength of God Himself. Much like the exhibition of strength under control that I witnessed in the lives of those two young men this hope is to be communicated with gentleness and respect.

This should be revisited by many of our Christian brothers and sisters today. Far too many are trying to communicate this marvelous hope in less than marvelous ways. Let us follow the example of the one we claim to follow, divesting ourselves of all claims and rights. Let us simply serve and communicate the message of hope to a world in desperate need of hope.

Monday Morning Message - The Stones of Hope

A too full plate requires a seriously stripped down version of the message (I'm gonna' have to re-title this thing the Monday Afternoon Message...) Here's the bare bones outline - you flesh it out.

Scripture - 1 Peter 1:22-2:12

Let me remind you this little letter was written to believers. This is critical to the understanding of this letter. (If you are not a believer this message is ultimately not for you. It can be and I pray that it will be.) Peter wrote this to believers that were living in the midst of a culture that severely persecuted them and was openly hostile to their way of life. They, like us, needed to be reminded of hope.

Last week we discovered the stamp of hope has a plan (in place from before the foundation of the world - 1 Peter 1:20), a pattern (it is a living hope - 1 Peter 1:7) and it is transferred to our lives by pressures (1 Peter 1:9). God is still working this hope filled plan into our lives and the lives of those we encounter.

Notice first it is a holy hope. (1 Peter 1:22-2:1) This is not a hope the world has. It is a hope set apart for those who are in Christ. It affects our lives and the way in which we live them. If we are not accurately reflecting the character of God to a watching world we need to examine the quality of the hope that is in us.

This hope is also a wholesome hope ( 1 Peter 2:2-3) Peter talks of the pure spiritual milk. How can we know the truth in spiritual matters? Peter gives the answer in verse 3, "taste and see". If you've ever had spoiled milk you know it doesn't take long to figure out it's not good for you. Much the same with bogus spirituality, both of the "Christian" and "non-Christian" varieties. A little experience with toxic spirituality is enough to convince one of it's deleterious effect. Conversely, a little experience with the truth always leads to a desire for more truth.

This hope has a firm foundation (1 Peter 2:4-8). It is founded upon Christ the cornerstone. Once the cornerstone of a building was set everything else about that building was determined; the angle of the walls, the level of the succeeding courses of stone, etc. God sets the agenda for His people.

This hope is also a functional hope (1 Peter 2:5-12). Worship is the central calling of the church. This is not limited to the hour on Sunday morning. Indeed, every action of the believer is an action of worship performed before a watching world. Church is not just a religious association formed by saved individuals to give united expression to their faith. It is to be a living, breathing body responding to God's direction in our day to day lives.

In Number 6:22-27 God instructs the priests concerning the blessing they were to give. In 1 Peter we are given the astounding news that we are now the priests! We are part of God's plan to bring hope to the world.

Monday Morning Message - The Stamp of Hope

"Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die;
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?"
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God."

Proverbs 30:7-9

The headlines are full of hopeless news. I imagine some of you are losing sleep over the economic crisis facing our nation. I am sure some of you are processing bad news from the Doctor. I know with certainty that many are wrestling with children that have wandered. There is a need for a fresh dose of hope. But not just any hope will do. We need a hope that is certain and secure in these trouble filled days. Where are we to turn? Surely it's not to the government (their mishandling of crisis is well documented.) Surely it's not to the so called "Master's of the Universe" who once proudly prowled Wall Street but seem anything but masterful now.

The apostle Peter penned his first letter to the scattered believers in a time of great difficulty and he writes to them a singularly hope filled letter. I believe we can rediscover the reason those who are in Christ can and should hope even in the most trying of times.

Take a moment to read 1 Peter 1:1-9. Take note of the character of hope Peter describes.

Hope requires a plan. Here is good news! God has a plan! It is not a knee-jerk reaction to the headlines of the day. Rather it is a plan which God has been patiently working out from before the foundation of the earth. Peter speaks of God's foreknowledge and choice in verses 1 and 2. I am not going to enter into a lengthy discussion of the issue of foreknowledge and predestination here. I feel as John Calvin about such matters, that they should not be looked at for too long or with too much intensity as they are matters akin to looking into the sun. Suffice it to say here that God is aware and not taken by surprise by any of the events that have so possessed our minds recently. Peter speaks of Jesus as being known from before the foundations of the world in verse 20. What a profound and moving notion! Dr. Edmund Clowney, of the Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, states, "Foreknowledge means that...His [God's] people were the objects of God's loving concern from all eternity."

Hope requires a plan and God has one. It is not a plan just recently developed. It is a plan in place from all eternity. But hope also requires a pattern. What does this hope look like? Not just any hope will do. It can't be some over generalized characterization without any specifics. It must have a particular shape and character for it to be believable. Peter vividly describes this hope.


1. It is a living hope! (v. 3) This hope is firmly based on the empirical and historic event of the resurrection. Because Jesus rose from the grave we have reason to hope right now! There are some who will quickly ask, "But what if it's not true? What if Christ did not rise?" Some would say that living a "Christian" way of life is it's own reward. The apostle Paul would strongly disagree. He states in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that if Christ is not risen from the grave we are to be pitied above all men. In other words, the simple fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the hinge upon which all our hope swings.

2. It is an inherited hope. (v. 4) I know a bit about inheritance. I have a set of commentaries on my bookshelf that belonged to my grandfather. I did not buy them but they most certainly belong to me. Likewise our hope is not something we can earn because it has been bought and paid for by another, namely Jesus. This hope is an inherited hope!

3. It is an imperishable hope. (v. 4) Unlike the treasures in which we tend to place undue confidence, the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus is one that will not fade, spoil, or be ruined. We are all too familiar with the passing value of the stuff we collect. If you purchase a new car you are sure to get a ding in the door panel. If you put a new roof on the house you can almost count on a hail storm to damage it. If you purchase some new white tennis shoes someone will most surely step on them. Unlike all the "treasures" of this world, the treasure of the hope offered to us in Christ Jesus does not fade.

4. It is a guarded hope. (v. 4-5) Peter says this hope is kept for us. Marvelous word there. 'Kept' is a military term in the Greek carrying the notion of a sentinel, one who watches. This hope is being watched for us. The obvious question is, "Who's doing the watching?" and "Can we trust them to watch it well?" The answer provided in scripture is, "He who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper." It's good to know that God is watching over the hope that is ours.

5. It is a blessed hope. (v. 7-9). That word 'blessed' indicates 'happy.' Mind you this is not some naive pasty smile that is oblivious to the challenges being faced in our lives. Rather it is a deep abiding joy that is able to bring a spring to our step and smile to our face even in the most difficult of days. It is a joy that arises from the confidence we have in the one who plans and patterns our hope.

Finally hope not only needs a plan and a pattern, it also requires pressure. My father-in-law was a printer by trade. We have in our possession numerous drawers of type face that he would use to print the weekly paper. I watched time and again with fascination as he would carefully plan and pattern the print for the paper but it was the final step that brought the result. He would pass a sheet of paper through the press causing the image to be transferred. It required a great amount of pressure as his nine fingered hand grimly attested. Likewise this hope planned and patterned for us by God requires a pressure to be transferred to our lives.

In verses 6 & 7, Peter speaks of "trials" and "testing" of our faith. Peter understood that God's people in his day, and in our day also, faced pressure. This was no ordinary pressure. It was a pressure that brought about the result of God's sure hope being indelibly stamped into the very fabric of our lives.

Our hope is anchored in the past: Jesus rose!
Our hope remains in the present: Jesus lives!
Our hope will be completed in the future: Jesus is coming! To which I say, "Amen! Come Lord Jesus!"

Monday Morning Message - At The Corner of Church and State

Little did I know just how timely this message would be. This message has been rolling around in my heart and head for several months now and on my preaching schedule since July. Imagine my surprise upon discovering that September 28th had been declared "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" by the Alliance Defense Fund. While I wholeheartedly agree with the principle and notion that the government has no right or authority to dictate what is proclaimed from the pulpits of the churches of this nation, I must disagree in point with the manner in which this is being carried out. It would seem that this was an exercise in tweaking the nose of the government. For more on this just keep reading.

All across this great land of ours, in towns very much like the one in which you live, churches sit on the corner of Church and State street. This visible expression of a salient, if inconspicuous, reality is a cogent reminder that at some point church and state do indeed intersect. What is to be the resultant relationship between the two is the lingering and nagging question? Part lesson in history, part commentary on current events, and part exposition of scripture, this message seeks to grapple with this foundational concept of freedom.

I fear that we, both religious and secular, have forgotten our heritage and have wandered into a most dangerous forest. Unless the path to clarity, the path blazed by those who have gone before, is rediscovered we may all find ourselves in places we have no desire to be.

There are four options when it comes to the relation of Church and State. They are as follows:

1. The Church is above the State, a theory held by those who claim that their ecclesiastical head is the Vicar of Christ on earth.
2. The Church is alongside the State, a theory held by the State Churches of various countries.
3. The State is above the Church, a theory held by the totalitarian governments.
4. The Church is separate from the State, championed by Baptists everywhere, and held by those governments that have written religious liberty into their fundamental laws.

As a Baptist it is of particular importance and interest to me to call to remembrance the heritage of religious freedom that is mine. I have often said that as a child I was a Baptist by convenience but as an adult I am a Baptist by conviction. Men like Thomas Helwys and John Smyth, the "George Washington" and "Thomas Jefferson" of Baptist history, along with Roger Williams, that renegade protestant who dared to found a colony upon the principle of religious freedom for all, have left a legacy we all do well to remember. These men, and many others like them, understood that genuine faith cannot be forced or denied by the state.

Thomas Helwys wrote the following into his personal confession of faith,

"That the magistrate is not by virtue of his office to meddle with religion, or matters of conscience, to force or compel men to this or that form of religion, or doctrine: but to handle only civil transgressions (Rom 13), injuries and wrongs of man against man, in murder, adultery, theft, etc., for Christ only is the king, and lawgiver of the church and conscience. James 4:12)." Article 84 of Helwys' confession of faith.

This statement seems innocuous enough to those of us who are the inheritors of the freedom of religious expression. Yet for Helwys, and others of his day, these were words to get a man killed. Indeed they ultimately cost Helwys his life as he died in prison for his views. Daring to defy the king and defend religious liberty for all, Helwys struck a flame that continues to burn to this day; a flame that is threatened by those who would unwittingly blur the lines between the role of the church and the state.

The mixing of these two institutions has a long history of being a patently bad idea. One can look to the tales in current events of persecution of Christians in Muslim and totalitarian states (Visit Voice of the Martyrs for current stories) as well as to the heinous history of Christian persecution of others (even other Christians!) in the not so distant past. Tony Campolo famously stated, "Mixing church and state is like combining ice cream and horse manure. It may not do much damage to the manure, but it's sure going to mess up the ice cream."

While this blurring of the lines is of concern on several fronts, the one that concerns me most is the apparent hijacking of faith for other purposes. In much that I see, hear, and read there is a blasphemous form of worship that is arising. I fear that in many places the worship of the One True God is being substituted by a secular religion worshiping God and Country. I know that sounds terribly un-patriotic, I assure you it is not. I am not anti-American, I'm just pro-God. I am incredibly proud to be a citizen of the USA. I am thrilled that my children have the opportunity to grow up in a nation with unparalleled freedoms. I can't think of another nation I would want to call home. However, as a Christian, my first loyalty is not to the Stars and Stripes, my first loyalty is to the one by whose stripes we are healed.

Note the following statements made by prominent politicians from both political parties. See if you discern a disturbing note in what they say.

"The ideals of the America are the hope of mankind. This light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it." George W. Bush, 2002

"This country is the last great hope of the planet." Barack Obama, 2008

"The global success of liberty is America's greatest strategic interest as well as its most compelling moral argument...In it rests our faith in the greatness of America, the last, best hope of earth." John McCain, 2002

Do you see it? If you are not a believer you may not see anything disagreeable in these statements. If you are a believer these statements should cause you to pause and consider what is being said. Each of these leaders, and many others like them, state, with clear conviction, "The United States of America is the hope of the world." I must forcefully disagree. There is but one hope of the world and it is Jesus Christ. Paul clearly states that he is "not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation." (Romans 1:16) Salvation will not come from Washington, D.C., nor will it flow from the seats of power scattered across the state capitals of this land. Salvation will only be found, for individuals and for nations, in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. And let me be clear, salvation certainly has to do with an eternal destination but it also has to do with our current situation. Salvation gives the believer no reason to be "so heavenly minded as to be no earthly good."

We must regain the power and influence of the early church which, though brutally persecuted, had a profound impact upon the culture in which it found itself. I challenge any and all to demonstrate from the New Testament any instance in which the church focused on getting Rome to pass laws to alleviate problems of any sort. The early church did not see the government as the solution to the problems of the day, they understood the church to be uniquely situated and uniquely called to address the brokenness in the world. A brokenness that is ultimately not one of systems but spirit.

William Estep, in his essay, Church and State, says, "Undeniably, the separation of church and state does produce a vacuum in society, or a 'naked public square.' In this fact lies the glory and the challenge of religious freedom." On one corner of that "naked public square," at the intersection of Church and State, sits the church. We, the church, are tasked with declaring a simple message to a listening and watching world, Christ died for sinners and rose again. "If the Christian faith is unequal to the task, no amount of propping up will do the job. Then with Thomas Jefferson, I would say, 'Let it fall,' but with Roger Williams and John Leland, I am convinced it will not, for I am persuaded that 'the gospel is still the power of God to salvation' for mankind and nations." (William Estep, Church and State.)

The apostle Peter, writing to a church under severe persecution by the government, gave the following instruction, "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:13-17) May we follow these goodly and God-ly instructions by...

V - Voicing our concerns to God. In prayer we find the power and perspective to rightly interact with the world in which we live.

O - Opening our Bible and living by it. If this, or any nation, is to be a "Christian nation" it will not happen because of a declaration by those in governance over us but because of the clear conviction of lives changed by the power of God. we will be a "Christian nation" only when we are a nation of Christians.

T- Telling others. Too many believers are content to let their lives do the talking for them. While I readily agree that our walk must match our talk, there must be some talk involved. As Paul stated, "How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone telling them?" (Romans 10:14)

E- Engaging and Explaining. I have said it once and I will say it again, the "bomb throwing" tactics of engaging our culture will never produce the desired result. In fact, I question whether biblical foundation can be found for this type of "culture war." Those outside the church are keenly aware of what we are against and many bear the scars to prove it. I wonder how many know what we are for? Jesus stated, "Those who are well have no need of a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." (Matthew 9:12-13) We spend far too much time with the "well" and not nearly enough time with those who are "sick." Something has to change. The church at the corner of Church and State must engage those who think differently, talk differently, and act differently, not to change them into people who look like, talk like, and act like us, but to change them into people who follow Jesus.

"But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15-16) Does anybody want to know about the hope you have?

Monday Morning Message - Thanked

The Monday Morning Message got hi-jacked this week as my church family held a celebration of 10 years of ministry together in my honor. To say I was surprised falls far short. To say I was humbled doesn't even scratch the surface. To say I am still processing all the events would be correct.

My Sunday began as Sunday's normally do with an early arrival to make a short pot of coffee (currently grinding some Venezuelan beans - yummy!) and meet with a group of men with whom I share life. Alas, the coffee was wasted and never tasted as I was unknowingly kidnapped by these friendly hoodlums for breakfast. I say unknowingly because we had enough time to enjoy the meal together and still return for the 8:30 service. Around 8:05 I became a little agitated and began suggesting that we should be making our way back. The only reply I got was, "Have another cup of coffee." It quickly became evident that more than breakfast was afoot here.

After plying me with generous amounts of coffee they loaded me back into the truck for an hour long tour of back roads with nary a bathroom in sight. They thought it to be great fun. My bladder had other opinions of the situation but the time was passed in pleasant company and good stories, not to mention some beautiful sights. (All my tree-hugging readers should come and visit sometime. I assure you there's no shortage of quality forest land around these parts.)

Upon returning to the church I was placed in my office with instructions not to wander without a chaperone. This is highly unusual for me as I normally stick my head into every Sunday School class to say hello and visit for a moment. So, there I sat while preparations for who knows what were being made. Just before 11 a.m. our minister of music simply said, "Make the announcements like you usually do." and walked away. Yeah, right. How am I to make announcements when it's obvious I have no clue as to what is happening!

To make this long story short, the church had arranged an edition of "This Is Your Life" for me complete with friends and family that I have not seen for quite some time. Letters from others who could not be in attendance were read and every word was gratefully received. It was an overwhelming exhibition of a church family's appreciation and love. Gifts were given and prayers offered even as humility settled upon me like a morning dew. I, and many others, left that time of worship refreshed and renewed by God's presence.

I am thoroughly thanked.

Monday Morning Message: Seeds Are Powerful, Unless...

Matthew chapter 13 is often referred to as the "Parable of the Sower." It is a convenient, if misguided, way to call this powerful parable to mind. In my ever so humble opinion it should be referred to as the "Parable of the Soils" as this is what is truly in view here. Into these various types of soil the sower places mysterious and powerful things called seeds.

Seeds are truly marvels of God's creation. I find it amusing that one site calls them "miracles of the evolutionary process." ("Miracle" and "evolution" are not concepts that you often find side by side.) Seeds are vast in their variety but simple in their purpose - they grow plants! The largest seed in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is from the Coco del Mer tree that grows in the Seychelles of the eastern coast of Africa. These seeds grow to a mammoth 40 pounds! By contrast some orchids in the Amazon have seeds that are so small that there are estimated to be 35 million seeds in an ounce (yes you read that correctly). Far and away the greastest contrast between size of the seed and size of the resulting plant is the Sequoia. These seeds are mustard seed tiny and yet they produce the single largest living organism on the face of the earth! Amazing stuff these seeds!

Seeds are powerful unless the ground is hard. As Jesus describes this faithful agriculturalist going about his business his listeners undoubtedly visualized some of those powerful resevoirs of life falling on unsuitable ground. Alas the same is true today. There are hard hearts that are unready and unable to receive the seed of the truth. It is amazing that even a simple truth like that found in Romans 3:23 can be rejected by individuals. Hard soil just won't provide a place for a seed to grow. No matter how powerful the seed it is useless until it finds a place to grow. I believe there is also hard soil in the lives of those who follow Jesus. There are a lot of us who know we should be doing some things and we're just not. Scripture plainly calls this sin. Hard ground.

Likewise, seeds are powerful unless the soil is shallow. As a shepherd I get called on during times of crisis fairly often. I'm glad to come alongside folks during these moments but I am often astounded by the variety of responses to a crisis. Some will approach it with the calm assurance of God's sufficient grace while others will be overcome with anxiety, some even turn away from the very One they need in these moments. Shallow soil. It has been said that American Christianity is 2 miles wide and 2 inches deep. Not a bad critique in general and it points to a desperate need to grow deeper in our faith because troubles will come. Is there a depth of faith in our lives to support us during dry and difficult seasons?

Seeds are powerful unless the ground is busy with other things. One thing I have discovered in my limited garden keeping efforts is that weeds need no encouragement to grow. In fact, if I simply leave my garden untended for a week I will discover that the weeds have multiplied at an astounding rate. I did not invite them or enourage them they simply show up. Should I leave my garden untended for two weeks I can just about give up as the weeds will have completly taken over.

Weeds choke out life and crowd out fruit. They steal precious and needed nutrients from the plants that are producing good fruit. They grow quickly and can overwhelm the life that is desired. But getting rid of them is a burden. It has to be done regularly and intimately. Weed pulling requires getting your hands dirty and even getting down on your knees sometimes.

How's the soil of your soul today? Is it hard? Do you need to turn over some new soil in your life to make a place for the powerful seed of God's Word to go to work? Is it shallow? Do you need to do some soil improvement, pull some rocks out and put in some fertile soil in order to see the powerful seed of God's Word take firm root in your life? Or is it, as I suspect it is for many, busy with other things? We are a people who are too busy too often. When was the last time you spent time on your knees before God and examined the soil of your soul? If it's been awhile I can assure you there are some life choking, life robbing weeds that will need to be pulled. It's hard work but it is oh so worth it!

Jesus ends this parable by saying, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." Are you listening?

Monday Morning Message - Hannah

If you are unfamiliar with this wonderful woman's story then, by all means, take a moment and familiarize yourself with it. You will find Hannah, Elkanah (her husband), and Peninnah (the other wife) and Eli (the priest of YHWH) in 1 Samuel chapter 1.

A few facts followed by a few observations will suffice for this post. I'll leave the conclusions to you.

First the facts.

Hannah lived in a day and time that the social security system was birthing children. Like it or not, fair or not, the cultural context of the ancient world (and much of the modern world for that matter) was not necessarily "woman friendly." Should her husband die there was no pension or inheritance and therefore, unless she had children to take care of her in her old age she was hopeless. In fact, many considered a childless woman cursed by God a fact attested to in this passage as it states, "the LORD had closed her womb." (v. 6)

Hannah was mercilessly tormented by the "other wife" because of her childless state. So much so that she could not eat and tears were a common sight on her face.

Hannah was deeply loved by her husband but this did not solve her inner struggle with the fact that she had not borne any children.

Hannah turned to the only place she could to find an answer to her dilemma, the one who had "closed her womb" was the only one who could answer her deepest need.

A few observations.

Hannah was a desperate woman. Desperate people pray. I like the bumper sticker that says, "As long as there are tests there will be prayer in school." Sure it's tongue in cheek but it's right on. Take your Bible and flip to almost any page in Psalms and you'll notice a song and prayer that comes out of desperate situations.

Could it be the reason we struggle with a prayer life is we are not really desperate? Jesus instructed his followers to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." How many of you are truly concerned about where your next meal is coming from? Not many. Most of us have this weeks bread in the pantry and if we don't we'll just hop down to the corner store and get some. Daily bread is a desperate thing.

Hannah was a decisive woman. There came a time when she had to do something. The status quo just was not going to cut it any longer. There are two words which speak volumes in this passage. In verse 9 it says, "Hannah rose."

Hannah was willing to discuss this issue. She goes and prays literally pouring out her soul before the LORD. I'm pretty sure this was not one of those polite conversations that you are likely to overhear in the church. I've got an idea (because I've got a wife) that when Hannah started speaking her mind God got an earful. All the hurt, all the anger, all the disappointment, all the confusion, all the questions came pouring out and they were directed at one target - God.

Now I often get the "Oh, we're not supposed to question God!" statement thrown at me. To which I reply, "Since when?!" I often remind people that they are in good biblical company when they pour out there honesty to God. I love what Walter Wink has to say about prayer. "The fawning etiquette of unctous prayer is utterly foreign to the Bible. Biblical prayer is impertinent, persistent, shameless, indecorous. It is more like haggling in an oriental bazaar than the polite monologues of the churches."

In the midst of this prayer something happens, something changes in Hannah. I find this intensely interesting because externally NOTHING has changed. She is still childless. She is still tormented by Peninnah. She is still loved by Elkanah. But she is different. Verse 18 ends with these telling words, "and her face was no longer sad." What had she found? What had she discovered? What changed?

The simple truth is she found that the very one who had closed her womb was the one to open her heart. Though she railed against God she discovered that indeed it was God she truly needed. God told Jeremiah, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jer. 29:13). Sometimes it takes a desperate season to cause us to seek God with all our heart. Are you desperate?

Monday Morning Message - Keep Hoping!

"Wonderful Women of the Word" is the series of messages I am beginning (appropriately on Mother's Day! Happy Mom's Day Mom!) In this series I will be focusing some much needed attention on the story these wonderful women have to tell us about this marvelous and powerful God we worship! My prayer is that you find encouragement for the journey, a fresh perspective on some well worn stories, and a renewed challenge to keep on keeping on in your walk with God.

Joyce Baldwin in her commentary on Genesis states, "Prayers that receive no immediate answer, though based on God's word, can be a source of considerable unease." I think she's right on target. How long do we wait for an answer? Is God even listening? Has He forgotten us? Is there any reason to keep hoping? These seasons of God's seeming silence in the face of our increasing anxiety certainly stretch our ability to trust.

One woman who encountered this "considerable unease" in her journey with God was Sarah. Hers is a story of a ridiculous promise, an equally ridiculous hope, and a laughter-filled ending. Walk with me as we revisit her story...

When Sarah's husband Abraham got word from God that he was to uproot the family and go to some, as yet, unspecified place she was already pretty far down the road of adult life. Abraham was 75 and Sarah was some 10 years younger when this move happened. Moving is never easy and it seems to be more difficult for the fairer sex than for men. I imagine the same holds true in Sarah's life.

It's likely that Sarah had settled into a reasonably comfortable existence in Haran. I find it hard to believe she was terribly dissatisfied with life with one glaring exception...she had no children. This had to be a sore spot in her life. It hung over her life as a constant reminder that all was not well. In the culture of that day and time a childless woman was looked on as a cursed woman, not favored by God. Part of the attraction for moving to an unknown place may have been Abraham's comment concerning God's promise of becoming a great nation (Genesis 12:2). Was it possible that even at her age she might bear a son?

The journey takes place and years pass. Lots of years. Not just a few, A LOT. Twenty-four, to be exact, and Abraham and Sarah have done all God has asked of them but somewhere along the way it seems that God forgot about His end of the deal. Sarah is still childless and if she was a little old to be having children at 65 it's past hoping at the age of 89. That's when all the laughing gets started.

It seems that Abraham has an incredible experience of worship in which God reminds Abraham of the promise to make a great nation out of him. At first Abraham must have been mystified by all of this talk of offspring and generations. Maybe he was even pained by the insensitivity of God at bringing up this most glaring omission. All of these feelings were replaced by laughter as the pure ridiculousness of the situation dawned on him. Here he is, a 99 year old man with an 89 year old wife, and God is talking to him about having kids. Abraham worships, but he's laughing all the way. (Gen. 17:17)

Pretty soon Sarah is joining in on the laughter. God drops by for dinner one evening (Gen. 18) and in the course of the after dinner conversation He makes the statement that "This time next year Sarah will bear you a son." In case we've somehow manged to miss the point that Abraham and Sarah are past their childbearing prime, we are given this memorable line, "Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah." (v.11) Which is "nice" way to say Sarah was a "dried up old lady" and Abraham was not up to the task. (Translations are nice but they sometimes shield us from the vivid rough and tumble language of the Bible.) So, understandably Sarah laughs to herself saying, "After I am worn out, an my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" (I'll let you fill in the blanks here...)

25 years after the promise was made it is fulfilled and there is more laughter! Genesis 21 tells the story of this marvelous moment. But let's not forget the preceding 9 months of unbelief becoming belief! What an astonishing sight Sarah must have been wearing her maternity clothes at 90 years of age! I'm sure there were a lot of laughs as she made her way through the market or when she visited with the neighbors. I can't begin to imagine the ribbing Abraham took down at the coffee shop! But then there's this moment of birth, this can't really be happening but it is!

"It's a boy!"

"What'll we name him?"

"What else, Laughter!"

And so Isaac (which means "Laughter") arrives and an old man and little old dried up lady learn the great truth that whatever God promises He will do. Even, and maybe especially, when it seems ridiculous to believe that it could ever happen.

Perhaps there are some of you who have come to the end of your hope. Keep hoping. Maybe you don't believe God can do it for you; you're too far gone, too far beyond the possibility of belief, too messed up. The God Abraham and Sarah encountered, the same God who continues reaching out to ordinary people like us, is the God unafraid of seeming impossibilities. His words to Sarah can offer you hope today, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Gen. 18:14) The answer is, "Of course not!"

Monday Morning Message - If This Is the Way You Treat Your Friends...

Eugene Peterson relates a story concerning Teresa of Avila in his engaging volume, Eat This Book. As Teresa is traveling the length and breadth of Spain, in her campaign to reform the Carmelite monasteries, she is one day thrown from her ox cart into a muddy stream. Standing, she shakes her fist at God and quips, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many!

What happens when God doesn't act like the doting grandfather many believe Him to be? What is our response to be when our life is a litany of suffering rather than a listing of successes? The God that is most often trumpeted from televangelists and the God most often looked for by the masses is a God with little resemblance to the God revealed in scripture. The God of scripture is anything but a doting grandfather or tamed trinket to add to our lives. The God of scripture is not to be trifled with but who, nevertheless, invites us to know, love, and trust Him.

Our church family had the privilege of hearing the story of one man who has encountered this fearsome God and discovered that even in tragedy, maybe especially in tragedy, God shows His all-surpassing greatness. Reggie Jones has experienced numerous heartaches and tragedies in his short life yet he exhibits an unwavering trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God. Beginning with the life-altering accident his younger brother had at age 9 and coming to an experience he had as recently as a year ago, Reggie has grappled with God's designs and purposes for his life. It is evident that God is using him to inspire and encourage others to press on.

Reggie's younger brother Wes, at age 9, fell 25 feet from a tree house and broke his neck paralyzing him for life. This happened one month after Reggie's dad left a lucrative career with IBM to enter the ministry full-time. To say he was angry with God would be an understatement. I immediately thought of Teresa of Avila's statement, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many!"

But this story does not end with a little boy confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. God had, and has, other things in mind. 20 odd years have passed since that fateful day in the woods of Covington, Georgia when Wes broke his neck, what was to become of him? Both he and his brother Reggie are in demand for speaking engagements across the country and their marvelous story of what God has done in their lives is being told to thousands. Wes now holds the #1 show on GAC network called Unlimited Outdoors and, with Reggie's guidance in marketing, it has incredible potential to reach even greater heights. You can read Wes' story here.




This story alone would be enough to touch the heart of the most hardened but there is more to be told from Reggie's life. The list includes

• a near death experience for he and two hunting partners while duck hunting,
• continuing health issues as a result of this experience,
  
• a daughter he and his wife were told they would never have,
• business partners turning on him after 7 years of unmatched success (Reggie was Recognized as the Young Business Leader of the Year in 2005).

In all of these things Reggie has chosen to look to God and at every turn God has proven Himself faithful. It's not been an easy journey but Reggie finds joy and hope in following God's plan for his life. Reggie states, "I have endured a great many obstacles in my life. But each obstacle I have overcome. It hasn't been easy, but I learned early on from my family to put God in the center of everything, and he wil see us through. God has always provided me with strength beyond measure; His timing has always been perfect, even when it seemed like we were facing the worst." (Triumph Over Tragedy, Reggie Jones)

Monday Morning Message - A Modest Proposal

As I come to the end of this brief series of messages I am a little sad and a lot relieved. Sad because this series has evidently struck close to home for many in the flock I am blessed to shepherd. I can't remember a series of messages that have generated this much discussion beyond the Sunday morning moments we share together. I have discussed these issues in hospital waiting rooms, coffee shops, at the ball field, waiting in line at the bank, and a whole list of other places. I am grateful for the response but I am relieved as well. Discussing these matters in a family friendly fashion has been one of the unique challenges of my pastoral journey. Imagine talking about matters of sexuality with an audience ranging from 4 years to 90+ years old. Try and hit that target without making a mess! So, I will breathe a bit easier (and, truth be told, so will some of my flock!).

I place before you a modest proposal today. Actually I offer three proposals. None are earth shaking, seismic shifts in our lifestyle or thinking. Rather they are modest, simple changes that have the potential for dramatic impact in our own lives and the lives of those we encounter. Each of these proposals are firmly grounded in biblical principle and each builds on the other.

Husbands love your wives. This seems so simple, and it is, but it is an incredibly powerful principle. Ephesians 5:25 states, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." I fear that far too many marriages are like the guy who told his wife, "Listen, I told you I loved you on the day we got married and that was 20 years ago. If I change my mind I'll let you know!" Gentlemen, let the woman you are blessed to share life with just how precious and important she is to you.

A legacy I am blessed to have in my family history is the example of my great-uncle McKinley Cash. He was married to my grandfather's sister Ovella. Understand that Ovella was a common enough looking woman; she would never grace the cover of a magazine, nor do I suppose she ever won many beauty contests. However, a few moments around this marvelous couple revealed a startling and open secret, Uncle Cash knew that Ovella was beautiful. He always treated her as a queen and cared for her as such. It was not some syrupy sweet puppy dog love that made you sick to watch, rather it was a deep and mature love that blessed all who came into contact with it. Even the saltiest of my uncles seemed to soften a bit in the presence of this truly great love. Uncle Cash stands out in my memory as a man who loved his wife as Christ loved the church. He was a man among wannabe men.

A second proposal I would put forward is for women to understand true beauty. We live in the age of the air brushed supermodel. We need to regularly remind ourselves that "what we see is NOT what we get" and that "seeing is NOT believing" in our beauty obsessed age. I read, with some pained humor, the stories of the beautiful people feeling ugly. The rest of us usually offer them a sarcastic, "Bless their hearts!" Proverbs offers us unusual wisdom concerning this very issue. Proverbs 11:22 states, "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion." In other words, beauty with no prudence is useless, or worse, wasted. Unfortunately this is the standard held up for all to revere in our society. There are entirely too many "beauties" with too little brain failing to understand the nature of true beauty. Proverbs 31:30 states, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Herein is true beauty. It is an "imperishable beauty" as 1 Peter 3:3-4 affirms.

We need women of all ages and stages to stand tall and declare that the cultural definition of beauty is broken and untrue. There are daughters and granddaughters who need to hear and see godly women exhibiting an undeniable beauty of spirit. There are young women being mercilessly sucked into the societal lie of what beauty is who stand in need of rescue from a destructive pattern of dissatisfaction with their outward appearance. Please understand I am in no way opposed to putting one's best foot forward! I'm much like the old country preacher who was asked about his views on make-up. He replied, "I'm for anything that can make a stink weed look like a rose!" I am simply pointing out that this fixation on external beauty is leaving an empty shell.

One final modest proposal I would offer, we all need to embrace modesty. I am not advocating a particular dress code but simply that a little common sense in this area will go a long way. My good friend Kevin relates an experience he had in a Burger King in Manila. There he noticed two women dressed very differently. One was covered from head to toe in the traditional Muslim burka and she had to gingerly lift her veil to even get the food to her mouth. Opposite this woman with no skin showing was a local call girl who had skin-a-plenty showing. Quite the dichotomy of ideals concerning appropriate dress. Modesty, by definition, is 'kept within due measure'. Not given to the extremes my friend Kevin encountered.

Here are a couple of suggestions...

1. Guys, 'Just say no to crack' isn't just for plumbers anymore. Pull 'em up, please! We are not interested in the cool print that is on your boxers. Furthermore we are a little weary of watching you try and do simple things like walk or stand still while you try to keep you pants from falling down around your ankles. Suspenders, belts, or (shocking I know) pants that actually fit work amazingly well here.
2. Girls, in like fashion, I can think of no reason it is necessary for me to know what color and type (granny, bikini, thong, etc.) of undergarments you have chosen for the day. That should be something between you and your clothing.
   
3. On this note, ladies, it behooves you to know that men are visually stimulated creatures. I am aware that some of you already know this and enjoy messing with the guys in your life. I encourage you to re-think this approach. For those of you, young and old alike, who may live in blessed oblivion on this matter please give some consideration to the men in your life. Help them notice that your face and eyes are just as attractive as your bust and butt. Perhaps they will then begin looking for that inner beauty that you are hopefully developing!

I could go on and on here but you get the idea. I encourage and challenge men to love their wives, women to understand true beauty, and for all to embrace modesty. I believe we will find a better culture in which to live, a better enjoyment of the gift God has given us in sexuality, and better appreciation for the fact that God truly wants the best for us!

Monday Morning Message - Gaurd the Gates

Yes, the Monday Morning Message is being posted on a Wednesday...for those of you eagerly awaiting this post I apologize for the wait.

In late 214 b.c. or early 213 b.c. the Roman general Marcellus laid siege to the city of Syracuse. Armed with three legions totaling over 25,000 men, 100 warships, and great numbers of siege engines Marcellus approached the unbreached walls of Syracuse with confidence that this would be a short ordeal. It seemed that Marcellus had calculated everything correctly except for the variable of one man named Archimedes.

Archimedes who was described by Livy as 'that unrivalled observer of the heaven and the stars, even more remarkable as the inventor and engineer of artillery and engines of war' had prepared the city with ingenious anti-siege machines. The Romans were stymied in every attempt by land and sea by these marvelous machines, some of which would literally lift a Roman ship out of the water, shake it, and throw it to its demise against the cliff wall of the port city. What was to be a short endeavor took on an ominous character of desperation leading Plutarch to comment that "The Romans seemed to be fighting against the gods." It seemed the Romans were to be thwarted in their effort to take this prize city until an overture from one of the city leaders of Syracuse changed everything.

One of the three prefects of Syracuse, Moeriscus by name, offered to betray the city for a price. During a diversionary attack by the Romans, which only emboldened the defenders as they saw the futility of the Roman efforts, Moeriscus opened the gates of the city and allowed the attackers to enter uncontested.

I believe much the same thing is happening in many lives today. People with high standards of morality and purity in their lives are allowing their strength to be compromised and, in many cases, defeated because they've not set guards at the gates of their lives. Proverbs 4:23 states "Keep your heart will all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." It doesn't take much poison to ruin a spring, no matter how strong and fresh it is. Once it is polluted it is useless until it cleaned up. We need to actively and aggressively guard the gates of our hearts. Particularly in the areas of what we see and hear.

Job shared with his friends that he had made a covenant with his eyes to not look lustfully on a young woman (Job 31:1). He was guarding the gates of his life because he knew how easily sin could trip, ensnare and, ultimately, enslave him. Job also knew that sin never made good on it's promises. It may be sweet for a season but it always ends with an unsatisfying flavor. We would do well to emulate Job's wise course of action and set a guard over the gates of our lives.

It is amazing to see what was once relegated to the back streets of our cities now parading down main street. Pornography, thanks to the availability, affordability, and anonymity of the internet, has unleashed a sexual beast that threatens the very fabric of society. If you have some time browse through the report given to the U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary concerning Pornography's Impact On Marriage and the Family. To say it is a sobering evaluation
would be a serious understatement. Unless we guard the gates we will discover not only our lives being deeply affected but we will also see the very society which we treasure being torn apart. de Tocqueville said it well, "If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

Have we let the enemy in through the gates?

Monday Morning Message - Stuff God Wants You To Know

"There are two kinds of people in the world, those who are interested in sex and liars" (Anne Ortlund, Building A Great Marriage)

To once again emphasize the need for a discussion concerning purity I offer for your consideration a few headlines pulled from the news of last week.

• •U.S. Prosecutor Accused of Seeking Sex With Girl, 5
• •Florida Principal Faces Child Porn Charges After Nude Images Found in Office
• •Cops: Dad Sodomized Teen Stepson (18) to Avenge Rape of Daughter (8)
• 6th-Grade Teacher Gets 10 Years in Prison for Sex With 13-Year-Old Boy
• 4 Michigan Cops Fired Over On-the-Job Sex With Dispatcher Scandal
• •Cops: Texas teen(14) tried to flush newborn
• •College Class Trip Takes Tour of Nevada Brothel, With Seminars From Prostitutes

It's clearly evident that somewhere the train is off the track when it comes to sexuality in our culture. What strikes me is that these are the cases being reported. Perhaps a re-consideration of God's plans for sexuality is in order.

It is my perception that society believes God's plan for sexuality to be all about denying mankind the joy, fun, and pleasure of sex. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. God sees sex as an incredibly positive thing! I know, you're surprised by this. I think a lot of people are surprised because somewhere, somehow, "sex" became a dirty word and nice people weren't supposed to talk about it. This is so unfortunate when God has so much to share with us about this marvelous (woo-hoo!) gift.

Here are a few "surprising" truths from scripture about sex. These are truths I believe God wants us to know.

1. God made you a sexual being! Genesis 1:27 clearly states, "So God created man (mankind) in his own image...male and female he created them." Furthermore in Genesis 1:31 God says it's "very good." Not only did God come up with the idea of sexuality but He thinks it is a VERY GOOD idea! (An interesting side note here is that this is the only time in the creation account that God says something is "very good." Everything else is "good.")

2. God made sex for procreation! Procreation - n- the producing of offspring; reproduction; i.e. 'making babies'. What a blessing children are! "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward!" (Psalm 127:3) Society sees children quite differently; much more burden than blessing. I am amused each time the report concerning the "cost" of raising a child is published. I usually take it and show it to my children saying something like, "Kids, there is no way your mother and I can afford you. We'll let you decide but at least two of you have to go." The most holy moments of my life have been the births of my three children. What a marvel that God lets us in on His creative process!

3. God made sex for our enjoyment! This is good news! (I received a hearty "AMEN" from our first service crowd on this point!) It is worth remembering that sex was created before sin entered the picture. It was perfect sex! Sounds good, aye? Even after sin gets involved and sex gets screwy (sorry...) God desires for sex to be something enjoyed. However, for it to truly be enjoyed it must be kept in bounds. Sex outside the boundaries is destructive and ultimately crippling (See "This Week's Headlines"). Much like the raging Mississippi River right now. While it is in its banks (boundaries) it is an incredible force for good. Commerce flows. People swim, fish, and boat. Homeowners enjoy magnificent views. But let it get out of its banks and it is no longer fun, just creating a lot of messes that someone has to clean up.

Proverbs 5:18-20 presents a great piece of wisdom concerning sexuality and its enjoyment.

Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth...Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

4. God made men and women to be together. Genesis 2 recounts the special creation of woman. She is truly the crown of creation! You can find this in Genesis 2:18-25. The story ends with this note, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." There is so much here to celebrate! Let me simply point out that they were 'naked.' Some, who are astute Bible students, will immediately say, "Of course they were naked! Clothing doesn't come along until chapter 3." To which I nod my head in agreement. But the issue of nakedness here has much more importance than just the skin they were in. The idea is one of intimacy with no shame, no 'skeletons in the closet,' no other lovers in the bed. God designed the relationship to be an unencumbered joy.

5. Purity is a lifetime calling. The need for purity crosses all age, social, economic, religious, and political lines. This is not just a message for youth. It is a message for adults of every stripe. There is a desperate need for adults to step forward and take up the banner of purity in their own lives.

"So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, you power to all those to come." Psalm 71:18.

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