RESTORE!

The other day it happened. Not exactly a crash, but close. I had downloaded some updated drivers for some software, naïvely following those pop-ups that periodically exhibit themselves on your monitor: A new version of the driver for XYZ is available. Download NOW!

And I did.

Then I had to restart the computer for all of those fancy updates to take effect. That’s when it happened. Uh-oh!

I couldn’t get to my desktop. My computer actually signed on to the “Guest Account,” obstinately refusing to accept my log-in as the legitimate version of Abe Kuruvilla. Try as I might—and try hard, I did—this identity crisis couldn’t be resolved. Yup, I figured, all those downloads and updates. Something’s gunked up the works. I wondered if WD-40 would work … or maybe even duct tape. (Ancient Texan maxim: If it moves but shouldn’t, use duct tape; if it isn’t moving but should, use WD-40.)

It was at this juncture of consternation and confusion that I remembered our man Bill Gates’ invention of that outstanding maneuver called “System Restore.” This handy system tool actually rolls back everything related to the running of the system (without touching one’s documents and other such files) to a date when things were actually working. It’s a magic wand! Amazing stuff. Within ten minutes, everything was back shipshape. A time machine, indeed!

Now that, folks, is one useful tool. A more global version of the “Undo” button on your word processing program. You know, they need to have things like that for life! One click and you are back where you were before you began messing things up with your thoughts, and words, and deeds. System Restore!

Harry Potter could do that (not exactly, but more about that here). Thankfully, no one in the real world can fiddle with time. Think of the chaos!

But we have something better. Selective Restore! The bad things “wiped out”—not that the actual bad stuff I do (read: “sin”) gets erased, but their eternal consequences are.

Though your sins are as scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they will be like wool.
Isaiah 1:18

Gone. Once for all.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Robert Lowry, 1876

Penalty suffered. Price paid. Debt canceled.

[Jesus Christ] Himself bore our sins
in His body on the cross,
so that we might die to sin …;
for by His wounds you were healed.
1 Peter 2:24

The Great Exchange. One taking the place of the other. God for me. Substitution.

He made Him who knew no sin
to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

We’ve entered the period in the church calendar called Lent, the seven weeks (or so) leading up to Easter—the celebration of the event of redemption: the Resurrection. And traditionally the church over the centuries has used this period to reflect on why this redemption was necessary in the first place—my sin … and yours.

This Lent don’t forget to give thanks for redemption. Redemption that will finally be consummated when we see Christ face to face.

We know that when He appears,
we will be like Him ….
1 John 3:2

Then it will indeed be … System Restored.

NAME!

Trawling through cyberspace last week, I came upon something spectacular—to me, at least!

Almost serendipitously, I stumbled upon a website that had archived old copies of The Kuwaiti, the English weekly magazine (now-defunct) of the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), headquartered in Ahmadi, Kuwait. On a whim, I looked up the issues around my birthdate—you see, I was born in Ahmadi and my father worked for the KOC. So I hunted around in the back issues of The Kuwaiti, searching for birth notices amongst crossword puzzles, classifieds, comics, and cricket scores. To my utter delight, there it was, or … there I was! In the birth announcements of one issue was the notice that yours faithfully himself had arrived—40-plus years ago (OK, OK, “50-minus” it is, these days).

Now you may not consider that a spectacular find, but for me it was!

Born in Kuwait, biding my early years in that land, then raised in India during my teens, and now living in the l. of the f. and h. of the b., this was a spectacular find.

Several decades ago, I needed an official birth certificate as I was planning to emigrate to the U.S. Gosh, the trouble I had to go through! There I was in India, trying to contact authorities in Kuwait. The hospital I was born in was no longer in existence. Who knew where all their records were! I had to enlist a cousin living in Kuwait to go on a massive detective hunt. Finally, success. The Kuwaiti government had, thankfully, stored all the records someplace. (Bureaucrats are not all bad!) There was only one small problem. The entire document was in Arabic! (I’ll spare you the agonies I went through to get it translated officially, in a fashion acceptable to international authorities and visa offices and border security agents!).

All this to say, finding a report of my birth in The Kuwaiti the other day was spectacular, indeed!

Somebody had recorded my birth!

But you know what? Our God is far better than baby accountants, birth records, and bean counters.

The LORD will count
when He registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.”
Psalm 87:6

Everyone else might forget me; everyone else might neglect you; but our God, He does not—not His children. He declares:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child
and have no compassion
on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
but I will not forget you.
Behold, I have inscribed you
on the palms of My hands.”
Isaiah 49:15–16

Those who have placed their trust in Christ as Savior are now children of God.

But as many as received Him [Christ],
to them He gave the right
to become children of God,
even to those
who believe in His name.
John 1:12

And His children, He remembers.

… He [God] Himself has said,
“I will never desert you,
nor will I ever forsake you,” ….
Hebrews 13:5

And so we rejoice, not because of birth records found, certificates located, registries updated, or numbers assigned, but because God remembers.

“… rejoice that your names are
recorded in heaven.”
Luke 10:20

It may not exist in Kuwait, India, the U.S., or Scotland, but it is there—in heaven. My name. What a privilege.

Jesus promised:

“He who overcomes
will thus be clothed in white garments;
and I will not erase his name
from the book of life,
and I will confess his name
before My Father
and before His angels.”
Revelation 3:5

Remembered. Named. Confessed. Clothed. For ever. Never erased. And ever. Amen.

GIANT!

A giant went home last week.

Harold Hoehner, Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Seminary, died unexpectedly Thursday morning.

Our weekly Faculty Meeting that day was agonizing; the sharing of memories, the prayers, and even the laughter as we recollected his wry humor and dry wit brought a heaviness of heart, a numbness of mind. Shock and grief.

I met Harold in the early 90s. With a couple of PhDs under his belt—one from Cambridge—this giant of a scholar thought nothing of flying down to Houston, two Sundays in a row, to preach at a small international church plant I was pastoring, that met in a cafeteria. There he was, the erudite DTS professor, Greek New Testament and all, patiently sitting through my Sunday School class in Wyatt’s! Though this “gentle man” did his best to put me at ease, even now I cringe at the memory!

Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show by his good behavior
his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
James 3:13

That was Harold … just like his Lord.

Years later, I would be his student, after that, his colleague and, on occasion, his family dermatologist! Until last week, I was also privileged to serve under his leadership on the PhD Studies Committee at DTS. He, one of the senior-most profs at the Seminary and I, among the junior-most. The rank differential didn’t matter. He was a friend, an encourager, and a champion for you, no matter where you were situated on the totem-pole. In fact, last year, this kind giant took it on himself to write a glowing letter of recommendation to a publishing house, T. & T. Clark in London, to get them to accept my book proposal. They did!

So, as those who have been chosen of God,
holy and beloved,
put on a heart of compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12

Harold did—chosen of God, holy and beloved!

It is so hard to believe he is gone! He leaves behind an immense legacy. Over four decades at Dallas. Hundreds of students mentored, taught, guided, entertained, edified …. An institution!

And now he is in heaven, in the very presence of the God he loves.

In Him, you also,
after listening to the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation
—having also believed,
you were sealed in Him
with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is given as a pledge of our inheritance,
with a view to the redemption
of God's own possession,
to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:13–14

Harold remarked on this verse in his 960-page magnum opus, a commentary on Ephesians. That inheritance, he declared there, “qualifies believers to live eternally in the presence of God … because of the Father’s election, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s sealing.”

I bet he is beginning to enjoy his well-deserved inheritance now!

In a recent Seminary faculty-authored festschrift to this giant (Interpreting the New Testament Text), the editors put it best:

“[Harold] is a man of integrity, energy, frugality, … coupled with a genial sense of humor, humility, and a loyal and collegial spirit. Those of us who have served with him at DTS have had the rare favor of genuine mentoring: he guided us as students, recruited us as neophyte faculty, defended us and challenged us when necessary, and all along modeled for us what scholarship in the service of Christ can be.”

Amen!

Harold Hoehner, man of God. A giant. Finally home!

We were blessed by his life. I, and the rest of the DTS community, will be proud to stand on his shoulders.

I’ll miss him.

LION!

In front of the Altes Museum in Berlin is this bronze sculpture by Albert Wolff (1814–1892) titled, The Lion Fighter (1852). (Interestingly the original cast was also used to create a “clone” now located in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.)

It caught my eye as I was wandering the grounds of this renowned museum on Berlin’s Museum Island (the location of a number of other internationally recognized museums as well). It caught my eye. You see, I know a Lion Fighter! No, not one who grapples with member of the family Felidae, genus Panthera, species leo—those big cats with golden manes that roar as they rule the jungles. But this Lion Fighter has—get this!—already defeated an even more virulent and malignant beast.

… the devil, prowls around
like a roaring lion ….
1 Peter 5:8c

The lion, devil: always maneuvering to attack, always eager to consume, always malevolent, always deceitful.

… the devil … was a murderer
from the beginning.
… there is no truth in him.
John 8:44

Always attempting to thwart the plans of God.

But you said in your heart:
I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God,…
I will sit on the mount of assembly ….
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.
Isaiah 14:13–14

The purpose of Satan, this evil lion, is reflected in these phrases: to secure the abode of God, to obtain the rule of God, to usurp the kingdom of God, to receive the glory of God, and to gain the status of God, that is, to be God.

And the whole world, the Bible tells us, is in the power of this fiendish feline. It is against him and his forces that we struggle.

For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12

But the end of the battle is nigh. In fact, the end has already begun!

The Son of God appeared for this purpose,
to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8

By His life, death and resurrection, as He paid the price of sin—our sin! Jesus Christ defeated the power of Satan.

He Himself … also
partook of [flesh and blood],
that through death
He might render powerless
him who had the power of death,
that is, the devil.
Hebrews 2:14

Now for all who believe in this accomplished fact, placing their trust in Christ, salvation is free. Sin is no longer an issue between mankind and God.

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law;
but thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55–57

But, though defanged and disarmed, Satan continues his nefarious activities.

Your adversary, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8bc

So we are called to be vigilant.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Your adversary, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8abc

And divine help is available, too.

Put on the full armor of God,
so that you will be able to stand firm
against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11

The Lion Fighter wins! The lion has been chained!

FOOD?

This is it, folks! I’m down to my last jar of the good stuff. My stash, purchased a few months ago, is down to the final container. The end. Finis! With all the recent panic, menace, and alarm about peanut butter, I am stuck. I don’t need no Salmonella!

Moses was right.

… man does not live by bread alone …
Deuteronomy 8:3

Yup! Man doth not. I vouch for that. Man doth need peanut butter as well. The JIF kind and no other!

And now I’m running out. Woe is me! (I know, I know, it should be “I,” but who cares about predicate nominatives, when one’s out of JIF!)

Well, alright, alright, alright. I hear you.

I gotta go preach in few minutes. And I know you’re saying preachers ought not to be misusing and misquoting the good Book like I just did. I repent. In sackcloth and ashes. (Appropriate vestments for one who is out of JIF, I might add!)

Here it is in its entirety—Moses’s words regarding the Lord’s doings during the Exodus.

He humbled you and let you be hungry,
and fed you with manna …,
that He might make you understand
that man does not live by bread alone,
but man lives by everything that proceeds
out of the mouth of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 8:3

(Nope, nothing about JIF in that verse.)

Our Savior repeated the salient portion of this verse when He was tempted by Satan. You see, He’d just finished a 40-day fast. And He was tempted by Satan to turn rocks into bread.

But He answered and said, “It is written,
‘Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4

What is way more important than food is doing the will of God, obeying His Word.

Jesus was a bit more explicit to his disciples who had just purchased food for the whole bunch.

… the disciples were urging Him,
saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
But He said to them,
“I have food to eat that
you do not know about.”
So the disciples were saying to one another,
“No one brought Him
anything to eat, did he?”
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will
of Him who sent Me
and to accomplish His work.”
John 4:31–34

So it should be for us. Peanut butter scare or no, economic crisis or no, job layoffs or no—and all of these impact our “bread”—doing God’s will ought to be our primary focus. That alone will satisfy, for that alone is good and acceptable and perfect.

And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove
what the will of God is,
that which is good

and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2

All else, JIF included, will pass away.

Food is for the stomach
and the stomach is for food,
but God will do away with both of them.
1 Corinthians 6:13

And what, you ask, is the will of God? Here are a few suggestions …

For this is the will of God, your sanctification.
1 Thessalonians 4:3

… live the rest of the time in the flesh
no longer for the lusts of men,
but for the will of God.
1 Peter 4:2

… as slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart.
Ephesians 6:6

Hey, Lent begins soon. Want to give the discipline of fasting (one meal or more) a try?

(And may all Salmonella perish!)