SINKING!

I write this as Hurricane Ike, or whatever is left of it, rips through Texas. The third major hurricane of this year’s Atlantic storm season, but, hitting a peak of 145 mph last week as it grew to a diameter of 550 miles, it became the most massive Atlantic hurricane on record. While damages in Houston and its environs are still to be calculated, computer models predict $10 billion worth of loss in revenue, property, chaos, and havoc.

The power of water and wind!

Jesus’ disciples were once caught in a wind-and-water bind one time on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was with them on the boat.

Jesus Himself was in the stern,
asleep on the cushion;
and they woke Him
and said to Him,
“Teacher, do You not care
that we are perishing?”
Mark 4:38

It strikes me as somewhat illogical that the disciples should chide Jesus for not caring that they would perish: if they were going to perish, He was going to perish, too. Of course, He cared! At least, His peace of mind should have conveyed to them that things were in control.

They were. He awakens. Wind and water meet their match.

And He got up and rebuked
the wind and said to the sea,
“Hush, be still.”
And the wind died down
and it became perfectly calm.
Mark 4:39

The interesting thing about this dramatic incident is the fact that Christ expected His disciples to have had faith and to trust in Him … before He woke up and calmed the raging sea and pacified the storm. There’s that little word oupo (meaning “not yet” or “still”) …

And He said to them,
“Why are you afraid?
Do you still have no faith?”
Mark 4:40

In the chapters preceding this story on the sea, the disciples had already seen Christ exorcising and healing many who were ill with various diseases—he had even healed Peter's mother-in-law (not that mothers-in-law are a difficult breed to heal!). And He was doing things no man had ever done—going around forgiving people! Now who could do that but God?

The disciples had seen it; they had heard it; they had experienced it. They should have put it all together: this was God with them. But they had forgotten the past.

Ike is here. Soon there will be Josephine, and Kyle, and Laura, and Marco, and Nana, and the rest—in 2008. And if wind and water aren’t your thing, take your pick of daily calamities and catastrophes prone to strike our lives with devastating impact. It’s coming.

Let’s not forget what we’ve have already seen of God in the past. What He has done in our lives. What we’ve already experienced of His power. Our salvation. His provision. His protection. Of course, God has worked in your life, and worked powerfully, He has.

For He spoke and
raised up a stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
Then they cried to the LORD
in their trouble,
and He brought them
out of their distresses.
He caused the storm to be still,
so that the waves
of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad
because they were quiet ….
Let them give thanks to the LORD
for His lovingkindness,
and for His wonders
to the sons of men!
Psalm 107:25, 28–31

Keep track, to be sure, of Ike and his ilk. But don’t forget to keep track also of God’s lovingkindness in the past. So that we may not hear our Lord say, “Do you still have no faith?”

GROWTH!

The Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart is a fascinating place. Not only is the architecture and layout of the building remarkable, the history of automobiles (from Daimler eyes, of course) can be followed in concrete detail through the eight floors of the Museum. From the humble belt-driven car of the late 1800s to the fancy half-a-million-dollar SLR-class vehicles (the fastest automatic transmission cars in the world: 0–60 in 3.2 seconds) is an evolution that involved technology, anthropology, sociology, and economics.

Daimler AG (Mercedes’s parent company) has come a long way since Karl Benz’s creation of the first car in 1886, to become a $150 billion outfit. Growth!

In the process of this growth, Daimler has made some significant contributions to the automotive industry: first passenger car with brakes on all four wheels (1924); “safety cage” construction with front and rear crumple zones (1951); anti-lock brakes (1978); airbags (1980); pre-tensioners to tighten seat-belts instantaneously in the event of a crash (1981); traction control (1986); 7-speed automatic transmission (2003); etc. Fruitful growth!

To the company’s credit, almost all of the safety features they introduced, Daimler has licensed for use by competitors. Selfless growth!

There’s theology in there, somewhere! Growth, fruitful growth, and selfless growth—the marks of a maturity in a believer in Christ.

Growth in Christlikeness.

… we are to grow up in all aspects
into Him who is the head,
even Christ.
Ephesians 4:15

Growth in fruitfulness.

… so that you will walk
in a manner worthy of the Lord,
to please Him in all respects,
bearing fruit in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:10

Growth in selflessness.

... and may the Lord
cause you to increase and
abound in love for one another,
and for all people ….
Now as to the love of the brethren,
you have no need
for anyone to write to you,
for you yourselves are taught by God
to love one another;
for indeed you do practice it
toward all the believers …..
But we urge you … to excel still more.
1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9–10

Indeed, the writer to the Hebrews expects—nay, demands—a degree of growth of readers of that epistle, a maturity in discernment that enables them to be teachers who contribute, in turn, to the growth of others.

For though by this time
you ought to be teachers …,
mature, who because of practice
have their senses trained
to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5:12, 14

Peter agrees. Diligently seek to increase in these cascading characteristics, he urges.

Now for this very reason also,
applying all diligence,
in your faith supply moral excellence,
and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
and in your knowledge, self-control,
and in your self-control, perseverance,
and in your perseverance, godliness,
and in your godliness, brotherly kindness,
and in your brotherly kindness, love.
For if these qualities are yours
and are increasing, they render you
neither useless nor unfruitful in
the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5–8

And—lest we forget—such growth is not only an individual enterprise, but a collective, corporate engagement …

… until we all attain
to the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature which
belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13

May we be constantly growing … together.

… grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory,
both now and to the day of eternity.
Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

And, “Amen!”

INTERFERENCE!

“Sarah leading Hagar to Abraham,” it is called. This work, by the Dutch master Matthias Stomer (1600–1649), hangs in the Gemäldegalerie, State Museum of Berlin. I was transfixed by that painting for a long time last year, fascinated by the faces, the lighting, the hands, ….

The hands! Three pairs of them: one innocent, attempting to maintain her modesty (helped in part by Photoshop—Sorry, Mr. Stomer!); one guilty; one seemingly reluctant.

I am not entirely convinced about that reluctant pair of male hands. Genesis 16 concurs with Sarah’s taking the initiative in the matter, so perhaps Stomer is accurate in his depiction. But the pattern of Abraham’s life thus far hasn’t exactly been one that inspires confidence in my namesake’s innocence.

This is the guy who took his nephew along when God told him to leave his relatives and take a long trip (Gen 12:1–4). This is the character who, while he was fine obeying God when the going was good, hotfoots it into Egypt the moment a famine hits the land he was led to (Gen 12:7–10). And this is the rascal who palms off his wife to Pharaoh to save his own skin (Gen 12:11–20). Not exactly a sparkling Curriculum Vitae. And then Hagar.

All along this dude, Abe—God bless his heart!—is stumbling along in his faith. Not that he doesn’t have any faith (though at times one does wonder), but that he appears to want to help God out time and again. “Me have a child? What rubbish! I’ll just take Lot along. He’s a good kid. He can take over God’s promises.” Nope. Lot raises up the Ammonites and Moabites, lifelong enemies of the children of Israel. Then the Hagar episode. “Well, maybe I will have a child of my own. But through that old lady, Sarah? Who’re you kidding? Just look at her! Hey, here’s another idea. I’ll just, uh, you know, … collaborate with whatshername from Egypt.” And Hagar raises up the Ishmaelites. Nuff said about these latter folks.

I’m slowly learning that God doesn’t need my help. No, He doesn’t. My “help” is no help to God. My “help” is, in fact, interference. And what He wants is not my interference, but my dependence and my obedience.

Maybe that’s why He prefers to work through weakness. Less interference. More obedience. Maybe that’s why He often achieves His purposes through those who are broken. Less interference. More dependence.

And He has said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is perfected in weakness.”
Most gladly, therefore, I will rather
boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ
may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content
with weaknesses, with insults,
with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ’s sake;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9–10

It is the one who realizes one’s feebleness, frailty, and failure who arrives at the point of dependence and obedience, to echo, with Paul …

I can do all things through Him
who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

But without Christ, nothing!

“I am the vine, you are the branches;
he who abides in Me and I in him,
he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me
you can do nothing.”
John 15:5

Not interference, but dependence. Not interference, but obedience. The old song had it right:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey!

Indeed!

INFLUENCE!

A giant passed away recently. Dr. Ralph Feigin, physician-in-chief of Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) and head of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

A man with a humongous intellect and encyclopedic knowledge about all matters pediatric. Tuesday mornings at TCH were marked by Feigin Rounds (aka “Stump Dr. Feigin”). Residents and fellows would present to him the toughest cases and he, without turning a hair or blinking an eye, would reel off a myriad of possible diagnoses, finally settling on one that was always perfectly on target. One of the sharpest men I’ve ever known!

Compassionate towards his patients, but even more, passionate for his residents in pediatrics. He was utterly dedicated to his trainees. He once said:

“One of the greatest impacts I will have is as a role model and teacher to thousands of residents. Personally, I could treat maybe 50,000 patients in my lifetime, but with teaching the impact may be 50 million through students and the impact they have on their patients and pediatric research.”

In all, Feigin trained more than 2,000 pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Of those, 2 went on to become medical school deans, 22 became associate medical school deans, 10 became pediatrics department chairmen, and 180 became section heads of pediatrics. And at least one became a seminary prof!

Besides conducting my doctoral research and post-doctoral work in TCH, one of the foremost children’s hospitals in the world, I had the privilege of working for a year as an intern in pediatrics under Dr. Feigin. While my personal contact with him was limited, it was impossible not to be touched one way or another by this great man’s shadow. His enthusiasm for his subject, his charity towards his patients, his legendary benevolence to his residents and his selfless desire to see them succeed, were incredibly infectious. You couldn’t but be charged around him and driven to excel. A revered teacher. A role model. A father figure. A powerhouse of influence. And he cared! (Just read all the stories memorializing him online here.)

As we believers grow in Christ and mature in Christlikeness, we, too, are called to be influencers, by our words, our passion, and our character—the Aristotelian triad of logos, pathos, and ethos. Like Paul.

… for our gospel did not
come to you in word only,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit
and with full conviction;
just as you know what kind of men
we proved to be among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 1:5

And what kind of men did they prove to be?

… we proved to be gentle among you,
as a nursing mother
tenderly cares for her own children.
Having so fond an affection for you,
we were well-pleased to impart to you
not only the gospel of God
but also our own lives,
because you had become very dear to us.
1 Thessalonians 2:7–8

A pouring out of life to influence others in their walk with God.

… we were exhorting and encouraging
and imploring each one of you
as a father would his own children,
so that you would walk in a manner
worthy of the God who calls you
into His own kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:11–12

A worthwhile investment of life indeed. And it will get its reward.

For who is our hope or joy
or crown of exultation?
Is it not even you,
in the presence of our Lord Jesus
at His coming?
1 Thessalonians 2:19

Influencing others for God. May that characterize each of us.

CRY!

The other day, driving around here in Texas, I spotted this rather interesting bit of advice from “Larry.” We are, it sagely recommends, to call upon him. Particularly in situations that are less than salubrious or, in Larry’s own words, “when things get hairy.”

Only in Texas!

(Larry, it appears, is a poet of considerable ambition, though I wonder about his sense of rhyme. Of course, in Larry’s Southern drawl, his name probably does sound a lot like “hairy.”)

Anyhow, the whole point of Larry’s exercise, I take it, is to prompt us to call “All in One Electrical” in moments of circuitry crisis. When your hair stands on end, call Larry. Not wanting Larry to be deluged by hairy callers from all over, I smudged out the phone number that was helpfully displayed on the side of his van.

“When things get hairy ….”

Hairiness of life is not a rarity (I ought to know; after all, I deal in skin, hair, and nails!). Larry’s right; things do get hairy.

The Book of Psalms is replete with cries to the Lord for help in crisis. Things certainly were frequently hairy for the psalmist.

Hear, O LORD,
when I cry with my voice,
and be gracious to me and answer me.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to You I cry all day long.
O LORD, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day
and in the night before You.
Psalm 27:7; 86:3; 88:1

In fact one psalm uses this hairy line as a refrain.

Then they cried out to the LORD
in their trouble;
He delivered them
out of their distresses.
Then they cried out to the LORD
in their trouble;
He saved them
out of their distresses.
Then they cried out to the LORD
in their trouble;
He saved them
out of their distresses.
Then they cried to the LORD
in their trouble,
And He brought them
out of their distresses.
Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28

Yup, life does get hairy, and often. But the thing about Psalms is that it ain’t addressed to no “Larry.” While that worthy gentleman may indeed be capable of extricating us from electrical exigencies, there is only One we must call upon when life gets hairy. The One who hears.

In my distress
I called upon the LORD,
and cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice
out of His temple,
and my cry for help before Him
came into His ears.
Psalm 18:6

The One who delivers.

In You our fathers trusted;
they trusted and You delivered them.
To You they cried out
and were delivered;
in You they trusted
and were not disappointed.
Psalm 22:4

The One worthy of our trust, because He alone can do all things.

I will cry to God Most High, to God
who accomplishes all things for me.
Psalm 57:2

And because we became the children of God when we placed our trust in Christ as Savior, we, too, can cry out.

Because you are children,
God has sent forth
the Spirit of His Son into our hearts,
crying, "Abba! Father!"
Galatians 4:6

Our God hears. Our God delivers. Our God is trustworthy. And one day, when all this is over, we’ll cry out—this time in joy—with the multitude of saved ones …

… and they cry out with a loud voice,
saying, "Salvation to our God
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."
Revelation 7:10

When life gets hairy, we know whom to call!

SANDCASTLES!

We pondered many things together, my brother and I, in Myrtle Beach, SC, last week.

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

And we couldn’t help but concur with the two protagonists in Carroll’s poem (from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872) …

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
“If this were only cleared away,”
They said, “It would be grand!”

It would! Indeed! As the sage Erma Bombeck noted, that’s what beach vacations are for: to occupy ourselves keeping the sand off our belongings, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sun off our skin. (Especially when you are a dermatologist.)

Anyhow, we pondered much (among other exciting activities that we undertook).

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.”

Well, we didn’t quite get that carried away in our musings and ruminations. But we did consider building sandcastles. And then thought the better of it. Why bother with things that get washed away so soon?

Almost like the days of our lives.

All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory
like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls off ….
1 Peter 1:24

Brief are our days here. Fleeting. Fading.

For all our days have
declined in Your fury;
we have finished our years like a sigh.
As for the days of our life,
they contain seventy years,
or if due to strength, eighty years,
yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
for soon it is gone and we fly away.
Psalm 90:9–10

And all the intricate contortions we get into—sandcastles. The chasing after the impermanent—sandcastles. The illusory concoctions of our dreams—sandcastles!

You turn man back into dust and say,
“Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
are like yesterday when it passes by,
or as a watch in the night.
You have swept them away
like a flood, they fall asleep;
in the morning they are like grass
which sprouts anew.
In the morning it flourishes
and sprouts anew;
toward evening
it fades and withers away.
Psalm 90:3–6

Sandcastles! May the Lord give us wisdom to focus on eternal things, the things of God.

So teach us to number our days,
that we may present to You
a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

Wisdom to build castles that remain—built on the Rock. Wisdom to chase after the only One worth chasing—God, and God alone. Wisdom to catch not ephemeral and insubstantial dreams, but Reality—reality based upon the Word of God.

The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God
stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

Lord, give us wisdom! And were it not for Your sustenance, strength, and succor, our lives would indeed be spent as a vapor. Sandcastles!

For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
But the lovingkindness of the LORD
is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear Him ….
Psalm 103:14, 17

That’s what I need to seek. Lovingkindness for eternity. Not castles in the sand. So may I learn to walk in godly fear the rest of my brief days here.

EXAMPLE!

I’m one of those who believe that God has allotted us a certain finite number of heartbeats. I’m in no hurry to get to the end of my allotment. The slower I can get my heart to beat, the happier I am. So when someone suggested I go on the “Canopy Tour,” just the mention of those two words set back my lifespan a month (not to mention the ping-pong game that made me lose almost a year—another story, entirely). But I get ahead of myself ….

There I was in Mt. Hermon, California, one of the speakers for a Dallas Seminary-run conference. Mt. Hermon, blissfully nestled amongst the redwoods, and, unlike ye olde DFW, basking in the 60s and 70s. Exhilarating!

Anyhow, one of the recreation activities at Mt. Hermon was this Canopy Tour, introduced there a month ago—one of the few such tours in the US, and one of the very few set among redwoods anywhere in the world. By means of a series of zip-lines, the “tourist” soars about 150 feet up in the air, amongst the canopy of those grand old trees. Not exactly an activity yours faithfully is prone to engage in. But I did. A month-old course? Gosh, how do I know the cables will hold? Scary!

That’s where I met George. In his late-eighties (Yup! That’s right!), this sprightly young gentleman offered to chaperone the rest of us young bucks (there’s that octogenarian in sun-glasses). Not that he had done this before. He hadn’t. But, I tell you, that George is one brave dude! He actually went first, ahead of us, paving the way, proving the cables, smoothening out kinks, blazing trails, majestically defying gravity 150 feet above terra firma!

I was literally shamed into following him! To make a long story short, I did and survived the nail-biting “tour” to tell the tale. Yeah, I’m going to die a decade early now, but hey! it was worth it.

In these days in our churches where every activity is separated by age and generation, I’m glad I was grouped with George, and not left alone with Reg “Redshirt” who was seen scribbling his last will and testament with a trembling hand upon a stray napkin before he donned the harness for the Canopy Tour. Not George. He was an example.

… join in following my example,
and observe those who walk
according to the pattern
you have in us.
Philippians 3:17

The biblical model of spiritual formation includes imitation. Following those who follow the Lord. Walking in their footsteps. Attending to their example. Those who go before us have much to teach us. And we, we have much to learn.

Be imitators of me,
just as I also am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1

And we, in turn, are to be examples to others of what it means to live a life in Christ.

You also became imitators of us
and of the Lord,
having received the word
in much tribulation
with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
so that you became an example
to all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:6–7

No matter what our station in life, stage of spirituality, status of body, or stiffness of joint, we believers are to be an example.

… in all things show yourself
to be an example of good deeds,
with purity in doctrine, dignified,
sound in speech
which is beyond reproach,
so that the opponent
will be put to shame,
having nothing bad
to say about us.
Titus 2:7–8

Let’s imitate! And let’s be exemplary ourselves!

TEMPTATION!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer (this is the last installment) …

“And do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:13

This is not saying that God tempts us—He doesn’t.

Let no one say when he is tempted,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God cannot be tempted by evil,
and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
James 1:13

This is simply a rhetorical way asking God the opposite: “Lord, lead us out of temptation.” The next phrase makes that clear: “Deliver us from evil [or the Evil One].” This is a prayer for God’s protection.

We tend to forget that we are involved in something far bigger than we can imagine or comprehend. We get up, eat, drive, work, play, talk, tend to our children, and go to bed without giving a single thought to the existence of an unseen world. But according to the Bible, human history is an arena for the battle of the universe. And we are participating as ordinary men and women in the Great Reversal—that glorious plan of God which will restore the cosmos to its pristine state, one day, soon and very soon. You and I—partners with God! Hard to believe, isn’t it? We—mere specks, in a tiny planet, in the outer suburbs of a spiral galaxy that is only one of about a trillion such galaxies in the observable universe—partnering with God? Incredible … but true!

And … scary: it is a battle against Satan and all his cohorts, the powers and forces of evil aligned against God and therefore, against all of God’s people—against you and me. Which means one thing: We are on the opposite side of Satan. And that means one thing: He’s out to get us.

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

All he wants is to get between us and God and he’ll do anything to achieve that. But we have help. Satan and his hordes who “rule” the world, are no match for God and His Spirit who indwells us.

… greater is He who is in you
than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

God’s protection is assured.

No temptation has overtaken you
but such as is common to man;
and God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation
will provide the way of escape also,
so that you will be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

William Cowper (1731–1800), compatriot of John Newton (of Amazing Grace fame), wrote these immortal lines:

Restraining prayer we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright
And Satan trembles when he sees,
The weakest saint upon his knees.

Concluding his theme on spiritual warfare and the armor of God, Paul urges likewise:

With all prayer and petition
pray at all times in the Spirit,
and with this in view,
be on the alert
with all perseverance and petition
for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

So pray with Courage.

But resist him [Satan],
firm in your faith,
knowing that the same
experiences of suffering
are being accomplished
by your brethren
who are in the world.
1 Peter 5:9

And soon, we’ll be over all this forever, eternally.

After you have suffered
for a little while,
the God of all grace,
who called you
to His eternal glory in Christ,
will Himself perfect, confirm,
strengthen and establish you.
1 Peter 5:10

Amen!

TRESPASS!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:12

The clause before this was asking God for “our daily bread.” We never forget our need for bread, do we? We never forget to eat. We never forget our need for shelter. Or any of our other basic necessities. We never forget them. How about our sins, those debts, that missing of the target of God’s perfect standard of holiness?

Sins? What sins? Me sin? When?

That’s exactly what one good lady told me the other day; she, apparently, doesn’t sin anymore and claimed a clear conscience! I quoted her the line from a famous philosopher (that is to say, I’ve no idea who said it): “Madam,” I disputed, “There are no such things as clear consciences; there are only short memories.”

If we say that we have no sin,
we are deceiving ourselves
and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8

Instead …

If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

I like the “all” in there. That vast net catches all the sins I was ignorant of, as well as all those that have “become extinct” because of my short memory. “All” unrighteousness. All!

Needless to say, when the believer asks God for forgiveness for sins, this is not the salvation-forgiveness we seek, that enables us to enter the family of God, be born-again, and have eternal life. That is achieved once for all when one puts one’s trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Therefore there is now
no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

On the other hand, this forgiveness sought in the Lord’s Prayer is the relationship-forgiveness that restores the broken relationship between Father and child of God. This request for pardon is necessarily a daily affair, as often as we sin.

He who conceals his transgressions
will not prosper,
but he who confesses
and forsakes them
will find compassion.
Proverbs 28:13

So when we pray, we are not to forget our sins, but to confess them. In the light of God’s absolute holiness, we are miserable sinners indeed and stand in need of God’s pardon.

I acknowledged my sin to you,
and my iniquity I did not hide.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Psalm 32:5

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus links this forgiveness with our own treatment of those who have sinned against us. Now, those sins we remember. Oh, yes. Forget them? Of course, not!

He hurt me! She cut me! He betrayed me! She stabbed me!

This prayer is saying in effect: Yes, I’ve been hurt, cut, betrayed and stabbed. But, Oh Lord, I remember my own sins. No one has done to me as much I have done to you, sinning in my thoughts, words, and deeds.

So we must forgive those who sin against us. The pardon we have received from God, we must extend to others also. Indeed, that’s part of what it means to be like Christ—those who forgive imitate God, their Father, the Forgiver par excellence.

Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted,
forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ
also has forgiven you.
Therefore be imitators of God,
as beloved children.
Ephesians 4:32–5:1

In other words, when we come to this line of the Lord’s Prayer, pray with compassion!

CLOSER!

Every single time. Every single time! I can’t remember any—any!—conversation that I’ve had with Don when he didn’t bring up the topic. Not one. He would always make mention of it. With a fulsome grin and in his resonant voice, beard going everywhere, eyes bright with anticipation, Don would remind me (and everyone else he spoke to): This could be the day! One day closer!

Don was a part of the church where I was preaching during a pastoral transition several years ago. Faithful member. Full of life, despite his many ailments and hospitalizations. Focused on one thing: Jesus is coming again! And it could be … today! One day closer!

For you yourselves know full well
that the day of the Lord will come
just like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2

One day closer!

It was like Don was living in this world, but eagerly expecting the next. A two-clock man, simultaneously in two time zones—Central and … Celestial.

Therefore if you have been
raised up with Christ,
keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind
on the things above,
not on the things
that are on earth.
When Christ, who is our life,
is revealed, then you also will be
revealed with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:1–2, 4

No more. Don is now a one-clock man. Celestial time zone—always daylight. Last week, he went to be with the Lord He loved so much. No more the sad notes of earth for him. No more the frailty of body. Finally, finally, he is in the presence of God, to be there forever. And for Don, there will be a special reward.

In the future
there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day;
and not only to me,
but also to all who have
loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8

Don did! A crown is reserved for him.

But we will miss that cheery smile, that radiant demeanor, and that signature greeting: One day closer!

And we need to be reminded of that more often. The imminence of Christ’s coming is a good incentive to live in a manner worthy of Him, whom we will see soon.

But the day of the Lord
will come like a thief ….
… what sort of people
ought you to be
in holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening
the coming of the day of God ….
2 Peter 3:10–12

Patience in these painful days.

Therefore be patient, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord.
The farmer waits for the
precious produce of the soil,
being patient about it,
until it gets the early and late rains.
You too be patient;
strengthen your hearts,
for the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5:7–8

Endurance in these enervating times.

For you have need of endurance,
so that when you have
done the will of God,
you may receive what was promised.
For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come,
and will not delay.
Hebrews 10:36–37

Sobriety in a seductive world.

So then let us not sleep
as others do,
but let us be alert and sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:6

And sanctification.

Now may the God of peace Himself
sanctify you entirely;
and may your spirit and soul
and body be preserved complete,
without blame at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23

One day closer! Amen!

BREAD!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11

This request recognizes our dependence God, the one who provides. He is the one who gives us health, gets us a job, enables us to earn, survive, live. We depend on Him. Totally. Completely. Utterly. Every breath in our bodies, every pulse of our hearts, every impulse across our synapses—sustained by God, given by God, graciously provided by God.

… in Him we live and move and exist.
Acts 17:28

We are dependent on Him, and we acknowledge that verity as we make our request for our daily bread.

Not daily cake, but daily bread! Basic necessities, the essentials of life. “Daily rice, Lord, give to us,” as we of Asian origin would rather say. (Though, personally, peanut butter—Jif— will do fine, thank you!)

So this line of the Lord’s Prayer eliminates greed, because we seek the basic necessities—food, clothing, transportation. Not everything in the Neimann Marcus catalog.

We’ve already recognized that the King and His kingdom is coming. In fact, we’ve prayed it along. When it comes, in that realm and in that life, we will be blessed beyond imagination.

… just as it is written,
“Things which eye has not seen
and ear has not heard,
and which have not entered
the heart of man—
all that God has prepared
for those who love him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

But not necessarily here-and-now. Not necessarily on this side of death. That day will come! And soon!

In this life, instead, we are to depend on Him for the basics and therewith to be content.

For we have brought
nothing into the world,
so we cannot take anything
out of it either.
If we have food and covering,
with these we shall be content.
1 Timothy 6:7–8

Contentment vs. Greed. A constant struggle that we all face, irrespective of financial state. Are we content enough not to seek for more, and to give freely?

Did you notice the first-person plural pronouns? “Give us this day our daily bread”? So what happens if I and my sister are praying for bread, and I get two loaves and she gets nothing?

Happens all the time, doesn’t it? Some Christians are wealthy. Some are not. Some have more than what they need. Others hardly have enough. Some never go through financial crunches. Others barely get through the day.

So what if I get two loaves and my brother gets zero? Then what?

I didn’t get God’s provision to eat one now and to freeze another for a rainy day. Oh, no. God gave me more than what I need to share.

Worldwide, 29,000 children die every day of preventable causes (a child every 2 seconds)! 800 million children are malnourished. 1 billion do not have access clean water, 8 million children are refugees, and 15 million children have lost parents to AIDS. They, without loaves, and we with hundreds/thousands each.

What would God have us do?

“Is it not to divide your bread
with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor
into the house?
When you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself
from your own flesh?
Then your light
will break out like the dawn,
and your recovery
will speedily spring forth,
and your righteousness
will go before you.”
Isaiah 58:7–8

So pray with responsibility! Give freely, cheerfully, responsibly, to those who have no loaves of bread, for God has abundantly answered our prayer to “Give us this day our daily bread.”

PASSWORD!

It is estimated that 32% of one’s waking hours is spent typing passwords and usernames and all that stuff. The remaining 68% is spent trying to remember what on earth the password was for this or that website or service.

(Of course, 79.36% of all statistics is concocted without any respect for reality, so you can’t trust any of these numbers.)

But the fact remains that waiting to log on is the story of our lives.

Those sage and sapient experts warn us never—never!—to write down our passwords. Excuse me? I had, at last count, 87 passwords. Most of them meaningless permutations and combinations of characters (e.g., 3Oa%1*M@sT) and I’m expected to carry them all around in my head? Yeah, right!

Having forgotten yet another password the other day, and as I was thinking about my sermon this weekend on prayer, I thanked God that I didn’t need a password to access the throne-room of Almighty God. Or I’d forever be staring at a blank monitor.

… through Him [Christ] we … have
our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Ephesians 2:18

Free access to God the Father, through Christ, in the Spirit. And no password needed!

On second thought, while no password is necessary, there is a username we need in order to gain access to God: Child of God.

Nothing to pay. No email address to give out. Last 4 of your SSN not required. Color of skin, hair, and nails irrelevant. But you do need a username—the username: Child of God.

And that is obtained when one places one’s trust in Jesus Christ, an act of faith, believing that the penalty of our sin has been paid, fully and finally, by His sacrificial death on the cross.

Everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ
is born of God.
1 John 5:1

No more is sin a barrier between the child and the Father.

… Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness
and confident access
through faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:11–12

And so we can pray about our ailments, our jobs, our patients, our families, our churches, our society, our nation, our world. We can pray about little Johnnie’s future, Aunt Sue’s job, Jake’s car, and everything else we can think of and are concerned about—terrorism, economy, elections, weather. For our God is a prayer-hearing God.

O You who hear prayer,
to You all men come.
Psalm 65:2

What a terrific verse and a marvelous encouragement to us. No hurdle to climb, no obstacle to remove, no wait to enter. So keep praying!

In fact, the Bible commands us to do so.

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

And we have a model to follow in prayer—our Lord. He prayed at His baptism. He prayed at the beginning of His ministry. He prayed at the Transfiguration. He prayed in Gethsemane, sweating blood. His last words on the cross were an address to God, in the throes of death. In fact, the Bible tells us that Christ continues to intercede for us before the Father.

… we have an Advocate
with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1

If He, the only-begotten of the Father and the Son of God, the sinless Second Person of the Trinity prayed so often, how much more we?

Therefore let us draw near
with confidence
to the throne of grace,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help
in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

Keep praying!

WILL!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

“Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10

The Kingdom program was the concern of the previous clause of the Lord’s Prayer. Now, as we pray this sentence, we are affirming, “Father, even though your kingdom is not yet fully established, may you rule in our lives right now.” Even now, already, in this in-between time as we wait for the end, and until that day arrives, until your Kingdom comes, O God, rule in our lives. Your will be done.”

This is a particularly important petition to bring before God. You see, the rest of the Lord’s Prayer focuses on our particular needs. But before we rush to present our grocery list to God, we must pay attention to this line, to his will. He is no cosmic vending machine, you know. So we pray, “Father, even before we ask you for our needs, we acknowledge that your purpose comes first, your will is preeminent. Yes, we are going to ask you for a number of things, Father, but we remember that your will must be done first. And we, we are OK with that. We willingly align ourselves to your will and to your purpose. Even if we don’t get what we want, even if our desires do not come to pass, may your will be done.”

So pray with submission! This is our acceptance of God’s purpose in our lives. This puts the will of God very early in our praying. Before we begin praying for ourselves, we have settled God’s will—we submit to that. Indeed, if we are aligned with His purpose completely, we can be sure God will meet our requests.

This is the confidence
which we have before Him,
that, if we ask anything
according to His will,
He hears us.
1 John 5:14

“Your will be done.” Are we ready to have His will done in our lives, to submit to His demands, even if it means what we want may not necessarily be realized? Are we ready to swallow all the pills God gives us—sweet and bitter, to accept with joy all that He takes us through—pleasure and pain?

“Your will be done.” Remember Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane?

“Father, if you are willing,
remove this cup from me;
yet not my will,
but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42

“Your will be done.” God’s Purpose. Pray with submission! Not easy. The agony of what lay before Him, caused Jesus’ sweat to take on the appearance of blood. No, not easy at all. “Your will be done.”

And this submission to God’s will involves understanding His purpose for our lives.

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

Our holiness. Not our happiness, but our holiness. That’s God’s purpose. And so may “Your will be done.”

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

And there is a reward promised for those believers in Christ who have actualized this prayer in their lives—“Your will be done.” For those in whose lives the will of God has been done, there is the promised recompense of God’s pleasure.

For you have need of endurance,
so that when you have
done the will of God,
you may receive
what was promised.
Hebrews 10:36

Endure … and pray with submission!

KINGDOM!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

“Your kingdom come.”
Matthew 6:10

Elections are just around the corner for those of us in the US of A. (Five more months of campaigning—Lord, have mercy!) Who knows who the successful candidate will be? Pollsters and pundits pontificate. Talking heads produce verbiage ad nauseam. Who will win? Who will lose?

I know one thing—whoever wins or loses, one thing is for sure: Our God never loses. Ever. His rule is not going to be determined by ballot boxes and majority votes.

And it’s coming—His kingdom. His reign is going to be established. It’s going to happen. The clock is ticking. God’s program is already being executed. His plans are already in place, already undergoing fulfillment. And to this grand finale of His kingdom, all history is moving inexorably.

God highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow,
of those who are in heaven
and on earth and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9–11

The King is coming! The kingdom is coming! The seer in Revelation depicts His grand arrival.

And I saw heaven opened,
and behold, a white horse,
and He who sat on it
is called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness
He judges and wages war.
His eyes are a flame of fire,
and on His head are many diadems;
… and His name is called
The Word of God.
And the armies
which are in heaven,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean,
were following Him on white horses.
From His mouth comes a sharp sword,
so that with it He may strike down
the nations, and He will rule them
with a rod of iron ….
And on His robe and on His thigh
He has a name written,
“King of Kings, Lord of Lords.”
Revelation 19:11–16

Praying “Your kingdom come,” reminds us that God is even now working to bring about His reign and rule on earth. God’s unchanging program, already set in motion.

The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ;
and He will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 11:15

We may be in dire and desperate situations here and now, but take heart. A glorious eternity awaits us, soon. Pray with hope! Harrowing troubles? Agonizing trials? Tormenting tumults? The King is coming. The kingdom is coming! So pray with hope!

Soon is coming a day when there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more grief, no more distress, no more disease (and I’ll be out of a job!), and no more death.

And I heard a loud voice
from the throne, saying,
“Behold, the tabernacle
of God is among men,
and He will dwell among them,
and they shall be His people,
and God Himself
will be among them,
and He will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
and there will no longer
be any death;
there will no longer
be any mourning,
or crying, or pain;
the first things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3–4

Soon and very soon. “Your kingdom come.” God’s Program. Pray with hope!

We give You thanks,
O Lord God, the Almighty,
who are and who were,
because You have taken
Your great power
and have begun to reign.
Revelation 11:17

The King is coming. The kingdom is coming! Pray with hope!

HALLOWED!

Continuing on the theme of the Lord’s Prayer …

Hallowed be your name.
Matthew 6:9

Hallow. To treat as holy, and therefore, to reverence, to honor, to respect, to glorify. This line of the Lord’s Prayer underscores the priority of God. God is the central focus—not only of our prayer, but of everything in the universe. Everything revolves round His throne. Everything exists for His hallowing, not ours.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
but to Your name give glory
because of Your lovingkindness,
because of Your truth.
Psalm 115:1

Everything exists for His glory, not ours.

Oh, the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable
are His judgments
and unfathomable His ways!
For from Him and through Him
and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever.
Amen.
Romans 11:33, 36

So when we pray “Hallowed be your name,” we are, in essence, praying …

“To Him who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb,
be blessing and honor
and glory and dominion
forever and ever.”
Revelation 5:13

Everything in the universe is moving towards God’s glory. This is the end, the goal, the terminus, the Omega of all creation—the glorification of God. The priority of God. He is to be pre-eminent in all things. That is what it means to glorify Him.

It should be the basis of everything we do. I.e., the priority of God should be our priority.

So whether you eat or drink
or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

This is what believers were called for.

But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God’s own possession,
so that you may proclaim
the excellencies of Him
who has called you
out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Our part in the grand scheme of God is to manifest His glory. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1648) declares:

“The chief end of man
is to glorify God
and to enjoy Him forever.”

And one way we do that, the essential way we work towards the hallowing of His name, is by being holy ourselves.

You shall be holy, for I am holy.
1 Peter 1:16

God’s demand for glory is met when His creation becomes like Him in His holiness. That is how we contribute to the hallowing of His name. “Hallowed be your name.”

… He chose us in Him before
the foundation of the world,
that we would be holy
and blameless before Him.
Ephesians 1:4

God desires to receive glory through our life of holiness. One of my colleagues at Dallas Seminary puts it this way:

“Glory relates to how good
God looks through me,
holiness relates to how much
I look like God.”

We hallow His name by looking like God, being holy ourselves. “Hallowed be your name: we agree, O God, with your priority and demand for glory. Hallowed be your name: may we honor your holy character and not embarrass you.” So we pray with purity.

The priority of God—His glory. And we should seek to be like Him.

Be exalted
above the heavens, O God;
let Your glory
be above all the earth.
Psalm 57:5

“Hallowed be your name.” Pray with purity!

… the temple of God is holy,
and that is what you are.
1 Corinthians 3:17

May prayers of purity arise from the temple of God.

FATHER!

The other day, I had the opportunity to teach on the Lord’s Prayer. Parts of that exercise will keep showing up in the next several installments of the aBeLOG.

Our Father, who is in heaven ….
Matthew 6:9

Imagine the sun is an orange, about 3 inches in diameter. On that scale, the earth is a grain of sand about 26 feet away. On that scale, the next nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is a staggering 1,500 miles away (the distance from Dallas, TX to Washington, DC). And these, plus another 200–400 billion stars, populate the Milky Way, which—on that same scale—would be about 37.5 million miles wide. (In actuality, the Milky Way is about 100,000 light years in diameter = 600,000,000,000,000,000 miles.) And the Hubble Space Telescope estimates there are 100s of billions of such galaxies. Can you even imagine the vastness of the universe?

“To whom then will you liken Me
that I would be his equal?”
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these stars,
the One who leads forth
their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
because of the greatness of His might
and the strength of His power,
not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 40:25–26

Every one of the billions of stars in the universe is there by God's specific appointment. He knows their number. And He even knows them by name—they do His bidding as His personal agents.

And all this magnificence is only the hem of his grand and glorious garment.

In the beginning
God created
the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

The Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, unlike no other, incomparable, sublime.

And—wonder of wonders—this God is … our Father. This is the one to whom we pray: “Our Father who is in heaven.” This great God, omnipresent (being ever present from the distant reaches of the farthest planet to the inscrutable interatomic spaces), omniscient (knowing everything—past, present, future, actual and possible, real and imagined), and omnipotent (finding nothing impossible for Him), is—believe it or not—our Father.

The New Testament calls God “Father” almost 300 times. Jesus used nothing but “Father” to address God when He prayed (except on the cross). This sovereign God … our Father. Here is the essence of Christian life: it is a relationship—a child-parent relationship with God, that begins when we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. A relationship that recognizes our ongoing need of God. As we call Him “Father,” we acknowledge our continued dependence on Him and His absolute capacity to be sufficient for us.

Life, I have discerned, is messy! I realize that for some to call God “Father” might bring back painful memories. Jesus was aware of that, too. He realized how fallible earthly fathers were, how inadequate. He said:

“Do not call anyone
on earth your father;
for One is your Father,
He who is in heaven.”
Matthew 23:9

What we must ask is not whether we should call God our “Father.” We should. He is. The question is can we ever call our earthly fathers our real Father. God is better than the best earthly father you could ever have had. He is the true Father. The real Father, who cares, who loves, who gives. That’s why we can go to Him …

… casting all your anxiety on Him,
because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

That’s why we can pray, “Our Father!” So … pray with confidence!

SHADOW!

Shadow. Darkness. Transient. Flat. “Unreal.” But where there is shadow, there is light, and substance, and tridimensionality, and “reality.”

My days are like
a lengthened shadow,
and I wither away like grass.
But You, O LORD, abide forever,
and Your name to all generations.
Psalm 102:11–12

No wonder the prayers and poems of the Bible frequently refer to human life as a shadow. Darkness. Transient. Flat. “Unreal.” But, for believers in Christ, a representation of things to come. A foreshadowing. Of light, eternity, multidimensionality, and … REALITY!

… our God, we thank You,
and praise Your glorious name.
For we are sojourners before You,
and tenants, as all our fathers were;
our days on the earth
are like a shadow,
and there is no hope.
1 Chronicles 29:13, 15

Hope there would not be, were it not for the mercy and grace of God that brought us out of the shadow.

There were those
who dwelt in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in misery and chains.
Then they cried out
to the LORD in their trouble;
He saved them
out of their distresses.
He brought them
out of darkness
and the shadow of death
and broke their bands apart.
Psalm 107:10, 13–14

The work of Christ on the cross, paying the price for our sin, rescued us. The coming of the Light. Christ came. Christ shone. Christ conquered.

The people who were sitting
in darkness saw a great light,
and those who were sitting
in the land and shadow of death,
upon them a light dawned.
Matthew 4:16

Believers in Christ are now no more in darkness. No more do we fall under the shadow.

But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God’s own possession,
so that you may proclaim
the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

And now we dwell under His shadow.

How precious
is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men
take refuge in
the shadow of Your wings.
For You have been my help,
and in the shadow of Your wings
I sing for joy.
Psalm 36:7; 63:7

The shadows of this world no longer need hold any fear for the child of God.

Even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

We have a refuge.

He who dwells in
the shelter of the Most High
will abide in
the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD,
“My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
Psalm 91:1

Now we have a responsibility to live as in the Light.

For you were formerly darkness,
but now you are
Light in the Lord;
walk as children of Light.
Ephesians 5:8

No more do we need to live under the sway of the shadow.

The night is almost gone,
and the day is near.
Therefore let us lay aside
the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:12

Children of light, living in the Light. Awake. Alert. Attentive.

But you, brothers and sisters,
are not in darkness,
that the day would
overtake you like a thief;
for you are all children of light
and children of day.
We are not of night nor of darkness;
so then let us not sleep as others do,
but let us be alert and sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:4–6

Sharp. Shining. Sober.

REWARDS!

We’re well into the season of graduation these days in the US.

And I had the privilege of speaking yesterday at the commencement of a local home-schoolers’ association here in North Texas. It was a delight for me to participate in the intimate gathering of parents, grand-parents, siblings, teachers, friends, well-wishers, and acquaintances to celebrate the achievements of this group of ten bright students (among whom was Meredith, one of the daughters of the Morgans, my good friends).

There are distinct advantages to being part of a small graduating class. The entire ceremony was highly personalized. When the time came for the granting of diplomas, the graduate and his/her parents were asked to come up to the front. On cue was a 60-second slideshow of significant events in the life of the student, followed by an audio recording made by the parents. Each parent then spoke briefly of their love and appreciation for their son/daughter—a touching time of affirmation, an opportunity to vocalize in public what their child means to them, a chance to encourage their offspring as they enter into a new phase of life.

What a joyous and moving experience! Very few dry eyes in that hall yesterday.

You know, there is soon coming a day when we, too, will stand before our Lord. I wondered what He would say about me then, when that slideshow of my life is replayed. Will it be this?

“Well done,
good and faithful slave ….”
Matthew 25:21

That is the day for the allotment of rewards. What will be mine?

Everyone who competes
in the games exercises
self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive
a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable.
1 Corinthians 9:25

Will I have Paul’s confidence?

In the future
there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day.
2 Timothy 4:8

Are these literal crowns? Perhaps. But whatever these turn out to be, notice the “fate” of these crowns, as depicted in the action of the twenty-four elders (probably representing the church) in the presence of Christ.

The twenty-four elders
will fall down before Him
who sits on the throne …
and will cast their crowns
before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You,
our Lord and our God, to receive
glory and honor and power;
for You created all things,
and because of Your will
they existed, and were created.”
Revelation 4:10–11

The rewards we obtain are, after all, the result of God’s grace, His power working within us to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. To Him, therefore, belongs the glory.

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus
for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Were it not for His grace, there would be nothing. All we have, all we do, all we achieve—all of it is graciously, generously, given to us. Nonetheless, there is a responsibility on our part to labor for God’s glory, trusting in His grace to see us through.

But by the grace of God
I am what I am …;
but I labored even more
than all of them, yet not I,
but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10

Therefore …

Whatever you do,
do your work heartily,
as for the Lord
rather than for men,
knowing that from the Lord
you will receive
the reward of the inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Colossians 3:23–24

“Well done, ….”

LEARNING!

The biggest day of the academic year at Dallas Theological Seminary arrived yesterday. Commencement. The graduation of over 300 of our best: Certificates of Graduate Studies, Masters of Arts, Masters of Theology, Doctors of Ministry, and Doctors of Philosophy.

Families. Friends. Fellows. Speeches. Songs. Scripture. Applause. Acclaim. Awards. Elation. Euphoria. Exultation. Cheering. Clapping. Clicking.

Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 ad infinitum.

Funny hats. Weird robes. And the colors. Oh, the colors! The pinks, greens, scarlets, golds, purples, blues, grays, whites, …. Academic regalia and panoply in glorious procession, signifying a variety of colleges and universities, degrees and honors. A veritable rainbow of academic achievements.

Yours truly got to wear ye olde toga rubra (red robe), the doctoral gown of the University of Aberdeen, and don the John Knox hat that gilds the scalp of Scottish doctors. I am not alone in this radiant declaration of my affiliation. Darrell (PhD, 1983), and Nathan (PhD, 1996) (and David, PhD, 1987—absent today) are my compatriots and fellow–Aberdonians at Dallas Seminary. All clad appropriately (except for the kilt—but, ah, laddie, one of these days, we’ll surprise these Americans).

As (I speculate) they used to say in ancient Rome and (possibly) medieval Aberdeen …

Qua solvam prece nescio:
Beatum ornat te toga rubra!

Who leadeth forward the ignorant:
Blessed is thy splendid red robe!
(Or something close.)

So there we are at DTS, ostensibly leading forward the ignorant.

Sometimes I wonder.

But I think I’ve finally figured it out—I’ve met the ignorant, and the ignorant is … me! Teaching has revealed to me, the one who professes, the depth of my own ignorance. A healthy, humbling enterprise—teaching. And, engaging in that activity, I am learning a lot more than my students are.

Surprise, surprise, I am not there yet. Oh, well, neither was Paul. I’m in good company.

Brethren, I do not regard myself
as having laid hold of it yet;
but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind
and reaching forward
to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13–14

And he, Paul, and all of us, press on, striving for excellence, by the gracious power of the Spirit, for the glory of God.

Run in such a way
that you may win.
Everyone who competes
in the games exercises
self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive
a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable.
Therefore I run in such a way,
as not without aim;
I box in such a way,
as not beating the air;
but I discipline my body
and make it my slave, so that,
after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24–27

So that, one day, at the “Commencement Exercises” for believers in Christ, we might affirm, as Paul does:

I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the course,
I have kept the faith;
in the future there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day;
and not only to me,
but also to all who have loved
His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7–8

Better than any graduation anywhere, anytime.

What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be!
Jim Hill, 1955

TEAMWORK!

Done! The final class session was yesterday. Last night, the students in one of my preaching classes (and their spouses) gathered here at home for pizza and dessert and some edifying entertainment—three sermons from the last set of student preachers.

And thus endeth my first full-time academic year at Dallas Theological Seminary. [Big sigh of relief!] It has been busy, I must say, tackling three classes each semester, committee meetings, office hours, weekly chapels (at least three a week that I’m required to attend), departmental meetings, faculty meetings (while juggling a part-time dermatology practice on the side).

But it has also been a delight to be part of the team that is the Pastoral Ministries Department (some of us are depicted above, at the Seminary’s annual Faculty Workshop). The delight of fellowship. The joy of allied goals. The pleasure of ministering to one another, spurring one another, being responsible for one another, being accountable to one another.

The discipline of teamwork!

And discipline it is. It takes effort. It doesn’t come easily. It isn’t always natural to us inherently self-focused beings. It often calls for a stepping out of one’s comfort zone to help another, to fill in for another, to watch out for another ….

But that is what God has ordained—believers are to function in concert, as the family of His children, the organism of the church, the fellowship of believers, the body of Christ, the temple of God, the dwelling of the Spirit.

Do you not know
that you are a temple of God
and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16

A collective, united, joint, corporate enterprise. The entity through which God seeks to exhibit His glory most directly in this age.

… to Him be the glory
in the church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations
forever and ever.
Ephesians 3:21

And this calls for the discipline of teamwork.

… and let us consider
how to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own
assembling together,
as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another;
and all the more
as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24–25

The discipline of teamwork, recognizing that in all that we undertake, individuals subserve the grander goal of the body, the glory of God, the furtherance of His kingdom.

For when one says, “I am of Paul,”
and another, “I am of Apollos,”
are you not merely human?
What then is Apollos?
And what is Paul?
Servants through whom you believed,
even as the Lord
gave opportunity to each one.
1 Corinthians 3:4–5

It is not about Tim or Timothy or Vic or Sandy or Reg or Aubrey or Oscar or Jonathan or Abe. The discipline of teamwork calls each of us to focus on the greater good of the Pastoral Ministries department. And neither is it all about this department alone, but we join hands with the rest of the academic departments to work in harmony for God’s glory within Dallas Seminary. A joint effort that God blesses with fruit. The discipline of teamwork.

… [be] of the same mind,
maintaining the same love,
united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness
or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind
regard one another as
more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out
for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:2–4

The essence of teamwork!

I’m looking forward to the next academic year, to continue working on this great team.