DESSERT!

This week Dallas Seminary conducted its World Evangelization Conference, a yearly event “designed to assist our students in answering how they will engage in the Great Commission,” with the prayer “that God would inspire future mission-goers and mission-senders.” The entire Seminary essentially shut down all normal academic operations for the entire week. Several missionaries and mission agencies were on campus, conducting seminars and workshops, in addition to the daily plenary and worship sessions.

It began Monday evening, with the International Dessert Night. DTS students, representing 50 odd countries, put on a gala affair to appease even the most insatiable sweet tooth. A few days before this, the organizer of this event had asked me if I would be a judge (along with fellow-prof, Gordon) at this highly calorific and gastronomically delectable occasion. Yessssss! Bliss! Now I had a perfectly legitimate excuse for pigging out. In fact, I volunteered to be the judge every year for the next two decades. (By then, I’ll probably be in ill health as a result of this reckless luxuriation in culinary negligence. But, hey, I can die happy!)

Anyways, there I was, with Gordon. Boy, oh, boy! Desserts from every corner of the globe with exotic names and exquisite tastes.

Why is it that all that tastes good is bad for you?

And that includes sin. One must confess: sin is tasty. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be so attractive.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up,
refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to endure ill-treatment
with the people of God
than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
considering the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;
for he was looking to the reward.
Hebrews 11:24–26

Yes, those shiny things of Egypt are “treasures.” Yes, sin is pleasurable, gratifying, attractive and, perhaps, “beautiful.”

That is why it is important to grasp and cling on to something more beautiful than sin.

One thing I have asked from the LORD,
that I shall seek:
That I may dwell
in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD
and to meditate in His temple.
Psalm 27:4

For if we haven’t seen the beauty of God, sin will be far more beautiful to us. Only when we have gazed upon God’s magnificence, will sin’s allure dissipate.

Augustine’s lines are worth repeating:

Too late have I loved you,
O Beauty so ancient and so new,
too late have I loved you!
Behold, you were within me,
while I was outside:
it was there that I sought you, and,
in my unloveliness, rushed headlong
upon these lovely things
which you have made.
Augustine, Confessions

Far too long we have been running after the “sweet,” the “beautiful,” and the immediately “gratifying,” not realizing that the pleasures of the world are only distant echoes of One who is fairer, sweeter, and eternally rewarding.

All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.
Joseph A. Seiss, 1873

You are fairer than the sons of men ….
Psalm 45:2

Let us remember that in the light of the beauty of this King, all else fades!

I count all things to be loss
in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord …
and count them but rubbish
so that I may gain Christ.
Philippians 3:8

May we not have to say in regret: “Too late, have I loved You.”

ENGAGE!

Hemoglobin is a molecule of special interest to us humans—this iron-containing protein molecule in the blood keeps us alive. By binding oxygen via its four heme groups, this molecule becomes, indeed, the molecule of life. It picks up this precious gas in the lungs and releases it to needy tissues.

Hemoglobin, I declare, is of theological interest for the period of the church calendar called Lent—that 6–7-week season before Easter, when the church reflects on the reason why the redemptive passion of Jesus Christ was necessary: our sin! Lent has, therefore, traditionally been a time of focus upon the spiritual disciplines—the giving up of, or abstinence from, certain activities to train us toward godliness: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, celibacy, secrecy, sacrifice.

… I discipline my body
and make it my slave ….
1 Corinthians 9:27

Which brings us back to hemoglobin and its “theology.” The lethal gas, carbon monoxide, can bind the heme group more avidly than can oxygen, thus effectively negating hemoglobin’s oxygen-carrying capacity. And that means … death!

In other words, abstinence is not good enough. Lest an addictive “carbon monoxide” fill the gap, the disciplines of abstinence must be counterbalanced by disciplines of engagement—those actions that bring our embodied selves into alignment with God’s order.

This Lent may I suggest a discipline of engagement or two?

Study: Engagement in the study of the Word of God.

… continue in the things you have learned
… the sacred writings which are
able to give you the wisdom
that leads to salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14–15

If you haven’t done it recently, try reading through the Bible in a year. It takes only 70 hours to read it the whole way through in one sitting. The average person in the US watches that much TV in just 3 weeks!

Celebration: Engage in celebration and enjoy life and enjoy the world, as we see all of this as God’s gift to us from the bounty of His goodness. Do this with friends—eating, enjoying, and sharing how God has been good to you.

Thou hast turned for me
my mourning into dancing;
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth
and girded me with gladness;
that my soul may sing praise to Thee,
and not be silent.
Psalm 30:11–12

Service: By engaging in this discipline we train ourselves away from self-focus, and self-gratification, as we serve others selflessly, without agenda, for no reward. Serve someone for at least 30 minutes each week.

… whoever wishes
to become great among you
shall be your servant ….
Mark 10:43

Prayer: This Lent, if you choose this discipline, spend 30 minutes a week in prayer with one other person. Or catch your church’s weekly prayer meeting.

Devote yourselves to prayer.
Colossians 4:2

Fellowship: The Christian life requires regular, profound fellowship with others, being accountable. So, this Lent, find an accountability partner. Spend at least 30 minutes with that person each week. And ask one another whether the disciplines you commit to are being practiced.

… let us consider
how to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds,
not forsaking
our own assembling together ….
Hebrews 10:24

Don’t let the carbon monoxide get you. Complement abstinence with engagement as you go through Lent and prepare for the grand event of Easter.

… discipline yourself
for the purpose of godliness;
... godliness is profitable for all things,
since it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.
Timothy 4:7–8

Abstain and engage!

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!)

STOP!

I’ve often wondered why the Ten Commandments are mostly negative in their expression. Except for the mandates to keep the Sabbath and to honor one’s parents, the rest of the Decalogue is prohibitive in nature.

I am the LORD your God [and] you shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol ….
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain …
Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy ….
Honor your father and your mother ….
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet ….
Deuteronomy 5:6–9, 11–12, 16–21

Eighty percent negative. “Don’ts” and “Thou shalt nots.” Why, I wondered.

I finally found the answer the other day, courtesy of the infinite wisdom of the City of Dallas. Less than a mile away from my abode in this metropolis, while driving, I did a double take. I actually reversed back to the intersection (carefully!) to check out this unique phenomenon. Fortunately, I had my camera with me to record the biblical shrewdness of said City apparatchiks.

Yup, two (TWO; a.k.a. “2”) STOP signs. Back to back. One behind the other. Juxtaposed. Two of them! (I rejoiced to see that my tax dollars were being used responsibly by the sage bureaucrats controlling the council of that aforementioned city.) Two STOP signs. Why two?

Then I remembered. God gave 8 staccato STOP signs to the Israelites. Surely the City of Dallas can provide its denizens a couple in the same fashion.

I suppose it’s all got to do with depravity.

And you were dead
in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked
according to the course of this world ….
Among them we too all formerly lived
in the lusts of our flesh,
indulging the desires of the flesh
and of the mind, and were by nature
children of wrath ….
Ephesians 2:1–3

The propensity to sin is deeply embedded in us.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love.

Robert Robinson, 1758

That’s the believer; that’s I. Prone to wander, meander, and go adrift and astray. I need more than two STOP signs!

Or as Paul wrote …

There is none righteous, not even one;
there is none who understands,
there is none who seeks for God;
all have turned aside,
together they have become useless;
there is none who does good,
there is not even one.
Romans 3:10–12

Not even one.

This, of course, is not to say that humankind is as bad as it could be. We don’t deny glimmers and gleams of good here and there, though tainted by sin. A single bad egg in an omelet made of 9 other good eggs still produces a bad omelet!

This probably explains the negativity of the Ten Commandments (and the City of Dallas’s remarkable enterprise of duplicating road signs).

But one day, we won’t need STOP signs, for, on that day, we will be removed from the very presence of sin.

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face;

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day.
Robinson

Until then, O God, …

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Robinson

And watch for those STOP signs!

ILLUSION!

Late last year, I was in the Boston area for a theological conference and stayed with friends from my derm residency days in yon fair city. Being the frigid zone that that metropolis was (and is), I had on a jacket that I promptly divested when I got to my friends’ place. Equally promptly, their daughter, Katy donned it.

(Hard to believe that only yesterday—i.e., eleven+ paltry years ago—I was celebrating Katy's birth with her parents and extended family and friends! I am getting old. I think it was babysitting her that aged me. [Sorry, Miss Kates!])

Anyhow, there she is, almost twelve. Petite Katy, looking portly in a vastly oversized jacket. And she is, you know, a lot taller than she looks in the picture. The young lassie is actually kneeling on her Dad’s bedroom slippers. Such a ham! But quite a cool illusion.

Illusion.

Far too often, Christian life turns out to be a mask we put on. Looking like someone we are not. It’s easy to attach WWJD to my wrist, a cross to my neck, and a fish to my bumper. It’s easy for us church goers, evangelical stalwarts, theological aces, to look pious and sanctimonious. It’s particularly easy for seminary profs. Easy for the sacred to become profane in our hearts.

Jesus’ most scathing denunciations were directed at those of this ilk—the engineers of illusion, a.k.a. “hypocrites!”

“You hypocrites,
rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far away from me.’”
Matthew 15:7–8

Is our Christian life a façade? Is it like that in our heart of hearts? A veneer of spirituality, but rottenness inside? “Whitewashed tombs with bones inside,” Jesus called them.

Illusions are meant to deceive. “We are who we are not” is what it announces to God who sees our hearts. Adulterated spirituality. While we might even fool all the people all the time, one Person is not taken in.

And there is no creature
hidden from His sight,
but all things are open
and laid bare to the eyes of Him
with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13

For those of us tempted to cast illusions, the discipline of secrecy, Jesus says, is healthy.

“So when you give to the poor,
do not sound a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do …,
so that they may be honored by men. …
But when you give to the poor,
do not let your left hand know
what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving will be in secret;
and your Father who sees
what is done in secret will reward you.”
“When you pray,
you are not to be like the hypocrites;
for they love to stand
and pray in the synagogues
and on the street corners
so that they may be seen by men. …
But you, when you pray,
go into your inner room,
close your door and
pray to your Father who is in secret,
and your Father who sees
what is done in secret will reward you.”
“Whenever you fast,
do not put on a gloomy face
as the hypocrites do, …
so that they will be noticed by men ….
But you, when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face
so that your fasting
will not be noticed by men,
but by your Father who is in secret;
and your Father who sees
what is done in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:2–4, 5–6, 16–18

No more illusions! We are going to be the real thing!

OUTWARD!

Last Sunday, I preached on Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12—the guy who was lost in the delusion of his dreams of plenty and prosperity when God jolted him out of his fiction and fancy reminding him, starkly, “Tonight, I’m taking your soul!” What a story!

One of the things that jumps out at you when you read the Parable is the number of first-person pronouns—the I’s and the me’s and the mine’s.

And he [the Rich Fool]
began reasoning to himself, saying,
“What shall I do, since I have
no place to store my crops?”
Then he said, “This is what I will do:
I will tear down my barns
and build larger ones,
and there I will store all my grain
and my goods.
And I will say to my soul,
‘Soul, you have many goods laid up
for many years to come;
take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’”
Luke 12:17–19

This was a dude who was consumed with himself. He talks to himself, he plans with himself, he congratulates himself, he indulges himself, he is gratified with himself. “Hey, who needs others, anyway?” Self-focused, self-oriented, self-conceited, and … self-deceived. The “I,” and “me,” and “mine,” as the Beatles sang ….

All thru’ the day:
I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
All I can hear:
I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Even those tears:
I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Ev’ryone’s saying it,
Flowing more freely than wine,
All thru’ your life:
I me mine.
George Harrison, 1970

But that Rich Fool—surely he didn’t plough by himself? He didn’t sow by himself and reap by himself, did he? And was he planning on constructing those huge storehouses single-handedly, without any help? Insensible to everyone else but I, me, and mine. He wasn’t looking outward.

But God said to him, “You fool!
This very night your soul is required of you;
and now who will own
what you have prepared?”
Luke 12:20

The irony: All that he claimed was his—the I’s and the me’s and the mine’s—now by default they were going to belong to someone else!

And Christ adds ….

“So is the man who stores up
treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God."
Luke 12:21

Not looking outward. Christ’s subsequent commentary explains part of what it means to be “rich toward God”:

“Sell your possessions and give to charity;
make yourselves …
an unfailing treasure in heaven ….”
Luke 12:33

Look outward.

Average giving in American churches is apparently 3% of income. Recent studies have shown that committed American Christians make $2.5 trillion in income each year. Now if they gave just 10% (while not a New Testament mandate, it’s a reasonable enough number), that would be $250 billion! $250 billion! Just a thousandth of that would sponsor 150,000 indigenous missionaries in closed countries; a hundredth of that would triple the current funding of Bible translation and printing.

We must look outward. Even in—and perhaps, especially in—these days of financial crisis. Economy in the worst downturn in the last two decades. Banks failing. Workers losing jobs. Homeowners losing homes. Yes, we must look outward—it is a spiritual issue.

… where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21

And a matter for joyful obedience.

God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7

Does our giving show that we believe our money belongs to God? It’s all His anyway, isn’t it? Look outward!

BRANDED!

Part of this Christmas season, I spent with good friends from Boston, vacationing in sunny, warm Florida, where we had the air-conditioning running in both condo and car. Now, that’s the way to spend Christmas.

There we are—Jake, Nancy, and I—before we launch out to the beach. (Well … not exactly! We drove around the beach. In fact, all the beaches from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale. We saw them all! Without getting any sun on our skin, sand on our bodies, or water in our belongings! In air-conditioned comfort. Now, that’s the way to enjoy surf and sand.)

But anyway, there we are, loyal fans decked out in Dallas Theological Seminary T-shirts. Jake’s has, in Hebrew, Hallelujah; Nancy’s, in Greek, boasts the motto of the school—Preach the Word; mine depicts DTS’s logo, bearing in addition to the Greek motto, an open Bible, a torch, and the date of the institution’s incorporation (1925). Branded!

Preach the word;
be ready in season and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort,
with great patience and instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2

But, really, what are we to be branded by? DTS? Aéropostale? Nike? Louis Vuitton? Prada? Rolex? BMW?

For this reason I say to you,
do not be worried about your life,
as to what you will eat
or what you will drink;
nor for your body,
as to what you will put on.
Is not life more than food,
and the body more than clothing?
Observe how the lilies of the field grow;
they do not toil nor do they spin,
yet I say to you that
not even Solomon in all his glory
clothed himself like one of these.
But seek first His kingdom
and His righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:25, 28, 29, 33

Branded by God. Clothed by Christ. Marked by the Spirit.

For all of you
who were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:27

And this is to live in Him as He lives in us.

I have been crucified with Christ;
and it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me
and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20

To live for Him and to live like Him.

Let us behave properly as in the day,
not in carousing and drunkenness,
not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality,
not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision
for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Romans 13:13–14

Branded by His life, believers are called to demonstrate Christlikeness in everything.

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

Not a bad New Year’s resolution, huh? Probably should be on our lists every year, for it is unlikely we’ll reach that kind of Christlikeness and perfection this side of life. But we will … one day. Branded imperishably, immortally!

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet;
for the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed.
For this perishable must put on
the imperishable,
and this mortal must put on immortality.
… then will come about the saying
that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15:52–54

2009. Perhaps it will be this year ….

SWEET?

That’s the inside of my fridge you’re looking at. Yup! My treasure chest of goodies that represent this season, at least gastronomically.

At each of the innumerable parties I’ve been attending this Christmas, my contribution has been … dessert! Invariably there is a plethora of food at these affairs and I—blessed be me!—I’m left with a considerable portion of my offering to take back home. To be honest, I am thrilled to return with these calorific goodies. I could live on them. In fact, for the next several weeks, I will!

Sweet!

(Note to self: Self, take an extra cholesterol pill everyday for the next month.)

Anyhow, as I was saying, this is the season for sweet stuff. Not the least of which is the Christmas-card Jesus, the sweet baby Jesus!

Silent night, holy night,
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace!

And …

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head.

And one of my favorites—a German chorale harmonized by Bach:

O Jesulein süß! O Jesulein mild!
(O Jesus, so sweet! O Jesus, so mild!)

Jesus—all sweet and tender and mild. Clean and cute and cuddly. Cooing, gurgling, smiling. Hush, you cows, quit your lowing, lest “the poor Baby wakes!”

Who doesn’t love babies? Decidedly a more palatable picture of Jesus than what the Bible portrays. Take John’s description, in Revelation, for instance ….

I saw one like a son of man,
clothed in a robe reaching to the feet,
and girded across His chest
with a golden sash.
His head and His hair were
white like white wool, like snow;
and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
His feet were like burnished bronze,
when it has been made
to glow in a furnace,
and His voice was like
the sound of many waters.
In His right hand He held seven stars,
and out of His mouth
came a sharp two-edged sword;
and His face was like
the sun shining in its strength.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet
like a dead man.
And He placed His right hand on me,
saying, "Do not be afraid;
I am the first and the last,
and the living One ….
Revelation 1:13–18

The Second Person of the Trinity. Fully human and fully God. I am thankful He came as a baby. But let’s not forget: Jesus Christ is not a helpless, harmless, heart-warming, pleasure-giving, sugary, savory, make-me-feel-good, keep-me-all-safe kinda God who makes no demand and seeks no commitment.

Here’s John, again, at the end of the same Book …

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; ….
He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood,
and His name is called The Word of God.
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 He treads the wine press
of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
And on His robe and on His thigh
He has a name written,
“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:11–13; 15–16

No diapers. No pacifiers. No baby blankets. Instead diadems, swords, and blood. Baby? Sweet? Mild? Maybe.

But also King of kings and Lord of lords! Amen!

ENDURANCE!

Here it is—my annual cricket special! This time India is playing England, and beating her at her own game, I might add. And that means late nights for me watching these matches being played in India, 11½ hours ahead of Dallas. But it’s been worth the sleepless vigils. Especially last week.

You might remember the bombings in Mumbai a few weeks ago. England, touring in India, decided to return home for safety reasons (the incinerated Taj hotel, incidentally, had been one of their assigned dwellings). But, after getting assurances of heightened security and with a shift in Test match venues to the more sedate arena of Chennai, in South India, England returned. This display of England’s refusal to be browbeaten by terrorism was a victory for cricket, and, indeed, all sports. Hats off to those valiant souls! No losers in this game!

And history was created at Chennai as India chased down the fourth-highest total in Test cricket in the fourth and final innings. And the most famous son of Mumbai, Sachin Tendulkar, undoubtedly the best batsman in the game today, was the architect of this stunning win. Not only did he consummate the end with a boundary (for four runs), with that he also scored (yet another) century—his 41st in Test cricket! Tendulkar, later, dedicated that century to the people of Mumbai. Indeed, a couple of parents at Tendulkar’s daughter’s school were victims of the carnage. “What happened in Mumbai,” he said, “was extremely unfortunate …. It's a terrible loss and our hearts are with them. All I can say is that in whatever way we can contribute to make them feel better, we’ll make that effort.” And he did. Spectacularly! Fighting dehydration in the blistering Chennai sun, he scampered between wickets like a teenager. The next day, journalists were using words like “imperious,” “breathtaking,” “focused,”
“entrenched,” “fortitude,” etc. It was a task of massive proportions, accomplished by sheer dint of grit—endurance. Despite all odds, despite the weather, the immense total that needed to be made, this was a phenomenal feat of endurance—one of Tendulkar’s finest innings, one of India’s most special wins.

But we who are believers have a finer innings to play, an innings of our life, in a “game” that lasts an earthly lifetime, as we live for the Lord. And so the Bible calls us to …

… 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;
strengthened with all power,
according to His glorious might,
for the attaining of all endurance ….
Colossians 1:10–11

And in God’s might, with God’s Spirit, by God’s grace, let us endure, despite all odds, despite the crumbling of worlds around us daily.

Consider it all joy, my brethren,
when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance.
And let endruance
have its perfect result,
so that you may be perfect and complete ….
James 1:2–4

The endurance, perseverance, patience to produce fruit for the Lord.

But the seed in the good soil,
these are the ones
who have heard the word
in an honest and good heart,
and hold it fast,
and bear fruit with endurance.
Luke 8:15

May no aggression from Satan, no attack from the world, no assault by our own sinful flesh affect our fruit-bearing for God’s glory. And … there is a reward.

We count those blessed who endured.
James 5:11

Let’s endure and be blessed. Hang in there!

JOURNEY!

Half-Price Books. A Dallas institution for over 36 years. Now in 15 states in the US. About 16 of them in the Dallas metropolitan area alone. A $100 million+ enterprise. Claiming to have recycled over 16 million books. Estimated savings value: 650,000 trees.

The flagship store of this noble venture is on NW Highway, a few miles from my abode. This one is about the size of your standard Costco! Coffee shop. Massage parlor. Art gallery. Comfortable and inviting sofas. Board games laid out. Great collection of classical and jazz CDs, not mention a kaleidoscope of other genres. All manner of magazines. And the books! Oh, the books! Did I die and attain nirvana?

Yeah, I know. That’s an inappropriate comment for a seminary prof to make. Sorry. But you get the idea: books, books, and more books!

I make my pilgrimage to this shrine weekly. Have done so for the decade that I’ve lived in this fair city. You never know what you find there. First editions? Rare 18th century publications? CDs by unknown musicians of unknown works by unknown composers? Out-of-print stuff on rhetoric? A set of the symphonies of Mozart (all 41+ of them)? The searching is as much fun as the finding. The joy of the journey! The anticipatory browse, the exhilarating pursuit, the delight of the chase. The joy of the journey!

There is a joy in the journey,
There’s a light we can love on the way;
There is a wonder and wildness to life,
And freedom for those who obey.
Michael Card, 1994

The conception of the Christian life as a pilgrimage is widespread—a journey to a glorious consummation. In fact, Christians in the first century were referred to as “those of the Way.” Saul (later, Paul), the book of Acts recounts, sought to persecute these Wayfarers.

… so that if he found any
belonging to the Way,
both men and women,
he might bring them bound
to Jerusalem.
Acts 9:2

In fact, one of the Greek words for “living” also means “walking” (they are translated either way in the various English versions).

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

The biblical focus on the journey is considerable. While there is no question that the hope of eternal life set before us strengthens us for this expedition, it is easy to live for the then-and-there and forget the here-and-now. The importance of the journey!

Therefore, since we have so great
a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame ….
Hebrews 12:1–2

Have we, the people of the Way, forgotten to run? To walk? Following Him who called Himself the Way?

Jesus said to him,
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father
but through Me.
John 14:6

Let us not neglect the spiritual walk as we make our Way through this life.

But I say, walk by the Spirit,
and you will not carry out
the desire of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16

A walk that pleases God.

… so that you would walk
in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you
into His own kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:12

Happy traveling!

PREPARED!

Thanksgiving, last week, was spent getting ready for a family wedding the next day in New Jersey. Large numbers of the clan congregated there, making merry and festive. Part of the celebrations included, in typical Indian fashion, a henna party for the ladies with the bride.

Henna (aka Lawsonia inermis) is a flowering plant native to the tropics and subtropics. It’s stardom lies in the red-orange dye, lawsone, that it produces, which binds to anatomical items of great interest to yours faithfully—skin, hair, and nails. The commercially available henna paste is carefully applied to the skin in intricate patterns by skilled artists and the pigment migrates deep into the epidermis, staining it red-brown within minutes. And the stuff remains for a few weeks, even after the black paste has fallen off (as in the hands of four cousins and nieces in the photo).

This Eastern practice of of the women (including the bride) getting together before the wedding to decorate their hands and feet is symbolic of the preparation of the bride for her groom. Indeed, Ugaritic texts, dating back to 14th–12th century BC, mention henna in the context of wedding celebrations. As a matter of fact, the Bible does, too. And I’ll give you one guess as to the book in which it is found.

Yup, you’re right!

My beloved is to me a
cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of Engedi. …
Your shoots are
an orchard of pomegranates,
with choice fruits,
henna with nard plants.
Song of Solomon 1:14; 4:13

The preparation of the bride! Another, much more important, bridal preparation is already underway.

Let us rejoice and be glad
and give the glory to Him [Christ],
for the marriage of the Lamb
has come and His bride
has made herself ready.
Revelation 19:7

Believers—the church, the bride of Christ—are being prepared for a wedding.

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
my soul will exult in my God;
for He has clothed me
with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me
with a robe of righteousness,
… as a bride adorns herself
with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

The choice of the bride and the process of her preparation began with the death and resurrection of Christ, that momentous event of history—God’s provision of forgiveness that redeems believers, cleansing them from sins. The bride of Christ is exhorted to remain so prepared in purity for that great day when she (we!) will see the Groom face to face.

Beloved, now we are children of God ….
We know that when He appears,
we will be like Him,
because we will see Him just as He is.
And everyone who has
this hope fixed on Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2–3

May God not be lamenting over us ….

“Can a virgin forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
days without number.”
Jeremiah 2:32

Instead may He be rejoicing …

… as the bridegroom
rejoices over the bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.
Isaiah 62:5

Let us remain pure by Christ’s grace, through the power of His Spirit, for the glory of God.

… Christ also loved the church
and gave Himself up for her,
so that He might sanctify her,
having cleansed her …,
that He might present to Himself
the church in all her glory,
having no spot or wrinkle
or any such thing;
but that she would be
holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:25–27

Holy and blameless. A prepared bride!

CHARACTER!

I was in Boston last week for the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Having time to kill, I decided to creep around town looking for things to photograph (yup, at night, and when it was freezing!). That’s when I came upon Trinity Church in the heart of town. This venerable church, founded in 1733, is part of the Episcopal Diocese of ye olde Commonwealth of Massachusetts. On one side of the remarkable building was the statue of its most famous son, Phillips Brooks (1835–1893), who served as the rector of the church for over two decades. That sculpture was created by the 19th century “American Renaissance” artist, Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Brooks, these days, is best known for having written the Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” And, by the way, he was single by choice, too, never married.

Standing 6’4” tall, Brooks was not only imposing in his physique, but in his moral stature as well. He was a firm believer in the principle that the character of the preacher was as important as the content of one’s preaching. The “real preacher,” Brooks said, in his lectures to students at Yale, is the one who pours out “truth through personality.” God’s truth delivered through our personalities—our words, our lives. In other words, there is no way one can demonstrate truth persuasively and be its effective witness but through one’s own life lived faithfully and consistently with that truth. Or as another, even more ancient one, said:

“Persuasion is achieved

by the speaker's personal character ….
[One’s] character may almost be called
the most effective means of persuasion [one] possesses.”

That was Aristotle (384–322 BC), in his Rhetoric. Paul would agree:

… 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

Character. Ethos. Credibility. Contributes a lot to the potency of proclaimed truth, no question. In combination with the power of the Holy Spirit (notice Christ standing behind the preacher in the scultpure), the content of the message, imbued with the character of the herald brings conviction. Rightly, Paul appeals to this facet of his preaching.

You are witnesses, and so is God,
how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly
we behaved toward you believers;
just as you know how 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 2:10–12

A character of integrity, of probity, of respectability.

For our proud confidence is this:
the testimony of our conscience,
that in holiness and godly sincerity,
… in the grace of God,
we have conducted ourselves in the world,
and especially toward you.
2 Corinthians 1:12

Character. Truth through personality. So much so, Paul could exhort his readers to imitate him!

Therefore I exhort you,
be imitators of me.
1 Corinthians 4:16

I wondered to myself if I could ever say that. For all the preaching I do, could I offer myself as an example of God’s truth lived out?

… we did not act in an
undisciplined manner among you,
… in order to offer ourselves
as a model for you,
so that you would follow our example.
2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9

Truth through personality. May our lives complement the persuasiveness of our proclamation.

HIGHWAY!

Negotiating I-95 (the New England Thruway) from NYC to parts frozen (Providence and Boston) where I was headed for a couple of theology meetings last week, I spotted the El Camino Real—the King’s Highway—in Connecticut. And it was appropriately numbered, too.

Which King? Did he come or go this way? Or was it just a whimsical exercise to name the road “King’s Highway”?

As I took both my hands off the steering wheel to snap a picture, using my knees to keep the vehicle in its lane, I thought about the real KING’s Highway. The way of the Lord.

As for God, His way is blameless.
2 Samuel 22:31

Some follow it; some don’t. As God soliloquized:

For I have chosen him [Abraham],
so that he may command his children
and his household after him
to keep the way of the LORD
by doing righteousness and justice ….
Genesis 18:19

And, needless to say, there is blissful thriving if one takes that route, but dire consequences if one does not, as Moses recommended to the nation of Israel:

… the blessing, if you listen to the
commandments of the LORD your God,
which I am commanding you today;
and the curse, if you do not listen to the
commandments of the LORD your God,
but turn aside from the way
which I am commanding you today ….
Deuteronomy 11:27–28

A few other rare birds, King Josiah, for instance, also stayed in the right lane.

He did right in the sight of the LORD
and walked in all the way
of his father David,
nor did he turn aside
to the right or to the left.
2 Kings 22:2

It is interesting that at least two other times, when “highway” or “way” is mentioned in the Bible, the emphasis is on not veering off to the left, nor to the right.

Here’s Moses asking permission of the King of Edom during the Exodus:

“Please let us pass through your land. …
We will go along the king’s highway,
not turning to the right or left ….”
Numbers 20:17

Or here are the Philistines returning the Ark, in a cart drawn by cows.

And the cows took the straight way …;
they went along the highway,
lowing as they went, and did not turn aside
to the right or to the left.
1 Samuel 6:12

The King’s Highway, God’s way, is meant to be adhered to, without deviation, without distraction, without derailment. That, however, is a natural human tendency.

“For My people have forgotten Me,
they burn incense to worthless gods
and they have stumbled from their ways,
from the ancient paths,
to walk in bypaths, not on a highway ….”
Jeremiah 18:15

Walking in God’s way is to live according to God’s demands, in congruence with His Word, in compliance to His call.

How blessed are those
whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Psalm 119:1

God’s people are to abide on that straight and narrow Highway.

The highway of the upright
is to depart from evil ….
Proverbs 16:17

And, one day, when the KING comes to reign on earth, there really will be an El Camino Real:

A highway will be there …
and it will be called
the Highway of Holiness.
Isaiah 35:8

The KING has already come, preparations have already begun, and soon He will be coming again.

Clear the way for the LORD
in the wilderness;
make smooth in the desert
a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3

The King’s Highway. Let’s stay on it, shall we?

SPICY!

Gosh, that picture makes me salivate! (Too much peanut butter can do that to you. I need to go get me some hot Indian food.)

Anyways, the other day I had a patient in my clinic. I could tell he was Indian before I even set my eyes on him. No, I had not seen his name or glanced at his chart before I came to my conclusion. He—or she—was Indian. I was sure. I had just walked by the room (s)he was in and discerned it instantly. Indian. One of that ilk—or there could have been a whole host of them Indians lurking around in the clinic (besides me). Indian it/he/she/they was/were, no matter what the gender, number, caste, or creed. No question. Indian.

For out from the room was wafting the delicate aroma of a mixture of esoteric spices from an exotic land. A profusion of fragrances—ginger, garlic, mustard seeds, sesame oil, hot peppers, coriander, turmeric, cumin, saffron, and a host of other enigmatic odors—dancing with abandon upon my olfactory nerve endings. Yup, Indian.

You see, novices of Indian cooking are unaware of one of its potent idiosyncrasies. The spices employed in that fine epicurean art invade and attach themselves to everything, and I mean everything. Your clothes, your rugs, your curtains, your lampshades—everything. Everything takes on a curry flavor! And that signature bouquet emanates from your person broadcasting your culinary inclinations and possibly your ethnicity as well. That’s how I knew there was an Indian around there that day. (Now peanut butter, stink, it doth not. Then again, it doesn’t taste as good as a fried hot pepper. Not by a long shot. Nope, not even JIF.) The cognoscenti, like my sister-in-law, know to use industrial grade fans in the kitchen (that can blow your hair off!), or to perform all those intricate gastronomic maneuvers on the deck outside the house (announcing an Indian meal to the rest of the neighborhood!). But gourmets like me—we know best: we just eat out! (Or stick with JIF!)

All this olfactory talk reminds me of a verse from Paul.

But thanks be to God,
who always leads us
in triumph in Christ,
and manifests through us
the sweet aroma
of the knowledge of Him
in every place.
2 Corinthians 2:14

Can they tell that I’m a Christian from far, before they set their eyes on me or read my name or look at my chart? Does the aroma of Christ emanate from me everywhere I go? Does anyone know? Do they see, hear, feel, taste, and smell Christ when I’m around?

God has this thing about smell. He loves fragrance. The Scriptures are awash in stuff about God being pleased by perfume. But only one particular kind of perfume. Not the concoctions of Gucci, Cavalli, Prada, Saint Laurent, or Chanel. Rather, the soothing redolence of sacrifice. That’s what pleases God.

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD,
and took of every clean animal
and of every clean bird and
offered burnt offerings on the altar.
The LORD smelled
the soothing aroma …
Genesis 8:20–21

And in the New Testament, the ultimate sacrifice for sin gave God the greatest satisfaction—the “notes” of Christ.

Christ also loved you
and gave Himself up for us,
an offering and a sacrifice
to God as a fragrant aroma.
Ephesians 5:2

Now that’s an aroma that is pleasing to God. And our Christlikeness, our aroma of Christ, likewise pleases Him.

… we are a fragrance of Christ to God.
2 Corinthians 2:15

May our lives be spicy for God!

EXERCISE?

I go there three times a week. The Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center. It has everything—pool, spa, myriad machines and weights to enthrall and engage (and entrap) every muscle, ligament, and tendon of your body, ball courts, well-appointed locker rooms, orange juice in the morning, ample supplies of fresh towels … everything! And I go there thrice a week.

Of course, all I do is sit on the exercise bike. Nothing else. I don’t care for the free orange juice. I don’t watch their innumerable TVs. I don’t plug my ears with music while doing the hamster thing on the bike. I read. And when I’m done with my magazine, I’m outta there! I read on the many sofas sprinkled on every floor. I read in their shower. My own world. Oblivious to the glories of Landry.

And I also enjoy watching some of my Dallas Seminary colleagues sweat their lives out. Well, those old guys really need it! As for me, I just read.

It’s true, as one of them astutely pointed out to me: “You could read at home, you know.” I do! I just need a change of scene. So I go to Landry. Three times a week. To read. On the bike.

I was thinking these deep thoughts the other day, rather morosely, ruing the fact that I’d gone to medical school. Ignorance would have been bliss and I could have avoided making the thrice-weekly guilt trip to BTLFC. Yeah, guilt! And high cholesterol. That’s what makes me go there.

I wonder how many of us go to church like I go to Landry.

Guilt? Or maybe you just want to read … or sleep? Or listen to some inoffensive music? Some of these church enterprises even provide a decent cup of java. And depending on the preacher, one could, if you were lucky, be entertained for a short bit. You know, a few movie clips, a joke or two, a rant on sin. Fun! And all this for a couple of quarters in the collection plate. Great deal. Keeps the guilt at bay … at least till next Sunday. Our own world.

I hope not.

For there is no Christianity without the church. Every believer is an integral part of the church, the body of Christ.

Now you are Christ's body,
and individually members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27

If body, then body parts. And for a body to function as one healthy and united entity, all the individual body parts must be working optimally doing the work of the Lord together.

Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your toil
is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Well, if each believer is a body part, then each of us, as a body part, is called to be an active part of the body—not like me at Landry, in my own world, unconscious of all else, assuaging my guilt.

So then we pursue the things
which make for …
the building up of one another.
Romans 14:19

Prof. Howard Hendricks of DTS once said that folks going to church are either “pillars” holding up the church—active, functioning body parts—or they are “caterpillars” crawling in and out of each service—non-/dysfunctional body parts stricken by paralysis.

No more stupor. No more slumber. Let us move into action, functioning for the good of the body.

… let us consider how to
stimulate one another
to love and good deeds ….
Hebrews 10:24

Let’s get some exercise!

DARK?

Another Superhero movie is coming, just in time for Christmas (the time of the year that celebrates the advent of the real SUPERHERO). The current celluloid arrival is Mr. Bond (again) in Quantum of Solace opening in a couple of weeks here in the US.

Quite interesting to see how “dark” these superheroes have become in their latest avatars. (Or should I say “gray?”) First it was Spider-Man (Spider-Man 3) last year. Then Batman this summer. In fact, that one was actually called The Dark Knight. While the thirst for Superheroes keeps the box office rolling, apparently you can’t be a “real” superhero unless you’ve got some grayness/darkness in you.

Now, of course, that is understandable. After all, Parker, and Wayne, and Bond are only human. And the Bible makes it clear that there is no one of that species without a dark side.

“There is none righteous, not even one;
… there is none who does good,
there is not even one."
Romans 3:10, 12

Sure, these superheroes are fallible and come packaged with warts (and acne and moles—and I do know a thing or two about these).

But what a relief that our SUPERHERO, the Lord Jesus Christ, is impeccable, blemishless, sinless!

For it was fitting for us
to have such a high priest,
holy, innocent, undefiled,
separated from sinners
and exalted above the heavens ….
Hebrews 7:26

The only SUPERHERO to perform the greatest act of rescue ever! Period! And the only One who did it once for all. Complete. Total. Final. For our sin. Washing it all away! Healed! Redeemed! Saved! SUPERHERO, indeed!

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

While Parker, and Wayne, and Bond, and even Kent, never perish in their annals (at least not as far as we have been told; their demise would certainly not help Hollywood’s bottom line!), our SUPERHERO did die!

For God has not destined us for wrath,
but for obtaining salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died, so that whether
we are awake or asleep,
we will live together with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10

This “high priest” made the ultimate sacrifice for us—Himself—dying on the cross.

… Christ … gave Himself up for us,
an offering and a sacrifice to God
as a fragrant aroma.
Ephesians 5:2

And this sacrifice, unlike the altruistic and philanthropic activities of the rest of the clay-footed Superheroes, was motivated by an incomparable love—divine and excelling all other loves.

But God demonstrates
His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

The amazing love of God, experienced by all who put their trust in Christ as Savior, believing that He died on the cross for their sin, and that He rose from the dead to live forever.

For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish,
but have eternal life.
John 3:16

And so in this impeccable SUPERHERO we put our trust. To Him we go often. For …

… we do not have a high priest who
cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but One who has been tempted
in all things as we are, yet without sin.
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 4:15–16

Pure SUPERHERO!