FORT!

This massive fire machine is called the Seri Rambai and is located in Fort Cornwallis in Penang, Malaysia, the largest intact fortress in that country, and the first administrative and military base of the British East India Company. (And that’s my friend with whom I traipsed around the country a few months ago.) The fortress was built in the 1780s with labor imported from India. Sitting on the tip of the island of Penang, the fort was protected with cannons mounted all along its perimeter.

Despite all the weaponry and hostile equipment located in the Fort, history has never recorded any battle in that place. Carefully built, in the shape of star to better protect itself from cannon-fire, with a 27-foot wide moat (later filled in during a malaria epidemic), and costing 67,000 Spanish dollars, the Fort never fought.

These days, the Seri Rambai cannon, though has its own idiosyncratic use. Locals believe the it has a magical spirit dwelling in it. Women who place flowers on the barrel are guaranteed, so they say, to improve their fertility.

But, no battles in that fort!

And there’s a chapel in the fort, too. That has found use as well … for marriages, the first recorded one being in 1799.

But, battles? Nope, not in that fort!

Great structures, grand cannons. But no battles.

Now, I, for one, am glad no battles were fought there, no lives lost, no damage wrought on man, beast, or structure. I am thankful for that. Maybe it was the deterrent effect of all the cannons. I don’t know. In any case, the irony of a fort that has never seen battle is pungent.

The Bible is replete with warnings of battles of all kinds, persecutions aplenty, drowning oppression and overwhelming tribulation, and the like.
In fact, Jesus Himself pronounced a blessing on those persecuted for His sake.

“Blessed are you
when people insult you
and persecute you,
and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward in heaven is great
for in the same way
they persecuted the prophets
who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11–12

And in the Gospel of Mark, to those disciples who have given all to follow Him, Jesus promised:

“Truly I say to you,
there is no one who has left
house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or farms,
for My sake and for the gospel's sake
but that he will receive
a hundred times as much now
in the present age,
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and farms,
along with persecutions;
and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Mark 10:29–30

Yup, that’s promised to disciples as well—“persecutions.”

Paul wasn’t at all silent about this stuff either.

Indeed, all who desire
to live godly in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
2 Timothy 3:12

One starts to wonder, in this fairly peaceful nation we dwell in, if we are forts that have never fought battles. Of course, I am thankful for peace and for the Lord’s allowing us to dwell in relative safety without undue tumults and trials and turmoils afflicting us. But one does begin to wonder ….

Maybe it is on its way.

Let us remain alert.

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

It can’t be too far away, can it? God does keep His word!

REST!

Somebody asked me the other day if my summer had been productive so far.

As you can tell, it sure has!

(That’s yours faithfully, lollygagging [is it possible to engage in that activity in water?] in the ocean off Cayman Islands. Now I’m not, by any stretch of the imagination, one for water activities, preferring to conserve my heartbeats for other enterprises. Not to mention exposing myself to the deleterious effects of ye olde ultraviolet. It wouldn’t do—oh, no!—for a dermatologist to get a skin cancer. But this was terrific: golden sands, clear water, comfortably warm, snorkeling for fascinating tropical fish, and not a soul on the beach. I also went jet-skiing there with my nephew—enough adrenaline was pumped up in that endeavor to last me the rest of the year. [On second thought, make that “the rest of the decade.”])

Anyhow, all this to say my summer has been productive.

A couple of writing projects, my thrice weekly clinical schedule, preaching here and there (including a current and ongoing four-week series at my home church, Northwest Bible Church, a week preaching at a Christian camp in Mt. Hermon, CA (nestled in the redwoods), aforementioned Caribbean jaunt (part of a celebratory cruise), a visit to see an old classmate and his family in NC, and an upcoming preaching/teaching trip to Australia. Yup, it’s been busy, but in a tremendously fun sort of way!

I wonder what heaven will be like. Busy?

Genesis to Revelation is an organized layout of time, outlining a trajectory of human history that begins in a verdant garden with a river and containing the tree of life …

The LORD God planted a garden
toward the east, in Eden;
and there He placed
the man whom He had formed.
… the tree of life also
in the midst of the garden ….
Now a river flowed
out of Eden to water the garden.

Genesis 2:8–10

… and time ends in a glorious city with a river, also containing a tree of life.

Then he [an angel]
showed me [John, the writer]
a river of the water of life,
clear as crystal, coming from the
throne of God and of the Lamb ….
On either side of the river
was the tree of life ….

Revelation 22:1–2

So what did the good Lord want man to be doing in these depictions of a heavenly utopia?

Then the LORD God took the man
and put him into the garden of Eden
to cultivate it and keep it.

Genesis 2:15

That Hebrew word, translated “cultivate,” can also mean “work, till, serve,” etc. Later in the Scriptures it acquired strong liturgical connotations and came to be used regularly for the service of worship.

“You shall fear the LORD your God;
and you shall worship [serve] Him.”

Deuteronomy 6:13

It is no coincidence, then, that the bond-servants of the Lamb, in the restored garden that is the heavenly city, will also be “serving.”

There will no longer be any curse;
and the throne of God and
of the Lamb will be in it,
and His bond-servants
will serve Him.
Revelation 22:3

That Greek word, too, translated “serve,” is frequently used of worship.

… they are before the throne of God;
and they serve Him
day and night in His temple.

Revelation 7:15

Which means, folks, heaven is going to be one busy place. So get some rest here while you can, will you?

Go to the Caribbean. Lollygag in the ocean. Conserve those heartbeats.

Do I hear an “Amen!"?

FURNACE!

It had been a bit temperamental the last few days. Breaker tripping often. Suddenly losing cooling. It finally just quit Friday evening. Dead—my A/C at home.
Now I can take a lot of appliances quitting in my place without turning a a hair. Fridge? Sure! (As long as there aren’t any cheesecakes stashed away within.) Microwave? Begone! Range? Who cares! But lose my A/C? In Dallas. Not in the summer. Not with the mercury climbing into three figures Fahrenheit.

But it did quit. And the guys who heal these contraptions couldn’t show up until the next day. So there I was sweltering and suffering.

A few degrees of snow would have been nice, I thought. (Thankfully, I immediately returned to sanity!)

That night, I shifted into my living room, below my bedroom, for a half-degree more of comfort, fans blasting away. I took to the couch. Whew! How am I going to sleep, I wondered. I decided to usher in those Zs by re-reading Harry Potter VI (and to get me ready for the movie release this Wednesday—Yup! Tickets already bought!). Wrong idea. Reading HP doesn’t exactly cool one off; that’s not what one would call a soporific tome. Somnolence it certainly doth not induce.

Finally I drowsed off.

Suddenly it’s 3:00 am and my neighbor decides to have a go on his bass guitar. Not a good night at all!

It wasn’t that loud or anything, but in my rather broiled and sensitive state of mind, I couldn’t go back to sleep. So I decided to turn on my music on to drown out aforementioned instrument of torture.

But Bach sounded horrible with my neighbor’s cacophonic accompaniment. I abandoned Bach and went to ear plugs.

Nope, not a good night at all.

But I had a lot of time to think about things—mostly in a fit of ire while drowning in a sea of sweat.

Gosh, how we take things for granted! Only when you’ve lost something do you realize how important that was.

Cold air. Peace. Quiet. Harry Potter. Cheesecake. Health. Livelihood. Loved ones. There really is no guarantee that we will have continual access to any or all of these, is there? God might choose to take them away at any time.

I realized that I needed to be more thankful for all that I have. After all, we deserve nothing!

What do you have
that you did not receive?
And if you did receive it,
why do you boast as if
you had not received it?
1 Corinthians 4:7

It’s all the grace of God, isn’t it? What we are, where we are, what we have, where we go, what we do, …. All God’s grace and God’s grace alone.

But by the grace of God I am what I am,
1 Corinthians 15:10

And so we must be thankful. Ever grateful.

In everything give thanks;
for this is God's will for you
in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

In everything. For everything.

Whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him
to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17

Hold everything/everybody lightly. And give thanks!

Of course, the greatest blessing we have, which can never be taken away from us is the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. And for that, too, we must be thankful. That, too—and especially that—is a gift to us who were undeserving.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15

Don’t sweat it. Give thanks!

TRIP!

I am currently involved in multiple projects dealing with the Gospel of Mark—a writing enterprise on the book, a preaching series through the book, a teaching stint of the book. Fun! Immersing oneself so totally in any one book is fascinating, especially one so energetic and so vigorous as this second Gospel.

One of the more curious things about the book is its outline. One journey. One trip. Galilee to Jerusalem. Begins in Galilee, ends in Jerusalem. The whole entourage, Jesus and his followers, proceeds from point A to point B.

Now undoubtedly Jesus did travel to Jerusalem more than once (John says three times). But in Mark, he arrives there only in the last week of his life. For, you see, Mark has an agenda. He wants to portray this journey with Jesus as the essence of what it means to be a disciple. The trip of discipleship!

(As a matter of fact, one is better off interpreting each of the Gospel writers as having individual and discrete agendas, at least for preaching and application purposes.)

Act I of Mark is set in Galilee; Act III, in Jerusalem; and Act II, on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. The trip of discipleship!

Mark’s momentum is brought out by his use of the phrase, “on the way,” often found, not surprisingly, in the middle section of the Gospel, Act II.

Now this idea of discipleship as a trip is not entirely original with Mark. Christian life as a pilgrimage following Jesus and consummating in a glorious finish is a widespread conception.

After all, Jesus called Himself the “Way.”

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

Even Jesus’ opponents kinda guessed this was what was going on with Jesus.

They came and said to Him,
“Teacher, we know that
You are truthful and …
teach the way of God in truth.”
Mark 12:14

In fact, the early church was referred to as “The Way.” Saul the persecutor of the church in its infancy confesses …

"I persecuted this Way to the death,
binding and putting
both men and women into prisons ….”
Acts 22:4

And later he—now the apostle Paul—confesses to following the Way, himself:

“… according to the Way
which they call a sect
I do serve the God of our fathers,
believing everything that is
in accordance with the Law
and that is written in the Prophets.”
Acts 24:14

Of course, in the Greek, the word “to walk” also means “to live.”

Therefore we have been
buried with Him
through baptism into death,
so that as Christ was raised
from the dead
through the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4

At times, the “walking” becomes “running.”

… holding fast the word of life,
so that in the day of Christ
I will have reason to glory
because I did not run in vain ….
Philippians 2:16

And sometimes the sedate walk (who said the Christian life was sedate) becomes a race!

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,
Hebrews 12:1

In any case, walking or running, we are to …

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

The trip of discipleship!

CELEBRATION!

He finally did it. My brother graduated from seminary after long years of hard labor and rigorous toil! This was cause for celebration. And so we did!

We took a Caribbean cruise earlier this summer. Celebration! A few days of doing absolutely nothing but lounging around on the boat, eating, listening to music, seeing shows, eating, cavorting on the beaches (Yup! My kind of activity exactly!), eating, shopping, taking pictures, sleeping in, eating, reading, watching the waves …. Oh, and did I mention eating?

(So there we are, all dressed for a formal dinner: my brother, sister-in-law, nephews, Dad, and I.)

We celebrated!

Celebration is actually a spiritual discipline, oft overlooked. It is, in fact, the completion of the discipline of worship, inasmuch as it dwells on the greatness of God demonstrated in His goodness to us, His children.

We celebrate as we enjoy one another, our world, and all of God’s goodness, resting upon our faith in God’s magnificence, His beauty, His love. And we celebrate in concert with our fellow-believers, who, along with us, know and love the Triune God, as we together eat, drink, sing, dance, and tell of the goodness of God.

For everything created by God is good,
and nothing is to be rejected
if it is received with gratitude.
1 Timothy 4:4

In fact, in the Old Testament, God’s people were commanded to put aside money for such celebration.

You shall surely tithe ….
You shall eat in the presence
of the LORD your God, …
the tithe of your grain,
your new wine, your oil,
and the firstborn of your herd
and your flock …
Deuteronomy 14:22–23a

And notice the purpose of this celebratory activity:

… so that you may learn
to fear the LORD your God always.
Deuteronomy 14:22b

As we embrace the season of enjoyment, we really begin to see how great and lovely God is, and how good He has been to us. And thus we “learn to fear the LORD [y]our God always.” Awed reverence for God is not the donning of tight collars and the disposition of sour faces. Nope! To fear God this way includes making merry and having a good time! In the Caribbean!

Celebration diminishes our deprivations and sorrows, and magnifies our abundance and joys. And in celebrating the goodness of God we find the grace to continue to serve this good God!

The Bible is full of this exuberant activity:

You have turned for me
my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth
and girded me with gladness,
that my soul may sing praise to You
and not be silent.
O LORD my God,
I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalm 30:11–12

Earlier this week, I attended the funeral of a parent of good friends. It was a celebration! The goodness of God was manifest even as we grieved, for that loved one had gone home.

Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Corinthians 15:54

The victory that believers have in Christ Jesus who paid for sins on the cross and rose from the dead. The goodness of God! Cause for celebration, indeed!

C. S. Lewis’ imaginative creation, the demon Screwtape, remarks with chagrin, “[Pleasure] is His [God’s] invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one.”

We celebrate for God has the last word.

Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, rejoice! …
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4, 7

Celebrate!

TRAP!

That’s the first time I’ve seen one. A carnivorous plant! A plant that eats flesh—well, not animals, but insects and such (but, on rare occasion, even small frogs). Nepenthes rafflesiana. One of the many species of pitcher plants. One of the many bizarre pieces of flora found on this earth. This specimen was in Penang, Malaysia.

The trap essentially is a pitcher-like cavity filled with a liquid that contains enzymes—technically called a “pitfall” trap. Appropriately named! No doubt, a pitfall literally and figuratively for some tiny denizens of this planet that happen to fall into the pit.

I wonder if David, the Psalmist, had seen this species of flesh-eating plant. He often wrote of pitfalls:

For without cause
they hid their net for me;
without cause
they dug a pit for my soul.
Psalm 35:7

Anyhow, the aforementioned vegetable life successfully drowns its prey in the watery pit and proceeds to dissolve it. Some of these pitcher plants are known to contain kinds of insect larvae and sometimes even ants on the rim of the pitcher, as well, all of which cooperate to break down (and feast upon) the unwitting victim. The trapped fauna meets its demise rapidly and is converted into amino acids, peptides, etc., etc., with which the wolfish plant energizes its nefarious enterprises.

The unwary invertebrate is bribed into the lethal trap by the odor of nectar and other seductive accoutrements of the plant like red pigment. Once inside, a flaky wax on the grooved interior surface of the pitcher prevents the insect from climbing out.

Tempted, lured, decoyed, seduced, baited, snared! Trapped!

Good lesson for all of us Christ-followers. We, too, are easily dissolved by pitfalls, for many …

… fall into temptation and a snare
and many foolish and harmful desires
which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
1 Timothy 6:9

Jesus, Himself, taught His disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation.

“Keep watching and praying that
you may not enter into temptation;
the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41

Weak indeed! Distracted and disturbed, we are easily dislodged into the pitfalls conveniently provided for us by our own sinfulness:

… each one is tempted
when he is carried away
and enticed by his own lust.
James 1:14

Unseen pitfalls the world lays in our paths:

… but the worries of the world,
and the deceitfulness of riches,
and the desires for other things
enter in and choke the word,
and it becomes unfruitful.
Mark 4:19

Other pitfalls are designed to dissolve us into someone’s lunch:

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

And so, Peter warns:

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
1 Peter 5:8

That’s our responsibility.

But we are reminded of God’s sovereign grace to us as well, even in (and especially in?) times of temptation. His aid 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 … will provide the way of escape also,
so that you will be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

For sure, it is He who rescues us from the clutches of evil and the pitfalls of life.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless His holy name.
… and forget none of His benefits;
who redeems your life from the pit ….
Psalm 103:1–2, 4

Don’t fall in!

FOCUS!

Yes, 85 (eighty-five!) tools. All 85 of the tools produced by Wenger, manufacturers and purveyors of ye olde and fine product, the Genuine Swiss Army Knife. All 85 on one single device—including (here goes!): a nail file, nail cleaner, corkscrew, adjustable pliers with wire crimper and cutter, spring-loaded locking needle-nose pliers with wire cutter, an assemblage of screwdriver bits, double-cut wood saw with ruler (inches and centimeters!), bike chain rivet setter, allen wrench, laser pointer, compass, magnifier, springless scissors, flashlight, fish scaler and hook disgorger and line guide, reamer, fine fork for watch spring bars, golf divot repair tool, can opener, tweezers, toothpick, …. “What it does not have,” they advertise, “you do not need!”

There you have it—the “Giant Swiss Army Knife.” An almost 3 lbs-heavy behemoth! Winner of the Guinness World Record for “the most multifunctional penknife.” Multifunctional? Functional? That monster? Oh, and I forgot, you’ve got to shell out US$999 for that King Kong of knives. If you think that titan of tools is functional, you’ve got another think coming. To their credit, Wenger warns the unwitting buyer who, now US$999 poorer, finds this contraption to be perfectly useless.

I quote from their website.

“It is really intended for collectors of Swiss Army Knives and collection display, as opposed to a pocket tool, it is just TOO BIG for practical use. This Wenger Swiss Army knife is NOT a pocket tool, it is for display—collector's [sic!] only.”

(Now who would’ve thought it wasn’t a pocket tool!)

Sometimes one gets carried away. All those things we can do. All those gifts and talents we possess. All that time on our hands. All those opportunities and open doors beckoning us. And we must go through them all. Yes, we do get carried away, perhaps with an inflated sense of our own versatility (or should I say “omnipotence”?).

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 ….
Philippians 3:13–14

Paul’s statement is even more crisp in Greek: “… but one ….” That’s it. Two words. But one! His single-mindedness, preoccupation, his resolve and determination for God and His glory is striking.

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

Amazing, his clinical focus on proclaiming Christ, almost to the neglect of everything else.

But whatever things were gain to me,
those things I have counted as loss
for the sake of Christ.
Philippians 3:7

Time, he knew, was short, energy limited, capacities finite, bodies frail ….

… holding fast the word of life,
so that in the day of Christ
I will have reason to glory
because I did not
run in vain nor toil in vain.
Philippians 2:16

We can’t be an 85-tool Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife—non-functional, running and toiling in vain.

Instead, may we, by beginning to reflect on how God has used us in the past, and on what He is doing in our lives now—may we develop better focus on where and how we should concentrate our energies in the future. For we must be …

… careful how [we] walk,
not as unwise men but as wise,
making the most of [our] time,
because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15–16

A functional one-tool knife!

BURN!

This was no random conflagration I spotted on a street in Penang, Malaysia, a couple of months ago.

In Chinese religious traditions, burning “joss paper” (aka “paper money,” “hell’s money,” etc.) is an age-old practice for the benefit of expired ancestors. Joss paper is essentially squares of gold-colored paper, elaborately decorated with seals, stamps, designs, and other appropriate motifs. Apparently this incendiary process is a means to transfer money to those populating the afterlife, so that those denizens of the other-world will have sufficient purchasing power to live comfortably in the hereafter. Paper credit cards, properly stamped “VISA,” are thought to work well, too, not to mention faux traveler’s checks and other monetary instruments. Sometimes these are made out in specific denominations, usually in the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

Things, these days, however, have come to a pretty pass; the non-traditionalists (read: “postmoderns”—woe betide them!) have gone beyond financial items. Such iconoclasts have been known to burn papier-mâché replicas of all kinds of useful commodities, including Mercedes Benzes, laptops, iPhones, passports …. Oh, and Viagra! Paper Viagra is a popular item to be passed on to one’s ancestors, reliable sources inform us. I shall refrain from speculating about the rationale for such a prurient gesture towards one’s predecessors.

Sometimes these offerings in smoke are specifically directed to the Judge of the Dead to bribe that official to release one’s ancestors from the traumatic and less-than-comfortable holding place they might have been confined in.

Indulgences, they used to call it in other places. Of course, Western practitioners of this system were much more sophisticated than humble Easterners. No burning for them. No smoke, no ash. Of course, not! That wouldn’t be environmentally acceptable. Nonetheless, it was a mutated form of burning joss money. In fact, in an undertaking of immense faith these professionals did away with pretence altogether. Why bother with toy money, when you can deal with the real stuff. So they did, with well-meaning descendants attempting to pay off the religious hierarchy in order to win their ancestors a few million years less in purgatory.

Martin Luther inveighed against these devices in no uncertain terms. In fact, his nailing documents to church doors (the ancient version of a flaming post online) kicked off a wake of protests, generating the species of Christianity called Protestantism.

That smart dude was no doubt familiar with Hebrews 9:27.

… it is appointed for men to die once
and after this comes judgment ….
Hebrews 9:27

In other words, not a whole lot we can do for those gone on before. Salvation is function of one’s belief or faith in Christ as Savior before death, not after.

Behold, now is the acceptable time,
behold, now is the day of salvation ….
2 Corinthians 6:2

Here and now is the time for that momentous decision.

Moreover, the Bible does not teach any trans-galactic relocations between stations that are allotted to us in the afterlife.

“… between us
[Fr. Abraham et al. in Paradise]
and you
[a certain rich man in Hades]
there is a great chasm fixed,
so that those who wish to come over
from here to you will not be able,
and that none may cross over
from there to us.”
Luke 16:26

All the more reason for those of us who are believers to labor in proclaiming the Gospel.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal
through us;
we beg you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20

I pray you will be.

ALARM!

It happened earlier this week. I went up to roof to get a better view of a film-shooting going on in the park in front of my townhome. And as I opened the door to the roof, the alarm went off—I had forgotten the system was on. I scampered back down, hit the appropriatte buttons, turned off the wailing banshee, and went back up to watch the proceedings outside. What I didn’t know was that the alarm had gone through to the monitoring company. And I didn’t hear their phone call to find out if there really was an emergency.

Within a matter of minutes, I noticed a blue and white squad car of ye olde city’s police force come up to my door. I scampered downstairs again. Two of Dallas’ finest, clad in black, fire-armed and fierce-looking, demanded my ID and proof that I belonged here. Satisfied, they presented me with a bright red warning: “False Alarm Notification.” Thankfully, the City of Dallas allows a few false alarms without penalty.

I am glad the cops showed up—and quite quickly at that: I was profuse in both my apology and gratitude. That “False Alarm Notification” informed me that more than 98% of such alarms were, indeed, false. But our police force responds to all of them. Alert and watchful! Just in case!

We, too, could do with alertness and watchfulness in our spiritual lives, lest we become complacent and cozy, smug and self-satisfied.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed that he does not fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12

It is easy to wander; it is easy go astray; it is easy to stumble—our inbuilt default options of the flesh.

Jesus warned his disciples (thrice) about the importance of non-complacent alertness:

“Take heed, keep on the alert;
for you do not know
when the appointed time will come.
It is like a man away on a journey,
who upon leaving his house
and putting his slaves in charge,
assigning to each one his task,
also commanded the doorkeeper
to be watchful.
Therefore, be on the alert—
for you do not know when
the master of the house is coming …
in case he should come suddenly
and find you asleep.
What I say to you I say to all,
‘Be on the alert!’”
Mark 13:33–37

So it’s rather ironic that in the very next chapter of Mark, in Gethsemane, the disciples are caught (thrice!) doing exactly what Jesus had warned them about. And just as in Mark 13, here in Mark 14 too, there is a “watching,” a “coming,” a “finding,” and a “sleeping.”

And He said to them,
“My soul is deeply grieved
to the point of death;
remain here and keep watch.”
And He went a little beyond,
and fell to the ground and prayed ….
And He came and
found them sleeping, and said …
“Keep watching and praying
that you may not come into temptation;
the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 14:34–35, 37–38

Indeed, the flesh is weak. We need help.

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

As Jerome (347–420 A.D.) said long ago:

“We do well to watch heedfully
and pray earnestly
‘lest we enter into temptation.’
For if Christ does not grant us grace,
then the Judas in us betrays.
If he [Christ] departs a little way from us,
the Peter in us sleeps.”
Homilies

May God’s grace keep us awake and alert!

INFUSION!

Cameron Highlands is an idyllic spot in the middle of the Malaysian peninsula. Situated 5,000 feet above sea-level, it is a popular hill station, a respite from the equatorial heat and humidity for those who can’t take either. On the other hand, there is no lack of rain. The coalescence of these climactic conditions, however, renders this locus ideal for the growth of Camellia sinensis, aka “tea.” That also explains the verdure, the brilliant greenness of the land. Tea estates pretty much blanket CH. And all of them have tea rooms. Sit down with a pot of hot tea (cream and sugar, please!) and—believe it or not—a holdover from Malaysia’s colonial past: scones. Delightful!

The perfect pot of tea requires water at the right temperature to extract the precious chemicals from the tea leaves—infusions call for steeping in hot water. Cold water yields no tea (not the purist’s kind, anyway). Wise philosophers have been known to declare: You can’t make good tea without hot water.

True, in more ways than one.

Recently, preaching on the Seven Letters of Christ to seven churches (Revelation 2–3), I realized one thing. Of the seven churches, there were only two that didn’t have some form of external persecution or the other. And guess which two churches were at the bottom of the list in terms of spiritual quality? Guess which two won the most scathing condemnation from the lips of Christ? Yup, the two without persecution.

You can’t make good tea without hot water? There is something to that adage. Tea infusions call for steeping in uncomfortable circumstances.

Indeed, all who desire to live godly
in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
2 Timothy 3:12

Jesus reminded us of that possibility powerfully.

“Remember the word
that I said to you,
‘A slave is not greater
than his master.’
If they persecuted Me,
they will also persecute you ….”
John 15:20

Tertullian (160–220 A.D.), one of the early Church Fathers, is famously known to have stated that the blood of martyrs was the seed of the church. The more the church was under pressure, the more it grew, which, of course, is a fundamental principle of physics: the greater the heat, the greater the expansion.

For it is better,
if God should will it so,
that you suffer for doing
what is right rather than
for doing what is wrong.
1 Peter 3:17

Notice Peter says “if God should will it so.” While that gives comfort—nothing happens outside the will of God—it also creates a sense of apprehension: God might—just might—will it that we suffer persecution.

“Blessed are you when
people insult you and persecute you
… because of Me … for your reward
in heaven is great ….”
Matthew 5:11–12

Perhaps God will will it so. Perhaps we and the church need it. A bit of heat! God has allowed that in the past.

“I will also turn
My hand against you,
And will smelt away
your dross as with lye ….”
Isaiah 1:25

Perhaps He will again. So let us draw near to God as the end draws near each day.

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

And we must be ready to suffer.

Therefore, those also who suffer
according to the will of God
shall entrust their souls
to a faithful Creator
in doing what is right.
1 Peter 4:19

The perfect cuppa … in hot water!

ACKNOWLEDGE!

This year’s graduation will be the last one he attends in his academic regalia (representing The Ohio State University) and sits with the Dallas Seminary Faculty. He’s retiring. After close to four decades of yeoman service to the school, he’s letting go with this grand finale of the academic year. Almost 82. Still the same bright-eyed, ever-smiling, always-serving young man. John Reed. He is ngoing home to better tend to his ailing wife, to putter around with woodworking tools (he’s an accomplished craftsman) and to write. No more worrying about recalcitrant students; no more computing grades to make the registrar’s deadlines; no more shepherding the Department of Pastoral Ministries through its many dangers, toils, and snares; no more building the Doctor of Ministry Department to its current respected status; no more committee meetings, faculty meetings, departmental meetings, meetings about meetings, …. Nope. That’s it! Just some peace and quiet with his dear bride.

Having oft been on the receiving side of his wisdom, concern, care, and prayers, I am thankful to God for this man’s ministry, not only to me, but to countless others whose lives have intersected his. He has been a refreshment to one and all. And I pray I will learn from his example.

For I have come to have much joy
and comfort in your love,
because the hearts of the saints
have been refreshed
through you, brother.
Yes, brother, let me benefit
from you in the Lord;
refresh my heart in Christ.
Philemon 1:7, 20

John’s example of being an agent of God, for it is God, Himself, who provides the refreshing.

“For I satisfy the weary ones and
refresh everyone who languishes.”
Jeremiah 31:25

The model of a good steward, dispensing God’s refreshment with his life..

As each one has received a special gift,
employ it in serving one another
as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 4:10

Recognizing his comforters during his own days of distress, Paul writes about such a trio of men …

For they have refreshed
my spirit and yours.
Therefore acknowledge such men.
1 Corinthians 16:18

Indeed, they deserve acknowledgement. They do!

But we request of you, brethren,
that you appreciate those
who diligently labor among you,
and have charge over you in the Lord
… and that you esteem them
very highly in love
because of their work.
1 Thessalonians 5:12–13

They deserve acknowledgement for having been trustworthy.

… it is required of stewards
that one be found trustworthy.
1 Corinthians 4:2

They deserve acknowledgement for having been irreproachable.

For the overseer must be
above reproach as God's steward,
Titus 1:7

Far too often, we are quick to spot the wrongs, missteps, weaknesses, and stumbles of others, aren’t we? Far quicker we must be, to acknowledge the good lives some have led, the refreshment they have been to us, the grace they have extended to us, the Christlikeness they have lived out for us. Let’s acknowledge them. Say thanks, today, will you, to someone whose life has refreshed you?

I thank my God always,
making mention of you in my prayers,
because I hear of your love
and of the faith which you have
toward the Lord Jesus
and toward all the saints;
and I pray that the fellowship
of your faith may become effective
through the knowledge
of every good thing which is
in you for Christ's sake.
For I have come to have
much joy and comfort in your love,
because the hearts of the saints
have been refreshed
through you, brother.
Philemon 1:4–7

Thank you, John!

TOGETHER!

The annual high point of Dallas Seminary’s academic year, its raison d’être, was celebrated yesterday—the commencement exercises. As always, it was an delightful and emotional, marked, at its close by the enthusiastic, robust, and joyful raising of voices to sing the Seminary hymn, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (Diadem). Particularly poignant for the DTS community is the traditional “solo” on the third verse by just the faculty and students, together in magnificent harmony.

Let every kindred, every tribe
on this terrestrial ball,
To him all majesty ascribe,
And crown him Lord of all!
Edward Perronet, 1779

A “solo” by a “group.” Indeed, it is with the collective voices and lives of the redeemed, together, that God is praised, magnified, and glorified—by every kindred, tribe, and tongue, and nation. Together. All as one.

And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You … for You were slain,
and purchased for God with Your blood
people from every tribe and tongue
and people and nation.”
Revelation 5:9

Always impressive is the cheering crowd that gathers for these events—family, friends, and well-wishers of the graduating students. (Yes, I did have my camera with me while sitting in the ozone layer onstage with the rest of my faculty colleagues at Prestonwood Baptist Church.) Quite appropriately, our Dean gives students an opportunity to turn around and acknowledge and applaud the supportive efforts of all of these precious ones in their lives, without which their years of hard work would not—could not!—have come to fruition. Graduation ceremonies celebrate the group activity accomplished, not in solo, but in concert. Together. All as one.

It’s not just academic achievements that call for the co-agency of many acting in concord. Christian life, itself, is one of cooperation and coalescence, in chorus.

And let us consider
how to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds,
not forsaking our own assembling together
… but encouraging one another ….
Hebrews 10:24–25

For the way is difficult, often dreary, sometimes dreadful. The loads are heavy; the hurdles are high. No one can do it solo. We need one another.

Bear one another’s burdens,
and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

Jesus’ law of love.

“A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another.”
John 13:34

Voices in harmony, raised together. Varieties of body parts, working together.

… through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

No doubt, the way is fraught with friction. Dissensions threaten and discords menace.

So, as those who have been chosen of God,
holy and beloved,
put on a heart of compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience;
bearing with one another,
and forgiving each other,
Colossians 3:12–13

And those who have trodden those paths before us and gone on to glory ahead of us—they cheer us on.

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 ….
Hebrews 12:1–2

Until that day, that soon-coming day, when we will join them to sing again that grand new song in the presence of the One who called us, redeemed us, and comforts us—for the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.

O that, with yonder sacred throng,
We at His feet may fall,
Join in the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
Edward Perronet

Amen!

WASH!

As of yesterday, 658 cases in 16 different countries, including the US (160 cases in 21 states; 1 death). Swine flu!

Of all the precautions one can take to keep this disease at bay, nothing is probably more important for an individual than to wash one’s hands. Scanning the WHO website, I noticed they recommended hand-washing for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. 20 seconds. Good advice, and not just for swine flu!

About two centuries ago, Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (1818–1865) had the same idea. This Hungarian physician wanted to put an end to the scourge of “childbed fever,” death in childbirth, that took the life of one in every 10 women delivering. In a day when doctors went straight from autopsy rooms to labor rooms, he suggested that gynecologists wash their hands before examining expectant mothers. This was, of course, before the days of germ theory. Semmelweis’ own custom was to wash his hands in a chlorinated solution. Putting this prudent principle into routine practice, his clinic dropped the mortality rate from about 15% to zero in two months. Give the man a Nobel, I’d say!

Unfortunately, the story is tragic.

Disturbances of the “four humors” were believed to cause disease. Semmelweis’ brilliant and groundbreaking theory was contrary to all known and accepted medical dogma. After all, these doctors were “gentlemen.” Their hands unclean? Ridiculous!

Semmelweis was fired. No one listened to him. And he died insane at the age of 47. It took Louis Pasteur some two decades later to offer a theoretical basis and to substantiate Semmelweis’ conclusions.

Wash!

But there are some things worse than germs that we must be washed of.

Jeremiah warned:

“Although you wash yourself with lye
and use much soap,
the stain of your iniquity is before Me,”
declares the Lord GOD.
Jeremiah 2:22

Isaiah urged:

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds
from My sight.
Cease to do evil.”
Isaiah 1:16

David pleaded:

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned.”
Psalm 51:2–4

Jesus provided the solution (no pun intended) for washing:

“If I do not wash you,
you have no part with Me.”
John 13:8

His life, given for us, a payment for the stain of sin.

… the blood of Jesus His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7

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.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Robert Lowry, 1876

Indeed, the blood of Christ—His atoning death and resurrection—cleanses believers from sin.

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
says the LORD,
“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

And for those who believe—the “washed” ones—eternal life is promised.

Blessed are those who wash their robes,
so that they may have
the right to the tree of life,
and may enter by the gates into the city.
Revelation 22:14

And it doesn’t even take as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice!

ALTRUISM!

The other day the venerable news-disseminating print instrument in our fair city, the Dallas Morning News, reported on two women who met on a website that posts personal ads for those in need of organ transplants. From this, potential donors look for a connection to the recipient that begins with blood type, personal story, photo, etc. To cut a long story short, these two women in the DFW Metroplex were total strangers to each other, but Annette donated a kidney to Sapna. “I just think that if more people would try to help each other—even with small things—the world would be a better place,” said Annette.

However, late last year, two major transplant centers in Dallas, Baylor and UT Southwestern Medical Center, turned the two away. So in January, Annette and Sapna, who live only 30 miles from each other, traveled over a thousand miles to accomplish their goal at the University of Toledo Medical Center. You see, hospitals in Dallas will not accept organ donations from those who are strangers to each other. Rightly, they fear that this might be a sale with undisclosed monies changing hands; it is, after all, a federal offense to trade in body parts.

One of the surgeons here in Dallas commented: “The preservation of body from injury is probably the strongest basic instinct we have as man. To violate that, you really have to ask yourself, ‘Is this something people do because they want to do a good deed?’ And I think you have to ask the question, ‘How reasonable is that?’”

How reasonable is altruism?

I have to agree with my medical colleague: it is unreasonable, indeed. The world does not recognize altruism—entirely unselfish concern for another. The world views it with suspicion. Altruism? How strange! Unnatural. Inconceivable. Out-of-this-world.

Literally!

Greater love has no one than this,
that one lay down his life
for his friends.
John 15:13

The most powerful expression of selflessness was modeled for the world by an out-of-this-world Person. He laid down his life for the ones He loved.

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

Paying the price for our sins, that we might have eternal life with Him.

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 now we are forever cocooned His love, from which nothing—nothing!—can separate us.

For I am convinced that
neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38

But we who abide in His love now have a responsibility:

This is My commandment,
that you love one another,
just as I have loved you.
John 15:12

And what are we to do to demonstrate that kind of love?

We know love by this,
that He laid down His life for us;
and we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren.
1 John 3:16

Altruism indeed. That’s more than a kidney. Our lives!

By this all men will know
that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
John 13:35

May God help us to show the world that “altruism” is not unreasonable. May we believers be the demonstrable proof that there are those who truly love one another.

ENDURE!

About half an hour’s drive from Ipoh, in Malaysia, stands Kellie’s Castle.

William Kellie Smith was born near Dallas—not our fair city in Texas, but its namesake in Morayshire, Scotland. This enterprising young man made his way to what was then called Malaya in the late 1800s. He found his fortune in rubber and tin-mining and purchased 900 acres south of Ipoh, making his home there with his Scottish bride, Agnes. It was when they were blessed with a son, Anthony, in 1915, that Kellie engaged in a most outlandish undertaking. He decided to build a castle.

Fascinated by Indian culture, Kellie had all its bricks and tiles, and even its laborers, imported from South India. Tragedy was not long in coming. Spanish flu struck, killing many of these workers. Kellie even had a Hindu temple built close by, to appease the gods who were wreaking havoc on his plans. (Among the pantheon of idols on the roof of that temple is a rather incongruous one of a mustachioed, obviously European man in brown jodhpurs, a green jacket, and a topi!)

Among the fascinating ideas for the castle were tunnels running from the building under the nearby river, one of which, to the aforementioned temple, was discovered only recently. Plans for an indoor tennis court were drawn, as well as a rooftop courtyard for parties. Most curious of all was the shaft for an elevator—the first in all of Malaya. That led to another tragedy—this one sadly final. On a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, in 1926, ostensibly to buy an elevator for this mansion, Kellie contracted pneumonia and died. His bereaved wife quit the whole project, sold the estate, and moved back to bonnie Scotland.

The “castle”—half done—meanwhile, was taken over by the jungle, until Malaysia’s Department of Tourism refurbished that symbol of colonialist dreams and unfinished glories.

Kellie’s Castle is called by some “Kellie’s Folly.” It is not entirely fair to blame the non-completion of this edifice upon any fault of Mr. Smith. Nevertheless, that half-executed vision and unachieved fantasy does remind one of the result of a lack of endurance. A goal unaccomplished. A finish line unreached. A grand task undone. Could happen to anyone.

The Bible frequently warns believers of that same ruinous finish, that fall by the wayside, tripped up, entangled, and enmeshed in the things of the world.

… 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 …
Hebrews 12:1

Eyes clearly set on the goal, minds focused upon our Model, feet running with Him.

… fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, …
and has sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

No question, these days on earth are hard.

But you, be sober in all things,
endure hardship,
2 Timothy 4:5

We are to endure, persevering for eternal rewards.

If we endure,
we will also reign with Him
2 Timothy 2:12

And let us also never forget that this endurance is not some cooked-up fortitude, some self-manufactured tenacity. It is a reliance on the Lord who provides us with what we need.

… 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

He enables. We endure.

SAVIOR!

In Penang, Malaysia, is a strange place of worship called the Snake Temple. In it are a collection of pit vipers, freely lounging around in the shrubs outside and potted plants inside. Built in 1850, this sanctuary, for some strange reason, attracted those reptiles, which apparently took shelter in the shrine on their own accord. These serpents have been continuous inhabitants of the building since that time. Tropidolaemus wagleri (Wagler’s pit vipers) aka temple vipers—so called simply because of their tenancy at this particular temple.

But what I found even more curious was one of the tourist-trap stalls on the temple grounds. A young girl manning this booth of interest offered to write whatever I wanted on … a grain of rice. Yup, a grain of rice (and there’s a dime for comparison)!

OK, I said, taking her on. Standing in the temple precincts, I figured these were the best words to get the young lady to inscribe: “Jesus Saves!”

(Since there was a lot more space on that grain of rice, the good woman also added “Jesus is Lord” on the other side of that infinitesimal canvas!).

This amazing piece of work took her all of two minutes. She offered to make it into a key chain for me. I chose the closest thing that looked like a cross in which to place the rice grain. What color liquid did I want the grain floating in? Red, of course. Jesus Saves!

He does. Indeed!

We have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land,
Climb the mountains, cross the waves;
Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command;
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Priscilla Owens, 1882

And save He did, by paying the price for our sins by His life, death, and resurrection.

Sing above the battle strife:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
By His death and endless life
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout it brightly through the gloom,
When the heart for mercy craves;
Sing in triumph o’er the tomb:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

The resurrection of Jesus demonstrated the sufficiency of the price He paid for sin. Death couldn’t hold Him. The grave had no claim on Him. The penalty had been paid. For me. And for all who believe.

Christians are …

… those who believe in Him who
raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
He who was delivered over
because of our transgressions,
and was raised because of our justification.
Romans 4:24–25

“Justified”—we are declared righteous by God because of that Great Exchange.

He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ]
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

His righteousness becomes mine, as He bore my sins. No longer would sin be an issue for eternal life between God and mankind. The price had been paid, fully, finally, forever.

The gospel, the power of salvation to all who believe.

… the gospel … which also you received,
… by which also you are saved,
… that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried,
and that He was raised
on the third day ….
1 Corinthians 15:1–4

Give the winds a mighty voice:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Let the nations now rejoice:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Shout salvation full and free;
Highest hills and deepest caves;
This our song of victory:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Praise God!

HONOR!

Palm Sunday. That’s a frieze from Nikolaikirche in Leipzig—where Bach served as organist and Kapellmeister for 27 fruituful years.

Palm Sunday. The day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the King into His capital city. One would expect the elite of the city to receive this honored One. Nope! Just the hoi polloi waving palm branches as He rides in on a donkey.

And many spread their coats in the road,
and others spread leafy branches
which they had cut from the fields.
Those who went in front and
those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David.
Hosanna in the highest!”
Mark 11:8–10

And then that curious anticlimax in Mark’s account.

Jesus entered Jerusalem
and came into the temple;
and after looking around at everything,
He left ….
Mark 11:11

He enters the city, comes to its focal point, the Temple, and … nothing. Nothing happens. This was nothing short of an insult. An “a-triumph,” as some have called it, an antithesis of a triumphal entry. The King dishonored; the regent “dissed.”

The next thing you spy in Mark is a sequence of events, in this order: a fig tree is cursed by Jesus, He cleanses the Temple of its disreputable activities, and then Peter and the rest note that the fig tree withered from the root up. A fig tree sandwiching the Temple incident. (Sandwiches, BTW, were among Mark’s favorite “foods”—there are several such textual culinary delights in that Gospel.)

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;
I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit
on the fig tree in its first season.
But they came to Baal-peor
and devoted themselves to shame,
and they became as detestable
as that which they loved.
Hosea 9:10

Rejected God and served their own ends and even demonic elements.

The King Himself was unnoticed. In obscurity He came. Neglected He left.

He came to His own,
and those who were His own
did not receive Him.
John 1:11

They did not believe.

But as many as received Him …
John 1:12

Some did. They recognized His status as He entered the city ceremonially. They acclaimed His presence with invocations to God. They believed!

Once again …

And many spread their coats in the road,
and others spread leafy branches
which they had cut from the fields.
Those who went in front and
those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David.
Hosanna in the highest!”
Mark 11:8–10

They believed, indeed!

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

God deserves honor. God alone deserves honor.

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 4:11

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.

Theodulph of Orleans, ca. 820 AD
(trans. John M. Neale, 1851)

May God be honored in our lives and in the church forever!

Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible,
the only God, be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17

And “Amen!”

SHIP!

That’s a restored Chinese junk, one of the most successful exemplars of sailing vessels ever. This one is in Malacca Town, in the state of Malacca, in Malaysia, where I happened to be, a couple of weeks ago. The junk was one of the reasons for the fact that Malaysia is now about 25% Chinese. Ships have undoubtedly played important roles in people movements and world history.

For Christians, the “ship” has been an age-old symbol of the church—the body of believers—tossed about on a less than amiable world, hassled often, intimidated frequently, persecuted periodically. The metaphor goes back to the time of Noah and his family, saved in the ark, through water.

… the patience of God
kept waiting in the days of Noah,
during the construction of the ark,
in which a few, that is, eight persons,
were brought safely through the water.
Corresponding to that,
baptism now saves you …
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3:20–21

The idea is, indeed, ancient. Tertullian (ca. 160–ca. 220 AD), a Church Father, talked about it:

… the apostles

then served the turn of baptism
when in their little ship,
were ... covered with the waves ….
… that little ship
did present a figure of the Church,
in that she is disquieted
“in the sea,”
that is, in the world,
“by the waves,”
that is, by persecutions and temptations;
the Lord, through patience,
sleeping as it were,
until, roused in their last extremities
by the prayers of the saints,
He checks the world,
and restores tranquility to His own.
On Baptism, XII

So also another worthy, Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–215 AD):

And let our seals be either a dove,
or a fish, or a ship

scudding before the wind,
… or a ship’s anchor,

… and if there be one fishing,
he will remember the apostle,
and the children drawn out of the water.
The Pedagogue, III, 11

That the mast of these vessels forms a cross must certainly have stimulated the Christian imagination as well. Later, the “ship” motif became, literally, part of church architecture. Ancient (and modern) cathedrals and churches often have, as the main portion of their structure, a “nave” (related to “naval” and pertaining to ships—in Latin, “navis”), that section of the building that resembles an upside down ship.

As Tertullian alluded, significant to this theme also is the incident in Mark 4, when Jesus, in a boat, stilled a dangerous storm before the terrified disciples.

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

Jesus’ subsequent question to the disciples is poignant, and ought to echo in the hearts of believers today.

And He said to them,
“Why are you afraid?”
Mark 4:40

Why, indeed? No waters can swallow the ship where lies the Master of oceans, of earths, of skies.

That’s the basis of the hymn masterfully created by Edward Hopper (1816–1888):

Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life's tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
‘Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on thy breast,
May I hear thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

The shore is near. Arrival is nigh. Only a few more days of turbulence, tempests, trials, and tribulation. The Lord is with us. Why fear?

RETURN!

Last Thursday, I was getting back home from a trip abroad, making a connection in Seoul, S. Korea. Flying into the west coast of the US crossing the international dateline does funny things to your clock. My Korean Airlines flight left Seoul on Thursday at 9:50 am, and I arrived in Dallas at 8:50 am … on the same day! In other words, I practically got to my destination before I left! Time travel! (Needless to say, I’m still getting over the ill effects of that odd journey “back in time.”)

I’ve often wished I could do that in actuality—bid time return. There are times when we’ve all wished for that gift. Ye olde Bard penned those immortal words.

“O, call back yesterday, bid time return.”
Shakespeare, 1597 (Richard II, Act III, Scene 2)

The good Bard and we aren’t alone in wishing time be turned back. Indeed, God, too, desires we “return”—a form of time travel! In the mouths of God’s spokespersons, the Hebrew prophets, šûb (“return”) was a popular word, as they called upon their audiences to reject their wayward ways. Return to God, they pled, petitioned, and persuaded.

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to Me with all your heart,
and with fasting, weeping and mourning;
and rend your heart and not your garments.”
Joel 2:12

We must return to a clean slate often—“go back in time”—for we humans have an inherent tendency to drift and meander far, far from God.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way.
Isaiah 53:6

Or as the hymn writer put it …

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love.
Robert Robinson, 1758

A return to God, a heartfelt turning back, a repentant time travel, is essential—frequently. Here’s the prophet Joel in full …

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to Me with all your heart,
and with fasting, weeping and mourning;
and rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
for He is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
and relenting of evil.
Joel 2:12–13

Those were not arbitrary words chosen by Joel to describe the God of love. In fact, this depiction of YHWH, first noted in Exodus 34:6 when God gave the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, attained idiomatic status, and recurs time and again in the Scriptures.

The LORD, the LORD God,
compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, and
abounding in lovingkindness ….
Exodus 34:6

(and Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 103:8; Jonah 4:2)

This is why a return is possible; this is why a return is advisable; and this is why a return is profitable.

Come, let us return to the LORD.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
Hosea 6:1

We return because our God is a forgiving God.

Let the wicked forsake his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return to the LORD,
and He will have compassion on him, …
for He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:7

This return, one of repentance, therefore quickly turns to one of exultation as the “returner” is restored. Time travel, indeed!

So the ransomed of the LORD will return
and come with joyful shouting to Zion,
and everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 51:11

Let’s go back, shall we? Travel in time!