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!

GLORIA!

Last weekend was the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Homiletics Society, at Birmingham, AL, on the campus of Beeson Divinity School (Samford University). Most of our plenary meetings were held in the fabulous chapel at Beeson. Quite a sight, this building—the Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel. At the center of the chancel under the 90-foot dome is a bronze plaque on the floor: “This hallowed place is consecrated to the spiritual and intellectual preparation of men and women who will minister in Jesus’ Name to all peoples to the ends of the earth until the end of time.” For the glory of God!

The chapel is a remarkable specimen of Colonial/Gregorian architecture with semi-classical overtones, modeled after the Il Redentore (The Redeemer) chapel in Venice (the work of Andrea Palladio, 1508–1580). Hodges Chapel’s cross shape maintains an enduring and powerful, though silent, witness to our Lord Jesus Christ, supplemented by another equally eloquent testimony—the cross on the top of the organ casing (organ by Orgues Létourneau). And the organ casing, in addition to bearing Bach’s monogram, also proudly displays in gold letters, below the cross, the words: Soli Deo Gloria! To God alone be the glory!

Glory—that’s what God is about. That’s why He’s done all that He has; that’s why He’s doing all that He is; that’s why He will do all that He’s promised.

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

All of creation exists to glorify Him.

“Everyone who is called by My name,
and whom I have created for My glory,
whom I have formed,
even whom I have made.”
Isaiah 43:7

Everything in the universe is moving towards God’s glorification. Everything and everybody.

… at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow,
of those who are in heaven
and on earth and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10–11

This is the end, the goal, the terminus, the Omega of all creation—the glory of God.

And He rightly demands glory, for He alone rightly deserves it.

Ascribe to the LORD,
O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD
the glory due to His name;
worship the LORD in holy array.
Psalm 29:1–2

That verse demarcates our role in all God’s glorification, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1648) agrees, acknowledging that only in glorifying God are we humans fulfilled:
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

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

That is what we were called for—to glorify Him, to bear witness to His pre-eminence in all things and over all things.

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

Not for my glory, am I to live. Not for my exaltation, do I draw my breath. Not for my praise, does my heart beat. But for God’s.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
but to Your name give glory ….
Psalm 115:1

Soli Deo Gloria!

SHOW!

The other weekend I was in Chicago to attend a conference, held at the Chicago O’Hare Hilton. In other words, for one long busy weekend, I flew in to Chicago, stayed at a hotel located right in O’Hare airport, and flew out a couple of days later. Never once breathed the salubrious air of Chicago. Never once took in the sights of that famous city. From airport to walkway to hotel. And the route in reverse the day I was to return. Strange trip!

Anyway, right outside my hotel room was this huge concrete edifice, formerly an Air-Traffic Control tower. The ATC moved to better digs half a mile away 10 years ago, leaving the old tower in the hands of City of Chicago; they use it now to manage city vehicles engaged in ground operations.

No longer was this structure the glamorous center of activity for O’Hare Air-Traffic Control. No longer the authority that decides flight and landing patterns of aircraft in the world’s busiest airport. Usurped. Overtaken. Downgraded.

But it looks fancy. Especially at night. All those neon pink lights throwing their ebullient incandescence on its wall. Pretty!

Dressed up to make up for disuse, I thought.

Jesus had some choice words for people like that in an extended section in Matthew 23 where He pronouced a series of woes on the Pharisees.

Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you clean the outside of the cup
and of the dish, but inside they are
full of robbery and self-indulgence.
You blind Pharisee, first clean
the inside of the cup and of the dish,
so that the outside of it
may become clean also.
Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you are like whitewashed tombs
which on the outside appear beautiful,
but inside they are full of
dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
So you, too, outwardly
appear righteous to men,
but inwardly you are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 23:25–28

An easy danger to fall into for anyone. The danger of a cultural Christianity, form without function, concocted externals without consistent internals. A false honoring of God, a dressing up on the outside, merely an attempt to glorify oneself, not God.

Beware of practicing your righteousness
before men to be noticed by them;
otherwise you have no reward
with your Father who is in heaven.
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.
Truly I say to you, they have
their reward in full.
Whenever you fast, do not put on
a gloomy face as the hypocrites do,
for they neglect their appearance
so that they will be noticed by men
when they are fasting.
Truly I say to you,
they have their reward in full.
Matthew 6:1, 5, 16

While there is something to be said for letting our faith show on the outside and allowing Christ to shine out in our lives, there is also significant value to the spiritual discipline of secrecy. Approval comes from God alone; security comes not from the applause of mankind—a good reminder that we serve an audience of One.

… from the Lord you will receive
the reward of the inheritance.
t is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Colossians 3:24

Serving and pleasing God.

Therefore we also have
as our ambition,
whether at home or absent,
to be pleasing to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:9

May we consumed by the ambition to please God and God alone.

READY!

The last time I came close to a dog was in Aberdeen, but that was a “dawg,” not a “dog.” And there was a whole bunch of us dawgs there (another old story). This, however, was a real specimen of the species—the four- not two-legged variety.

One of our Dallas Seminary students is legally blind and so is accompanied by a seeing-eye dog, Largo. That brings me to the rather strange task I had to perform the other day. Largo, in some unknown manner, developed a laceration on one of his hind legs and needed sutures at the doggy ER. His blind owner, in order to avoid another trip to the vet, asked if I could take out the animal’s stitches a week later.

Hey, why not? If I can do humans, surely I could handle dogs? I promptly agreed, keen on doing a good deed, but not without a little trepidation. Would he sit still? What if the canine attacked me as I approached him with the tools of my trade? Visions of being mauled came to mind. I started having second thoughts. Unless I found favor in Largo’s eyes, I’d be in big trouble. And not knowing me from Adam, there was no reason why Largo would be kindly disposed to a guy with scissors working on his leg. I worried that Largo would get irate allegro.

But my fears were unfounded. When I first touched his left hind leg, now healing well, he moved a bit, but then, surprisingly, sat down, and became calm immediately. He seemed to know I was trying to help him. The rest of the brief surgical undertaking went like a charm. Largo sniffed his thanks, looking at me with his big brown eyes.

And so there I was, degrees and all, implements and all, crouching on the floor in the office of the Department of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Seminary, removing stitches from … a dog!

The things you have to do in Seminary! Life, I tell you, is full of surprises. But you gotta be ready. Always ready!

And so it is also in the Lord’s service.

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

Always ready. And this ain’t no idle command. It is a formal call to responsibility for proclamation—to be ready always—that Paul prefaces with a sober, stern, stately adjuration.

I solemnly charge you in the presence
of God and of Christ Jesus,
who is to judge the living and the dead,
and by His appearing
and His kingdom:
preach the word ….
2 Timothy 4:1–2

This is a serious task for which we must be ready. Always. Whether convenient or not. Whether circumstances are auspicious or not. Whether the occasion is favorable or not.

Always ready! To talk about God anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Not that we should jump in insensitively or indiscriminatingly, tastelessly or tactlessly. But that we should be ready.

Readied by prayer. Readied by a spiritual life. Readied eyes and readied ears awaiting a God-given opportunity. Ready to throw the word “God” into a conversation. Ready to steer a chat towards spiritual issues: Gosh, is there any real security in the world these days? Readied by the power of God.

We proclaim Him,
admonishing every man and
teaching every man with all wisdom,
so that we may present every man
complete in Christ.
For this purpose also I labor,
striving according to His power,
which mightily works within me.
Colossians 1:28–29

Always ready!

SALTIRE!

In front of the King’s College quadrangle at the University of Aberdeen, guarding the noble building that dates back to the late 15th century, stands a unicorn of stone, silent and immovable, nonchalantly throwing a casual hoof over a shield that bears the telltale markings of the early Christian history of Scotland.

That white-cross-on-a-blue-background is the Saltire. Technically, for those devotees of vexillology (the study of flags), it is a white saltire—a crux decussata (an X-shaped cross) on an azure field—the symbol of the patron saint of Scotland, Andrew, the first-called apostle of Christ.

History notes this noble apostle as having preached in modern day Turkey, Romania, and Russia. Andrew’s connection with Scotland is a bit more tenuous. Apparently in 832 A.D., King Óengus II (“Angus”) led the Scots against the English. Surrounded by foes and close to being vanquished, Óengus took to prayer. That night, Andrew appeared to the King and assured him of victory. The seal of his promise was a white saltire appearing on the blue sky the next day. So the Scots took heart ... and the English took to their heels. Since then, it is said, the white saltire on blue has been on the Scottish flag, and Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland.

But why Andrew and the crux decussata?

This worthy is said to have been martyred in Patras (Greece) by crucifixion. However, Andrew, or so the tradition of martyrs holds, was not nailed to a standard issue Roman cross like the one on which Christ suffered, but on an X-shaped structure. That, apparently, was Andrew’s own choice, to be spread-eagled on that frame, as he considered himself unworthy to be crucified in the same fashion as his Master.

The Saltire—St. Andrew’s Cross—became the symbol of that apostle’s self-confessed unworthiness.

It is striking then, isn’t it, that Jesus announces …

“And he who does not take his cross
and follow after Me
is not worthy of Me.”
Matthew 10:38

Andrew did—literally. (And probably so also did Peter and Simon the Zealot, among the apostles). But it is obvious that “taking up of the cross” is not a literal indication of how followers of Christ are to die.

Jesus said to His disciples,
“If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself,
and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Matthew 16:24

This cross-bearing is a self-denial, a denial unto death of the self and all that that implies. No, the cross is not my car problems, or your mother-in-law, the umpteen loads of laundry to be done, that ornery boss, or the diapers that need changing. Nor is it the uncertain elections, or even the plunging stock market, for that matter. The taking up of the cross is the ultimate picture of sacrifice—of one’s very life. In some cases, that may be true literally.

What will we give Him in sacrifice, who gave His all for us? A sacrifice of time? Energy? Resources? A major turning point in life? A dramatic change of direction? In the different stations that God has placed us and in the different stages of our walk with Christ, the sacrifices will no doubt be different. No one can prescribe it for you; that is between you and your God. But let us never dismiss the call to sacrifice: being a Christ-follower is a costly endeavor.

And, oh, yes, cross-bearing does come with eternal rewards. As the old song goes,

If you will not bear a cross
You can’t wear a crown,
Way beyond the blue!

SAFETY!

I was preaching at one of the megachurches in the DFW area the other day, and I got there a bit early. The pastor and I were catching up over caffeine and preparing to pray when I noticed three stalwart, stout, sturdy, stern men position themselves behind the two of us. All three had those odd black microphone deals clipped to their ties, with wires leading to parts unknown.

Noticing my apprehensive glance (had the TV police from the UK gotten on my trail again [an old story]?), the pastor quickly attempted to put me at ease. “Oh, here’s Dick, Dan, and Dave,” he introduced. “They are … your … detail.”
“My what?” I exclaimed.
“Well, you know, the church is close to a major freeway, and who knows who might walk in here. So we do have a bit of security for those up on the stage.”
My detail. In other words, bodyguards.

Spying the bewildered look on my face, Dick—the head honcho of the pack—came over. In a conspiratorial whisper he said, “Son, we’re for real.” And leaning towards me, after a furtive glance around, he undid his jacket button and pointed to his ample waistline.

There it was. Firepower. Iron. He (and I assume the rest of the burly entourage also) was packing some serious heat on their persons.

That’s when I realized that preaching had now become dangerous business! You thought preaching was all about Greek and Hebrew exegesis, intricate manipulations of hermeneutics and deft contortions of rhetoric, eye contact and fancy gestures, and all that kind of stuff, didn’t you? Pshaw! That was in the good old days. Now, ladies and gentlemen, preaching has become dangerous business, not to be undertaken by the faint of heart. I’m shopping online for Kevlar right now.

(Of course, when I told my Dad about this, he guffawed skeptically. “Protect you? They were protecting the church from you.” I must note here that Jesus was right about that family stuff: You ain’t got no honor in your hometown … or even in your own home, for cryin’ out loud!!)

Anyhow …

What with the lethal attacks in a Colorado Springs megachurch late last year and all that, I suppose churches do have a responsibility to keep matters secure, and to be proactive in terms of safety issues.

Nonetheless, it was a good reminder about the dangers of ministry. At Dallas Seminary’s first chapel this semester, our Chancellor, Dr. Swindoll, warned the students and the rest of the Seminary community that we had huge targets drawn on our backs—targets for the evil one.

Indeed! Probably true for every believer seeking to live a life pleasing to his/her Lord.

… 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 6:11–12

Dick was on my tail all morning that day, discreetly watching my every move and sitting right behind me in the front of the church. But you know whom we have on our side … all the time? The Almighty God who is able to keep us from every vile and virulent attack.

What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:31

On our side, by our side—our safety, our succor, our sustenance. And we wear His armor. Some serious firepower that.

Put on the full armor of God
that you may be able to stand ….
Ephesians 6:10

Thanks be to God!

FREE!

Ever gotten paid for something you didn’t do? I did.

Last weekend, I caught the last flight out of Dallas before Southwest Airlines shut down its operations in Love Field anticipating the ravages of Hurricane Ike. I was headed to Arkansas for a preaching assignment.

All went well … almost, until Ike decided to follow me to AR.

Saturday night, he did his malevolent stuff there and moved on to parts northward. Sunday morning dawned bright and clear—lots of blue sky, plenty of bright sunshine, delightfully balmy temps—but most of Hot Springs Village, AR, awoke (if they had gotten any sleep, that is) to downed trees and power outages.

Village Bible Church, left without power that morning, canceled its services. And I, the preacher, was left powerless. Had sermon, but no pulpit.

The church, however, was gracious enough to pass on to me their speaker’s honorarium—for not preaching! And so I got something for nothing. I had experienced grace. Again.

Unmerited favor. And, theologically, the only way for sinful mankind to satisfy God’s requirement for absolute holiness. Grace.

For by grace you have been
saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works ….
Ephesians 2:8–9

I did nothing to merit it. I can do nothing to pay it back.

He saved us,
not on the basis of deeds
which we have done …,
but according to His mercy.
Titus 3:5

Amazing grace, and all because God loved us.

But God, being rich in mercy,
because of His great love
with which He loved us …,
made us alive together with Christ
(by grace you have been saved) ….
Ephesians 2:4–5

Someone rightly observed that GRACE stands for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense!

… the surpassing riches
of His grace in kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:7

Grace! Freely given. Free for us, but somebody had to pay the price.

… you were not redeemed with
perishable things like silver or gold
… but with precious blood, as of
a lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of Christ.
1 Peter 1:18

And that price is applied to us when we place one’s trust in Jesus Christ, the only God and Savior, the One who came bearing saving grace. Grace for deliverance.

For the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation to all men.
Titus 2:11

But it doesn’t end there. Grace—free!—continues to sustain us through this life. We need God’s grace to keep us, to strengthen us, to protect us, to enable us, to empower us. All we are and all we do is a result of His grace—we need an ongoing appropriation of that free gift. Grace for life.

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

And then, one day, at the end of this life, we’ll experience grace again—this time in a different way. Grace for glory.

… fix your hope completely on
the grace to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13

And all of that free! Something—nay, everything—for nothing. Unmerited favor from God through Christ, in the Spirit. Grace for all who trust Christ as their Savior: grace for deliverance, grace for life, grace for glory. Free!

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

Hallelujah!

SINKING!

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

The power of water and wind!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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