MINISTRY!

Room 317 on the third floor of Todd Building on Dallas Seminary’s Main Campus. And the Fall Semester begins this week. What a delight to be back in the teaching saddle! And the thrill of interaction with fellow-faculty members and students! A foretaste of these, at the Faculty Workshop and Student Orientation last week, whetted my appetite for more. And there will be more, God willing.

It is with a great deal of eagerness that I embark on the next phase of my spiritual pilgrimage. Yet another opportunity to serve God and His people with what He has entrusted me with. While I’m thankful for the special place I’m in and the unique community I’m now part of here at DTS, opportunities for all believers to serve God with our spiritual gifts, for the edification of the body of Christ, are constantly available. In some capacity or another, in some venue or another, we are called to exercise faithful stewardship of God’s gifts. Let us make use those opportunities enthusiastically.

As each one
has received a special gift,
employ it in serving one another
as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God.
… so that in all things
God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10–11

All for the glory of God. Indeed, whatever we do must seek to glorify God.

Whether, then, you eat or drink
or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

While the glory of God remains the ultimate goal, the proximal goal in the use of our gifts and talents is the building up of the church, the fellowship of believers in Christ. With all the different gifts operating, and as team members play their individual positions, together we all serve to strengthen and profit the community of God.

To each one is given
the manifestation of the Spirit
for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7

For the good of all, for the benefit of all. There is obviously no place for boast or conceit in the distribution or exercise of gifts. They are all equally the manifestation of God’s Spirit. And all equally gifts, i.e., given to us, received by us.

For who regards you as superior?
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

This is an act of God—His sovereign distribution of gifts, His sovereign placement of each unique individual in the body of Christ. Dallas Seminary’s Annual Faculty Workshop is highlighted by reports from those responsible for the many facets of the Seminary’s operation—finance, academic, information technology, etc. Obviously the logistics of running such an educational institution is clearly a team effort. So also is the functioning of the church, designed by God to operate as a team effort.

For just as we have
many members in one body
and all the members
do not have the same function,
so we, who are many,
are one body in Christ,
and individually members
one of another.
Romans 12:4–5

Body parts with different functions. It truly matters not what exactly the gift(s) is (are) that each of us has. What is important is our faithful exercise thereof for the glory of God and the edification of the church, for …

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

And so, let’s plunge in, giving of ourselves to God and His people, serving faithfully.

SOUND!

In Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace in northeast France, is the grand Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg, the Roman Catholic seat of the bishop. But when I visited the city (with Tom, a fellow Aberdonian, and my nephew, John), we were fascinated by the corresponding Protestant edifice, Église Saint-Thomas. While the site where the current church is located had been used for worship since the sixth century, this new, magnificent building with its imposing steeple was completed in the early 1500s. An important church in the history of the Protestant Reformation. The German Reformer, Martin Bucer (1491–1551), who makes a cameo in my dissertation, ministered here.

But what really caught our attention was the sound. The church has two wonderful, historically significant instruments: the 1741 Silbermann main organ and the 1905 choir organ built by Haerpfer. The latter was designed in 1905 by the noted educator, physician, sociologist, and musicologist, Albert Schweitzer. The former was actually played by Mozart in 1778 (the console is in the background of the picture above). One wonders why Mozart, with his Catholic persuasion, chose to play the organ in a Protestant Church. One does not wonder long.

Somebody began to play Bach while we were in St. Thomas that morning. Any Bach is amazing as it is, but the sound of the organ and the acoustics of the church were magnificent. We just sat there and listened, entranced, soaking in the ambience, awash in some of the greatest music ever written. Mozart, understandably, made a beeline for this place.

But there is a more exquisite sound that should be listened to, joined in, and put out ….

We have heard the joyful sound;
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!

Sing above the battle strife;
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!

Give the winds a mighty voice;
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!
Priscilla Jane Owens, 1892

This is a God worthy of praise, for out of the greatness of His love, grace, and mercy, He has saved believers in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
proclaim good tidings
of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds
among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD
and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
Splendor and majesty
are before Him;
strength and beauty
are in His sanctuary.
Psalm 96:1–4, 6

Eternity will be full of that joyful sound. And entranced we will be forever.

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
praise Him according to
His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him
with timbrel and dancing;
praise Him
with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150

Come, let us worship this great God!

POWER!

While visiting a fellow-Dawg, I toured the Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe, located in northern Switzerland, close to the German border. Quite a spectacle. 26,500 cubic ft of the good stuff flows through per second! The water cascades down to the cataracts, 490 ft wide and 80 ft high. Descending from the top of the falls, one can walk down the rock face to a point where you are only a few feet away from the powerful torrent. The mighty liquid wall is not only tremendously impressive from that distance, but also ear-shatteringly loud. You literally have to yell in order to be heard above the onrush of water. And it’s been flowing and roaring like this for several millennia. Powerful!

And to think of a God who caused all this to come into being!

Fear God, and give Him glory …;
worship Him
who made the heaven
and the earth and sea
and springs of waters.
Revelation 14:7

A God who separated the waters to cause dry land to appear!

Then God said,
“Let the waters below the heavens
be gathered into one place,
and let the dry land appear”;
and it was so.
Genesis 1:9

A God who could cause a universal flood!

“Behold, I, even I am bringing
the flood of water
upon the earth ….”
Genesis 6:17

He is the one who parted the Red Sea to redeem His people!

The LORD swept the sea back
by a strong east wind all night
and turned the sea into dry land,
so the waters were divided.
Exodus 14:21

Truly, this God is awesome!

He stretches out the north
over empty space
and hangs the earth on nothing.
He wraps up the waters
in His clouds, and the cloud
does not burst under them.
Job 26:7–8

Mightier than the mightiest cascade!

The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice,
the floods lift up
their pounding waves.
More than the sounds
of many waters,
than the mighty breakers of the sea,
the LORD on high is mighty.
Psalm 93:3–4

This is a God that must be feared.

By the word of the LORD
the heavens were made,
and by the breath of His mouth
all their starry host.
He gathers the waters of the sea
together as a heap;
He lays up the oceans
in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD.
Psalm 33:6–8

But this same God of might and power is the one whose arm is tender.

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down
in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
Psalm 23:1–2

This is the God who cares.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change
and though the mountains slip
into the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains quake
at its surging.
Psalm 46:1–3

And this is the God who satisfies the thirsty.

“Ho! Every one who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money
come, buy and eat.”
Isaiah 55:1

The God who provides water that satisfies eternally, that gives life forever. The Water of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ, said:

“Whoever drinks of the water
that I will give him
shall never thirst;
but the water that I will give
will become a well of water
springing up to eternal life.”
John 4:14

Have you tasted His power?

ABODE!

I’ve joined the ranks of proud homeowners once more. All over again. Which is to say, it’s back to living in an empty dwelling, at least for a while. Before leaving for Scotland two years ago, I had gotten rid of most of my stuff, including my bed (I kept my books, though).

Come to think of it, not a bad idea sleeping on the floor. Better than having to deal with the agonizing choice between Sealy Posturepedic Crown Cruciatus Ultra Plush Youbetcher Microtek Pillowtop and Simmons Royal Kedavra Brookmere Boyoboy Fiberlux Plushier. To be or not to be with silk damask ticking? Like buying a used car … and almost as expensive.

All this to say … I’ve moved.

What a pain to get settled in! Here I am, working on my laptop, in—of all places—my bathroom. No internet yet, and the only place in the house where I can latch on to a neighbor’s wireless network (with his permission) is in my bathroom on the third floor, in one particular corner, next to the sink.

Yup, I’ve moved alright. But I’m not home yet!

That old song says it well:

This world is not my home,
I’m just a-passin’ thro’;
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me
From heaven’s open door;
And I can’t feel at home
In this world anymore.

Just over in Glory Land
We’ll live eternally;
The saints on every hand
Are shouting victory
Their song of sweetest praise
Drifts back from Heaven’s shore
And I can’t feel at home
In this world anymore.

Albert E. Brumley, 1965

It’s probably a good thing not to get too comfortable in this temporary worldly abode. For if we’re just a-passin’ thro’, then really we’d better be preparing for our permanent heavenly dwelling. Right here, right now, getting ready for our homes there and then.

Therefore if you have been
raised up with Christ,
keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind
on the things above,
not on the things
that are on earth.
For you have died
and your life is hidden
with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life,
is revealed, then you also
will be revealed
with Him in glory.
Therefore consider the members
of your earthly body
as dead to immorality ….
Colossians 3:1–5

Getting ready for the new home: settling in to its priorities, living by its principles, oriented to its purposes.

And that “day of closing” on our new home is soon coming.

You too be patient;
strengthen your hearts,
for the coming of the Lord is near.
James 5:8

The keys are as good as in our hands. Jesus said:

Do not let your heart be troubled;
believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house
are many dwelling places;
if it were not so,
I would have told you;
for I go to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again
and receive you to Myself,
that where I am,
there you may be also.
John 14:1–3

And so this life goes on, unsettled, uncertain, and often unstable. Fraught with the pains of sin and the pangs of a yearning for a better land.

But we will be home … soon. Hang in there!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
John Newton, 1779

Home! Amazing grace!

FREE!

The infamous words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Makes Free) are forged on its gates. This was what the prisoners first saw as they were marched in to Dachau, one of the most ignoble of the Nazi concentration camps. The model and prototype for all such other detention centers, Dachau, it is estimated, interned about a quarter of a million prisoners. About 30,000 of them did not survive.

Work makes free?

When the 42nd Infantry Division of the US Army liberated Dachau on 29 April, 1945, there were about 30,000 prisoners in the camp, packed into 20 barracks, not to mention 40 railroad cars, each with more than a 100 corpses.

It is said that when General Patton saw the conditions at Dachau, he vomited. Work makes free?

That year, the Orthodox Church’s Easter fell a few days after the liberation of Dachau. And so, in a cell block at the camp, priests wearing makeshift vestments fashioned from the towels of the SS guard, celebrated the Resurrection of Christ. It is said that in the entire history of the Orthodox Church, there has probably never been an Easter service like that one in 1945.

Today, quite appropriately, an Orthodox chapel at Dachau has an acclaimed icon: Christ leading the prisoners out of camp gates.

Word does not make free. Christ does!

The Spirit of the Lord GOD
is upon me [Christ],
because the LORD
has anointed me
to bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and freedom to prisoners.
Isaiah 61:1

Christ makes free!

So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.
John 8:36

When Christ took upon Himself our sin, we were liberated from the consequences of that heavy burden. No longer are believers enslaved to sin and under the sentence of eternal separation from God. Christ, having paid the penalty, had set us free. Free indeed!

For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God
is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

For the one who has placed his or her trust in Christ, freedom—eternal freedom—has been accomplished.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.
Charles Wesley, 1739

Death vanquished. Sin atoned. Burden lifted. Freed!

Therefore, since the children
share in flesh and blood,
He [Jesus Christ] Himself
likewise also partook of the same,
that through death
He might render powerless
him who had the power of death,
that is, the devil,
and might free those
who through fear of death
were subject to slavery
all their lives.
Hebrews 2:14–15

Slavery abolished; no longer are believers captive to the prince of sin, Satan, the instrument of sin, the flesh, and the system of sin in the world. Instead, the believer is now “enslaved” to live a life of righteousness.

… having been freed from sin,
you became slaves of righteousness.
Romans 6:18

We have a calling and a responsibility to live unto God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, leading lives that are Christlike. For now we are citizens of a different kingdom, subjects of a different King, serfs in thrall to a different Lord ...

… Jesus Christ,
the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler
of the kings of the earth.
To Him who loves us
and released us from our sins
by His blood …
to Him be the glory
and the dominion
forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:5–6

HOMEGOING!

I will miss him! Whether it was to help me with my constant car problems and computer troubles, or to organize the celebrations for my graduation from seminary, or to collect empty boxes to help me move, or to go out to eat Indian food on a whim, my servant-hearted friend, Ramesh, was always available. He went home to be with the Lord this week. He arrived. For death is …

… to be absent from the body
and to be at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8

Free from the fetters of this physical body and its flaws; free from the ravages of disease; free from those IVs and drugs and monitors; free from travail and turmoil of life. But there is one more thing—more important than all of these—from which Ramesh is now free. The Bible calls it sin.

… for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

And the result of sin is eternal separation from God who is holy. For God’s holiness is so absolute and so infinite and so perfect, that no fellowship with anything tainted with sin is possible for Him.

But your iniquities
have made a separation
between you and your God.
Isaiah 59:2

Not only is this a major problem for us, it was a “problem” for God, too. On the one hand God’s perfect justice demanded that the price of sin be paid—eternal separation from Him. On the other, His love sought to bring us to Him, to forgive and to have mercy. The Bible declares that God solved this dilemma: Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, paid the price of our sins by His death and resurrection.

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

Because Ramesh believed that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died and was resurrected for his sins, as the Bible teaches, he now has fellowship with God eternally. He has arrived home! Home with Jesus Christ in heaven. Arrived home, to be with the Lord. Forever. At peace.

And [God] will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
and there will no longer
be any death;
there will no longer
be any mourning, or crying, or pain.
Revelation 21:4

I had the privilege of visiting Ramesh in the hospital several times in these past two weeks. One of my joyous memories of those times is that of the giggles of his daughters, as they snuggled together with their Dad. Giggles and tears, and often together. Only believers can giggle and weep at the same time in the face of death. Only those with the hope of eternal life can cry “Hallelujah” through the gloom of death and the blur of grief. Giggles and tears. While we grieve our earthly loss, we rejoice over the certainty of an eternity together. Giggles through tears, laughter amidst weeping. Because we know where Ramesh is. He’s arrived home.

Let me ask you: Do you know for sure that you are going home to heaven when you die? The free gift of salvation is yours for the taking. As with all gifts, this, too, needs to be accepted. We need to respond:

Believe in the Lord Jesus,
and you will be saved.
Acts 16:31

Have you accepted that free gift, believing in the privacy of your heart that Christ died for your sins and rose on the third day? If you have, you, too, will be headed home one day. Would you place your trust in Christ? Today?

PROTECTION!

Last month I had the chance to visit the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Among the highlights of that expedition was the chance to see the Benz S600 Guard armored car series. All of 500+ horsepower and packing a V12 engine, this is a vehicle marketed towards celebrities, dignitaries, and the obsessively paranoid. Its armor is sufficient to stop standard military small-arms fire, protect against grenade shrapnel and other unhealthy devices including Molotov cocktails. The S Guard’s tires can run even when flat; its fuel-tank can seal itself; it carries an integrated fire-extinguishing system. All the while looking no different from the mere mortal, garden-variety, non-reinforced V12 Benz S-class automobile.

The company’s boast is flagrant: Schutz hat einen Namen. The last word in protection. This slogan is inscribed proudly on the shield in the picture.

The “last word”? In protection? I beg to differ.

Of all the potential perils that could prevail upon us, perdition is the worst. Final and eternal separation from God, the result of sin. For as long as the question of sin persists in rearing its ugly head, every person separated from holy God. But the good news is that this ultimate catastrophe can be averted. For God incarnate, Jesus Christ, paid for our sins, fully and finally, taking the punishment we deserved. Sin, for the believer in Jesus Christ, is, now no longer an issue for salvation. To the one who has placed his or her trust in Christ, eternal life with God is guaranteed. Protection from perdition provided!

Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His great mercy
has caused us to be born again
… through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to obtain an inheritance which is
imperishable and undefiled
and will not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by
the power of God through faith ….
1 Peter 1:3–5

Jesus Christ, I beg to affirm, is the “last word” in protection—the ultimate protection, not some steel- and bulletproof glass-protected contraption that can run on flat tires!

The name of the LORD is a strong tower.
The righteous runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10

God—omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent—the believer’s only protection and refuge. Therefore the psalm-writer could exult …

I will lift up my eyes
to the mountains
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade
on your right hand.
The LORD will protect you
from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
Psalm 121:1–2, 5, 7

This, of course, is not to assert that earthly turmoil and tumult will fail to touch the believer. But it does claim that in the eternal scheme of things, in light of the full span of our existence—temporal and eternal—protection is promised, certified, warranted. All the wiles of the evil one, all his stratagems and schemes, cannot touch the believer.

But the Lord is faithful,
and He will strengthen and
protect you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3

Therefore we rejoice.

But let all who take refuge
in You be glad.
Let them ever sing for joy;
and may You shelter them
that those who love Your name
may exult in You.
For it is You who blesses
the righteous, O LORD.
You surround them with favor
as with a shield.
Psalm 5:11–12

The real shield. The real protection. Truly, THE last and final word in protection! In fact, the only word—God!

ROOTED!

It’s nice to be home—the temporary and earthly version thereof, I mean. I got back to Texas safely and soundly, but not necessarily in one piece. My luggage decided to dilly and dally in the environs of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, determining to dawdle and detour before making its way to Dallas a depressing 15 hours after me.

But it’s nice to be home. Familiar surroundings. Roots. Driving on the right (the right!) side of the road. In my car. The recognizable twang of Southern Americanese. Within reach of friends and family. My books. JIF. Familiarity. Rooted.

Roots are easily laid. With time, the idiosyncrasies of life in the U.K. became as unsurprising and commonplace to me as those of existence in the U.S.A. We are, by human nature, wont to become rooted. It is in the character of mankind to develop connections, networks. Roots.

I had thought—wrongly, I realize—that as a single person I was not particularly rooted anywhere. It took a transcontinental transplantation and the agonies that ensued that established, poignantly and piercingly, the fact that for far too long, I had been rooted in one place.

Roots. Good things. But not necessarily the best things to develop. At least not as long as we are citizens of another place. One can be too rooted.

For our citizenship
is in heaven, from which also
we eagerly wait for a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20

And as citizens rooted in another realm, living under the reign of Another, expecting the imminent return of that regent, Christians are called to be conscious of that impending kingdom always—its principles, its priorities, its purposes. We are to be rooted in the realm to come.

But seek first His kingdom ….

Matthew 6:33

That is what our primary concern ought to be, the establishment and realization of that kingdom on this earth. And in working wholeheartedly to that end, believers are enjoined not to fret about the fortunes of daily living or be perturbed about its pains. We are not to be rooted to this temporal existence.

Do not worry then, saying,
“What will we eat?” or
“What will we drink?” or
“What will we wear for clothing?”
For the unconverted
eagerly seek all these things;
for your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things.
But seek first His kingdom
and His righteousness,
and all these things
will be added to you

Matthew 6:31–33

As those who have placed their trust in Christ for salvation, as those who have thereby obtained eternal life, as those now in the family of God as His children, believers are, in a sense, already inhabitants of that kingdom. Uprooted from one kingdom, re-rooted in another.

For He rescued us
from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son.

Colossians 1:13–14

And so our focus must be where our citizenship is, where are roots are, where we are headed.

Therefore if you have been
raised up with Christ,
keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is,
seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above,
not on the things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:1–4

So I tell myself, as I return to my “roots”, this, too, is temporary. Soon to peter out, fade away, run its course.

This world is not my home,
I'm just passing through.
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me
From Heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore.
Albert E. Brumley, 1965

BEANNACHD!

Beannachd Dae Leat. Scottish Gaelic for “God’s blessings go with you.” Or simply, “Goodbye!”

Almost two years after my arrival here in the bonnie land of Scotland, I’m in the process of bidding friends and well-wishers in Aberdeen goodbye. Next week I take my leave. It’s back to the U.S. for me. But not without the pangs of separation.

It has been a terrific time of learning for me here: not only focusing undistractedly upon the topic of my thesis, but also learning to trust God far away from home, friends, familiarity, vocation, …. But our God is a trustworthy God: it wasn’t long before I made good friends here in Aberdeen who will remain good friends for ever. The delight of their company and love, however, makes farewells less than pleasant. I will miss those dear ones greatly.

Yet it is with keen anticipation that I head back to Dallas to begin a new chapter of my life, teaching (and treating), and generally trundling through life, attempting to serve my God to the best of my capacity. What He holds for me in the next phase of my life I anticipate with excitement and eagerness. Remembering His faithfulness to me in the past certainly makes it easier to look forward into the future. God is faithful!

The LORD's lovingkindnesses
indeed never cease,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,”
says my soul,
Therefore I have hope in Him.”
Lamentations 3:22–24

So, later this week, back to Texas! It will certainly be an adventure. All of life is, isn’t it? An adventure that we undertake in the full confidence of the sovereign power and tender love of our great God.

You have enclosed me
behind and before,
and laid Your hand upon me.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I dwell in the remotest
part of the sea,
even there Your hand
will lead me,
and Your right hand
will lay hold of me.
How precious also are
Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they
would outnumber the sand.
Psalm 139:5, 9–10, 17–18

No matter where we are, what path we tread, which situation we find ourselves in, we, like Paul, are …

… 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 8:38–39

As I requested prayer when I set forth from the U.S. to the U.K., may I again ask for your intercession with regard to all that awaits my immediate future? Many thanks to all who have faithfully labored as prayer warriors on my behalf these last several months. Please don't stop!

For God is not unjust
so as to forget your work
and the love
which you have shown
toward His name,
in having ministered
and in still ministering
to the saints.
Hebrews 6:10

And so the pilgrimage continues, as we walk with the Lord from one circumstance to another, from one place to another, from one continent to another. Until one day we find ourselves HOME. For, like Abraham of old, we, too, are …

… looking for the city
which has foundations,
whose architect
and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:10

HOME. Where we belong. Where are loved ones are. Where our Savior is. Where we are going. HOME.

WALKING!

“Walking” in the New Testament is quite a common metaphor for the Christian life. The Book of Acts refers to Christians as those “belonging to the Way” (Acts 9:2; etc.); the Gospel of Mark considers discipleship as being “on the way” with Christ; Paul describes the life of Christians as being a “walk”.

… we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

Christians, as those who have placed their trust in Christ, have received eternal life …

… 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

A new life-walk characterized by good deeds.

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

A new life-walk of good deeds that is commensurate with the high calling to be Christlike.

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

This figure of speech, walking/living, is carried even further. Just as it is impossible to navigate one’s way without light, it is impossible, the Bible tells us, to traverse the Way without the Light. Jesus said:

“I am the Light of the world;
he who follows Me
will not walk in the darkness,
but will have the Light of life.”
John 8:12

No longer are believers in darkness. No longer are believers to follow the desires of the flesh. No longer are believers to walk foolishly.

… you were formerly darkness,
but now you are
Light in the Lord;
walk as children of Light, …
trying to learn
what is pleasing to the Lord. …
Therefore be careful
how you walk,
not as unwise but as wise,
… understand what the
will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:8, 10, 15, 17

Such a walk along the Way lit by the Light of life is an important sign of Christian growth, an essential ingredient for Christian fellowship, and a confident assurance of the forgiveness of our sins.

If we say that we have
fellowship with Him
and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth;
but if we walk in the Light
as He [God] Himself
is in the Light,
we have fellowship
with one another,
and the blood of Jesus His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:6–7

Walking in the Light.

Come … let us walk
in the light of the LORD.
Isaiah 2:5

Walking with God, as His people.

How blessed are the people
who know the joyful sound!
O LORD, they walk
in the light of Your countenance.
Psalm 89:15

Walking according to His Spirit, as disciples …

… who do not walk
according to the flesh
but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:4

Walking in obedience to His Word, the Scriptures.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

Until one day, finally, we arrive at that destination towards which we walk, that terminus to which the Way leads.

And the city has no need
of the sun or of the moon
to shine on it,
for the glory of God
has illumined it,
and its lamp is the Lamb.
The nations will walk by its light.
Revelation 21:23–26

A place of never-ending Light! Let’s keep walking, for we’ll soon get there. Soon and very soon!

CUPID!

Much though some well-wishers of mine have wished it so, I have to disappoint them. Sorry, folks, Cupid—despite the title of this blog and the picture beneath—hasn’t targeted me yet.

The other day, I was in Piccadilly Circus, a traffic junction in the West End of London (circus = open circular intersection). Besides the neon hoardings, the characteristic feature of this London landmark is its statue of Eros (the god of love to the Greeks; a.k.a. Cupid to the Romans; but, apparently, there is some confusion as to whether the sculptor Alfred Gilbert intended his winged nude to be the deity of love at all). This London icon even shows up on the masthead of the British tabloid, the Evening Express.

It is fairly well established that the Greeks of yore had several words for love: eros, sensual love and passion; philia, “dispassionate” and virtuous friendship; storge, natural affection normally denoting familial relationships; and agape, the word most used for “love” in the New Testament, with its dominant connotation of a self-sacrificial love that characterized God Himself.

God is love.
1 John 4:16

Indeed, He is love. And it was this attribute that led Him to act on behalf of lost mankind.

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

And the result? For all those who place their trust in Jesus Christ, believing in work on the cross for their salvation, eternal life is guaranteed.

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

Agape. God’s. For me. For you.

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

And from this agape, nothing—absolutely nothing!—can ever separate the believer.

Who will separate us
from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
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 8:35, 38–39

Agape! Amazing agape that now makes us, in Christ, the children of God.

See how great a love
the Father has bestowed on us,
that we would be called
children of God.
1 John 3:1

The greatest agape—Christ’s self-sacrificial love.

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

And He did, dying for us. And in doing so, not only did He save us, but He also set us an example to follow.

… walk in love,
just as Christ also loved you
and gave Himself up for us ….
Ephesians 5:2

He showed us what it means to love.

We know love by this,
that He laid down His life for us;
and we ought
to lay down our lives
for fellow believers.
We love,
because He first loved us.
1 John 3:16; 4:19

Indeed this is Christ’s commandment to His followers.

A new commandment
I give to you,
that you love one another,
even as I have loved you ….
By this all men will know
that you are My disciples ….
John 13:34–35

So …

Let all that you do
be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14

HARMONY!

The charming medieval settlement of Old Aberdeen is the focal point of a number of architectural gems, not the least of which is the 500-year old University of Aberdeen campus. Another is a remarkable Georgian Town House built in the 1700s: its pleasing proportions, rugged stonework, and dignified stance has made it the logo of The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, its elegant façade appearing on all their publications.

The motto of what was the burgh of Old Aberdeen is inscribed above the front door of this edifice: Concordia Res Parvae Crescunt, or “Through Harmony, Small Things Increase”—unity makes a significant difference.

Using the metaphor of the body, Paul made the same point in the New Testament: no believer is insignificant; each is an integral and necessary part of the Body of Christ.

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

The unity of the body is presupposed, even as diversity within it is acknowledged.

For the body is not
one member, but many.
If the whole body were an eye,
where would the hearing be?
If the whole were hearing,
where would
the sense of smell be?
But now God
has placed the members,
each one of them, in the body,
just as He desired.
1 Corinthians 12:14, 17–18

The church, the Body of Christ, is a united organism, every diverse part of which is essential for the unity of the whole. A body cannot function—indeed, it cannot even be a body—without the unity of its various components. It is through that unity and harmony in Christ, wrought by the Holy Spirit, that “small things increase”.

If they were all one member,
where would the body be?
But now there are
many members,
but one body.
And the eye
cannot say to the hand,
“I have no need of you”;
or again the head to the feet,
“I have no need of you.”
1 Corinthians 12:19–21

We need each other. We depend on each other. We are bound to each other. United. As a body.

[May] there be
no division in the body, ….
And if one member suffers,
all the members suffer with it;
if one member is honored,
all the members rejoice with it.
1 Corinthians 12:25–26

This is not to be harmony at all costs, or harmony for harmony’s sake. This is a unity for the sake of Christ. A unity of Body, a harmony, based on love, and a spirit of selflessness and humility. Indeed, believers are called to imitate their Savior’s own humility.

[Be] of the same mind,
maintaining the same love,
united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.
Do nothing from selfishness
or empty conceit,
but with humility of mind
regard one another as
more important than yourselves.
Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:2–3, 5

Jesus Himself prayed that those who follow Him would be bound together in this kind of unity.

“… that they may be
perfected in unity,
so that the world may know
that You [the Father] sent Me,
and loved them,
even as You have loved Me.
John 17:23

May God help us to be united, that through our harmony and our concord He may be glorified.

Now may the God
who gives perseverance
and encouragement grant you
to be of the same mind
with one another
according to Christ Jesus,
so that with one accord
you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5–6

PRESSURE!

That’s Wartburg Castle in the distance, one of the best-preserved castles in Germany, located on a 1200-ft cliff overlooking Eisenach. It was built in the 11th century by Duke Ludwig of Thuringia, on someone else’s land. Apparently this enterprising guy had soil transported from his own property to the top of the mountain in order to swear that the castle was built on “his own ground”.

Of particular interest to Christians all over, and Protestants in particular, is the fact that Martin Luther stayed in Wartburg Castle. Having been excommunicated by the Pope in 1520 for his recalcitrant Reformation activities, Luther added fuel to the fire when he refused to recant his “heresies” at the Diet (Parliament) of Worms in May 1521. Fearing for his safety, his well-wishers had him “kidnapped” and transported to Wartburg where he remained for about 10 months (1521–1522), incognito, letting his hair grow, and adopting a pseudonym (“Knight George”).

But letting his hair grow did not equate with Luther’s letting his hair down and taking it easy. As a matter of fact, these months of intense pressure were perhaps his most productive. By any reckoning, his translation of the New Testament to German was a tour de force. And he did it entirely at Wartburg. In just 11 weeks. (Yes, eleven! Yes, weeks!) The Greek New Testament has about 138,000 words. That works out to about 1,800 words translated into German a day. All that amidst the torments of solitude, discouragement, fear, weariness, and illness. He is also alleged to have had his inkpot-thrown-at-the-devil episode in the Castle. Pressure of all kinds. And if you consider that the product of his translation did for the German language what the King James Version did for English, not to mention what it did for the Reformation, that single-handed endeavor by Knight George was an incredible, unparalleled feat par excellence. Production under pressure.

Maybe that’s why God puts us under pressure. For fruit production!

Consider it all joy,
my brethren, when you
encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing
of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance
have its perfect result,
so that you may be
perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
James 1:2–4

Seasons of pressure give us no occasion to trust in our own capacities, capabilities, cleverness, and craftiness. These are times when we are almost down and out. These are the days when we are thrown upon God’s feet, trusting in Him alone. The dog days when God’s power is manifest, producing in us its fruit.

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

There is yet another kind of product that comes out of pressure … should we persevere through it.

In this you greatly rejoice,
even though now
for a little while, if necessary,
you have been distressed
by various trials,
so that the proof of your faith,
being more precious than gold
… may be found to result
in praise and glory and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6–7

Eternal reward! So let us run, with perseverance,

… fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him,
endured the cross ….
Hebrews 12:2

ACCESS!

That’s the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin built in the late 1700s. A monumental landmark of twelve Doric columns about 60 feet high, the structure is modeled after the gateway to the Acropolis. Atop sits the Quadriga (four-horse chariot) with the goddess of peace driving it.

When the Nazis were in power, Brandenburg Gate symbolized their power. After the building of the Berlin Wall in the early 60s, the gate remained closed, a token of the Iron Curtain’s blockade of access between the East and West. President Reagan stood by it in 1987 and challenged the East to “Tear down this wall.” Upon the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate came to stand for freedom. On Dec 22, 1989, it was opened when West German Chancellor Kohl walked through it to the East German side. Access!

Another One went through a barrier Himself, procuring for believers a grand and magnificent access. To God Himself.

… in [Christ] we have
boldness and confident access
through faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:12

When Christ paid the price of sin once for all by His finished work on the cross, the accounts of His death state that the temple veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary was rent top down.

And Jesus uttered a loud cry,
and breathed His last.
And the veil of the temple
was torn in two
from top to bottom.
Mark 15:37–38

No more would the most holy place in the temple be verboten for mankind. No more would sin be an issue for salvation between holy God and sin-stained humans; for those who place their trust in Christ, the Mediator, access was available.

For there is one God,
and one mediator also
between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5

No more barrier. No more separation. No more estrangement. Evermore access. Evermore united with the Father. Evermore His child.

Therefore, having been
justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also
we have obtained
our introduction by faith
into this grace
in which we stand;
and we exult
in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1–2

And exult we will!

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood he purchased me;
On the cross he sealed my pardon,
Paid the debt and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story,
How my lost estate to save,
In his boundless love and mercy,
He the ransom freely gave.

Philip P. Bliss wrote this hymn in 1876 before dying in a train disaster. Apparently he survived the initial wreck, but was killed trying—unsuccessfully—to rescue his wife. This hymn was found later among his effects.

I will sing of my Redeemer
And his heav'nly love to me;
He from death to life hath brought me,
Son of God with Him to be.

Indeed, Christ had brought Bliss from death to life, “Son of God, with Him to be.” And so will we be with Him. Evermore. Because the price of sin was paid.

For Christ also died for sins
once for all,
the just for the unjust,
so that He might
bring us to God.
1 Peter 3:18

By His work. Into God’s presence. Access.

… we have confidence
to enter the holy place
by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way
which He inaugurated for us
through the veil,
that is, His flesh .…
Hebrews 10:19–20

Sing, O sing!

TRUE!

Loch Ness. Home of the legendary monster, “Nessie”—one of the best-known cryptids, along with other fanciful, fabled, and fabulous creatures such as Big Foot, Yeti, centaurs, gremlins, hippogriffs, basilisks, etc. Cruises offer tourists the chance to look for Lady Nessie.

But despite all the endeavors to locate her, Nessie has evaded detection. An extensive investigation launched by the BBC a few years ago found no trace of any monster of any kind in the murky waters of the loch. Nessie simply does not exist.

To many it is likely that Jesus Christ and His resurrection are in that same category of unverifiable myths. And today being the Sunday after Ascension (40 days after Easter was last Thursday), perhaps a look into this matter of validity is called for, especially regarding the Resurrection. Fact or fiction?

… He [Jesus] also presented
Himself alive
after His suffering,
by many convincing proofs,
appearing to [the disciples]
over a period of forty days ….
Acts 1:3

Did He rise from the dead? There is no question Jesus’ tomb was empty. Is it possible He never died, and simply revived and walked away? Not after all the agonies He suffered. And certainly not under the watchful eyes of Pilate’s guards. Was His body stolen by His compatriots? By those Galilean fisherman scared out of their wits by the whole episode? Impossible! (Of course, the sleeping guards assure us that it happened while they were fast asleep!) Well, then, were the disciples lying about the Resurrection? The accounts we have, with the painful details of their doubts and cowardice, don’t read at all like works of fiction. I suppose they could have been hallucinating, but 500 of them at once? Mass hallucination? Likely story!

For I delivered to you
… what I also received,
that Christ died for our sins
… and that He was buried,
and that He was raised
on the third day
according to the Scriptures,
and that He appeared
… to the twelve.
After that He appeared to
more than five hundred brethren
at one time ….
1 Corinthians 15:3–7

But the most powerful evidence for the truth of all this is that lives were changed as a result of the Resurrection. The disillusioned, disheartened, and demoralized group of people at the crucifixion became, after the resurrection of their Lord, courageous men of fortitude and tenacity, with a vision and a boldness beyond comprehension. The disciples not only preached the Resurrection, they were ready to go to prison and even die for the truth of what they proclaimed. And they did: Paul and James—beheaded; Peter, Andrew, Philip, Jude, Simon the Zealot, and Bartholomew—crucified; James the Less—stoned; Matthew and Thomas—stabbed to death (the latter in India). Perhaps only John died a natural death. While some may die for what they believe in, thinking it true, nobody—nobody—will die for what they know to be false. Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. The disciples lives were changed.

Changed lives. And lives continue to be changed even today as believers place their trust in Christ for salvation from sin.

Not a figment of imagination like Miss Nessie. The true story of Christ and His Resurrection is a demonstration of the grace of God, the payment for our sin, and the assurance of eternal life. Life as it was meant to be. Victory!

The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law;
but thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:56–57

PRAYER!

This picture was taken somewhere on an island off the western coast of Scotland some months ago. In the middle of nowhere. With a storm brewing in the air, foreboding, inky clouds spelling doom. No, I wasn’t in any trouble; the depiction of a deserted phone booth deposited in a desolated domain drew my attention. And, yes, the telephone worked! There was a dial-tone. Not a soul in sight, not a house anywhere around. Lightning on the horizon, thunder rumbling in the skies. But there was a dial-tone in that companionable carmine curbside cubicle with a connection to the outside. The comfortable sound of a link to the beyond.

So it is also for the Christian, one who has placed his or her trust in Christ as Savior. We too have a link to a source of strength and succor in times of stress and strain.

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

There is always a line open. Jesus Christ, through whom alone we come to the Father.

For there is one God,
and one mediator also
between God and men,
the human Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:5

This God, our God, is with us and for us—“Immanuel”. And …

If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:31

This God, our Lord Jesus Christ, too, underwent the rigors of humanity and satanic trials, as he partook of our own human nature, finally, tasting death for us.

For since He Himself
was tempted
in that which He has suffered,
He is able to come to the aid
of those who are tempted.
Hebrews 2:18

An accessible line with an ever-present dial-tone.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Joseph Scriven, 1855

Through Christ, we are to pray. For times are troubled. Days dreary. Warfare on the way. Pray often.

The end of all things is near;
therefore, be of sound judgment
and sober spirit
for the purpose of prayer.
1 Peter 4:7

Only His peace can sustain us in these dreary days. And that peace, amidst the pressures of daily life, is channeled by prayer.

Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything
by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests
be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6–7

Indeed, if incarnate God, Jesus Christ, Himself, had to pray, how much more we?

… He [Jesus] went off
to the mountain to pray,
and He spent the whole night
in prayer to God.
Luke 6:12

Let us follow His example.

Devote yourselves to prayer,
keeping alert in it
with an attitude of thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2

AGING!

Hard to believe. This little kid whom I used to bounce around just the other day has graduated from high school overnight. My nephew, John. When did he become eighteen? Yesterday, I used to give him a hard time, teasing him and pulling his leg. Today, I’m at the receiving end. Yesterday, I was the fount of information. Today, he corrects my mistakes. Yesterday, I was treating the acne on his face. Today, he’s teaching me about “facebook”. Yesterday, he was a cute little elementary school kid. Today, he’s tall and gangly, bidding goodbye to his high school buddies.

I must be getting old! And who knows about tomorrow?

Come now, you who say,
“Today or tomorrow we will go
to such and such a city,
and spend a year there
and engage in business
and make a profit.”
Yet you do not know what
your life will be like tomorrow.
You are just a vapor
that appears for a little while
and then vanishes away.
James 4:13–14

Time flies. Things change. People age. And the clock ticks on, inexorably, irreversibly, incessantly. We might be unconscious of the fact, unmindful and unaware, but life is running out for each of us.

LORD, make me to know my end
and what is the extent of my days.
Let me know how transient I am.
Behold, You have made
my days as handbreadths,
and my lifetime
as nothing in Your sight.
Surely every man
at his best is a mere breath.
Psalm 39:4–5

And as the sand in our hourglasses run out, afflictions abound in synapse and sinew, frailties fell both mind and body. But we are sustained by our everlasting Father, and the eternality of life He gives us.

And now, Lord,
for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
Psalm 39:7

Indeed! Our hope is in the One who has promised eternal life to those who believe in Christ Jesus for salvation from their sins, a life wherein all things will be renewed. However, in the meantime, as we await those days when things will be as they ought to be—wrongs emended, sin eradicated, joy established, God enjoyed—until then, the Psalmist says …

As for the days of our life,
they contain seventy years,
or if due to strength, eighty years.
Yet their pride
is but labor and sorrow.
For soon it is gone
and we fly away.
So teach us to number our days,
that we may present to You
a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:11–12

Until then, here on earth, may we be wise in all our undertakings, employing ourselves with care during the days allotted to us in this life, as we seek to bring Him praise and glory in all that we think and say and do.

My mouth is filled
with Your praise
and with Your glory all day long.
Do not cast me off
in the time of old age.
Do not forsake me
when my strength fails.
But as for me,
I will hope continually,
and will praise You
yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell
of Your righteousness
and of Your salvation all day long.
And even when I am old and gray,
O God, do not forsake me.
Until I declare Your strength
to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
For Your righteousness,
O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
Psalm 71:8–9, 14–15, 18–19

We age. Be wise. Serve God.

COMMITMENT!

Until Oct 31, 1517, the medieval practice of the Catholic Church of granting indulgences—a scandalously commercialized transaction by which one could purchase remission from purgatory by viewing relics of saints (and donating money)—went largely unopposed.

Absolution from sin had become a commodity to be purchased. The Schlosskirche (Castle Church) in Wittenberg, in Germany, held one of Europe’s most significant collection of relics, and was center of veneration of these “antiquities”, that supposedly included among other objects of fantasy and imagination, straw from Jesus manger, and the body of one of the children massacred by King Herod.

Until Oct 31, 1517. On that day Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” (Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences) to the door of the Schlosskirche. Luther was outraged by the thought of sin being remitted by human works. This, he recognized, was an offense against the grace of God and the doctrine of justification by faith.

(There I am, standing before that famous door in Wittenberg; the original wooden doors, of course, are gone, to be replaced in the 19th century by bronze replicas bearing the Latin text of Luther’s theses.)

Against great opposition, this man of God stood firm. Pope Leo X issued a papal edict in 1520, condemning Luther and demanding a retraction. Luther burnt the edict in Wittenberg! Demands for Luther’s recantation continued. At great danger to his life, Luther refused. There would be no compromise. In 1521, in one of his most remarkable confrontations with church authorities at the Assembly of Worms (also in Germany), this stalwart said:

“Unless I can be instructed and convinced
with evidence from the Holy Scriptures
or with open, clear, and distinct grounds
and reasoning—and my conscience is
captive to the Word of God—
then I cannot and will not recant,
because it is neither safe nor wise
to act against conscience.
Here I stand. I can do no other.

God help me! Amen.

The Protestant Reformation had begun, to a great extent because of the commitment of one man to his God and to the veracity of God’s Word. An unbending, unyielding, undaunted stance.

Every believer in Christ is called upon to be committed likewise to God and His Word. To persevere. To stand firm. To hold fast.

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

Indeed! Not in vain at all! For there will be a reward for such faithfulness. May we not lose those deserts due to lack of commitment. Christ says:

“I am coming quickly;
hold fast what you have,
so that no one
will take your crown.”
Revelation 3:11

We are to hold fast what we have, committed to what we have learnt from the Word: how we should walk with God, abide in Christ, live by the Spirit.

So then, brethren,
stand firm and hold
to the traditions
which you were taught …
2 Thessalonians 2:15

God calls for a commitment. A line is drawn. Whom or what will we serve? As Joshua challenged the children of Israel:

Only be very careful
… to love the LORD your God
and walk in all His ways
and keep His commandments
and hold fast to Him
and serve Him with all your heart
and with all your soul.
.. choose for yourselves today
whom you will serve;
… but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 22:5; 24:15

Will we be wholeheartedly, steadfastly, diligently committed to God?

GLORIFY!

A long-awaited expedition became reality last week. Drew, the organist at the church I attend in Aberdeen, and I set out on a pilgrimage to pay our respects to Herr Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750).

There’s yours faithfully and JSB having a chat in the Bach House at Eisenach, Germany. What a delight to revisit history and to breathe the same air as this musical genius and strong Christian. While there is no doubt that he was God’s unique musical gift to mankind, evidence of Bach’s spirituality and devotion to his Creator abounds. His settings of sacred texts speak (sing?) eloquently of the words they handle, focusing performer and listener upon the conceptual content of the piece, lyrics and music fitting one another with forceful passion and flawless perfection. He knew his God. Bach’s Bible comes down to us annotated with marginalia and comments. He knew his Scripture. Many of his manuscripts, both sacred and secular, contain the acronym “S.D.G”, Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone). He knew his life’s purpose.

Bach is reported to have observed that music exists “in order to make a well-sounding harmony to the glory of God and the permissible delectation of the spirit; and the aim and final reason … of all music … should be nothing else but the glory of God and the recreation of the mind. Where this is not observed, there will be no real music but only a devilish hubbub.”

Quite in line with the biblical mandate concerning not only music but every other human activity.

Whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Of course, there can only be one Bach! But the Bible is clear that all believers have one or more spiritual gifts and that we are called to exercise them, in whatever capacity and in whichever arena, unto God for His glory.

As each one has received
a special gift, employ it
in serving one another
as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God.
Whoever speaks, is to do so
as one who is speaking
the utterances of God;
whoever serves is to do so
as one who is serving
by the strength
which God supplies;
so that in all things
God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory
and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10–11

To the end, Bach remained faithful to God in his music-making. On his deathbed, blind, and in a darkened room, he dictated to his son-in-law, Johann Christoph Altnikol, a choral prelude. Appropriately, it was on Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit.

Before Thy Throne I now appear,
O Lord! bow down Thy gracious ear,
Reject not from Thy loving face
A [poor sinner] who sues for Grace.
Bodo von Hodenberg, 1646

On July 10, 1750, this musician nonpareil suffered a stroke. Ten days later, “a little after a quarter to nine in the evening, in the sixty-sixth year of his life, he quietly and peacefully, by the merit of his Redeemer, departed this life,” as his obituary put it.

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

As children of God, as members of the body of Christ, let us remember whom we serve and why—to glorify God in everything.

Whatever you do
in word or deed,
do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus ….
Colossians 3:17

FORTRESS

A few weeks ago, while traveling in the western Highlands of Scotland with some friends, we literally ran into this fascinating structure!

Eilean Donan (Scottish Gaelic meaning Isle of Donan) is a small island (pop. 1!) in Loch Duich, connected by a footbridge to the mainland. This isle was named for St. Donan (Donnán of Eigg) martyred in that area in 617 A.D. On this parcel is the Eilean Donan Castle. The original edifice dates back from the early 13th century, for the most part a stronghold for various clans; the current restoration by the MacRae clan was undertaken in the early 1900s. For obvious reasons, Castle Eilean Donan has the distinction of being one of the most photographed castles in Scotland.

Enthralling monuments, these castles. And Scotland has a fair share of them—over 3,000, in various shapes, sizes, and states of preservation. Even the ruins look magnificent. Castle, from the Latin, castellum = fortress. These stone productions are both defensive (for protection from the enemy) and offensive (often located in hostile territory to control surrounding land). And, in many cases, castles evolved into residences for the lord or monarch who had them built.

I can’t help but think that the Christian’s “fortress” has all three of these characteristics: it is defensive; it is offensive; it is the home of the King! Indeed, the believer’s fortress is God Himself.

He who dwells in the shelter
of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow
of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD,
“My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
Psalm 91:1–2

This fortress is defensive …

The LORD is my rock
and my fortress
and my deliverer,
My God, my rock,
in whom I take refuge.
My shield and
the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD,
who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:2–3

This fortress is offensive.

In my distress
I called upon the LORD,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice
out of His temple,
And my cry for help
before Him came into His ears.
Then the earth
shook and quaked;
And the foundations
of the mountains
were trembling
And were shaken,
because He was angry.
He sent out His arrows,
and scattered them [enemies],
And lightning flashes
in abundance, and routed them.
Psalm 18:6–7, 13

What can our response be to this great “Castle”, the God who is our fortress?

Praise …

The LORD lives,
and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God
of my salvation,
Therefore I will give thanks
to You among the nations, O LORD,
And I will sing praises
to Your name.
Psalm 18: 46, 49

And trust …

For You are my rock
and my fortress;
For Your name's sake
You will lead me and guide me.
How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up
for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought
for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
Be strong and
let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 31:3, 19, 24

Our great God, a Personal fortress, who loves us and give us victory!

Who will separate us
from the love of Christ?
Will tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
But in all these things
we overwhelmingly conquer
through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:35, 37

Amen!