NAMED!

That’s a 1-month-old calf at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. And seeing the little one (over 200 lbs!) was the highlight of my visit to that animal assemblage this summer.

The Zoo set up a competition to name the baby. Out of over 30,000 entries, the keepers went with “Luk Chai.” You see, the entire herd of elephants in Taronga hails from Thailand, so it was appropriate to give the latest arrival a Thai name. Protective Mama, the other pachyderm in the picture, is Thong Dee (“Golden”); proud Papa is Gung (“Prawn”).

“Luk Chai” means “son,” and that’s right and proper, for he is the only other male in the entire herd besides father Gung.

The other day, I preached on a dude in the Bible who, too, was given an appropriate name—twice!

This guy’s story began even before he was born. For the first time in biblical history, a woman had conceived twins! Uh-oh! Who’s gonna be firstborn and thus get the patriarchal blessing? Apparently the kids in utero were aware of this dilemma.

But the children
struggled together within her ….
Genesis 25:22

This was no brotherly tussle. The word connotes a serious street fight, brass knuckles, knives, and all. They’d already begun fighting for the blessing. Anyhow, Esau is born first.

Afterward his brother came forth
with his hand holding on to Esau's heel.
Genesis 25:26

The younger guy came out fighting. Chasing his older brother, Esau. Fighting to be the firstborn. Chasing the blessing. So they find the perfect name for him.

His name was called Jacob.
Genesis 25:26

“Yakov” = “heel.” From the outset Jacob is a heel-grabber. Fighting. Running. Chasing. Chasing in the womb. Chasing coming from the womb. And for the next 10-odd chapters in Genesis, chasing outside the womb. Chasing for blessing. Chasing for recognition. Chasing for significance. Life was one loooong chase for the heel-grabber.

To cut a long story short, years later, the heel-grabber comes to his senses and returns home, risking life and limb at the hands of his older brother, Esau, whom he had cheated long time ago. Desperate and fearful, the night before he meets his brother, he encounters God Himself.

He [Jacob] said,
“I will not let you go
unless you bless me.”
Genesis 32:26

I won’t let you go unless you bless me. Finally, finally, the heel-grabber realizes who can really bless him. Finally, he realizes the folly of his deceiving, and defrauding, and duping. Now he realizes that only one person can bless him—God.

And he [God] blessed him there.
Genesis 32:29

From heel-grabbing to God-grabbing! And at last, Jacob had found blessing at its true source, its only source.

Have you come to that recognition? Have we reached the point of realizing that only God, only God, can bless us? Nothing else will satisfy. Nothing else will fulfill. Nothing else will delight. Only God. God alone! God alone can bless us. And to Him we must cling!

And, BTW, Yakov gets named … again.

He [God] said,
“Your name
shall no longer be Jacob,
but Israel.”
Genesis 32:28

No more the grabbing of heels, snatching of dreams, clutching at straws, chasing of wind. No more Yakov. No more chasing. Henceforth “Israel.” Yisra-El = God fights. No more will you grab heels. No more will you need to grab heels. Because God fights for you.

You don’t have to fight any more. You don’t have to chase anything anymore. You don’t have to run after anything anymore.

“Israel”—God fights. He does! For us too. Grab Him!

PROCLAIM!

The Evangelical Homiletics Society (EHS) had its annual meeting last week. This is an academic society promoting the cultivation, exchange, and development of ideas related to preaching and the teaching of preaching.

That’s the Executive Committee of the Society for 2009-2010 pictured at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, the location of this year’s gathering. From left to right: Communications Coordinator, Member-at-Large, Vice President (yours faithfully), Site Host (for the meeting in 2010, at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago), and President (our Secretary–Treasurer is not in the picture).

The first item in our Statement of Faith reads: “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.”

It is on that foundation that our burden for preaching rests. As the Word of God, the Bible is meant to be applied. Divine revelation, God’s Word, is not intended to remain simply as black marks on white pages in a book. It is intended to be lived out.

All Scripture is inspired by God
and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness;
so that the man and woman of God
may be adequate,
equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17

Because the Bible is held to be authoritative and intended for practice, we preach.

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

For we grow by the Word into conformity to the image of Christ, becoming more like Him daily.

Like newborn babies,
long for the pure milk of the word,
so that by it you may grow ….
1 Peter 2:2

Therefore we preach, therefore we proclaim.

… for whoever will call
on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
How then will they call on Him
in whom they have not believed?
How will they believe in Him
whom they have not heard?
And how will they hear
without a preacher?
How will they preach
unless they are sent?
Just as it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news of good things!”
Romans 10:13–15

But these proud owners of beautiful feet are not only the members of the EHS; they are not only seminary profs, or pastors, or Bible study teachers, or small-group leaders, ….

No, God intends for all who would follow Christ as disciples to be proclaimers.

And He appointed twelve,
so that they would be with Him and
that He could send them out to preach,
Mark 3:14

Throughout, in Mark, the Twelve are portrayed as models (often negative). Christ would have us be what He wanted them to be when He called them—to be with Him and to be sent. What a paradox! To be with Him and be sent from Him. Perhaps to be with Him means to be sent from Him to preach and proclaim. We have our commission—we have been sent.

I solemnly charge you
in the presence of God
and of Christ Jesus, …
preach the word ….
2 Timothy 4:1–2

Never forgetting, of course, that we don’t just preach and proclaim in word alone. The Word of God has to impact our own lives—we have to preach and proclaim in deed as well.

But prove yourselves
doers of the word,
and not merely hearers ….
But one who … abides by it,
not having become a forgetful hearer
but an effectual doer,
this one will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22, 25

Proclaim … and be blessed!

STRENGTH!

That’s the Sydney Tower, aka Centrepoint Tower, the second tallest structure in Australia, and, apparently, the tallest observation tower south of the equator. At over 1,000 feet, it is #38 in the list of the world’s tallest towers. This one is a prominent Sydney landmark visible from all points of its various suburbs. Standing next to the harbor, it boasts a magnificent 360-degree view of its environs. If one is brave enough, one can also embark upon the Skywalk that takes you to an open-air platform 50 feet above the observation deck. (I wasn’t brave enough! The potential loss of heartbeats was a significant factor in my decision.)

Notice the lacy structure of the tower. I did wonder if it was strong enough. But it is. Remarkably strong. Vladimir Shukhov (1853–1939) conclusively demonstrated the strength of such structures, known, in technical jargon, as hyperbolic lattices (or, as he called it, azhurnaia bashnia = “lace tower”). Hyperboloid geometry makes it possible to use lattice work to support objects high off the ground. Who would have thought that, looking at the seemingly flimsy creation? These hyperboloids are said to be of greater strength than any other kind of “straight” building. The individual elements of the lattice are so structured (with a “negative Gaussian curvature”—whatever that means!) that they end up being much stronger than edifices constructed otherwise. Together the discrete parts of the lattice confer strength upon each other.

Together! Unity is strength.

So also for the community of believers in Christ, the church. Unity is strength. While, to be sure, the decision to believe and become a part of the community of Christians is an act of faith and trust that each of us has to make, the body we are placed in is just that—a body. Community.

… you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God’s own possession ….
1 Peter 2:9

Race, priesthood, nation, people. All collectives. Community. And in commUnity, there is strength. Life is hard, no question. And messy. We need community to sustain us, strengthen us, support us. Individuality, on the other hand, is weak. No one can stand alone. There is no one without blind spots. No one gifted enough, capable enough, adequate enough. Individuality is weak; commUnity is strong.

No wonder the author of Hebrews exhorts Christians:

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

In commUnity, is strength.

Indeed, those who stand by with us, and run with us, and even those who have gone on before us, strengthen us to keep going.

Therefore, since we have so great
a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside
every encumbrance and the sin
which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12:1

In commUnity is strength. Care and concern, service and sacrifice, one for one another. Indeed, “one another” echoes frequently in the Bible. Here are a few instances:

Give preference to one another
in honor.
Romans 12:10

Be kind to one another ….
Ephesians 4:32

… comfort one another ….
1 Thessalonians 4:18

… confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another ….
James 5:16

In commUnity is strength. And that community is, of course, bonded in love.

Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:11

And that is no hyperbole!

INCONGRUITY!

Nope. Not Photoshopped in. Not cut-and-pasted. No manipulation of any kind, manual or computerized (except, of course, for the superimposition of the honorable and honest visage of yours faithfully). That was a picture I took at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney a few months ago. This idyllic animal house, home to over 2,500 denizens on 50 acres, is one of the largest zoos in the world. It’s only a few deep puddles (in the Sydney Harbor) away from downtown Sydney; the “shells” of the Opera House are visible behind the camelopard’s neck—in fact, one pleasant way to get to the Zoo is by boat (see here). So if you are in the right place in the Zoo at the right time, camera poised and ready, many an incongruous shot is yours for the taking.

A giraffe in downtown!

Or as they might say here in Texas, “a turtle on a fencepost.”

Incongruity! No way either beast could have gotten to its destination on its own—not those destinations anyway. Impossible. Downtown or on top of a fencepost. Out of place. Totally. Somebody must have done it to them.

Me, too—incongruity par excellence!

For believers in Jesus Christ also are an incongruous bunch. Indeed, the Bible says they no longer are in the kingdom of darkness but dwell in the kingdom of light.

For He rescued us
from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son.
Colossians 1:13

Because—simply because—we have been forgiven:

… in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:14

Why incongruous? Because once …

… you were dead
in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked …,
and were by nature
children of wrath ….
Ephesians 2:1–3

Destined, then, for the wrath of a holy God who cannot look upon sin. That was once. But now …

… God, being rich in mercy,
because of His great love
with which He loved us,
even when we were dead
in our transgressions,
made us alive ….
Ephesians 2:4–5

The incongruity of it all! How could this happen? Why did this happen? What prompted God to do what He did?

For by grace you have been saved
through faith;
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8

God’s grace alone—nothing we thought, nothing we said, nothing we did.

… not as a result of works ….
Ephesians 2:9

God’s amazing grace in the giving of His Son to pay the price for our sins.

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

And those who have believed in the life, death, resurrection, and atoning work of Jesus Christ, are now these incongruous ones, the result of God’s love, God’s grace, God’s sovereign choice.

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

Incongruous, indeed.

What is man
that You take thought of him,
and the son of man
that You care for him?
Yet …You crown him
with glory and majesty!
Psalm 8:4–5

Yes, upon, and through, these incongruous ones, God has demonstrated His love, His grace, His choice.

I, for one, am thankful.

We, the incongruous, can only say in praise …

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name
in all the earth!
Psalm 8:9

Amen!

PEACE!

They played each other yesterday: India and Pakistan.

The Championship Trophy cricket matches are on, between the world’s cricketing nations, India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. And yesterday the traditional rivals (in most things, not just cricket) played each other.

Once upon a time, India and Pakistan were considered one nation, and ruled by the British as such. The partition of those countries into predominantly Hindu India and predominantly Muslim Pakistan in 1947 created such animosity between the two nations that they have been at war with each other several times, and been on the brink of war more times than one can count. Posturing, accusing, quarrelling, fighting.

Even in cricket. Traditional rivals, both boast terrific teams that have fought for glory on the field. Usually these (war)games are conducted either in Pakistan or in India, with a partisan crowd packing the stands, patriotic blood boiling.

Yesterday’s game, however, was held in Centurion, South Africa, the venue of the Championship Trophy. Flags flew proudly—almost all of them the Indian tricolor, or the Pakistani moon-and-star. It was terrific to see both flutter alongside one another; the packed 22,000-seat stadium was ablaze with green/white/orange and white/green. The flag-flying hordes were, thankfully, completely peaceful, albeit raucous, for the entirety of the 8-hour match. Perhaps it was because it was played on neutral territory. Perhaps it was because to be anything but peaceful wouldn’t exactly be “cricket,” you know. (Maybe soccer!)

Anyhow, it proved that India and Pakistan can fight in peace!

If they can, surely we can, too—we who were redeemed by the Prince of Peace.

If possible, so far as
it depends on you,
be at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18

But human nature is selfish, self-seeking, self-promoting.

Be in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty in mind ….
Romans 12:16

That’s the root of our problems. The self-focused flesh.

And so, when I’m offended, I’m gonna pay them back in their own coin. So there!

Never pay back
evil for evil to anyone. …
But if your enemy is hungry,
feed him, and if he is thirsty,
give him a drink ….
Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17, 20–21

What? Treat kindly those who oppress me? But what about my rights?

For this finds favor,
if for the sake of conscience
toward God
a person bears up under sorrows
when suffering unjustly.
1 Peter 2:19

But nobody does that? That’s impossible to practice.

For you have been called
for this purpose,
since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example
for you to follow in His steps ….
1 Peter 2:21

But then who’s gonna take care of poor ol’ me?

… and while being reviled,
He did not revile in return;
while suffering,
He uttered no threats,
but kept entrusting Himself
to Him who judges righteously.
1 Peter 2:23

That’s the One who will take care of us—our heavenly Father.

I don’t know if the name of an adversary or opponent who has been giving you trouble comes to mind as you read this. Maybe one does. If so, would you take these verses to heart? Even seek ways to reconcile?

… walk in a manner
worthy of the calling
with which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, showing tolerance
for one another in love,
being diligent to preserve
the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1–3

Amen!

P.S.:India lost! There goes my peace!

SLOW!

I cut my hair this week. It’s always an experience. The nice kind.

I frequent a neighborhood joint just a hop, skip, and jump from my place. It used to be manned by a trio of old guys, usually found napping in their own barber chairs, waiting for the unwary customer with hair too long or beard too unkempt. It used to be a trio. The founding member died last year. Now it’s a duet of old guys. The consummate artist in charge of my scalp is Dee, a portly character with glasses, a Lutheran, and an active one at that.

This week was no different from the usual visit. One hour! Yes, one hour, of pure relaxation! Dee takes his time. Conversationalist par excellence, he takes frequent breaks to indulge in dissertating on the woes of the world. With scissors in hand, employed like a conductor’s baton, he disparages federal, state, and city governments. His voluble utterances are punctuated by stabs in the air at imaginary opponents, and I try to dodge the flying rapier, as I sit captive under a maroon coverlet, swaddled and straitjacketed! But it’s fun. He takes his time.

This local operation is my non-alcoholic version of the Cheers bar.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

And they're always glad you came.
Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo © 1982

Dee knows my name, what I do, where I live, when I’ll turn up next, my SS#, everything! He shows me suspicious skin lesions, likes to talk about church stuff, and often tells me (yes, he tells me) what’s happening at the Seminary located just a couple of blocks away.

Yup, he takes his time.

Oh, and the coup de grâce, the shoulder massage, with one of those agitating gizmos that Dee straps on to his hand and places in contact with my scapula, clavicle, spine, and cranium. Everything shakes—brain, eyeballs, cochlea, tongue, heart, trachea …. A delightful way to get a workout. (I bet it literally vibrates a few thousands calories off my anatomy.)

A lost art! He takes his time.

Relationships take time. No instant gratification here. No quick fixes. No rapid fire kinship. So it is with God, too. Relationships take time.

Take time to be holy,
Speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always,
And feed on His Word.

Make friends of God’s children,
Help those who are weak,

Forgetting in nothing
His blessing to seek.
Will­iam D. Long­staff, 1882

Take time!

Devote yourselves to prayer,
keeping alert in it ….
Colossians 4:2

Our Lord gave us the example.

But Jesus Himself would often
slip away to the wilderness and pray.
Luke 5:16

And we? We have no time to pray!

Yet the time spent on TV by the average American per year is 1,512 hours = 63 days of non-stop TV-watching, 24–7.

Relationships take time.

Luther, replying to someone who asked him about his plans for the next day, said: “I plan to work, work, from early till late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first 3 hours in prayer.”

As St. Benedict said, Orare est laborare. To pray is to work.

So …

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

And that includes praying with others in the family of God.

They were continually
devoting themselves
to the apostles' teaching
and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread
and to prayer.
Acts 2:42

Relationships take time. Devoted in prayer. Go slow. Invest. Then … profit.

TAXI

Yup, that’s a taxi. A water taxi. Takes you, on demand, to where you want to go around Sydney harbor (recognizable from the landmark in the background—the iconic shells of Sydney Opera House).

Cities across the globe from Amsterdam to Venice have this species of water transportation. Gets you from point A to point B. In this case from one of the quays in Sydney to the remarkable Taronga Zoo. (More on the Zoo in another installment of the aBeLOG.)

But I’d never seen one before. Rather unusual, I thought. A water taxi!

But special circumstances—water!—demand special solutions. One can’t walk, one can’t swim, one can’t fly the distance. The usual means of getting across don’t work. So … an unusual remedy: water taxi!

Some distances in life cannot be spanned even by water taxi. Some gaps in life call for a special solution. Distances that are impossible for us to cover on our own. Gaps too wide for bridging by the usual means. An unusual remedy is needed.

A particular Gap yawns before us starkly—that between us and a holy God.

Your sins have made
a separation between
you and your God …
Isaiah 59:2

The Gap of sin. Our sin. Mine. An unspannable Gap. An irremediable separation. And there’s nothing we can do to bridge it.

And the result, God says, is separation forever from Him, the source of life. So the Bible calls it “death”—the eternal kind.

For the wages of sin is death ….
Romans 6:23a

That’s it! We’re done for. Hopeless! Helpless!

All kinds of remedies have been propounded for this most lethal affliction by all manner of people all across the ages. Epicureans say: Don’t worry about. Just enjoy life! But with eternal death hanging over my head, I can’t. Stoics say: Well that’s too bad, but there’s nothing we can do about it; so, stiff upper lip, old chap! That doesn’t help me one bit. Pythagoreans assure us: God will work a miracle and take everyone home to be with Him one day. Yeah? But that just makes a mockery of God and His righteousness and justice. Platonists assert: God can’t really do anything about it. So just be good and do good and that will outweigh the bad stuff in the end. OK, I’ll try.

[Many tries later (and out of breath) …]

I don’t think I’m any closer to God. In the sinful state that I find myself from birth to death, nothing I do ever seems to outweigh all the divine-law-breaking I’ve engaged in.

Sin is lawlessness.
1 John 3:4

Hopeless. Helpless.

But there is good news. A water taxi!

Well, not exactly ….

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

Jesus Christ, God Himself, took our sin and paid its price—forever, fully, finally! Unusual means of transportation, indeed.

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

Sins no longer separate us from God, provided, of course, we accept that price.

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 that’s the “price” of the ticket on the taxi. Belief. Faith. Trust. In the truth that God in Christ died for us, rose on the third day, paying for our sins.

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

Free ride! All aboard!

GROUNDED?

Ever tried spelling “Woolloomooloo”? OK, here we go: Double-U, double O, double L, double O, M, double O, L, double O. Now see how fast you can say it!

Double-U, double O,
double L, double O,
M, double O,
L, double O.

Pure poetry! And a real tongue-twister if there ever was one. Supposedly derived from an aboriginal word, wallabahmullah, i.e., a young black kangaroo.

For those of you non-Aussies, Woolloomooloo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney on Woolloomooloo Bay in Sydney Harbor. A pleasant waterfront to lounge around and watch people. Apart from its tongue-stupefying name, Woolloomooloo is famous for being the home of Harry’s Café de Wheels.

Harry’s culinary establishment is basically a one-room kitchen on wheels, with a large awning. While it used to be mobile, it is now permanently affixed to the ground, despite its name. Fancy murals and pictures of important visitors decorate the edifice, including those of Frank Sinatra, Robert Mitchum, Marlene Dietrich, and Colonel Sanders. Not the least of that coterie is my friend, Malcolm, the back of whose head you see.

Harry’s Café de Wheels is now included in the National Trust of Australia, acknowledged as having “aesthetic, historical, architectural, archaeological, scientific, or social significance or other special value for future generation.” An icon and a must-see (and must-eat-at) tourist attraction.

I came, I saw, and I ate.

I consumed a Tiger, which—named after Harry “Tiger” Edwards—is, as the sign announces, a beef pie with mashed potatoes and mushy green peas, all collectively drowning in brown gravy, which one consumes sitting on the sidewalk or wherever, out of a paper bowl, with a plastic fork.

Ol’ Harry began this operation in 1938, and it has been running ever since, except for an interlude during the war when Mr. Edwards was conscripted into the army.

The Sydney City Council mandates that food-vending vans like Harry’s Café de Wheels actually be mobile and move at least 12 inches every day. I don’t know how Harry finagled his permanent base with the City Council, but he did: it has apparently moved only five times in the last 60+ years. (Somebody stole de Wheels once, and it was temporarily Harry’s Café de Axles until aforementioned purloined objects were replaced.)

Anyhow, it struck me that something that is by definition mobile can become permanently stationary.

It’s called “falling into a rut.”

I confess I like ruts. They keep me comfortable. They make life predictable. I can navigate ruts by autopilot. No thinking needed. No heartbeats wasted. Gimme a rut!

But that’s stagnation. Hardly what ought to be a characteristic of the Christian life.

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

This is a constant move. Upwards. Onwards. Forwards.

Finally then, brethren,
we request and exhort you
in the Lord Jesus, …
to walk and please God
(just as you actually do walk),
that you excel still more.
1 Thessalonians 4:1

No ruts. Instead, growth. Never stopping. Never ceasing. Never quitting.

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

Constant growth, to look more like Christ each day.

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

Abandon ye olde rut!

ROCK!

Around parts of Sydney harbor are lots of rocky outcroppings and places to climb and explore. Not that I am into that kind of profligate wastage of heartbeats, but it happened to be a nice winter day (which was one good reason to escape to Australia from Dallas in July!) with a sparkling blue unblemished sky, and I just felt I had to climb a rock. At least for a picture. So I did. That’s me. On a rock. In Sydney. Great view of the harbor from there, too.

I kinda felt like the Psalmist.

For in the day of trouble
He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent
He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up
above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy; …
I will sing praises to the LORD.
Psalm 27:5–6

Lifted high on a rock, above everything else. Great visibility. Easy defensibility. Stable on a rock, grounded, secure, fixed. Hidden in its clefts, protected. Solid, strong, and safe.

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.
Psalm 18:2

The rock-motif is a recurrent one in the Bible. Apparently, actual and literal rocks are few and far between in the Bible! (Well, almost!) Most of the biblical rocks are places of solidity, strength, and safety.

He brought me up out of
the pit of destruction,
out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon
a rock making my footsteps firm.
Psalm 40:2

Not surprisingly, many of the biblical rocks are God Himself—solid, strong, and safe.

For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God,
Psalm 18:31

Solid, strong, and safe. Unshakeable, unsurpassable, and unassailable.

He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold;
I shall not be greatly shaken.
Psalm 62:2

Everywhere, shaken we are, and often. Everything around us shakes. Everything! This is indeed a tremulous world we live, quaking and quivering, threatening to undo us, daring to unseat us. Lagging economy, nagging health, sagging relationships. Everything is jell-O, affording no strength, no solidity, no safety. We need a Rock! Yes, we do!

Incline Your ear to me,
rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name's sake
You will lead me and guide me.
Psalm 31:2–3

God alone can provide that strength, solidity, and safety in the shivering and shuddering world we live in.

From the end of the earth
I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2

Jesus talked about the strength and solidity and safety of living a life grounded upon God and His Word.

“Therefore everyone who hears
these words of Mine
and acts on them,
may be compared to a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell,
and the floods came,
and the winds blew
and slammed against that house;
and yet it did not fall,
for it had been founded on the rock.”
Matthew 7:24–25

Ours is a living Rock—our God Himself. Solid, strong, and safe.

The LORD lives,
and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be
the God of my salvation,
Psalm 18:46

Rock climbing, anyone?

TOIL!

That’s the Pastoral Ministries team at Dallas Seminary during the annual Faculty Workshop before the new school year begins. And it begins tomorrow. Summer’s over!

Orientation for new students was last Thursday. During lunchtime that day, faculty members sat at various tables and were joined by incoming students. That’s a lot of fun. Free lunch and a chance to meet some of the eager beavers. I had a whole bunch of e.bs. where I was located. A couple, with the husband joining to do preliminary work before applying for the Ph.D. program; two students doing the counseling degree; another for the linguistics program. Lots of fun hearing the great stories of how they ended up here at DTS.

Joining us a bit later at our table was another e.b. who is in the Master of Theology program, likely to be in the Pastoral Leadership track. Quite an interesting fellow, this. Married with two kids. From one end of the country. And … disabled and wheelchair bound. His was a fascinating story, as you can expect. And an e.b. he sure was, ready to begin studies, enthusiastic to serve the Lord.

As I did the others, I asked him why he had chosen DTS. After three years of asking the same question to incoming students at my table on orientation day, I thought I’d heard all the possible answers to that query. Permutations and combinations of influence from friends, alumni, pastors; books published by faculty members; quality of education; etc. But his reason was a new one. And it warmed my heart no end!

“One of the reasons,” he said, pointing at me, “was you.”

Me? Chuck Swindoll, yes. Howard Hendricks, yes. (And he couldn’t be mistaking me for one of them—not by a long shot!) And many other luminaries on the faculty, yes. But, me?

Apparently the guy had listened to one of my sermons on the DTS website a year or so ago that had impacted him.

Yup, it warmed the cockles of my heart to hear that.

You know, as time goes by, one does begin to wonder if any of the stuff one does really matters. Is anyone being impacted? Is anyone being influenced? Sermons I preach galore. But is life change happening to any of my listeners? Is it worth the trouble? Should I continue? Hesitation builds. Uncertainty looms. Questions rise.

And then, this! Affirmation like this is truly a godsend. It encourages us to persist and persevere, to carry on and stay put, to hang in there and dig in … for the long haul. Even if we don’t see much tangible result to our endeavors.

My conclusion after our lunch that day? God can sure use anything! Me, inanimate objects, donkeys, nature …

The heavens are telling
of the glory of God;
and their expanse is declaring
the work of His hands.
Psalm 19:1

God can use them all. And if He so deigns to use us, let’s consider ourselves blessed.

And so all of us believers work together as a team, in Pastoral Ministries and elsewhere, in seminaries and churches, in homes and offices, in schools and marketplaces, all over the world, and all across time. Persistently, perseveringly.

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 ….
Hebrews 6:10

No, He will not forget. Others might. Ignored we might be. Unsung and unappreciated. But God does not forget. No, He does not and never will. Let’s keep at it!

WARNING!

They do things differently here in Australia. No insipid statutory warnings on packs of cigarettes. No wimpy statements in tiny fonts. Nope! Instead, scary pictures and ominous words. You have been warned!

The Aussie Board in control of these matters mandates that 90% of the area of one side of a pack of cigarettes be taken with gory and graphic warnings, as well as 30% of the other side. In addition another warning on the deleterious effects of chemicals in tobacco smoke occurs on one full (lateral) side of the pack. Only the remaining areas may bear the name and logo of the cigarette manufacturer and the particular brand.

Fourteen gruesome warnings of tobacco-caused dire diseases are mandatorily rotated on packets, along with the national “Quitline” phone number and “Quitnow” website address. All ordained by the government to compel consumers to think twice before lighting up.

And apparently these warnings are beginning to have an effect. Annabel, the 6-year-old daughter of one of my friends here, Down Under, asserts, “They cut off your toes if you smoke!” Yup, folks give heed. Yup, warnings work.

Nothing wrong with scaring folks with the truth.

The Bible does that, too. In it, there is a stark and scary warning of discipline for those of God’s children who disobey.

… you have forgotten the exhortation
which is addressed to you as sons,
“My son, do not regard lightly
the discipline of the LORD,
nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
for those whom the LORD loves
He disciplines, and He scourges
every son whom He receives.”
Hebrews 12:5–6

Just as earthly fathers discipline their children.

God deals with you as with sons;
for what son is there
whom his father does not discipline?
But if you are without discipline,
of which all have become partakers,
then you are illegitimate children
and not sons.
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers
to discipline us, and we respected them;
shall we not much rather be
subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
Hebrews 12:7–9

Warnings are there for a purpose. They have a goal. Remedy. Reorientation. Restoration.

For they disciplined us
for a short time
as seemed best to them,
but He disciplines us for our good,
so that we may share His holiness.
Hebrews 12:10

For our good. For our transformation into the likeness of Jesus Christ. For our sharing in God’s holiness. Therefore, these warnings exhort us, we must accept His discipline, and not reject it.

All discipline for the moment
seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it,
afterwards it yields
the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Hebrews 12:10–11

We are not just to accept it, but we are to change our lives to return and conform to the standards of God’s holiness.

“Those whom I love,
I reprove and discipline;
therefore be zealous and repent.”
Revelation 3:19

Warnings to be taken seriously! Ours is a good God, a loving God, a holy God, and we are to both love and fear Him. His warnings we are to take to heart.

“You shall love the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your might. …
You shall fear only the LORD your God;
and you shall worship Him ….”
Deuternonomy 6:5, 13

We have been warned!

All things considered, it’s probably a better idea, then, for us to change before incurring the discipline of the Lord whom we both love and fear.

I, for one, want to keep my toes!

SECURITY!

Traipsing around Australia (preaching, teaching, and stuff) this past week was fun. Launceston (in Tasmania), Melbourne (in Victoria), Brisbane (in Queensland), and Sydney (in New South Wales). A whirlwind trip, flying into town one evening and out the next after a day of ministry with friends (old and new) in these parts of the world.

Of course, travel arrangements were made together. Greg made all the strategic planning moves. He had all the e-tickets and all the information pertaining to flights. So we all line up at a Qantas counter. He leads the way to the ticketing agent, presents the paperwork, we load our suitcases on to the dock and that’s it. Yup, that’s it. Nope, no ID checked. Nope, no passport demanded. Nope, no security questions asked. Not even Greg’s biodata were requested, let alone scrutinized. (Yes, they did have a security line through which we all strolled through, shoes and belts and all.)

I said to myself, “After the hassles of US airport travel, this is nice! Smooth and easy. ” Then I started worrying about safety!

A few days ago, three men were charged with (attempted) “terrorism offences” on an army base in Victoria. And we flew the very next day. But, nope, still no IDs, passports, or security questions. I almost thrust my passport at the lady at the counter, declaring, “Hey, I am who I am.” (We seminarians like to make these profound theological assertions!)

I guess Australians are pretty confident! We did get to wherever we wanted to go in one secure piece. I am thankful for that.

But in Christian life, no such laxity is permitted. For our enemy is powerful.

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

All kinds of armamentarium is, therefore, enjoined upon us.

Put on the full armor of God,
so that you will be able to stand firm
against the schemes of the devil.
Stand firm therefore,
having girded your loins with truth,
and having put on the
breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace;
… taking up the shield of faith …
to extinguish all the flaming
arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:11, 14–17

Of course, victory against the nefarious plots of Satan is assured, for we have a stronger One indwelling us.

You are from God, little children,
and have overcome them;
because greater is He who is in you
than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

And, needless to say, nothing—absolutely nothing!—can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ!

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

Safe, we are. Totally!

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

Security? We have the best: the name of the Lord—His Person. And His presence. And His power.

… He Himself has said,
“I will never desert you,
not will I ever forsake you,”
so that we confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:5–6

So let’s go conquer!

INSIDE?

I’ve had occasion to mention this particular structure—a ruin, actually—close to Ipoh, Malaysia. Parts of the building are unroofed. Exposed to the elements, inside and out. In fact, sitting on a window, I wondered if I were actually outside or inside. Didn’t seem to be much difference between the two, as far as that building was considered.

Mark disagrees. He made a big deal about “inside” and “outside,” particularly about folks on either side. That’s in Mark 3, where he answers the age-old question: “Who’s on the Lord’s side?”

And He came in home,
and the crowd came together again,
so that they [Jesus + disciples]
were not able to eat bread.
Mark 3:20

Jesus is inside. And the crowds are inside. This latter bunch is out for freebies and largesse, handouts and healings.

… a great multitude,
hearing what he was doing,
came to Him. He healed many,
so that whoever had illnesses
pressed upon Him
in order to touch Him.
Mark 3:8, 10

So, while inside physically, they’re really “outside.”

Then come the relatives. These, surely, are inside. After all, they share genes and stuff.

And when those of His [family] heard,
they went out
to take custody of Him;
for they were saying,
“He is out of His mind.”
… and standing outside,
they sent [word] to Him
and called Him.
Mark 3:21, 31

They accuse Jesus of being—what!—“out” of His mind. OK, strike these folks out—they, too, are outside the house (while being genetically inside), and they really are “outside.”

Now, the last set.

And the scribes

who came down from Jerusalem …
Mark 3:22

They’re from the capital, from the houses of power and buildings of authority. With badges, IDs, ThMs, MDivs. Revs. and Drs. They know their Bibles. Of course, they must be “inside.” And they’re shown talking to Jesus, so they are inside the house, too. But are they really “inside”?

And [they] were saying,
“He has Beelzebul,”
and “By the ruler of the demons,
He casts out demons.”
Mark 3:22

Oh, dear! They’re so far out, they accuse Jesus of being in cahoots with Satan and casting demons … “out.” Since Jesus, they allege is working hand in hand with Satan, He belongs “outside.” Now if they think Jesus belongs “outside,” we know where they themselves belong. “Out” with them!

“Truly, I say to you …
whoever blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit
does not have forgiveness for ever,
but is guilty of an eternal sin.”
Mark 3:28–29

Jesus accuses them of having committed an unpardonable sin—completely perverting truth and repudiating the saving grace of God. For such an outright rejection of God, there can be no forgiveness. They had slapped God in the face! You will never be forgiven. You will never enter. You will forever remain … “outside.”

So there they go: inside, but “outside.”

Anyone left on the Lord’s side—“inside”?

And looking around at those
sitting around Him in a circle,
He [Jesus] said, “Behold my mother
and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God,
he is My brother
and sister and mother.”
Mark 3:33–35

That’s it. The “inside” circle. Not crowds—they’re (physically) inside, but “outside.” Not the relatives—they, too, are (genetically) inside, but “outside.” Not the clerical bigwigs—they, also, are (religiously) inside, but “outside.” The “inside” circle—the real “insiders”—are those who do the will of God, whose who are in obedience to God’s Word.

“If you love Me,
you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:15

Where are you? “Inside” or “outside”?

FORT!

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

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

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

But, no battles in that fort!

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

But, battles? Nope, not in that fort!

Great structures, grand cannons. But no battles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe it is on its way.

Let us remain alert.

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

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

REST!

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

As you can tell, it sure has!

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

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

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

I wonder what heaven will be like. Busy?

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

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

Genesis 2:8–10

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

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

Revelation 22:1–2

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

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

Genesis 2:15

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

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

Deuteronomy 6:13

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

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

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

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

Revelation 7:15

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

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

Do I hear an “Amen!"?

FURNACE!

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

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

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

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

Finally I drowsed off.

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

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

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

Nope, not a good night at all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And so we must be thankful. Ever grateful.

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

In everything. For everything.

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

Hold everything/everybody lightly. And give thanks!

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

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

Don’t sweat it. Give thanks!

TRIP!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After all, Jesus called Himself the “Way.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore, since we have so great
a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1

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

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

The trip of discipleship!

CELEBRATION!

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

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

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

We celebrated!

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

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

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

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

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

And notice the purpose of this celebratory activity:

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

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

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

The Bible is full of this exuberant activity:

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

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

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

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

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

We celebrate for God has the last word.

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

Celebrate!

TRAP!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unseen pitfalls the world lays in our paths:

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

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

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

And so, Peter warns:

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

That’s our responsibility.

But we are reminded of God’s sovereign grace to us as well, even in (and especially in?) times of temptation. His aid is assured!

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

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

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

Don’t fall in!