I am posting briefly to talk about J.P. Moreland's book, Kingdom Triangle.
A few months ago, I posted about how God unexpectedly provided a copy of this book for me out of the blue. After recently finishing Van Kampen's, The Rapture Question Answered, I moved on to reading Kingdom Triangle. I had heard good things and was very intrigued having read the introductory pages.
I have decided that this is a book every Christian should read. I am only in the first part of the book (the first part of the triangle), but every bit has been rich. Moreland has jammed these pages with vast amounts of wisdom and well-tested knowledge. He is writing about very important matters which every Christian needs to know, if the church is going to function at its best.
If you haven't bought the book, I suggest you do so now. Where to buy? Here are some options:
Bookstore Max
Tower.com
Overstock.com
Amazon.com
Some of the material has been deep and somewhat philosophical, but Moreland argues that these principles are necessary for Christians to understand if we are to face the "crisis" of our culture.
J.P. is one of the great Christian philosophers and thinkers of our time. I highly recommend this book, which Moreland claims is his most important work to date.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Death . . . then what?
DISCLAIMER: If you are very sensitive to the subject of death, or have recently suffered the loss of a loved one, I advise you to consider skipping this post. I will be discussing the subject of death from a seemingly neutral and "cold" perspective which may hit some people in a negative way.
I like to ponder the gray-ish areas of life and faith. I like to explore subjects that are often hard to think about because the scriptures we have in the Bible are not explicit or direct in their answers to our questions. One such area that has been floating around in my mind for a long time is death, and what happens between death and resurrection.
First, let me summarize what my understanding was for most of my life, hearing it through the Christians I was exposed to. It goes like this: when a Christian dies, they go to heaven instantly and spend forever with God in complete heavenly bliss.
In my adult years, the more time I had to spend thinking about these things, and through studying scripture increasingly, I began to ask many questions, as I am prone to do. Some of these include:
If you have insight into this subject, please post comments. Please avoid emotional responses based on personal experience. I am trying to stand back and look at this matter regardless of how I want things to be. I ask you to do the same.
I like to ponder the gray-ish areas of life and faith. I like to explore subjects that are often hard to think about because the scriptures we have in the Bible are not explicit or direct in their answers to our questions. One such area that has been floating around in my mind for a long time is death, and what happens between death and resurrection.
First, let me summarize what my understanding was for most of my life, hearing it through the Christians I was exposed to. It goes like this: when a Christian dies, they go to heaven instantly and spend forever with God in complete heavenly bliss.
In my adult years, the more time I had to spend thinking about these things, and through studying scripture increasingly, I began to ask many questions, as I am prone to do. Some of these include:
- If we go right to heaven when we die, in what form do we exist? Spirit-only?
- If we go right to heaven when we die, why are we then later raised from the grave (sheol) at the second coming of Christ when he takes his people home? Do we just leave heaven and rise from sheol to go back to heaven?
- Why does the topic of the new earth so rarely come up? Why do we always speak as if all eternity is spent in heaven? What about the new creation?
- When we say, "So-and-so has gone to be with the Lord", how do we know that? What is our evidence that Christians are immediately sent into heaven at death, in one form or another?
- Is there a difference between heaven and paradise? Is there a waiting place for dead Christians awaiting the final judgment? Are there various aspects or levels of heaven?
- If we enter into heaven at death, are we in the presence of the Father? Are we in the presence of Christ? Are we in the presence of both?
- If we enter into heaven at death, why do we then go through the final judgment when God divvies our rewards and punishments? If we were already accepted into eternal heavenly bliss in the presence of God, why then go through the final judgment?
- How do we make various scriptures work together to form a solid understanding of what happens between death and resurrection for the Christian?
- Since our bodies and spirits are meshed together to form a whole person, does the whole person go to heaven? Can our bodies and spirits really separate as has always been assumed by so many Christians?
- When the dead Christians rise from the grave to meet Christ in the sky at his second coming, does that literally mean all the dead rise from the actual ground? What about Christians who were cremated? Where do they rise from, if that's the case?
- What does sheol entail? What should our understanding of death and the grave be?
"Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.' " - Luke 23:43But this brief remark is somewhat vague, and in other end-times passages, we see Christians rising from the grave at the second coming of Christ. I have not put extensive time into studying every passage of scripture regarding this subject, but in the studying I have done, I am not confident yet to settle on any one view of this matter. How do we know that when we die, our entire being - body, spirit, mind, soul - are not simply dead ("asleep") until the second coming of Christ?
If you have insight into this subject, please post comments. Please avoid emotional responses based on personal experience. I am trying to stand back and look at this matter regardless of how I want things to be. I ask you to do the same.
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Rapture Question Answered: finally finished reading
This weekend, I finally got around to finishing Robert Van Kampen's The Rapture Question Answered, Plain and Simple.
As I've mentioned before, this book argues for a pre-wrath view of the timing of the rapture of the saints. Having finished the book, I can say that Van Kampen has made some very strong arguments for his position. Reading the book, I sometimes got the vibe that I was reading the writings of an amateur writer, but his biblical backing seemed sound, and he certainly seems to have done his research.
At the end of the book, he really makes the most important point, which I'll summarize for you: the reason that it is important to consider the timing of the rapture is that the saints need to be prepared , if indeed the pre-wrath view is correct. If pre-tribulationists are expecting Christ to return at any time, before the tribulation, they could end up sorely confused or unprepared when Antichrist begins his reign. Van Kampen sites various passages of scripture which refer to a reality of the end times: many "Christians" will fall away, abandoning their faith under the persecution of the Antichrist. He argues that it is important for the saints to be prepared for this time, so that when it comes, we will remain strong in our faith until the end, when Christ comes to save us before God's wrath comes upon the earth.
Even if you don't agree with the pre-wrath view, I think you ought to admit that Van Kampen has a good point. If Christians are going to suffer under the wrath of Satan (Antichrist), we must be prepared to persevere.
Van Kampen ties together passages from Matthew 24, Thessalonians, Revelation, and Daniel to show that all of them refer to the same end-times sequence of events. If you are interested in this topic, and would like to examine the pre-wrath view, this book seems to be a great place to start, as it deals with nothing more than the rapture and how it fits into the surrounding end-times events. Beyond this book, you could also take a look at Van Kampen's larger book, The Sign, which I own but have yet to read. There are also many other pre-wrath books out there.
I encourage you to do some research on this topic, as the pre-wrath view is a solid one, and it could affect the way you think and live. Even if you don't agree, at least you'll have decided why you don't agree.
As I've mentioned before, this book argues for a pre-wrath view of the timing of the rapture of the saints. Having finished the book, I can say that Van Kampen has made some very strong arguments for his position. Reading the book, I sometimes got the vibe that I was reading the writings of an amateur writer, but his biblical backing seemed sound, and he certainly seems to have done his research.
At the end of the book, he really makes the most important point, which I'll summarize for you: the reason that it is important to consider the timing of the rapture is that the saints need to be prepared , if indeed the pre-wrath view is correct. If pre-tribulationists are expecting Christ to return at any time, before the tribulation, they could end up sorely confused or unprepared when Antichrist begins his reign. Van Kampen sites various passages of scripture which refer to a reality of the end times: many "Christians" will fall away, abandoning their faith under the persecution of the Antichrist. He argues that it is important for the saints to be prepared for this time, so that when it comes, we will remain strong in our faith until the end, when Christ comes to save us before God's wrath comes upon the earth.
Even if you don't agree with the pre-wrath view, I think you ought to admit that Van Kampen has a good point. If Christians are going to suffer under the wrath of Satan (Antichrist), we must be prepared to persevere.
Van Kampen ties together passages from Matthew 24, Thessalonians, Revelation, and Daniel to show that all of them refer to the same end-times sequence of events. If you are interested in this topic, and would like to examine the pre-wrath view, this book seems to be a great place to start, as it deals with nothing more than the rapture and how it fits into the surrounding end-times events. Beyond this book, you could also take a look at Van Kampen's larger book, The Sign, which I own but have yet to read. There are also many other pre-wrath books out there.
I encourage you to do some research on this topic, as the pre-wrath view is a solid one, and it could affect the way you think and live. Even if you don't agree, at least you'll have decided why you don't agree.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Hymn: Does Jesus Care?
In 1901, pastor Frank Graeff was inspired by one of my favorite verses from 1 Peter.
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?
Chorus
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see? (Discovery Singers wording: "It is known to him? Does he see?")
I first heard this hymn on the Discovery Singers CD, Great Is Thy Faithfulness. They sing it very well, with a few slight changes in wording from the original text. I really like their layout of the song, too. They sing three verses, then finally end with the chorus. The build-up is great, then at last they arrive at the chorus, singing the hopeful conclusion: "Oh, yes! He cares! . . ."
I find it interesting that Graeff was so encouraged by this passage from Peter, and that he wrote the words as he did for this hymn. It is clear that the assurance of Jesus' concern alone was a sufficient comfort for Graeff during this period of tribulation in his life.
As I have thought about this hymn, I have wondered, "Despite the beauty of its truth, would I really be encouraged by its words in the middle of intense trial?"
I think my inclination would be to say, "If Jesus cares, why isn't he doing something about my trial?!!" I think as Christians, we often prefer action from God. Knowledge of his love can be difficult when we don't sense it. When the grit of life is so real and present, we can find it difficult to receive comfort from the words of scripture or hymns such as this.
So why take comfort from a hymn such as this? Why take peace from knowledge of God's care?
First of all, we must remember that God is sovereign. He has told us to take comfort from him, so we must. I think of Psalm 46:10:
Second, we know that God trains his people with trials, and he encourages us to learn perseverance. Consider the profound words of James:
Third, I quote the wonderful missionary, elder, and preacher, Don Allen. When speaking about the reality of God not answering earnest prayer as we had hoped:
"Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)What stood out to Graeff was the last bit - "He cares for you." Graeff had been going through a terrible time of trials and struggles. While meditating on the scriptures, the wonderful truth of this verse struck him. And so he penned this hymn. May it be an encouragement to us. You can hear the melody and read about this hymn on Cyberhymnal.
Does Jesus Care?
Does Jesus care when my heart is painedToo deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?
Chorus
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see? (Discovery Singers wording: "It is known to him? Does he see?")
I first heard this hymn on the Discovery Singers CD, Great Is Thy Faithfulness. They sing it very well, with a few slight changes in wording from the original text. I really like their layout of the song, too. They sing three verses, then finally end with the chorus. The build-up is great, then at last they arrive at the chorus, singing the hopeful conclusion: "Oh, yes! He cares! . . ."
I find it interesting that Graeff was so encouraged by this passage from Peter, and that he wrote the words as he did for this hymn. It is clear that the assurance of Jesus' concern alone was a sufficient comfort for Graeff during this period of tribulation in his life.
As I have thought about this hymn, I have wondered, "Despite the beauty of its truth, would I really be encouraged by its words in the middle of intense trial?"
I think my inclination would be to say, "If Jesus cares, why isn't he doing something about my trial?!!" I think as Christians, we often prefer action from God. Knowledge of his love can be difficult when we don't sense it. When the grit of life is so real and present, we can find it difficult to receive comfort from the words of scripture or hymns such as this.
So why take comfort from a hymn such as this? Why take peace from knowledge of God's care?
First of all, we must remember that God is sovereign. He has told us to take comfort from him, so we must. I think of Psalm 46:10:
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (NIV)This verse brings us back to our senses. "I am God" is one of the most potent statements we can ever hear. All that exists is for the purpose of exalting God. And because he is God, we can be still. We can rest in the knowledge of his sovereignty. And we must.
Second, we know that God trains his people with trials, and he encourages us to learn perseverance. Consider the profound words of James:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4Trials are for our own good. When we look at God's sovereignty during these times, and know that he cares, we can accept the peace he gives. We can remember God's words to Paul:
" 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' " - 2 Corintians 12:9That is why we can take comfort in him - because his grace is sufficient. When we are weak, there is God's power made known.
Third, I quote the wonderful missionary, elder, and preacher, Don Allen. When speaking about the reality of God not answering earnest prayer as we had hoped:
"When that happens, you yield. You yield."We must submit to God's majestic rule. As Peter says:
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." - 1 Peter 5:6I think that is why the hymnist found peace in his despair. He knew that God's grace is sufficient. He learned the peace of yielding to God's mighty hand, of persevering by the grace of Jesus. When we know that Jesus cares, and believe it, we can take deep rest in him. We can be still in the knowledge of his very existence and majesty. Our trials are a chance for his strength to reign, and for us to be trained and sharpened in the process. It is never easy, for certain. And yet, we obey. He has told us to cast all our anxiety on him, and so we do. No one can carry our burdens or solve our tragedies except Christ alone. That is why it is good to know that Jesus cares.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
So that you can pray
Today, I'll share with you a verse that has been a great challenge to me. Perhaps you will find a challenge in it as well.
1 Peter 4:7 -
I find that to achieve a clear mind, I have to focus on it. Typically, meditation works best for me. I use a technique I learned from my naturopathic doctor. She advised me to close my eyes, sit in a relaxed position, and to imagine all my thoughts floating by like boats on the water. Rather than letting any one thought grab a hold of my mind, I need to acknowledge each one and let it float by, in and out of my view. She also recommended taking one word or thought and focusing on that. So as I watch my thoughts float by, I imagine far out in the distance that I see the light of Jesus. I imagine that he is standing there in his radiance, noticing me and loving me. I will sometimes think or utter the word “Jesus” repeatedly to keep my focus.
Even 5 minutes of that kind of activity will calm the mind to some degree. The only problem is, I have a hard time getting into a place where I can focus like that. 5 minutes isn't very long, but sometimes there aren't 5 quiet minutes in my house to meditate, with small kids ever present. Many of you who are parents know what I mean.
One other trick I have employed is to align my focus from the get go each day. When I wake up, I try to make God my first thought. I try to send up prayers of worship, acknowledging his sovereignty. I think through verses like Lamentations 3:22-23:
How many times have we offered half-baked prayers because we lacked a clear mind and/or self-control? Thank God for his mercy.
But, this verse ought to remind us of the urgency with which we need to focus. Scot McKnight writes:
Peter knew how easy it was to have a mind full of distractions. He knew that the mind is easily filled with endless streams of running thoughts. He knew how difficult it is to focus, and how easy it is to approach the sacred practice of prayer with only half-hearted attentiveness. How would he react if he could see the world today? In this light, my own constant failure is quite stark before my eyes.
Let us continue disciplining ourselves in lives of clear mindedness and self-control, so that we can pray. Holy Spirit, help us.
1 Peter 4:7 -
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (NIV)This exhortation is especially challenging to me because of the phrase “clear minded”. Do you ever find it difficult to be clear minded? Living in the culture we do, with myriad opportunities and distractions available to us, how is it even possible to be clear minded? This is a great struggle for me. I am someone who likes to dabble. A hobbyist in general; I like to try everything. There are so many wonderful things in creation to test out and to become mediocre at - which I do. I am also a person whose mind contains gears that are always running. I wake up in the morning and my brain is instantly whirring. So the idea of having a clear mind is a very inviting one, even if it sometimes feels out of reach.
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” (ESV)
I find that to achieve a clear mind, I have to focus on it. Typically, meditation works best for me. I use a technique I learned from my naturopathic doctor. She advised me to close my eyes, sit in a relaxed position, and to imagine all my thoughts floating by like boats on the water. Rather than letting any one thought grab a hold of my mind, I need to acknowledge each one and let it float by, in and out of my view. She also recommended taking one word or thought and focusing on that. So as I watch my thoughts float by, I imagine far out in the distance that I see the light of Jesus. I imagine that he is standing there in his radiance, noticing me and loving me. I will sometimes think or utter the word “Jesus” repeatedly to keep my focus.
Even 5 minutes of that kind of activity will calm the mind to some degree. The only problem is, I have a hard time getting into a place where I can focus like that. 5 minutes isn't very long, but sometimes there aren't 5 quiet minutes in my house to meditate, with small kids ever present. Many of you who are parents know what I mean.
One other trick I have employed is to align my focus from the get go each day. When I wake up, I try to make God my first thought. I try to send up prayers of worship, acknowledging his sovereignty. I think through verses like Lamentations 3:22-23:
“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (NIV)I think that self-control is a discipline that Peter knew to empower clear mindedness. The two go hand in hand to prepare an adequate mental state for prayer. We have all experienced at some point the loss of focus during prayer. Maybe we've even become drowsy or fallen completely asleep. Maybe our minds turn toward everyt other issue in our lives, taking our mind away from those moments with God. I don't think the self-control here needs to refer only to clearing our mind for prayer. Rather, I think it beckons us to a day-to-day lifestyle of self-control in all things, so that when we settle into a time of prayer, we are already well-practiced and acquainted with self-control.
How many times have we offered half-baked prayers because we lacked a clear mind and/or self-control? Thank God for his mercy.
But, this verse ought to remind us of the urgency with which we need to focus. Scot McKnight writes:
“Thinking that the end of history is at the door and the Judge is about to enter through it can energize one's prayers and lead to a specially effective focus in those prayers. “ (The NIV Application Commentary: 1 Peter. Zondervan, 1996.)Like Peter, we should remember that this life on earth, from a perspective of eternity, is coming quickly to a close. Every minute, we draw nearer to that time when we will stand before God in judgment. Oh, how wonderful to receive words of joy and glory from him at that time!
Peter knew how easy it was to have a mind full of distractions. He knew that the mind is easily filled with endless streams of running thoughts. He knew how difficult it is to focus, and how easy it is to approach the sacred practice of prayer with only half-hearted attentiveness. How would he react if he could see the world today? In this light, my own constant failure is quite stark before my eyes.
Let us continue disciplining ourselves in lives of clear mindedness and self-control, so that we can pray. Holy Spirit, help us.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
...And be thankful
After going through a Biblical text many times (or any other text for that matter), you start to notice certain things you wouldn't have noticed before, as you may know from your own experience.
One such feature that stands out to me in Colossians is Paul's repeated emphasis on thankfulness to God.
Using the NIV, we see this emphasis 6 times:
1:10-12 - Paul prays that the Colossians may “live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
2:6-7 - “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
3:15 - “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
3:16 - “Let the words of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom , and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
3:17 - “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him.”
4:2 - “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Clearly, thankfulness is of great importance to the apostle. Do we take enough time to thank God - to really devote time and energy to thanking him? Every minute we aren't suffering is another moment lived under his mercy. Our list of things to be thankful for is an endless one. Paul knew this. His letter to the Colossians is relatively short - only 4 chapters - but he is so aware of our need for gratitude that he mentions it 6 times, as if every interaction we have with God and others naturally includes thankful awareness.
Imagine how God must desire our thankfulness, not just in words, but with sincere hearts. He must delight greatly when one of his children looks up to him with a truly grateful heart, acknowledging his goodness and our need, his grace and our dependence, his power and our weakness. Too often, I think we assume, “He knows I'm thankful.” Let us not forget that our relationship with him is like relationships with the people in our everyday lives. Anyone appreciates being thanked for something they've done for someone else - even though it isn't required or expected. It simply let's them know you appreciated the blessing. Parents train their children from the beginning to say “thank you” for what they've received. Certainly we don't deserve all the countless blessings in our lives, so how can we not be thankful?
So here's a question we ought to ask ourselves: Why aren't we more thankful?
Do we find it difficult to be thankful?
Do we take God's grace for granted?
Is our prayer time only enough to allow other kinds of “more important” prayer?
Is it hard to think of what to be thankful for? Why?
One experiment I did a while back was to actually write a list of blessings I could be thankful for. I kept this list with me for a while, praying through some of them frequently.
Our thankfulness is a sign of our faith - our acknowledgment that we really believe God is the originator of every good thing (James 1:17). When we take time to remember what God has done for us in his mercy, he is glorified and we draw closer to him. Then, with his blessings before our eyes, there is no other natural response than to love him and praise him more - which is our primary calling as his children.
One such feature that stands out to me in Colossians is Paul's repeated emphasis on thankfulness to God.
Using the NIV, we see this emphasis 6 times:
1:10-12 - Paul prays that the Colossians may “live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
2:6-7 - “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
3:15 - “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
3:16 - “Let the words of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom , and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
3:17 - “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him.”
4:2 - “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Clearly, thankfulness is of great importance to the apostle. Do we take enough time to thank God - to really devote time and energy to thanking him? Every minute we aren't suffering is another moment lived under his mercy. Our list of things to be thankful for is an endless one. Paul knew this. His letter to the Colossians is relatively short - only 4 chapters - but he is so aware of our need for gratitude that he mentions it 6 times, as if every interaction we have with God and others naturally includes thankful awareness.
Imagine how God must desire our thankfulness, not just in words, but with sincere hearts. He must delight greatly when one of his children looks up to him with a truly grateful heart, acknowledging his goodness and our need, his grace and our dependence, his power and our weakness. Too often, I think we assume, “He knows I'm thankful.” Let us not forget that our relationship with him is like relationships with the people in our everyday lives. Anyone appreciates being thanked for something they've done for someone else - even though it isn't required or expected. It simply let's them know you appreciated the blessing. Parents train their children from the beginning to say “thank you” for what they've received. Certainly we don't deserve all the countless blessings in our lives, so how can we not be thankful?
So here's a question we ought to ask ourselves: Why aren't we more thankful?
Do we find it difficult to be thankful?
Do we take God's grace for granted?
Is our prayer time only enough to allow other kinds of “more important” prayer?
Is it hard to think of what to be thankful for? Why?
One experiment I did a while back was to actually write a list of blessings I could be thankful for. I kept this list with me for a while, praying through some of them frequently.
Our thankfulness is a sign of our faith - our acknowledgment that we really believe God is the originator of every good thing (James 1:17). When we take time to remember what God has done for us in his mercy, he is glorified and we draw closer to him. Then, with his blessings before our eyes, there is no other natural response than to love him and praise him more - which is our primary calling as his children.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
It's always the little things
I recently heard Erik Thoennes - a great preacher, teacher, and theologian - mention something very appropriate in a sermon. He mentioned it in passing, really - the sermon was about something else. He reminded us of Paul's words from Philippians 2:14-16:
During his sermon, Thoennes stopped to talk about complaining, which is what inspired me to write about it - even now, weeks after hearing the sermon. It was such a good thought, that it has stayed in my mind until now.
Why do we complain so much?
What does complaining accomplish?
Isn't it easy to complain? Think about how ready we are to complain. It is one of the easiest ways we have to get out our frustration and dissatisfaction with life and its direct effect on us.
But Thoennes had a thoughtful statement. I don't remember the wording now, but the idea was: Imagine what life would be like if we never complained. Imagine what a huge step that would be in living a righteous life. Imagine how a person like this would stand out, amidst a culture of epidemic complaining.
He went on to say that small things like this are what glorify God - doing the little things well, being faithful with the little he's given us. Thoennes says:
There is a lot of truth there. Think about how many little things we gripe about. That's what I think of when I imagine complaining - griping. It isn't constructive or useful or beneficial for anyone. It's simply stating how dissatisfied we are with the realities of a fallen world.
What contradicts complaining? Isn't it contentedness? Do you find it difficult to be content? I know I do. Contentedness is a huge challenge in much of the world today, and strikingly so in American culture. If we allow ourselves to observe or listen to the many voices speaking to us (TV, music, movies, books) they will convince us that we are not content. We're somehow always being shorted, being stifled by “The Man”, missing out on something great.
Paul's words have been a great challenge to me:
For added encouragement, I'll give you a couple more bits of scripture:
A few examples that come to mind are the disciplines of fasting, secrecy, and silence.
In fasting, we confront our dependence on food, physical sustenance. Even beyond our body's needed nourishment, I think we also deal with the issue of comfort and security which we gain from food, emotionally and mentally. In fasting, we allow ourselves into this weakened condition so that we can draw life from the true source - God himself. The act of fasting itself does nothing. It is God who does the work through the practice of fasting.
In secrecy, we keep the good things we do out of the sight and knowledge of others, allowing God alone to acknowledge us. Rather than performing good works for others to see, we do them privately, secretly. Rather than reporting to others (no matter how subtly) the good we've done, we let God alone observe it. Rather than receiving our glory from man, we receive it from God. This helps us learn to give up our need for man's approval and praise.
In silence, we allow ourselves to escape the clatter and noise of the world. As much as we might claim to dislike the noise of the world - we might find that it is actually comforting. Noise allows our minds to stay comfortably distracted, ignoring the realities we don't want to face in ourselves. The inseparable sibling to silence is the discipline of solitude. When we are alone, in the quiet, with only God to see and hear us, we open ourselves to scrutiny and observation. Not only by God, but also by ourselves. We must now deal with the self, confronting the ugly “us” that we have been hiding behind the busy-ness of life. Here, we are spiritually naked before God, ready for him to show us what he will. No friends, family, or tools can help us here. We become aware of who we are. This experience can be, and should be, very humbling.
Gaining humility is only one benefit of these disciplines. All of them have ways of drawing us into Christlikeness and maturing us in the spiritual life.
Having thought about these things, our goal should now be to live consciously aware of the words we speak, and the heart with which we speak them. The heart is the issue. If we find ourselves complaining, we need to examine our hearts and wonder, “Where did that come from? Who am I, that I complain like this? What condition is my heart in?” If we can curb our complaining habits, I think we will start to see good kinds of fruit, and we will be a blessing and encouragement to those around us. I am far from mastering this. We must remember that it is the little things that will catch us off guard. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in us, guiding and cautioning us. Let us work at it, always in the power of Christ alone.
NOTE: When I say "complain", I am talking about a type of communication that comes from a heart that is not rightly content and properly humble. This is different than sharing valid feelings. I never think we should hold back clear communication about facts and real life concerns. The difference between stating a genuine concern and complaining is really a matter of the motives and intentions of our hearts. And, I also encourage you to remember that it is often the difference between the little things and the bigger things that actually do need to be talked about. Body language and tone are also a clear indicator of our intentions. For instance, there is an obvious difference between, "I don't wanna do the dishes!!" and "I really wish this migraine would stop hurting..." Hopefully you see the difference, as it is an important one. Communication is of the utmost importance, so don't keep yourself from clearly expressing your feelings and discussing your thoughts.
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” (NIV)The real emphasis I want to highlight here is verse 14: “Do everything without complaining or arguing”. The ESV says “grumbling or questioning”, and the NASB says “grumbling or disputing”. No matter how it's worded, we get the point, don't we?
“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (ESV)
During his sermon, Thoennes stopped to talk about complaining, which is what inspired me to write about it - even now, weeks after hearing the sermon. It was such a good thought, that it has stayed in my mind until now.
Why do we complain so much?
What does complaining accomplish?
Isn't it easy to complain? Think about how ready we are to complain. It is one of the easiest ways we have to get out our frustration and dissatisfaction with life and its direct effect on us.
But Thoennes had a thoughtful statement. I don't remember the wording now, but the idea was: Imagine what life would be like if we never complained. Imagine what a huge step that would be in living a righteous life. Imagine how a person like this would stand out, amidst a culture of epidemic complaining.
He went on to say that small things like this are what glorify God - doing the little things well, being faithful with the little he's given us. Thoennes says:
“Most of the time, glorifying God looks really normal. We glorify God when we refuse to gossip. We glorify God when we love our wife as Christ loves the church, even though she doesn't always make that easy. We glorify God by being men and women of integrity and doing what we say we will do. We glorify God by being patient with one another, bearing one another's burdens, and serving self-sacrificially when we want to be self-focused; by pursuing holy lives and dying to self and forsaking at times our image or our reputation; to suffer in light of the calling God has for us, with hope and with confidence in God. That's glorifying him - when you have gut-wrenching anguish in your life, and you refuse to curse God's name, refuse to just live in the disappointment, and you're willing to move beyond it and say, “I trust you, Lord, because you're good, and I know you're good, and I don't feel that right now, but I know it's true.”I remember reading in my textbook for Intro to Psychology in college something to the effect of: It isn't the really big problems in life that push us over the edge and stress us out the most - it's the little things, like the broken shoelace with no time left.
There is a lot of truth there. Think about how many little things we gripe about. That's what I think of when I imagine complaining - griping. It isn't constructive or useful or beneficial for anyone. It's simply stating how dissatisfied we are with the realities of a fallen world.
What contradicts complaining? Isn't it contentedness? Do you find it difficult to be content? I know I do. Contentedness is a huge challenge in much of the world today, and strikingly so in American culture. If we allow ourselves to observe or listen to the many voices speaking to us (TV, music, movies, books) they will convince us that we are not content. We're somehow always being shorted, being stifled by “The Man”, missing out on something great.
Paul's words have been a great challenge to me:
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)This is a passage that I have memorized and meditated on over and over. You will notice that if you try speaking scripture out loud, you must decide how to place emphasis in the reading. On the concluding sentence in this little passage, I have come to place the emphasis on “him”, rather than “everything”, which I have heard a few times from other readers. I don't think Paul's goal is to emphasize how much he can do, but rather, who it is that enables him to do everything he does - Jesus. He is saying that Jesus provides the power for contentedness in every situation on life's spectrum.
For added encouragement, I'll give you a couple more bits of scripture:
“The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” - Proverbs 19:23What can we do to gain contentedness? Surely we desire this as followers of Christ. I think a good way to gain contentedness is by gaining humility. But how do we gain humility? That's a tricky question as well. I think one way that God has provided for us to gain humility which leads to contentedness is through several spiritual disciplines. Again, I must direct you to the writings of Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and Klaus Issler who have discussed this topic thoroughly. I always recommend first reading Willard's Spirit of the Disciplines, as this book gives theory and history behind the practice of spiritual disciplines. From there, Foster and Issler provide more insights and practical applications.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?' “ - Hebrews 13:5-6
A few examples that come to mind are the disciplines of fasting, secrecy, and silence.
In fasting, we confront our dependence on food, physical sustenance. Even beyond our body's needed nourishment, I think we also deal with the issue of comfort and security which we gain from food, emotionally and mentally. In fasting, we allow ourselves into this weakened condition so that we can draw life from the true source - God himself. The act of fasting itself does nothing. It is God who does the work through the practice of fasting.
In secrecy, we keep the good things we do out of the sight and knowledge of others, allowing God alone to acknowledge us. Rather than performing good works for others to see, we do them privately, secretly. Rather than reporting to others (no matter how subtly) the good we've done, we let God alone observe it. Rather than receiving our glory from man, we receive it from God. This helps us learn to give up our need for man's approval and praise.
In silence, we allow ourselves to escape the clatter and noise of the world. As much as we might claim to dislike the noise of the world - we might find that it is actually comforting. Noise allows our minds to stay comfortably distracted, ignoring the realities we don't want to face in ourselves. The inseparable sibling to silence is the discipline of solitude. When we are alone, in the quiet, with only God to see and hear us, we open ourselves to scrutiny and observation. Not only by God, but also by ourselves. We must now deal with the self, confronting the ugly “us” that we have been hiding behind the busy-ness of life. Here, we are spiritually naked before God, ready for him to show us what he will. No friends, family, or tools can help us here. We become aware of who we are. This experience can be, and should be, very humbling.
Gaining humility is only one benefit of these disciplines. All of them have ways of drawing us into Christlikeness and maturing us in the spiritual life.
Having thought about these things, our goal should now be to live consciously aware of the words we speak, and the heart with which we speak them. The heart is the issue. If we find ourselves complaining, we need to examine our hearts and wonder, “Where did that come from? Who am I, that I complain like this? What condition is my heart in?” If we can curb our complaining habits, I think we will start to see good kinds of fruit, and we will be a blessing and encouragement to those around us. I am far from mastering this. We must remember that it is the little things that will catch us off guard. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in us, guiding and cautioning us. Let us work at it, always in the power of Christ alone.
NOTE: When I say "complain", I am talking about a type of communication that comes from a heart that is not rightly content and properly humble. This is different than sharing valid feelings. I never think we should hold back clear communication about facts and real life concerns. The difference between stating a genuine concern and complaining is really a matter of the motives and intentions of our hearts. And, I also encourage you to remember that it is often the difference between the little things and the bigger things that actually do need to be talked about. Body language and tone are also a clear indicator of our intentions. For instance, there is an obvious difference between, "I don't wanna do the dishes!!" and "I really wish this migraine would stop hurting..." Hopefully you see the difference, as it is an important one. Communication is of the utmost importance, so don't keep yourself from clearly expressing your feelings and discussing your thoughts.
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