Restoration

1 Peter 5:10-11 "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you in Christ Jesus. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen."

No matter what kind of suffering I endure on earth, it is so wonderful to know that it will not last forever. When life on earth is finished, I will look back and it will seem like that of a mere second, and I will rejoice over the blessed fruit that grew from my tree of suffering. Only a God of grace would grant me the severe mercy of suffering, for He knows that through it I will come to a much fuller place of joy in Him.

I have been reflecting on suffering a lot more recently. The Lord has brought me to a point in the renovation of my heart that I am very content, at peace, and joyful in suffering. When I face suffering, I surrender my own agenda, give up my pride, cease to live on my own strength, and completely rely on Christ to sustain me. My immaturity as a believer is revealed, however, when there is no suffering in my life because I quickly become discontent, ambivalent, and self-dependent. I now gladly embrace suffering because my heart is made purer and I see God more clearly. Therein lies true joy and ecstasy.

In spite of the good that comes from suffering, suffering is still suffering and pain is still pain. Neither were intended to be a part of God's creation. Therefore my soul groans with creation for the redemption and restoration of all things. I am thankful that suffering will only last but a moment and that the day is swiftly approaching when Almighty God Himself will bring perfect restoration to His people and His creation. When Peter says that God will Himself perfect me, the word perfect indicates that something is in need of repair, mending, and realignment. The word he uses is katartizo, which means to complete thoroughly, to adjust, to frame, to align, to put a thing in its appropriate position, to mend, or to repair. The same word was used in Matthew 4:21 when James and John were mending their fishing nets.

The image of God in man has been tainted, damaged, and misaligned because of sin, but we know that the day drawing near when God will perfect, mend, repair, align, and put to its appropriate position our damaged and tainted hearts. We will be established completely new in Christ Jesus and will live forever in His eternal glory. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen!

The Global Fellowship of Believers

1 Peter 5:9b "...knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world."

The issue of suffering is a big theme in this book. From the beginning of the book until the end, Peter addresses the recipients' suffering and encourages them to press on and to look to Christ as their model in suffering. It is a strong human tendency to when faced with suffering to despair and to feel alienated, which is why Peter first encouraged them to resist the devil and stand firm in their faith (the opposite of despairing) and then reminded them that they are not alone in this experience (not alienated).

It is easy to think when faced with suffering, "Why me?! No one could understand what I'm going through!" It is easy to forget that suffering is the normal, universal reality of living in a depraved world, and that suffering is an even greater reality for the Christian because suffering is the primary means through which our loving Heavenly Father draws us from a brash, self-absorbed life of rebellion to a continual state of humble dependence on Himself. Suffering is not enjoyable, but when we experience it, the well of our soul is deepened to allow us to experience a fuller and greater joy of relationship with Almighty God. This happens because our soul has been further refined and has had more of its dross removed, allowing us to live a purer life in Christ and able to see our loving Father more clearly - "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

The word "accomplished" stuck out to me in this verse. I thought it was interesting that Peter said "that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren..." Why did Peter use the word accomplished instead of another word like experienced or endured? Because the word accomplished stood out so uniquely, I did some research and discovered that the Greek definition for accomplished actually means "to fulfill further, or to fulfill completely; to perfect." Essentially, what Peter is saying is that the suffering experienced by Christ in His sacrificial love is being fulfilled further by believers around the world.

The fact that Christ's suffering is being fulfilled completely and perfected in believers does not imply that His suffering was insufficient. It simply, but very significantly, means that believers around the world are sacrificing their lives for the sake of the Gospel and for the glory of Christ. Jesus' suffering was perfect and sufficient, but our suffering as believes fulfills and perfects in us what He accomplished on the cross. Therefore when Peter admonishes us to resist the devil and to stand firm in our faith because the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren, he is saying, you are not alone in this battle! There are countless others just like you who are enduring shame and suffering for the sake of Christ. Stand firm! Be bold! Resist the devil! Be encouraged! The battle is almost over, and when it is over, having show yourself faithful, you will receive a crown of life! This ought to spur us on to pray for our brethren around the world who are suffering for the sake of Christ. And it should also be an encouragement to us when we experience suffering, knowing that we suffer for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of Christ along with our brethren who are in the world.

A Powerful Resistance

1 Peter 5:9a "But resist him, firm in your faith..."

We know from James 4:7 that resisting the devil is very important because if we "resist the devil, [then] he will flee from you." In our current society I think the word "resist" has been emasculated to the point that it is only used in dieting circles, so that its meaning conjures images of a feeble attempt to avoid or resist something, like trying to resist eating a third slice of chocolate cake. If we approach this verse with such a definition, then I believe we will have a very distorted and ineffective idea of what it means to resist the devil.

The word "resist" encompasses a much broader definition than what we have allowed it to carry. One aspect of the word ought to be viewed in the context of a battle. The children of God are being assaulted by the Devil and his army of darkness, therefore as soldiers in the army of God, we are called to resist, or to form a resistance against the Devil by bearing arms, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18. This includes holding fast to the truthfulness of God and His word, putting on the full armor of God, and wielding the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit in our resistance against the Devil.

The reason the devil will flee when we resist is because he is not stupid. He is fully aware of the overwhelming power the army of God has when they stand in the power of God. The devil is wise and intelligent, therefore he is not going to try to assault the army of God when they are fully prepared, trained, strengthened, and braced for battle. He knows that he would quickly be defeated if he were to attempt a strike against such an army. We have deadly power against the devil when we stand firm in our faith, in the truth of God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore as soldiers in the army of God, let us form a resistance against the devil by standing firm in our faith!

Keeping Sober and Alert

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

I believe that God wishes for us to enjoy life on earth. It reflects His creativity, beauty, and handiwork, therefore we are to enjoy it. Ultimately, we are to enjoy Him in everything that we do, for that is the reason for which we were created: to enjoy God and to glorify Him. Yet in the midst of all that, there remains the grim reality that we have not yet arrived to the Promised Land, and that we must live and travel in a evil and depraved world.

The reality is that there is a great war transpiring between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness. And in this war there are no neutral parties. One is either for or against God and His army of Light. It is in the fray of such a war that we have entered this world and are instantly called to bear arms. That is why, I believe, Peter exhorts us to be of sober spirit and to be on the alert. One of the tactics of evil is to sedate the minds of the inhabitants of earth. The kill can be made much more swiftly and efficaciously when the enemy is sedated or drunk to the point where they foolishly forget that no war exists.

If I truly believed that a bloody war was transpiring and that my adversary, the devil, is looking to destroy me, would I fall asleep as Peter and the other disciples did in the garden of Gethsemane? I think I focus a lot on the sin in my own heart, which is good, but I ought to have equal awareness of the Adversarial Lion who prowls about looking to devour the weak and the spiritually inebriated. There is also a sense in which the priesthood of believers are also watchmen standing guard for one another. If I fall asleep, how many do I endanger because of my lazy sedation?

So how do I stand sober and alert? I think this is something to which I will have to give much more contemplation. However, one verse comes to mind that reminds me of one thing I can do, and it is from Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." Prayer, coupled with the Sword of the Spirit, is the single most effective weapon I have to fight against the kingdom of darkness, and in protecting myself and other brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, Levi, be of sober spirit and be on the alert, for the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The Fear of Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge

Proverbs 1:1-7: "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

What an incredible privilege it is that I am able to freely read and learn from a man blessed with divine wisdom and through whom Almighty God Himself has offered wisdom and instruction. Within these divinely inspired proverbs are invaluable morsels of wisdom that could be mine if I would just receive it.

The fact is that I am in need of wisdom and instruction. I need understanding. I must grow in wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and equity. I am naive, therefore I am in need of prudence. I am still but a youth, therefore I am in need of knowledge and discretion.

Am I a wise man? Am I man of understanding? I don't know...I have my moments, I think; but most often I think I am an immature adult. I need to grow up. Will I acquire wisdom? Will I truly hear and increase in learning? Will I ponder and understand the words of the wise and their riddles?

All these questions and any action I take will be in vain unless I fear the Lord. Do I truly fear the Lord? I believe I must first start with fearing the Lord before I even begin to take on the task of studying and acquiring wisdom. Furthermore, I ought to just pack everything up and leave if I despise wisdom and instruction, because I would be a fool, and a fool need not spend any time pondering any of this.

Kindness & Truth

Proverbs 3:3 "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart."

Kindness and truth: I would submit that ultimately one is not effective without being paired with the other. Imagine someone who is kind, but never speaks truth. That person is a spineless individual with no moral integrity. Her character is as resilient as a wet tissue. There is no substance to her being. She is an incredibly kind person, but has no conviction and no reason for why she does things. Kindness without truth leads to moral compromise and antinomianism. On the other hand, imagine an individual who speaks truth and has strong convictions, but has no kindness. When this person speaks truth, it is without tenderness, love, and empathy. When someone receives truth and wisdom from another, it ought to feel like a garland of grace is being laid upon one's head. However, with the individual who speaks truth without kindness, it more closely resembles getting smashed in the face with a baseball bat, or at the very least, feel cold and heartless. I believe that one of the most essential aspects of relating in a Christlike manner to your fellow man is to have both kindness AND truth bound upon one's neck and written upon the tablet of one's heart. The two must not depart from one another. Remember Christ and how he spoke to the condemned prostitute: "Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you? She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said, 'I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." We must stand boldly and unabashedly in truth, but must ensure at all cost that every pore of that truth oozes and emanates with the love of Christ.

Life Under the Mighty Hand of God

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (I Peter 5:6-7)

"Therefore humble yourselves..." This verse was preceded by a quotation from Proverbs 3:34, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." For my entire life one of my greatest struggles has pertained to this reality. I vacillate between being living proudly independent and humbly dependent on God's grace. In hindsight it seems so silly that I would choose to proudly live my life on my own in my very fallible, weak, and finite state, rather than humbly yielding to the mighty hand of God. First of all, living a humble life under the lordship of Christ is such a peaceful, wonderful place in which to live, so it is very silly that I would give that up. Also, I think I often forget that God is ALMIGHTY GOD. Why would I not trust and serve such an infinitely powerful person? Again, it seems so silly.

"that he may exalt you at the proper time" I think it is only when I am living in a proud state that I read this verse and think, "I need to humble myself before God so that He can exalt me and get me what I need." But when I am truly humbling myself under "the mighty hand of God," I am not looking to be exalted at all. Instead, I patiently wait for Almighty God to show Himself powerful on my behalf so that when I am exalted, provided for, and delivered, I in turn will sing of His glory and might so that He is exalted!

"casting all your anxiety on Him" This is another perk of living under the mighty hand of God: I can cast ALL my anxiety on Him! I don't have to worry about it! Let me explain why this is such good news. Whenever I live life on my own strength and make myself god of the universe, I have to deal with so many problems of such immense proportion, which no one of my strength or intelligence is ever capable of handling or solving. The result is that I am filled with even greater anxiety than that with which I started. With life under the mighty hand of God, I can give Him all my anxieties, all my problems, all my worries, and all my needs because He is infinitely powerful and...

"because He cares for you [Me]." How could I ever trust someone to take on my problems and work them out for me unless I was certain that I mattered to that person. That is the case with God. He cares for me. He loves me. I am precious to Him. Therefore I have no need to doubt that God will take care of my worries and needs because He cares for me and loves me so much! There was a point in my life where I had an inaccurate idea of God and who He is. I thought that He was powerful, wise, sovereign, and trustworthy, but not personal and caring. I praise God for showing me otherwise; and when He did, this was one of the verses that really stuck out to me. The God of the universe cares for me. For me!

The beginning of Isaiah 43 could be used to preface what Peter said above in the two verses. Isaiah 43 verses 1-4 says, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you," therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. He is my Father, and I am His child. I am infinitely loved by Him, and that makes life under the mighty hand of God such a wonderful place in which to live.

A Change in Format

So far, I've chosen to have this blog serve as a virtual soapbox of
sorts. At times I've written semi-meaningful material, but for the
most part I have not composed anything of much value recently.
Furthermore, although the whole "virtual soapbox" thing was intended
to be understood partially tongue-in-cheek, I do not wish for things
of value to be cheapened because of it being expressed under a
platform of pretension and insincerity. I would like this blog to
sincerely and freshly reflect the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of
my heart. In a world filled with a vast array of façades, pretenses,
and cynicism, I would like my blog to be an oasis of honesty,
sincerity, genuineness, and joy. I hope that you will leave reading
my blog having been blessed and encouraged in some way. I would like
to invite you to enter into my thoughts and reflections on life. I
thought I'd begin by posting my reflections from my devotions. I will
make an attempt to do one a day, but in all likelihood that will not
happen, so bear with me. :)

Tipping

The standard for tipping a waiter at a restaurant has been greatly inflated in our society and no longer reflects the quality of service received, which has resulted in good waiters not being justly rewarded for good service, while bad waiters walk away with unwarranted amounts of money despite providing poor service. If we are to truly honor the courtesy of tipping, we must drastically change the way we tip waiters and have our tips more accurately reflect the quality of service received.

The standard tip has historically been 15% of the total check. What quality of service, therefore, is deserving of a 15% tip? If a waiter does his/her job by checking in with the customer several times during the night, refills their drinks a few times, and is moderately friendly and sociable, then I believer that waiter deserves a 15% tip. If you do a good job, you get 15% - it's as simple as that.

Now, if a waiter frequently checks in with the customer throughout the night, asking them about their food, frequently filling up their drinks, is genuinely friendly, and so forth, I believe that waiter deserves a better tip because they have exhibited excellent service; and in such a situation they deserve a better tip - 17%, 18%, or 20%. If your waiter is busting his butt and is literally running from one table to another, that individual deserves 25% and the manager ought to be notified of the waiter's truly exceptional service so that the waiter is rewarded by someone multiple people.

Regarding mediocre to poor service: if your waiter just brings your food and drinks, but only comes to your table when you catch his/her attention to fill up your drinks, for example, then that waiter does not deserve a 15% tip! I'm sorry - but that's how it's got to be! If he does a mediocre job, then that waiter should not receive more than a 10% tip. As a customer, you do not have the time or the interest to have a conversation with a mediocre waiter about his quality of service. Your tip is intended to have that conversation for you. So if your waiter does a mediocre job for multiple people on multiple nights and receives 10% tips, he will eventually get the message that he needs to raise his quality of service if he wishes to be considered a good waiter.

If a customer rewards mediocre service with a 15-20% tip, that mediocre waiter will never learn to raise his quality of service. He will continue to provide mediocre service because he knows that he will get tipped the same as if he provided excellent service. Therefore what motivation is there for him to change? And as a customer, you are not being stingy miser if you only tip a mediocre waiter 10%. Furthermore, if you receive awful service, you are not being a jerk by leaving a nickel in your glass! If you receive awful service, then you are doing that terrible waiter a huge favor by leaving a nickel, because you are challenging him to become a better waiter and a better person.

Excellent service deserves excellent tips. Therefore, you are doing excellent waiters a HUGE disservice by tipping bad waiters! There ought to be a reward for providing excellent service, and there should be little to no reward for providing poor service. Though this issue may seem trivial, it reflects much deeper issues of virtue and vice in individuals and society. If virtue is not prized and rewarded, and vice is not discouraged, the ultimate result is moral, intellectual, and social retardation, because virtue and vice are regarded as one and the same, and thus deemed insignificant and irrelevant.

The Trinity as a Paradigm for Spiritual Transformation

I just read this excerpt by Ravi Zacharias and thought it was very good. I hope that you are equally encouraged and challenged by it as well.

"It is a sad fact that the doctrine of the Trinity has been believed in but rarely preached on in our churches...(read on)"

Esther - A Grossly Misconstrued Character

Most of us (if not all of us) have been raised with the view that Queen Esther was a noble, godly woman of faith, to whom we look to as an example of courage and faith in the face of adversity. One of my former bible professors, Dr. Ron Pierce, proposes a different interpretation of Esther, to which I have been pursuaded. He gives a very pursuasive, rational argument, and it would be extremely difficult for me to see the book of Esther any other way. Here is a link to his essay: http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/esther_pierce.pdf

Another interesting fact noted by Dr. Pierce regarding this view is that in the Greek Septuagint the book of Daniel and Esther are directly adjacent to one another. Esther is Daniel's foil, indicated by the complete absence of any mention of God in the book, whereas Daniel was completely reliant upon God; however both books reveal the faithfulness of God to Israel, regardless of whether or not they are faithful to Him.

Perhaps this could challenge you to exam preconceived notions about Esther.

New thoughts to come soon!

Sorry I haven't posted any food for thought recently. I just got a
new computer, which will allow me to post more frequently. Stay tuned
for more to come soon!

War in Iraq and on Terrorism

I have found it very difficult to form an objective critique on the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. While I have a predisposition to favor Bush because of sharing similar beliefs, I simultaneously do not wish to naively and ignorantly support someone or something that I have not intelligently processed and considered. Incidentally, this is a very difficult task to undertake due to the fact that the news and media are so politically charged and biased towards the beliefs and agendas of anti-Bush advocates; therefore forming an objective stance about the situation seems next to impossible. My gut instinct and subconscious conclusion about the war, however, were articulated almost perfectly in this cartoon by political cartoonist Michael Ramirez.

A Lament for Women

Historically, it has been the unfortunate fact that women have struggled to be treated with value, dignity, and respect in nearly every country and culture, and this fact still conspicuously exists today in many countries, such as India or many middle eastern countries, for example. In the United States, however, great efforts have been made over the course of its history to liberate women from inequality and disrespect, and as a result of these efforts, women now possess equal rights as men. On the surface and in many respects women do indeed possess equal rights and receive equal respect and dignity on corporate, political, and legal levels. However, at its core, on an intrinsic existential level of human worth and dignity, I believe American culture has not made any progress in granting women value, dignity, and respect.

First, observe sports. Football is arguably the most popular sport in America, and one cannot help but notice the bustuous, scantily clad cheerleaders employed by each team. Perhaps in its infancy cheerleading was intended for inspiring crowds. Now, however, cheerleaders exist for the purpose of being eye candy and for the sex appeal. Other sports such as boxing and car racing are known for women in skimpy bikinis walking around carrying signs or surrounding the champion. Once again, eye candy and sex appeal.

What about tv shows? There are countless tv shows that have sexy women serve no other purpose than being eye candy and for the sex appeal. One example is the hit tv show "Deal or No Deal." There is one male host and about two dozen sexy women in revealing, form-fitting dresses. None of these women have any lines. They simply stand there and hold the brief cases containing the secret numbers. Look also at music videos, the majority of which contain dozens of sexy women who are sensuously clothed (or unclothed).

Lastly, the most pervasive arena in which women's sexuality is exploited for eye candy and sex appeal is in commercials and products. Beer commercials are infamous for selling their products with bikini-clad women. Countless soda commercials film sexy women dancing seductively. The restaurant Hooters speaks for itself just in their name. And many cologne and deodorant commercials show women stripping down and throwing themselves at the men who wear the product. Additionally, numerous magazines place voluptuous supermodels or actresses on the front cover to catch readers' eyes.

How has all this been rationalized by our culture? Women have been told that wearing revealing clothing and looking seductive and sexy is a way of declaring their independence as women. The media strongly purports looking seductive and sexy, and that by doing so a woman will gain the respect of others and herself. The greatest goal towards which a woman should aspire, our media says, is to look young and sexy and to show that body to the world.

The sad truth in all of this is that so many women are deluded, especially those who are in those positions of being models, cheerleaders, and so forth. Instead of gaining the respect of women and men around them, it simply draws the jealousy of other women and feeds the sexual appetite of men. When men look at scantily clad cheerleaders and women in bikinis, they do not think, "thank goodness women have been liberated and are now viewed with dignity and respect." They do not look at them with respect and love! The honest truth is that the majority of men view women as sexual objects from which they can derive various forms of lustful pleasure. To all the women who I have looked at lustfully, I ask for your forgiveness. And on behalf of the millions of men who will never have any remorse for how they view women, I apologize for not treating you with value, dignity, and respect that you deserve. All women have been created in the image of God and are deserving of the fullest and deepest honor, dignity, and respect. Thus concludes my lament for the billions of mistreated women around the world.

Storms of Doubt (written in 2002)

While thund'ring storms batter me with sharp waves
Of doubt, which buffet my hope with fierce rage,
To thee I'm bid o'er this dark depth of graves,
Stepping near thee with fear of my presage.
Straight forward I hobble wary with fear,
Yet my gaze shifts to fuming waves around,
And as I lose sight of thine eyes so dear,
I sink into the depths joining the drowned.
And while to darkness my mind is shifted,
I descend to black with nary a hope.
Yet to my surprise, upward I'm lifted
By strong arms to which my frantic hands grope.
Then my Lord inquires about my bout,
"O you of little faith, why do you doubt?"

The Pursuit of Joy (written in 2004)

Through the fog I stumble o'er paths unclear.
The lights seems far gone and life nowhere near.
My hands grope blindly for a guided way.
My eyes dart searching for the light of day.

Deep in mud I wallow, all hope hath fled.
Pierced by doubt's arrows, my heart is dead.
Past bliss is gone, a mirage of my mind.
Life's ray of cheer, shall I e'er again find?

Far fast from me flee the joys from life here.
Life chokes to death the dreams I hold most dear.

Shall I reap any joy beneath earth's sun?
A voice rings true, "On earth there shall be none!"
Where shall I find this true joy I desire?
"Nowhere on earth. It is a rotting mire."

"You calm peace of heart from God is giv'n.
The pure joy you seek comes from Christ within."
Earth's carnal cheer thrown in the flames I burn.
Pure joy my heart seeks. Unto Christ I turn.

Harsh trials steal not my inner joy away.
Through hope in Christ forever will it stay.

Jesus Wept: A Divine Mystery

I think that it is a well-known understanding among us humans that we don't like, for the most part, ambiguity. We have a very difficult time being comfortable with and accepting concepts or ideas that are seemingly incongruent. In the Christian circle, there are many debates about God that are debated continually and still go unanswered.

For example, one such debate pertains to this issue of predestined and free will. How are we 100% responsible for our actions, choices, and beliefs, especially pertaining to salvation, if God is 100% in charge and orchestrates everything? How are we to intellectually and spiritually reconcile these seemingly opposing dichotomies?

I believe that looking at the life of Jesus will give us some helpful insight on these mysteries, for Jesus was a person that was torn between two natures and two worlds, the finite thoughts and life of men, and the omniscient thoughts and eternal existence of his divine nature. In a very simple but profound verse, we are given a picture of Jesus himself coming face to face with this issue. John 11:35, which is famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible, contains one sentence and two words: "Jesus wept." Faced with Lazarus' death, Jesus wept -- not a brief shedding of tears, but an overwhelming flood of grief over the death of his beloved friend.

Why would Jesus, who is omniscient, and who was fully aware before the beginning of time of Lazarus' impending resurrection, be grief-stricken over the news of Lazarus' death? Should not his response been different? Should he not have remained composed and unaffected by the news since he knew that Lazarus would soon be resurrected? No. In his omniscience and power to resurrect the dead he still was engulfed in the real grief of a finite world. What an incredibly beautiful picture of Jesus' humanity and divinity unfolding so delicately and perfectly!

Taking this picture of Jesus' response, I think we can apply it to assist us in reconciling our 100% responsibility and God's 100% orchestration. Are we morally responsible to believe in the truth of the Gospel and accept the salvation offered by God? Yes. Or, does God predestine us to be saved, meaning that it was not our choice? Yes. Are the two congruent? Yes and no. Does it make sense? Not really...well, maybe ... a little, sort of. Praise the Lord we don't understand it completely. God's knowledge and wisdom is infinitely inexhaustible. If we should ever understand our God fully, then he is no God at all. As we spend eternity with him, we will come to a deeper and greater understanding of these mysteries, and yet, at the same time, not even begin to scratch the surface. Isn't it wonderful and beautiful? I think so.

Blogging: Mixed Motivations

The great scholar S. E. Ramquist wrote, "Is not blogging an inherently narcisstic activity? Perhaps the occasional visitor, perhaps the bored, wandering internet addict getting his or her fix, but no one else--save the author--really reads the work. Blogs are mini-speeches that are rehearsed only to oneself, but often with the pretension of speaking to a crowd."

I would be deluded to deny that an element of narcissism motivates me to blog. Thus, I could not agree more with Ramquist. And yet, there is a duality to my motivation, the other element being a sincere desire to speak truth and to be a vessel for the expansion of the Gospel. If my blogs might be read, even just by one "occasional visitor, perhaps the bored, wandering internet addict," it allows the possibility for a seed of truth to be planted within his heart. Perhaps the seed will later be watered by another, and slowly, but surely, as it is pruned and nurtured, be grafted into the Tree of Life, where it might bear much fruit.

For further thoughts by S. E. Ramquist, see http://shearamquist.blogspot.com/

Light of Lights

O Light of Lights, please fill my soul
With thy brilliance and make me whole.
This heart is black and dead with sin.
O Light of Life, shine forth within.

O Light of Lights, please lead the way
Past shadows of death and to the day.
These eyes are blind unto the Light.
O Light of Life, please be my sight.

O Light of Lights, please set me free
From the darkness all around me.
And at all cost please purge away,
O Light of Life, my sin's decay.

O Light of Lights, forever be
My soul's stay and radiant glory.
Precious Jesus, for thee I yearn.
O Light of Life, swiftly return!

Why?

A spouse is driving to work and is killed in an auto accident; a best friend dies from skin cancer that spread throughout his body; a child drowns while swimming in a pool. All three are such tragic events that would cause one's heart to ache with unbearable pain. And during such times one of the most common questions asked--perhaps screamed--is "WHY?" Our finite minds wish to grasp and comprehend why such devastating tragedies occur. We desperately demand an explanation, from God, from ourselves, from whomever. We cannot live with the pain unless we have a justification. Yet, perhaps, could it be that the one question we so adamantly demand is the one question that we need not ask?

Why might this be so? I believe this is so because the answer to the question of "why" is an answer that has no bearing whatsoever on how we ought to live life and how we view God. God does not change regardless of what tragedies occur in our lives. The pain we experience as a result of tragedies or sin does not negate or undermine God's character. The most common reaction from people in response to pain in their life is an immediate doubting and questioning of God's love and goodness. I now firmly believe the sooner we stop asking "why" the more at peace we can be with pain in our lives. For in abandoning the question "why," we can much sooner truly and wholly believe and cling to the inescapable truth about the unchanging character of the Lord our God.

Frankly, we do not need to know why something has happened. We do not need to know that it was for a greater good, or that somehow we were spared from much deeper pain or greater problems, or even that one day we will understand the cosmic reasoning behind the pain in our lives. All we need to know is that God is loving, good, gracious, merciful, faithful, and perhaps most importantly, sovereign and infinitely wise. If we know this, then we can go through hell itself and have our hope and faith be unshaken. God is not obligated to give us an explanation, and we have no right to demand one of him. If we are confident in the character of our God, then there is a deep peace in the most painful of circumstances, because our confidence, hope, and faith are based on the unchanging character of God. He is our gracious, loving Father, and we as his children can rest peacefully in his arms.