Mark Driscoll at Desiring God 08 on God's use of tough words. Yes, it's long! Maybe you can do what I did and watch it in 15 minute bites. It's well worth it.



Quick outline: Driscoll says we should:

1. Feed the Sheep
2. Rebuke the Swine
3. Shoot the Wolves
4. Bark at the Dogs
5. Pray for the Shepherds

I will NEVER forget this message ever. Every minister and church leader should watch this.

God is love, and Jesus loves you, but neither one of them is always nice.

Just when this previous post makes me look like a prude or a legalist...I write the following that may make me look like the opposite. :)

I wondered "aloud" in the last post if we should utter anything at all when angry or hurt. I think to a point, some of that's OK. After all what else is many of the Psalms but expressing pain through words? If we look at Job, he cursed the day he was born, yet didn't sin. So maybe there are times when it's OK, not to use foul language, but to use exclamations to express pain. (Like "ouch" when you stub your toe.) (But I'm not really sure what to do with Jesus cursing a fig tree that didn't bear fruit. Does that mean we get to curse the chair we stubbed our toe on? I doubt it ;-)

Of course the Bible also says,

3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:3-4)

So it's obvious that foul language is right out. But wait, there's more...

Listen to this guy. (And hey, though he uses the "s" word to illustrate his point, this is from "Desiring God" ministries (John Piper) so it has to be good, right? :)



Perhaps Paul's use of the word "dung" in Philippians 3:8 illustrates his point? "Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as dung/refuse/rubbish/garbage. All I want is Christ" (Literally the Greek word is referring to dung. Most translations avoid that reference. Only Eugene Peterson lets us know that the word is scatological. Apparently, Daniel Wallace, Greek Scholar extraordinaire, says that the Greek word Paul uses here falls somewhere between "crap" and "s**t".) That verse really gains some power to me when I realize that Paul is saying that all his prior righteousness is crap compared to Jesus!

Can coarse language ever be God-honoring? There are times when God uses strong language. (Watch this one hour sermon by Mark Driscoll at "Desiring God" 08 for not just some examples, but every example! )

I, myself, admit to using (ahem) salty language at times in a pastoral counseling situations as a way to get someone's attention about the seriousness of sin. (I do this very rarely, both for the sake of my own heart and it's effectiveness. It wouldn't work if I did this often.)

I used the point of what Dr. Tripp said about words with my kids earlier this week.(Without the "s" word) First, my 7 year old complained that the 6 year old had called him "dumb". The 6 year old claimed that he hadn't actually called his brother "dumb" just something else. I told him to watch his words, because people could think that he was calling them "dumb". I just told him not to use the word at all.

Two minutes later they were both back. The 7 year old now said that the 6 year old was saying "burrito, burrito, burrito" over and over.

I had a quick teaching moment with them. I said,

"OK, listen guys. It's not about the words. It's about the heart. Any word can be bad if you mean it that way. Even "chair" can be a bad word, if you are being mean in your heart towards your brother. That's what matters. Pay attention to your heart today, and then your words will be fine."

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

We can't just limit "unwholesome talk" to swear words. "Unwholesome talk" is any words that tear people down. We have to watch our mouths AND our hearts.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

I'll lay my cards on the table: I'm not a big fan of the culture war.

Here are some reasons why:

1. Its expectation is foolish.
Whether you believe America was ever a "Christian nation" or not, it is theologically naive and demonstrably false to think laws or policies make anyone a Christian. You cannot create or recapture a people for Christ by illegalizing sin. (Which, by the way, is not to say that certain sins shouldn't be illegal. It is only to say that, for instance, outlawing gay marriage or repealing Roe v. Wade won't make anybody a Christian, much less make America "a Christian nation.")

2. Its medium is moralism, not gospel.
This is similar to my point above. It makes kingdom militancy about religion, not gospel. It seeks a Christian coercion of others toward better behavior, not an incarnational sharing with others of the better Way.

3. It is theologically naive.
It is the height of weirdness to expect people who don't know Jesus to act like they do.

4. It is often hypocritical.
It is the height of weirdness to expect people who don't know Jesus to act like they do especially when we can't get our own house in order. So long as large numbers of Christians continue contributing to the divorce statistics, the porn industry, and more acceptable sins like gluttony and gossip and greed, we have zero business telling the world how to act. Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). Repent, Church!

5. It battles against flesh and blood.
We're not supposed to do that. (Eph. 6:12)

6. Its treasure is temporary.
I am not overly concerned with the culture war because it is a battle for something that doesn't last. Culture is temporary. I am far more interested in the transformation of peoples through the transformation of people than I am in the subduing of culture through the modification of behavior. Nobody ever got into heaven by acting better.

7. It makes idols of comfort and safety and propriety.
The culture war is largely driven by fear. We're afraid our public schools will ruin our children, we're afraid gay people will ruin our families. We're afraid a Democrat will ruin our country, we're afraid liberals will ruin our neighborhoods. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to protect our family, and safety of course is not a bad thing. But neither is it a biblical virtue. Ditto comfort. Or have you not read the New Testament? I'm just gonna put this out there, but maybe it's God's design for us as people and for Christians throughout all time to endure hardship, danger, persecution, and even death. Wanting not to suffer is human. Thinking we deserve not to is unChristian.

8. It has no root in Jesus' ministry.
Jesus knew heart change didn't come through political power, cultural pressure, or zealotry, so he was keenly disinterested in those things.

9. It mangles mission.
The culture war sets the Church above and against the world, rather than in but not of the world. It turns us into picketers and politicos. It makes us suspicious and speculative and sensationalist. It takes relationship completely out of the missional equation. It turns us from peaceful ambassadors for Christ into pontificating warriors for Christianity. It does not ask us to serve and sacrifice, which are non-negotiables for Christian mission, but to maneuver and argue.

In Romans 1:5, Paul writes:

Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

A few things:
Paul says we "call" people. This is the work of gospel proclamation, carried out in both word and deed.
Paul does mention "obedience," but this obedience is the kind that "comes from faith." Faith comes first, then obedience. It never ever ever ever works the other way.
Lastly, and most importantly:

10. The culture war is carried out for our name's sake, not Jesus'.
I am not a fan of gay marriage or Roe v. Wade, and even though I would vote to outlaw the former and repeal the latter, neither of those actions in themselves will make a single unbeliever say "How wonderful Christ is!"
The bitter truth is that the Christian culture war is not carried out for Jesus' glory and renown, but for ours. It makes "Judeo-Christian values" the end-game, the treasure of our mission. And that is idolatry. Nobody was ever legally or argumentatively or even culturally convinced to believe in Jesus. But millions have been loved and served and submitted to into believing.

Dying for somebody says a whole lot more than debating them.

I choose the gospel. Come hell or highwater, come a liberal administration in Washington for the rest of my life or actual suffering. My treasure is not Christianity, but Christ. My hope is not a Christian nation but a Christ-saturated universe. I trust not in princes but in the King of Kings. I choose war on hell and death through the liberating power of Jesus in the glorious gospel of the grace of God.
For the glory of God.

(Cross-posted at GDC)

Macy (8) has a diary. She brought it to church last night and took notes. Here are a few lines:

Dad is preaching to the people. Dad said it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings . . .

Those are God's words that Dad just presented to me. They will be treasured forever.

Love is popular. People love love. Or at least they think they do. People seem to want love without standards. For example, some kids will say things like, “You don’t love me” when their parents enforce rules. Some grown-ups act the same way. And of course, the main argument for the pro-homosexual marriage folks is "love." But what is love? I believe that true love has standards. Love has a skeleton, or it doesn't have any strength at all. Love has to stand on and stand for something, or it is valueless.

The Bible speaks often about grace, love and spiritual things. And there are Bible verses that balance each of those things with truth. Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Jesus said that we must worship in spirit and truth (John 1:24). And John says that grace, mercy and peace from God will be with us “in truth and love” (2 John 3). We must have both. Truth without love is harmful and love without truth doesn’t help anyone.

Yet there are many who want grace without the truth of sin. (Which isn't really grace at all.)
Yet there are many who want spirit without truth. (e.g. "I'm a spiritual person, I just don't like organized religion.")
Yet there are many who want love without truth. (e.g. "If you love me, you'll let me do what I want.")

A good example is parents who claim to love their children, but never discipline them. Because that kind of treatment spoils (i.e. "ruins") them, I would argue that that kind of "love" isn't love at all. Love without truth becomes idolatrous self-love, and a kind of hatred for everyone else. "He who spares the rod, hates his son" (Proverbs 13:24).

A parent who keeps rescuing their addicted adult child is showing love without truth. And in the long run, sparing that child from consequences only brings harm. I had one person tell me that they almost "loved" their adult child to death, because they kept rescuing them from consequences.

Truth matters. What we do must always be tied to truth. In the small letter of 2 John, the old apostle says that no one should welcome anyone who claims to be a Christian teacher but denies that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s son in the flesh. John says, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work” (2 John 10-11). Wow. John is saying that we should not show hospitality to or help people that teach falsehood. Some might claim that turning people away “isn’t very loving.” But real love is always married to truth. To bring someone into your home who will be leading people astray does not love those they would lead astray. Likewise, helping someone who is hurting themselves or others is not loving or helpful. Sometimes the right thing, even the loving thing is to say, “No.”

However in John’s very next letter, he says we should practice hospitality. “We ought to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth” (3 John 8). In this case he’s talking about showing hospitality to people who are teaching the truth. See the reason for the difference? Hospitality in each case is tied to truth.

This is likewise true in everything we do. Love divorced from truth cannot stand on its own. And no one can stand truth divorced from love. They need each other. In Jesus, we find the perfect balance.

Jesus is love and truth all wrapped up in one.

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did... This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence. (I John 2:5-6, 3:16-19)

Colossians 1:15:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Paul articulately asserts the truth of the Incarnation in Colossians 1, but his use of "firstborn" does not mean that there was a time when the Son of God wasn't (any more than John 3:16's use of "begotten" does -- as the Nicene Creed insists, Jesus is "eternally begotten"). But Paul's use of "firstborn" here holds such a wealth of meaning: namely, as it applies to Christ's sovereign authority and to his redemptive activity.

Biblically and culturally speaking, the firstborn son carried the weight of the family inheritance on his shoulders. The family name rested first with him. In the absence of the father, he is the head of the family. The firstborn son receives more honor, more expectation, and more authority.

This is Jesus, of course. The author of Hebrews tells us he is the radiance of God's glory. Romans 8 tells us that he is the heir of God. Inheritance talk is big in Galatians and Ephesians and Titus and Hebrews.
As our older brother, Jesus is due the authority and the wealth he is owed.
But unlike all other older brothers -- and I am one, so I know -- he walks in a way worthy of his honor. For our sake!

All through the Scriptures, from the murderous Cain to the sniveling idiot brother of Jesus' parable of the Lost Son, the older brother is consistently an utter and absolute failure. (So are most of the younger brothers, actually, but God consistently chooses them to make a point, I think.)

But not Jesus. Where disobedience and disregard ruled the roost of the firstborn, Jesus obeys the Father perfectly, submits to the eternal cause of the glory of the Father completely, and cares for and rescues and sacrifices his own well-being for his younger siblings to the utmost.

Jesus is the older brother who will not trade his birthright for a bowl of soup. Jesus is the older brother who will not trade his siblings into slavery.
Jesus is the older brother who leaves the comfort of his Father's estate to seek out his lost brother among the brothels and pigsties and actually rescues him from the degradation of the mud and dresses him in the Father's robe of his own accord.

To borrow from Sinclair Ferguson, Jesus is the "true and better" older brother.

To borrow from a favorite line in a favorite movie, Jesus is the older brother who does his job. Everybody else is the other guy.

(Cross-posted at GDC)

Audio from my message "Spiritual Worship in Suburbia," Part 3 in the Element series God vs. Suburbia is now available for download.

The message covers Colossians 1:15-20 and might be the most Jesus-saturated message I've ever done.

The apostle Paul said,

“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel…” (I Corinthians 9:22-23).

What does that mean? Here’s a recent news story that I think illustrates it. Fireman dresses like Spiderman to save boy.

A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said Tuesday. "I told him Spider-Man is here to rescue you, no monsters are going to attack you and I told him to walk slowly towards me as running could be dangerous," Somchai told local television. The young boy immediately stood up and walked into his rescuer's arms, police said.

Pardon the analogy, but isn’t that a lot like what God did? He took on human form, something we were familiar with, so that he could rescue us and take us to God. Jesus was the ultimate missionary. He came to live with us and be like us so that we might be saved. And now we carry on his mission. Paul became like the gentiles to win the gentiles. Our missionaries today become like Africans, or South Americans or even tattooed bikers, so that they might save people. You and I are charged with that same task. How do we do that? How do we become like them in order to save them? We go where they are, like Paul did. He went to the Synagogues, he went to Mars Hill, he went to the marketplace. Wherever people were, Paul went. And wherever he went, he communicated in a language people could understand. To tentmakers, he talked like a fellow tentmaker. To ordinary people, he spoke like an ordinary person. To Jews, he spoke as a Pharisee. To Greeks, he spoke as an educated Roman citizen. It was always the same message, but made understandable for the hearers.

That’s our challenge today. How can we take the same, life-saving, unchanging, hope-filled message of the Gospel, and communicate it in a way that the lost people in your neighborhood will understand it? You can do that. Obviously, you don’t need to dress like Spider-Man. But you are housewives, business leaders, medical professionals, teachers, bankers, grandparents, soccer parents, students and neighbors. You are a person other people trust and will listen to, and you speak their language. And I don’t mean English. You understand and can communicate in a way that a fellow mom, or banker or student or neighbor would understand. God has given you the opportunity to be a missionary. Look around. Where has God placed you? How can you communicate the Gospel to those people that God has placed you in the midst of, in a way that won’t scare them or confuse them, but rather will lead them right into the arms of Jesus?

If you have any stories about how God has used you to make the Gospel understandable to someone else, will you share them under comments?

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which JESUS had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

And JESUS came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ..."

Matthew 28:16-18

It's easy to pile on to the disciples; I've heard preachers do it countless times. While I'm not a big "let's slam the disciples" guy, I don't understand why the 12 (or 11 in this case) at times seem so, well, obtuse. It boggles my mind that they have seen the risen Lord, but still, some of them doubted. I think it speaks to the frailty of the human heart, and it gives me hope that even the ones closest to the risen JESUS can doubt, yet still be elect.

In the classic movie, “Miracle on 34th Street,” Santa Claus says, “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.”

He's wrong. This is a common misunderstanding. Many people believe that faith is irrational, illogical and even contrary to facts. The phrase “blind faith” supports this way of thinking about faith. There’s even a Bible verse that seems to support this.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

But neither this verse nor anywhere else does the Bible say that faith is blind, foolish or contrary to reason. Faith is trusting someone, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t good reasons for that trust.

Faith in God is well-founded. One verse later, the Bible says “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Though we can’t see him, God gives us good reasons to believe that he exists. “What may be known about God is plain to them, since God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:19-20). So you see that God has given us good reason through what is seen, to believe in that which isn’t seen.

We can’t see gravity, wind or love but we have experienced the effects of all three. Similarly, we can’t see God, but we have good reasons to believe he exists. There are many Biblical examples of God giving people good reasons to trust him. John the Baptist questions whether Jesus really is the one, and Jesus tells him about all the miracles he is performing. The Gospel of John refers to Jesus’ miracles as “signs” because they are intended to give people evidence that Jesus is who he says he is. God rescues the Israelites from Egypt so that they will know that he is God.

There’s a story about a blind girl who was perched on a fourth story window of a burning building. The firemen couldn’t fit the ladder truck between buildings and she wouldn’t jump into the net because she couldn’t see it. Then her father arrived and shouted that she was to jump into the net. She jumped because she knew her father. She had experienced his love and faithfulness in the past, so she knew she could trust him.

Don't misunderstand my use of this story. I don't think the Bible supports the notion of "blind faith" or "taking a leap of faith" as though faith doesn't make sense. The girl could jump without seeing because she knew and trusted her dad.

God expects you to trust him, not without reason, but because there are so many.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists…” (Hebrews 11:6).

1-4 "Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."
5Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"

6-7Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!" (John 14:1-7 The Message)

Jesus is saying, "You've seen me. You know me. You can trust me to get you to a place you've never been." Faith is actually doing it, really trusting him.

Do we?

I've always assumed that most people who proclaim a faith in JESUS Christ consistently and actively read the Bible. I'm starting to think I may be terribly wrong about that basic assumption. I'm starting to wonder if Christians are as biblically illiterate as the rest of the world.

Even when I was in rebellion, I still had a love for the Bible. I would read it and it would resonate with me to my very core. Now that I, thankfully, try to walk in the light on a day-to-day basis, my love for the Bible hasn't changed, but my understanding of Scripture has grown by leaps and bounds. It's like scales have fallen off of my eyes. I still have a long way to go, and as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy, I am the Chief of Sinners. But if God can put a love for Scripture inside of someone like me, then there's hope for anyone.

The Bible is a treasure. Up until 500 years ago, and up until the general population became mostly literate, believers didn't even have an opportunity at the privilege of having a copy of the Holy Scriptures. Things have changed, thankfully. Much has been given to us.

Do you read it? Seriously, do you? If not, why not? Do you not know where to start? Does a lack of understanding frustrate you? Does it bore you? Do you feel that you need help somehow? (In any case, the Thinklings are here to help! Especially the pastoral guys like Phil, Jared, and Bill. Just leave a comment. I'd love to hear from anyone on this.)

The other day on the way home from school while talking about actual punishment one of my boys had earned, I was getting irritated that the "not in trouble" son was pushing for severe punishment. So I made an off-hand remark that maybe we should take away the "in trouble" son's screen priviledges for a whole year. Whoops. The "in trouble" son doesn't understand sarcasm yet and thought I was serious. He lost his temper in a millisecond. As I was calming him down and trying to explain why I said that, I apologized to him and I thought, "So this is what that verse means."

We tell children that they should obey their parents, and indeed they should. The Bible makes it clear that it is for their own good. (Ephesians 6:1-3). But we parents should not fail to notice the responsibility that goes along with that. It is not obedience for its own sake, but for the sake of your kids. We are supposed to be giving them rules and instructions that will help their lives. Our children are gifts but not just for our amusement or so we can have someone to boss around.

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Another way to translate this is “Do not provoke your children to anger.” This certainly doesn’t mean that our children have to like everything we tell them or that we have to be afraid that rules will make them angry. Paul is talking about deliberately stirring them up. As parents, we shouldn’t lord our authority over our children or make them do things just because we can. Another way we do this, I think, is when we parade our children out as forced entertaiment like dancing, costumed chihuahuas every time company comes over.

Children should be allowed reasonable freedom, within boundaries. When we enforce rules inconsistently or use our authority in an unpredictable or seemingly unmotivated manner, it provokes them to anger, sometimes justifiably so. We don’t like to be treated that way, neither do our kids.

Our children need a steady, even-handed approach to discipline. In another place, Paul says,

“do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21).

Unnecessary rules, unreasonable standards and endless griping about petty things creates resentment and inner feelings of rebellion.

Instead of exasperating them, we are supposed to be bringing them up in the instruction of the Lord. In other words, if we aren’t teaching them to follow Jesus, we aren’t doing what God expects of parents. A literal translation of Ephesians 6:4 reads “nourish them in the instruction and discipline of the Lord.” This means teaching them regularly to follow Jesus, not only with our words but with our actions. Therefore we should be helping them to feel loved at all times. We are supposed to be nourishing their spirits, not just controlling their external behavior.

Our number one priority is not obedience for its own sake, or the opposite extreme, their happiness, but their regard for their Lord. Their obedience and their happiness must be means to that end. We do this by teaching and training them in God’s word. This is the Christian parents’ highest calling and privilege. Though we all wish good things for our children, we should care more for their love and loyalty to Christ above everything else.

Parents should care more for the loyalty of their children to Christ than for anything besides, more for this than for their health, their intellectual vigour and brilliance, their material prosperity, their social positions, their exemption from great sorrows and great misfortunes. (Dale, cited in "Ephesians" TNTC by Francis Foulkes, p. 173)

It’s true for us and it’s true for them, without Christ all of those things are meaningless.

What are some other ways that normal good decent parents exasperate their children? Do you have any advice or tips?

Sometimes I like to listen to arguments against what I believe.

I think that if what I believe is true, then it ought to be able to withstand tough questions, right? Plus I think one way to be ready to give an answer for the hope that you have in Christ Jesus is to prepare yourself.

That said, how would you respond to this guy?

Can someone who knows more than me about biblical languages explain why Proverbs 30:28 in my NKJV says:

"The spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings' palaces."

And the New Living Translation says:

"Lizards—they are easy to catch,
but they are found even in kings’ palaces."

So which one is it? I'm sort of assuming that the Hebrew word for "spider" and "lizard" are very similar, and that perhaps explains a bit ...

During the period that the Israelites were exiled in Babylon, the prophet Daniel served in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar. The King had a dream that scared him so he asked Daniel what it meant. Daniel said,

“You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven years will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed” (Daniel 4:25, 27).

A year later as the king was walking on the roof of his palace he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”(4:30). Then it happened just as Daniel said. The king lost his mind and went to live with the wild animals for 7 years. The king himself said,

“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him; ‘What have you done?’…Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:34-35, 37).

There are lessons here for presidents and leaders of all kinds. First, God is the Lord over all. He delegates authority, but he can also take it away.

Second, every ruler must learn humility. Nebuchadnezzar’s problem was that he thought that he achieved everything on his own.

Third, no ruler is completely sovereign. Only God is all-knowing and all-powerful. Only God’s kingdom will last forever. And God is the only ruler that can’t be thwarted.

All of us who are in authority of any kind, whether it be as parents, bosses, teachers or government officials need to remember those same lessons. Any authority we have is a precious responsibility delegated by God. It is a temporary privilege that must be used wisely. We must use it to do right, and not to bolster our own pride. And finally we must remember that God is in charge over us all.

The reference is ubiquitous, but apparently a lot of people out there don't know what John 3:16 actually says, since they were Googling it like crazy during this year's BCS Championship Game.

During the game Florida QB Tim Tebow highlighted the verse for national TV, inscribing it on his face for all to see. I guess those small letters and numbers on Tebow's eye black were enough to get thousands upon thousands of curious people to find out what in the world John 3:16 actually says.

It's refreshing to read once more what is perhaps the most succinct declaration of the Gospel ever uttered by human lips (or scribbled by human hands):

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
-- John 3:16 (NKJV)

For good measure I'll also throw in one of my all time favorite verses, John 3:17:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

In a world of fast, easy information, and what seems like a megachurch on every street corner, it's amazing that more people out there don't know the venerable John 3:16. Thanks to Tebow a few thousand people have probably read it for the first time. Thanks, Tim.

See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
-- Matthew 18:10

It is a common question, because it is unfortunately a common occurrence: losing a baby. I think we all tend to believe that God receives departed infants into heaven, but perhaps we're not sure why we believe (other than that the alternative seems unconscionable). Many times grieving families seek assurance. This post is my imperfect attempt at offering cause for hope.

Read the rest of this entry . . .

Best thing I've read today:

Preach from the Bible, and from the Bible only. Again, does this need to be said? One thing's for sure. The Bible is fascinating, disturbing, offensive, sweet, alarming, comforting, stretching, shocking, controversial, caressing, strengthening. No way are you and I that interesting. Let's put the Bible front and center and let it be itself and do its thing, whatever the impact. Submerging the Bible for the sake of our cool personas isn't really cool at all. It's a way of avoiding risk, chickening out.

From this outstanding post by Ray Ortlund.

If we didn’t sing any Christmas carols, would it even feel like Christmas? Singing at Christmas time is a great tradition. Music has a way of causing our minds to remember and our hearts to swell.

But still I think it's important that we understand the difference between fact and fiction. I think it's good to compare our traditions with the Bible. It's a reminder of the Bible's authority. Nevertheless, I try not to be a fuddy-duddy either. I think we can be over-legalistic and judgemental if we're not careful. (For example, I used to be the guy who would say, "There are no girl angels in the Bible" to some sweet little ole lady who was decorating the church sanctuary for Christmas.) I still say, "We don't know how many wise men there were" AND "The Bible doesn't actually say that Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem even though your Children's Bible Story book says that."

Here are some gentle corrections of Christmas Carol traditions.

“Away in a Manger” says, “The little lord Jesus no crying he makes.” Newborn babies do sleep a lot. But when they are awake, there’s a lot of crying. There’s no reason to think that Jesus, as a fully human baby, didn’t cry! Between a mother giving birth, a newborn baby, and animals being disturbed, the night was probably not all that silent! On the other hand, newborn babies do sleep a lot, so I guess it might have been silent right before the shepherds showed up and woke up the baby! :)

“The First Noel” – The word “Noel” means Christmas-time. The song says, “And a cold winter’s night that was so deep.” We don’t know what time of year Jesus was born. December 25th is just the day we celebrate his birth. Some Bible scholars speculate that Jesus probably came in a time of year that was warm enough for shepherds to be out with their sheep.

“We Three Kings of Orient Are” –The Bible doesn’t say how many wise men there were. Traditionally the songs and stories only say there were three because there were three gifts. Wise Men, or Magi, were not kings. They were advisers and magicians for kings. As for the Orient, they were from the middle-east, not the far-east.


“O Little Town of Bethlehem” –Bethlehem means “house of Bread” maybe because that’s the product it was known for. I sort of imagine the annual Bread festival complete with parade and "Bread Queen". OK now I'm reaching, nevermind... :)


“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” – “Hark” means listen. The Angels didn’t actually sing though. The Bible says that one angel appeared to the shepherds and “said to them,

‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Then a crowd of angels appears and said,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:10-14).

This great song by Charles Wesley calls our attention to some important Biblical truths though. It says: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.” Emmanuel means “God with us.” He was and he is. Because of Jesus we can know God. The Son of God became a son of man and came to live where we are, so that we sons of man can become sons of God.

May God fill you with wonder and awe this Christmas and may you glorify him in all you do.

One day a man fell into a pit. He was unable to get out of it as hard as he tried. Finally someone came along. It was Confucius. He observed the situation and said, “Poor fellow, if only he’d listened to me he never would have fallen in there.” Later Buddha walked by. He saw the man in the pit and said, “Poor fellow, if he’ll come up here, I’ll help him.” Then finally Jesus Christ came along. He said, “Poor fellow!” and jumped in the pit and lifted him out. (From A Foreign Devil in China by John Pollock, p. 54). That story illustrates the meaning of Christmas. The story of Christmas is the story of the incarnation.

“Incarnate” means “in the flesh.” “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him” (Colossians 1:19). Christians believe that Jesus is fully God. There have been various folks who claimed that Jesus only appeared to be God or only had a spark of the divine. But according to Paul, Jesus did not have just part of the Divine nature, but all of it.

Christmas is the celebration of God’s coming into the world as a human being. But why did he do that? God put on human flesh because it pleased him to reconcile all things to himself through Jesus. (Colossians 1:20). Now there would be no reason for reconciliation unless there was a broken relationship. Indeed the Bible teaches that sin makes us God’s enemies.

But God coming in the flesh is only the beginning of our reconciliation to God. Paul tells us that Jesus made peace between us and God “through his blood shed on the cross.” The Bible teaches that Jesus paid the penalty that we owe for our sins. God’s forgiveness is not empty or arbitrary. Sin was paid for by God himself. In Jesus, God both punished sin and was punished for sin. This is how our forgiveness was achieved.

And here’s the really cool part, Jesus came not only to reconcile us back to God, but to reclaim that which was his in the first place.

“We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. For everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end” (Colossians 1:15-18, The Message).

The NIV translates it this way: “all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy!.”

Ponder this for a while: Jesus isn’t just the reason for the season; he’s the reason for everything!

Everything!

Jesus is the reason everything exists in the first place.

Jesus is the reason anything exists at all.

Jesus is the reason anything still exists.

All of creation, that includes you and me, is for Jesus.

And he became one of us, so that he might reclaim that which was his by right anyway...only because of the incarnation, death and resurrection, everything becomes his in fact.

My question for you:

How should this truth affect how I think, act, feel and live?


Afterword:
And so, (warning: I'm about to sound John Piper-ish, but I didn't get this from him, I got it from this passage.)

I wonder if this passage teaches us that Jesus' primary reason for coming wasn't us. He came for himself. Wow.